Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs (51-75) Quiz

Answer: Shake for me, girl. I wanna be your back door man

Jimmy Page was a huge fan of American blues music, so the song "You Need Love", by Muddy Waters (as written by Willie Dixon), was one of his favorites. When Led Zeppelin wrote "Whole Lotta Love", some of the guitar riffs transcended from the Muddy Waters tune to the Led Zeppelin song, and royalties ended up having to be paid. Howlin' Wolf recorded the songs "Shake for Me" and "Back Door Man", two songs which Robert Plant used to create the lyric "Shake for me, girl. I wanna be your back door man". Both songs were written by Willie Dixon. Chuck Berry also receives credit for "Back Door Man", as does Chester Burnett. Other Led Zeppelin songs written by Willie Dixon include "Bring it on Home", "I Can't Quit You Babe" and "You Shook Me". Eventually Led Zeppelin had to compensate Willie for all of these songs as well.

Answer: A black cat crossing your path

"Very superstitious
Ladders bout' to fall,
Thirteen month old baby
Broke the lookin' glass
Seven years of bad luck
The good things in your past"
The song "Superstitious" was originally going to be given to Jeff Beck for recording on the "Blow by Blow" album, but Stevie was talked into recording it himself. The results were incredible. Stevie wrote this song at the drum kit of all places, so the funk groove was developed from the very beginning of the song's writing. Jeff Beck did get a chance to record this song later on with his supergroup Beck, Bogert and Appice. Stevie Ray Vaughan recorded this song with tremendous spirit of the original recording as well.

Answer: Eddie Cochran

Eddie Cochran and Jerry Capehart wrote this song after hearing one too many happy summertime tunes that were popular in the mid to late 1950s. The song was released in July of 1958, right in the middle of summer no less, and was well received by the youth of America.

The song reached number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Blue Cheer and The Beach Boys both had successful covers of the song, but nowhere near 1958. Blue Cheer's version was released ten years after the original and The Beach Boys released the song in 1962 on their "Surfin' Safari" album.

The Who also covered the song on their "Live at Leeds" release of 1970.

Answer: fly

Many will argue that this song, released in July of 1966, may be the first funk song ever recorded. Who would argue? The song has all the elements of a classic funk tune. Songs with as much appeal and popularity as this one will often be referenced in other pop cultural media such as television shows and movies.

This song lent it's title as the basis for the "Family Guy" episode titled "Brian's Got a Brand New Bag". In this episode, which was dedicated to American actor Patrick Swayze shortly after his death in 2009, main character Peter Griffin watches the bar-fight movie titled "Road House".

After being inspired by the violence in this movie, he goes on a rampage kicking various items about town and uttering the hilarious "Road House" after every assault.

This leads to a meeting between Brian (the walking and talking dog character) into meeting an older lady and developing a relationship with her. It turns out she is 50 years old and several age related gags take over the premise of the show.

Answer: Farmer's daughters

"California Girls" is the song at number 71 on the list. It appeared on the 1965 self titled album from The Beach Boys. Written by Mike Love and Brian Wilson, the song was a success on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, reaching as high as number three in the USA.

The song takes a brief look at members of the fair sex from different regions of the country and hails them to be the "prettiest girls in the world". Apparently the girls in California win their votes as the prettiest of all, because of the claim "they wish they all could be California girls" in the end.

Answer: Hal David

The song writing team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David not only wrote hit songs for Dionne Warwick, but they provided hits for all of the incorrect answers listed as well. Notable songs written for Warwick, in addition to "Walk on By", include: "I Say a Little Prayer", "Valley of the Dolls", "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" and "Message to Michael", all of which were Top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Warwick's version of the song was one of her signature songs.

It reached number six on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and became a staple for all her live performances.

Answer: k.d. Lang

Roy Orbison had one of the most unique, operatic voices in all of rock and roll music, and this song was the perfect vehicle for him to show it off. Originally released in 1961, Orbison took this song nearly to the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, just missing out and peaking at number two. Popular country singer Carrie Underwood can claim this song as a catapult to her rise on the hit television program "American Idol".

After her wonderful rendition of the song, she was destined for success.

After performing this song, she would go on to win the competition and then on to bigger success as a multi-platinum recording artist.

Answer: Red

"Early one morning the sun was shining
I was laying in bed
Wond'ring if she'd changed at all
If her hair was still red"
Dylan's classic song from the album "Blood on the Tracks" is one of his better known songs, and one he plays frequently in concert, although he has been known to tinker with the lyrics from time to time to alter the song's point of view from first person to third, and back again.
The song "Tangled Up in Blue" was featured on the video game "Rock Band 2" as one of the more difficult vocal performances.

Answer: Cellmate number 47

This song was somewhat controversial when it was released back in 1957 with the homosexual overtones of one incarcerated man openly flirting with another. The song was written by the Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller team. When the song was played in the Presley movie with the same name, Mike Stoller was the man playing the piano in the movie.

Answer: Redemption Song

These words were actually taken from a Jamaican orator named Marcus Garvey. His words were: "We are going to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery because whilst others might free the body, none but ourselves can free the mind. Mind is your only ruler, sovereign.

The man who is not able to develop and use his mind is bound to be the slave of the other man who uses his mind ..." Marcus Garvey spoke these words in a speech given in Nova Scotia in 1939. Marley took them as the basis for his "Redemption Song".

This song would be the last song on the last album Marley released on Island Records before his death in 1980 due to acral lentiginous melanoma, a type of cancer. Once the melanoma spread to his lungs and brain, Marley died in a Miami, FL hospital on May 11, 1981.

He was only 36 years old.

Answer: Sunshine of Your Love

"It's getting near dawn
When lights close their tired eyes"
Pete Brown, who wrote this song along with Jack Bruce, was a poet and song writer who worked with Cream during the recording of the "Disraeli Gears" album. Brown was part of the Liverpool beat poetry scene in the 1960s.
"Sunshine of Your Love" is one of the niftiest guitar and bass riffs to come out of the era. Eric Clapton had a great tone coming out of his Gibson SG when this one was recorded. The song was the first hit for Cream in the USA. It has since been used in TV, movies, video games, advertising and just about any other media outlet you can imagine.
As with most songs on this list of great rock songs, this song was covered many times. My favorite was any live version played by Jimi Hendrix. Although he didn't duplicate Eric's tone or solos identically, nor did he often even use lyrics from the song, he really did a great job of taking a well known track and spinning it into his own song.

Answer: She Loves You

"She Loves You" is the best selling song by The Beatles in the UK, and also the first real song to have any popularity in the USA by the band. Of no particular interest now, but of great importance in 1963 was the use of the phrase "yeah, yeah, yeah". Most critics from the UK were not impressed that the band had decided to use what they considered to be an Americanized expression.

Many of them thought it was an attempt only to gain popularity in America. Looking back over the popularity and influence of the song, most would now agree that the use of the expression was nothing short of brilliant.

Answer: A clash between police and young people in West Hollywood's Sunset Strip

This song was released in January 1967, so it wouldn't be possible to have been written about Kent State (1970) or Dr. King's assassination (1968). Many believe the song may have been about the Vietnam War, and that may be true to a point, after all, most of the music of that era had at least some influence from an event so important.

However, it was the closing of a local Hollywood bar named The Pandora by the police which had resulted in a mob of angry teenagers taking to the streets to riot.

There are many pieces of the song's lyrics that point to this occurrence. "Stop, children, what's that sound", "what a field day for the heat, a thousand people in the street" and "there's a man with a gun over there" are all parts of the song which describes the actions on that warm Hollywood night.

Answer: private eye

"Rolling Stone" magazine stated that "you can't copyright a rhythm, and Diddley never got paid for his rock innovation". The beat in this song went on to become the backbone of so many rock and R&B songs that it's almost unfathomable to comprehend the impact. If Diddley were able to have somehow patented or copyrighted his rhythm, he would certainly have been one of the wealthiest men in music. The song was released in 1955 and went on to top the Billboard R&B charts for two weeks in the USA.

The B-side to this single "I'm a Man" was also hugely influential to popular music, making this one of the most important singles released in the 1950s.

Answer: Dennis Quaid

Kurt Russell did an average impersonation of Elvis and Gary Busey did a much better imitation of Buddy Holy, but it was Dennis Quaid who surpassed them both with his imitation of Jerry Lee Lewis in the movie "Great Balls of Fire". This movie was a biopic chronicling the life of Jerry Lee Lewis and his music career.
John C. Reilly played Dewey Cox, a fictional character based on the image of Johnny Cash for the mockumentary "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story". A must see for any fan of music and musician biographies.

Answer: False

Willie Mitchell, a record producer for Royal Recording, wrote this (with an assist from drummer Al Jackson Jr.) and brought it to Al Greene and wanted it to be considered for recording and release on the album they were working on. Greene did not like the song and resisted for a couple days before he was finally talked into singing it. Within days of the song's release, it was on a steady climb to the top of the US Billboard R&B charts.

This is one of the classic examples of where an artist originally did not want to record a song, but with enough persistence from the right people, the artist was rewarded with one of the greatest hits of their careers. See Patsy Cline nearly turning down the opportunity to record the song "Crazy", written by Willie Nelson, as another example.

Answer: Mayors and Governors

Bob Dylan stated that he intentionally wrote this song as a call to arms for people wanting to change the status quo and make a move toward a better way of life. This was one of the first songs to specifically depute the youth of America to take a stand against something. John F. Kennedy was assassinated less than a month after Dylan wrote this song. Upon his first performance after the shooting, he was hesitant to include this in the set list. Feeling he must use the song at such a critical time in the shaping of American character, he did.

The results were standing ovations and a show stopping show of support. After this, Dylan knew this would be a landmark and culture changing song for the people of America. Indeed it was. To this day people still use this song as a call for change, whether it be a social, political, environmental or any other relevant cause.

Answer: 40 days and nights

"For forty days and forty nights
The law was on her side"
Michael claims this song wasn't necessarily about a paternity claim against him specifically, but it was a conglomeration of all the girls and groupies who had created trouble for him and his brothers when The Jackson 5 were a touring ensemble.
Others have stated that this song is most likely about a psychotic woman who had sent Jackson several letters and a picture of a baby who Jackson had apparently fathered. The biggest conundrum here is that he was only listed as the father to one of the ladies twin babies. After being rebuked repeatedly by Jackson, the woman sent a letter and a handgun to Michael with instructions on when and where to take his own life. A claim was made that she was to do the same at the same time. It was eventually reported that the woman had to spend some time in a mental hospital to help with her delusions.

Answer: Procol Harum

Of course, "A Whiter Shade of Pale" was released by Procol Harum on their self titled album in 1967. The lyrics are unique as they are plainly audible, easily remembered, yet the meaning of the lyrics have been widely debated for years. Some say it was a sex for hire arrangement, others claim it was a drunken seduction which prompted the lyrics. Either way, as is the case with many great songs, the underlying theme is most probably that of an adult male/female relationship. This song was recorded in London's Olympic Studios.

Many prominent musical groups used this studio to record their hits including The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds and Jimi Hendrix.

Answer: Long Tall Sally

Little Richard was outraged that his original version of "Tutti Frutti" would only reach number 17 on the US Pop Singles chart while Pat Boone's cover version went straight to number one. So when he recorded "Long Tall Sally", he intentionally wanted to make it difficult to duplicate. Plan backfired when Pat Boone recorded that one and took it to number eight on the US Pop Singles chart. Well, not really backfired, Little Richard's original did make it to number six on the same chart, so he actually did a little better than Boone this time.

The Beatles also recorded the song on their EP titled "Long Tall Sally". This EP included the title track along with "I Call Your Name", "Slow Down" and "Matchbox".

Answer: Louie Louie

"Louie Louie" was originally recorded by Richard Berry, a R&B singer of the 1960s who had found marginal success with the single. When The Kingsmen got a hold of it, the song soared to number two on the US Billboard Pop Singles chart. The song got a big boost in popularity when John Belushi, as his character John "Bluto" Blutarsky, sang this as part of the movie's soundtrack. The song was investigated for supposed obscene lyrics when The Kingsmen released it on Jerden Records.

After much ado about nothing, the case was dropped and no major bans were imposed on the song.

However, upon the American youth hearing that the song may have been perverted, they were quick to purchase the single to hear what all the hype was about. It has been rumored that possibly a record company executive may have leaked the information about the dirty lyrics in an attempt to sell more copies.

Answer: Alabama

This song was originally recorded in Sheffield, Alabama at Norala Sound Studios on February 17, 1966. The songwriting credit was given to Calvin Lewis and Andrew Wright, two musicians who played with Sledge, but it was actually Sledge himself who wrote the words.
Michael Bolton covered this song in 1991 and he took it to the number one spot on the US Billboard Pop and Adult Contemporary singles charts. He even picked himself up a Grammy award for his performance.

Answer: Political or paramilitary organizations

The UDA is the Ulster Defence Association, a paramilitary group founded in Northern Ireland in 1971. The MPLA is the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola - Party of Labour, the major ruling party in Angola since the country was liberated from Portugal in 1975.

The IRA is the Provisional Irish Republican Army who formed in 1969 to unite the country of Ireland. The intention of the song's lyrics was to claim anarchy and nihilism against the British rulers. The song claimed that by associating the British rulers with these paramilitary or terroristic organizations, people would respond and rise up against the authority figures. Of course, this song has lived on with the spirit of anarchy, without necessarily an anarchist revolution.

The boys in the band certainly tried though.

Answer: True

Prince was on a writing spree when he recorded the music and vocals to the song "When Doves Cry" alone in the studio. After removing the bass track from the recording, he decided that the music had to be in the movie "Purple Rain". Due to this, something had to be removed, and that ended up being most of "Computer Blue". This album was the first time that Prince acknowledged and credited a backing band.

The Revolution were pivotal in the recording of this album. Previously, Prince had been a one man operation, but by allowing input from The Revolution, he was able to change the tone and character of the music for "Purple Rain".

However, the song "When Doves Cry" is all Prince.

Answer: "The Message" - Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five

Although the song is listed as being by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, it was really only Ed "Duke Bootee" Fletcher and Furious Five MC Melle Mel who lent their voices to the track. This song introduced all of America to the world of hip hop music, and more importantly, to the world of living in the ghettos of New York. This song was the first rap song to be included in the United States National Archive of Historic Recordings.

The song was one of the first of its genre to be played on MTV.

The cultural and musical significance of this song to rap and hip hop music are similar to early Chuck Berry and Little Richard's contributions to rock and roll.