VH1 Top 20 Hard Rock Songs Trivia Quiz

Answer: You Give Love A Bad Name

Upon its release "You Give Love A Bad Name" sent its performers Bon Jovi from support act to headline act back in 1986, as the first single from their album 'Slippery When Wet'. "Livin' On A Prayer" may have been misleading as it was also highly popular and comes from the same album. The other choices were both Bon Jovi songs but come from their follow-up album 'New Jersey'.

DID YOU KNOW?: The song was initially written for Bonnie Tyler by Desmond Child, titled "If You Were A Woman (And I Was A Man)". He later re-wrote the song for Bon Jovi as he was dissatisfied by the result.

Answer: Tom Sawyer

Released in 1981, "Tom Sawyer" was written by the band in collaboration with lyricist Pye Dubois from fellow Canadian hard rock band Max Webster. The song has since been used in a plethora of different media including video games in the game 'Rock Band', where players recreate the guitar of Alex Lifeson and , television in the cartoon 'Futurama' and finally in film in bromantic comedy movie "I Love You, Man".

DID YOU KNOW?: For Rush's 2007 'Snakes and Arrows' tour, a clip was made especially by the producers of 'South Park' where the characters perform the song, but character Cartman begins to make up lyrics relating to Huckleberry Finn, another character from a Mark Twain novel. Rush would then play the song as it was written.

Answer: Scorpions

Another song from the 1980s (there's a bit of a theme here), specifically from 1984 comes "Rock You Like a Hurricane" from their album with a wildly inventive title, "Love at First Sting". Of course it wouldn't be a Scorpions album without controversy surrounding the cover art with Wal-Mart demanding an alternative cover for department stores amidst complaints. The song has been used in a multitude of shows and films, 'The Simpsons', 'The Cleveland Show' and 'Knocked Up' and is included on video games "Grand Theft Auto Vice City Stories' and 'Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock'.

DID YOU KNOW?: The music video for the anthem was one of the first targets of the PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center), who felt "scantily clad women" in cages was inappropriate for young children to view. Who'd have thought it?

Answer: I Wanna Rock

This metal classic comes from Twisted Sister's 1984 album "Stay Hungry" which also features the song "We're Not Gonna Take It", which surprisingly came in at number 21 on VH1's list of "One Hit Wonders" from the 1980s. Given "I Wanna Rock"'s position on this list and its decent chart performance that certainly comes as a shock. "I Wanna Rock" was used in many different forms of media, including video games "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" (a game set in the 1980s) and "Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s" and "The Spongebob Squarepants movie" in a satirized form, re-named as "Goofy Goober Rock".

DID YOU KNOW?: The song was re-recorded by guitarist Jay Jay French in 2008 as "I Want Barack" in support of Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

Answer: party every day

Upon its initial release "Rock and Roll All Nite" was not the chart success Kiss' record label 'Casablanca' thought it would be, it would take a live extended version of the song to see it chart respectfully. The song's main line came from lead singer Paul Stanley and the rest was history, it would go on to appear in video game 'Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock' and an episode of 'The Simpsons'.

DID YOU KNOW?: In an episode of "Family Guy" the same question you were asked by me was posed to character Lois. She responded with "have a wonderful time" and her secret, that she only pretended to like the band for her husbands' sake, was uncovered.

Answer: Feelgood

While Motley Crue were already a well known household name (if your household loved 80s glam metal) by 1989, the album "Dr. Feelgood" catapulted them to a newfound level of success, not just their best selling album of all time but also, according to critics and fans alike, their best. Motley Crue were to call time on the end of their near 35 year career on New Years Eve 2015 but the legacy of this song will forever be immortalized in this quiz. You're welcome, Motley Crue.

DID YOU KNOW?: The song, according to bassist Nikki Sixx, was written about an LA drug dealer. The influence of drugs as a topic for their songwriting was still prevalent at the time, 1989, a year they looked to quit and recover from years of drug abuse.

Answer: Run to the Hills

Iron Maiden are one of the great heavy metal bands, so there will have been some leniency in the "hard rock" label for this one but "Run to the Hills" is a classic nonetheless. Detailing a conflict between European settlers and Native American tribes the song led Iron Maiden to number seven on the UK Singles Chart, despite some members of the public and media labelling the band as "Satanists".

DID YOU KNOW?: Twenty years later the single was re-released to promote a tour the band organised to raise money for former Clive Burr, who played on the song, who was suffering from Multiple Sclerosis. Burr sadly passed away due to complications with the condition in 2013, at the age of 56.

Answer: Def Leppard

A song written about "something you can't get your hands on" according to singer Joe Elliott, "Photograph" comes from Def Leppard's hit album from early 1983 "Pyromania". Neither of the other options were bands in 1983, though Nickelback did actually release a song called "Photograph" in 2005. Just like the rest of the songs in this list, Def Leppard's "Photograph" has been used in the video game medium, specifically "Grand Theft Auto V" and "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock".

DID YOU KNOW?: Partly as a result of heavy rotation of this track on MTV and the radio, the album went on to sell over 10 million copies in the US alone.

Answer: Breaking the Law

A truely classic metal song this one, which surprisingly only comes in at #40 on VH1's list of 40 Greatest Metal Songs but nevertheless it gets the recognition it deserves in their hard rock songs list. The famous video depicts the band travelling along the A40 in London in an open-top car, breaking into a bank safe, while the security guard is busy watching live footage of the band seemingly lost in the music. Only in the '80s, eh?

DID YOU KNOW?: Every time cartoon characters "Beavis and Butthead" broke the law, they would sing this classic. Fitting.

Answer: Smoke on the Water

"Smoke on the Water" details the true story of "some stupid with a flare gun" setting the venue on fire at a Frank Zappa concert. The song was also listed in Rolling Stone's list of the "500 greatest songs of all time". It has been featured in a variety of video games including "Guitar Hero" and "Singstar Rocks!", and was also included in an episode of "Better Call Saul" and "Supernatural".

DID YOU KNOW?: The nickname "Funky Claude" mentioned in the lyrics belongs to Claude Nobs, a man who helped to rescue people from the fire on that day.

Answer: Ace of Spades

The song that begins with a fast bass intro, which according to Q magazine in 2005 "wouldn't be out of place ushering in the end of the world", and I can't disagree. The song was in the UK Singles Chart for 12 weeks, peaking at no. 15 and sent the band to all new levels of success, the album of the same name peaking at no. 4 on the UK Albums Chart.

DID YOU KNOW?: Lead singer, bassist and all round icon Lemmy has a tattoo of the Ace of Spades on his left forearm. Unfortunately, a few days after writing this question, Lemmy passed away from cancer and Motorhead disbanded after a stellar forty year career.

Answer: Devil

"Runnin' With The Devil" comes in at number 9, released in 1978 and taken from Van Halen's self-titled debut album. Again, it's metal so some people may misinterpret the lyrics as being Satanic, but the general consensus is the song is written about the daily life of being a young rock and roll star, touring and the freedom this brings, along with the downside of having "no one to go home to".

DID YOU KNOW?: Guitarist Eddie Van Halen used a combination of car horns, a car battery and a footswitch to create the sound at the beginning of the song.

Answer: Walk This Way

What more can be said about one of Aerosmith's most well known songs? It was instrumental to the band's career not once but twice, upon its initial release its chart success (number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100) ensured "Toys in the Attic" was the best selling album of the band's career, and in the mid-1980s when the band were on a downward spiral, the re-recording with Run DMC kickstarted a revitalised career that led to a string of successful albums only aided by singles such as "Dude (Looks Like a Lady" and "Love in an Elevator" receiving significant airplay on MTV.

DID YOU KNOW?: While a complete analysis of the songs lyrics would lead to the immediate termination of my FunTrivia account, the lyrics were written by Steven Tyler about a young man being led through his first sexual experience by a promiscuous cheerleader. It all seemed so innocent when I was younger...

Answer: Smells Like Teen Spirit

When I first stumbled across this fine list, I expected "Smells Like Teen Spirit" to top it and with good reason. Its unforgettable riff practically single-handedly pushed alternative rock back into the mainstream, popularising the short-lived grunge movement of the early 1990s. The song was listed at #9 on Rolling Stones' "500 Greatest Songs of all Time" and its video showing the band performing in a high school gym in front of moshing students gave MTV "a whole new generation to sell to" according to Amy Finnerty who determined video air play on the channel. The song played a major role in "Nevermind" selling over 30 million copies worldwide.

DID YOU KNOW?: Flyers were handed out after a show in New York for students aged 18-25 to appear in the music video. The shoot took around 12 hours according to director Samuel Bayer, the extras were extremely bored and angry and asked him if they could destroy the set to which he obliged. The ensuing mosh pit led to a fantastic finale to the video.

Answer: Fooled

The song was initially written for an ambitious rock opera guitarist Pete Townshend had created called "Lifehouse" but when the project was abandoned, found itself on the critically acclaimed, more straightforward "Who's Next" instead. The song was also included on the Rolling Stones' list of 500 Greatest Songs of all time, and has been included in a wide range of media such as the video game "Rock Band", and an episode of "The Simpsons" called "A Tale of Two Springfields" that the band guest star in.

DID YOU KNOW?: The song was written about a revolution according to Pete Townshend, but in the end the new regime becomes exactly the same as the old one, as whoever takes over will become as corrupt as the old leader, as evidenced by the line "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss".

Answer: False

Close, but its name is actually "Enter Sandman", one of the most recognised riffs in all of metal, the brainchild of Kirk Hammett. Lars Ulrich then asked Hammett to repeat the first bar of it three times and Hetfield added lyrics to ensure, in the end, it was a collective effort. The single itself sold around one million copies in the US alone, and the album it comes from sold 30 million physical copies worldwide. The lyrics are written about a child's nightmares and feature an extract of the prayer "Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep" recited by a young boy and singer James Hetfield.

DID YOU KNOW?: The producer of the album, Bob Rock, allowed his son to be the young boy in question.

Answer: Paranoid

Released in 1970, the album "Paranoid" is one of the most influential and critically acclaimed in metal history. The song reached number four on the UK Singles Chart and like many on this list appeared in Rolling Stones' list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, not bad for a song described by bassist Geezer Butler as a "three minute filler for the album", he also confirmed the lyrics were written about paranoia (surprisingly) but also depression.

DID YOU KNOW?: Like "Play Free Bird" in the US, "Play Paranoid" holds the same status in Finland as a song humorously shouted to bands of all genres by concertgoers.

Answer: Love

A song renowned for its catchy riff, named in 2014 by BBC Radio 2 listeners as "The best riff of all time" and its jazz-like break in the middle, reportedly a result of Jimmy Page and Eddie Kramer "twiddling every knob known to man". However, the band were sued by Willie Dixon as they felt it was too similar to his 1962 song "You Need Love". This matter was eventually settled.

DID YOU KNOW?: The song was performed by Robert Plant and "X Factor UK" winner Leona Lewis at the 2008 Beijing Olympics closing ceremony, with adapted lyrics to ensure it was family friendly.

Answer: Back In Black

As AC/DC were about to prepare to record the album, leader Bon Scott unfortunately passed away due to alcohol related problems. AC/DC carried on with new singer Brian Johnson, to incredible success. The album, featuring an all black cover in honour of Scott, sold an enormous fifty million copies making it the second best selling album of all time behind Michael Jackson's "Thriller" as of 2015.

DID YOU KNOW?: The band challenged Brian Johnson to write some lyrics that would celebrate Bon Scott, without being morbid. He certainly achieved this with the lyric "Forget the hearse cause I never die", as he will live on forever through his music.

Answer: Welcome to the Jungle

(You don't understand just how long I was waiting on that "Sha-na-na..." reference)

Guns N' Roses' second ever single released in 1987, written about "Hollywood streets" according to rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, "Welcome to the Jungle" became MTV's most requested video and helped "Appetite for Destruction" sell thirty million copies worldwide.

DID YOU KNOW?: The inspiration for the lyric "You know where you are? You're in the jungle baby; you're gonna die!" came from a time a homeless man tried to scare Axl Rose as he walked off a bus in New York. Those words were immortalised forever in "the greatest hard rock song of all time" (according to VH1 anyway).