Rolling Stone's 500 "Greatest Albums" Part 7 Quiz

Answer: Daughter

Much of the material in "Coal Miner's Daughter" was autobiographical for Loretta Lynn. She was literally that woman. The title track told her story and she made it into a number one on the country music charts. It was the fourth of her 16 chart toppers.

Loretta Webb was born in Kentucky in 1932. Married at 15, she started her music career in 1960. She became a prolific album recorder, more than 60 albums by 2021. Ten of those topped the charts. Her life story was turned into a movie "Coal Miner's Daughter" in 1980, which won Sissy Spacek an Oscar and a Golden Globe.

Answer: Machine

"Sex Machine" was a 1970 double album that was supposedly recorded live. In fact, tracks on side one were laid down in the studio, with crowd noises overdubbed. Side two was recorded in concert. The title track that opened the disc ran to almost 11 minutes.

The album reached number four on the Billboard R&B charts. Brown recorded dozens of albums and had a highly convoluted reputation that did not end with his death on Christmas Day 2006.

Answer: Parklife

In the United Kingdom in the 1990s you were either a Blur or an Oasis fan. The two bands vied for the adoration of music fans.

In 1994, "Parklife" brought Blur into the mainstream, opening a window onto ordinary life in London at the time. Writing in "Rolling Stone" magazine in 2014, Kenneth Partridge called it their "finest" album. "Parklife" topped the UK album charts and was well received in some European countries. North America did not seem to agree. It reached number 41 in Canada and did not chart in the USA. The title track was a number 10 on the UK singles charts.

So who were better, Blur or Oasis. In the "New York Times" in 2015, Hardeep Phull was adamant the accolade went to Blur. "Oasis were the brash, swaggering, working-class heroes; Blur came from more comfortable backgrounds, and had a more refined and introverted approach to their music."

Answer: Screamadelica

Released in 1991, "Screamadelica" was the third studio album from the Scottish rockers. Their music, it was said, bridged the gap between indie rock and dance. The album caught some critics napping, but they soon cottoned on that it was rather good. Importantly, fans liked it too and it rose to number eight the UK albums harts.

Answer: Eyez

"All Eyez On Me was released in February 1996, just seven months before the death of 2Pac at the age of 25. It topped the Billboard 200. Lesane Parish Crooks was born in New York City but moved to California and was soon active on the West Coast scene.

His genre was said to be hip hop with a social message and in just a few short years he became one of the biggest-selling artists around, with some 75 million sales.

Answer: Actually

Released in 1987, the album was also known as "Pet Shop Boys, actually" and reached the top 10 across Europe, including number two on the UK album charts. It was a number 25 on the Billboard 200. The critics liked it also, indeed in 2012, "New Musical Express" listed "25 Reasons To Love Pet Shop Boys' 'Actually'".

Their top reason was that it contained "the greatest pop song in history", the duo singing 'What Have I Done To Deserve This?' with Dusty Springfield.

Answer: Crooked

"Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain" was the second album from the Stockton, California combo. Many critics had been eagerly awaiting the follow-up to their opening album "Slanted and Enchanted", and few were disappointed. Sales, though, were not outstanding. It reached only 121 onto Billboard 200, although did make number 15 in the UK.

Answer: Silver

Hailing from Brooklyn, New York City, LCD Soundsystem brought their brand of electric rock/punk to the masses with an eponymous album in 2005. It did well on the electric dance charts but their second album "Sound of Silver" was to start off a period of growth. "Sound of Silver" hit number 46 on the Billboard 200 and their next two albums reached numbers 10 and one.

Answer: Confessions

Usher had already begun to cross over from R&B to pop when "Confessions" came out in 2004 and completed that journey. It also won three of the eight Grammys it was nominated for and was a number one across North America and the UK. Three singles off it also reached the Hot 100 top 10 simultaneously; making Usher only the third solo artist or band to achieve that.

Answer: Wolf

Los Lobos brought a mixture of styles to "How Will The Wolf Survive?" In 1984. Founded in Los Angles they blended traditional Mexican sounds with blues and rockabilly. "Rolling Stone" magazine called it one of the best albums of the year. In 2001, the "Guardian" newspaper called Los Lobos "one of the greatest, most versatile all-American bands of the past three decades".