This Should Be Easy...Right?

The 1970s gave us some of the biggest bands, albums, songs and rock stars ever. So we’re not digging through forgotten B-sides or asking who played tambourine on track seven. These are the songs and artists everybody knows (or at least, should know). The target is 18 out of 20. Think you can do it?

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1. Who Was The Lead Singer Of Queen?

We’re starting with a gift. Queen became one of the biggest rock bands of the 70s behind songs like Bohemian Rhapsody, Somebody to Love and We Are the Champions. Who was the flamboyant, larger-than-life singer standing at the front of the band?

A) Robert Plant

B) Freddie Mercury

C) Mick Jagger

D) Roger Daltrey

Christopher Hopper; distributed by Elektra Records, Wikimedia Commons

Answer: Freddie Mercury

Freddie Mercury was Queen’s unmistakable lead singer and one of rock’s greatest frontmen. His enormous vocal range, theatrical stage presence and songwriting helped turn Queen into a global phenomenon. Bohemian Rhapsody reached No. 1 in the UK in 1975 and became one of the band’s defining songs.

Graham Wiltshire, Getty Images

2. Finish The Title: “Carry On Wayward ______”

Kansas released this song in 1976, and those opening harmonies have been practically impossible to escape ever since. Fill in the final word of one of the decade’s most recognizable rock titles: Carry On Wayward ______.

DanielleCannova, Wikimedia Commons

Answer: Son

Carry On Wayward Son appeared on Kansas’ 1976 album Leftoverture. Written by Kerry Livgren, it became the band’s breakthrough single and eventually one of classic rock’s most enduring songs. If you immediately heard the opening harmony in your head, that probably helped.

Screenshot from Carry On Wayward Son, Kirshner Records (1976), Modified

3. Which Band Recorded “Stairway To Heaven”?

No choices this time. Just you and your classic-rock knowledge. Stairway to Heaven appeared on an untitled 1971 album usually called Led Zeppelin IV and became one of the most famous rock songs ever recorded. Name the band.

Screenshot from Stairway to Heaven, Atlantic Records (1971)

Answer: Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin recorded Stairway to Heaven, with Robert Plant singing and Jimmy Page delivering the famous guitar work. Despite becoming one of the most played songs in rock-radio history, it was never released as a standard commercial single in the United States during the band’s original run.

Jim Summaria, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

4. Which Band Recorded “Cold As Ice”?

Released in 1977, Cold as Ice became one of the first big hits for a new rock band featuring singer Lou Gramm and guitarist Mick Jones. We’ll give you four choices, although one of them should jump out immediately.

A) Journey

B) Foreigner

C) Styx

D) REO Speedwagon

Misterweiss, Wikimedia Commons

Answer: Foreigner

Foreigner released Cold as Ice on its self-titled 1977 debut album. The record also produced Feels Like the First Time and quickly established the group as a major rock-radio force. Lou Gramm’s powerful vocals would remain a huge part of Foreigner’s sound for years.

Screenshot from Cold as Ice, Atlantic Records (1977)

5. True Or False: “Rumours” Was A Fleetwood Mac Album

Released in 1977, Rumours included Dreams, Go Your Own Way, Don’t Stop and You Make Loving Fun. It also came together while several relationships inside the band were falling apart. True or false: Fleetwood Mac recorded it.

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Answer: True

Fleetwood Mac absolutely recorded Rumours. Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood somehow turned enormous personal turmoil into one of the most successful albums ever made. It also gave the band its only U.S. No. 1 single, Dreams.

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6. Which Album Had This Famous Cover?

Picture a black background. A beam of white light enters a triangular prism and comes out the other side as a rainbow. Which Pink Floyd album featured one of the most recognizable covers in rock history?

A) Animals

B) The Dark Side of the Moon

C) Wish You Were Here

D) Meddle

Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons

Answer: “The Dark Side Of The Moon”

Pink Floyd released The Dark Side of the Moon in 1973, and the album became a cultural phenomenon. Songs like Money and Time became rock-radio staples, while the prism artwork designed by Hipgnosis and George Hardie became nearly as recognizable as the music itself.

w:George Hardie (artist), Wikimedia Commons

7. Who Sang “Piano Man”?

Released in 1973, Piano Man became the signature song of a New York singer-songwriter who would go on to become one of the biggest recording artists of his generation. No multiple choice for this one. Who sang it?

Screenshot from Piano Man, Columbia Records (1974)

Answer: Billy Joel

Billy Joel released Piano Man on his 1973 album of the same name. The song was inspired by his own experience playing piano in a Los Angeles lounge before his career took off. Decades later, it remains the song most closely associated with him.

Rob Mieremet / Anefo, Wikimedia Commons

8. Who Was Known As “The Boss”?

He released Born to Run in 1975, appeared on the covers of both Time and Newsweek that same year and became famous for marathon concerts filled with songs about cars, working-class life and chasing something better. Who is “The Boss”?

Richard E. Aaron, Getty Images

Answer: Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen earned the nickname “The Boss” long before he became comfortable with it. His 1975 album Born to Run transformed him from a critically admired singer-songwriter into a major rock star, with the title track and Thunder Road becoming two of his most beloved songs.

Screenshot from Thunder Road, Columbia Records (1975)

9. Which Rock Star Became Ziggy Stardust?

One of the strangest and most memorable characters in 70s rock was Ziggy Stardust, a brightly dressed, otherworldly rock star who seemed to arrive from another planet. Which real-life performer created the character?

A) Elton John

B) David Bowie

C) Rod Stewart

D) Alice Cooper

John Lynn Kirk, Getty Images

Answer: David Bowie

David Bowie created Ziggy Stardust around the release of 1972’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. The hair, costumes and alien-rock-star persona helped Bowie reinvent what a rock performer could look like and made him one of the decade’s most distinctive stars.

Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images

10. Who Sang “Rocket Man”?

No choices needed here. Released in 1972, Rocket Man became one of the signature songs of a piano-playing superstar who spent much of the decade wearing spectacular outfits, enormous glasses and turning out hit after hit. Name him.

Screenshot from Rocket Man, Uni Records (1972)

Answer: Elton John

Elton John recorded Rocket Man, with longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin writing the lyrics. The song appeared on 1972’s Honky Château and became one of Elton’s defining recordings. By the middle of the 70s, he was one of the biggest-selling performers in popular music.

Ernst Vikne, Wikimedia Commons

11. Finish The Song Title: “Sweet Home ______”

One opening guitar riff is usually all it takes. Released in 1974 by Lynyrd Skynyrd, this Southern-rock classic has been played at sporting events, bars, parties and probably every classic-rock station in America. Finish the title: Sweet Home ______.

Screenshot from Sweet Home Alabama, MCA Records (1974)

Answer: Alabama

Lynyrd Skynyrd released Sweet Home Alabama on its 1974 album Second Helping. The song became the band’s biggest U.S. hit and one of the most recognizable Southern-rock recordings ever made. If you somehow answered anything other than Alabama, 18 out of 20 may be slipping away.

Screenshot from Sweet Home Alabama, MCA Records (1974)

12. Which AC/DC Album Arrived In 1979?

AC/DC closed out the decade with one of the band’s most famous albums. It was the final studio record featuring singer Bon Scott, and its title track remains an arena-rock staple. Which album was it?

A) Back in Black

B) Highway to Hell

C) For Those About to Rock

D) Flick of the Switch

Fin Costello, Getty Images

Answer: “Highway To Hell”

AC/DC released Highway to Hell in 1979. It became the band’s first album to break into the U.S. Top 20 and marked a major international breakthrough. Back in Black came the following year with Brian Johnson taking over as lead singer.

Screenshot from Highway to Hell, Atlantic Records (1979)

13. Name The Band: Makeup, Platform Boots And “Rock And Roll All Nite”

You really should not need four choices for this one. Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss turned face paint, towering boots and explosive concerts into one of rock’s most recognizable images. Name the band.

Casablanca Records, Wikimedia Commons

Answer: KISS

KISS made spectacle almost as important as the songs. Each member developed his own makeup design and stage persona, while 1975’s live album Alive! became the band’s commercial breakthrough. Rock and Roll All Nite soon became one of the group’s signature anthems.

Fin Costello, Getty Images

14. Who Sang Lead For Aerosmith?

Aerosmith emerged from Boston in the early 70s and eventually gave rock radio Dream On, Sweet Emotion and Walk This Way. Joe Perry played guitar, but who was the unmistakable singer standing beside him at the front of the band?

daigooliva, Wikimedia Commons

Answer: Steven Tyler

Steven Tyler was Aerosmith’s lead singer and, alongside guitarist Joe Perry, one-half of the famous duo nicknamed the “Toxic Twins.” Aerosmith released its self-titled debut in 1973 and became one of America’s biggest rock bands before the decade was over.

Ron Pownall, Getty Images

15. Which Band Recorded “Smoke On The Water”?

That guitar riff is about as subtle as a flashing neon sign. Released in the early 70s, Smoke on the Water became one of the most recognizable rock songs ever recorded. Which band gave us the song?

Screenshot from Smoke on the Water, Warner Bros. Records (1972)

Answer: Deep Purple

Deep Purple recorded Smoke on the Water for the 1972 album Machine Head. The famous riff was played by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, and the song was inspired by the fire that destroyed the Montreux Casino in Switzerland, where the band had planned to record the album.

Screenshot from Smoke on the Water, Warner Bros. Records (1972)

16. Which Black Sabbath Singer Later Became A Solo Superstar?

Black Sabbath helped shape the sound of heavy rock with songs including Paranoid and Iron Man. The group’s original singer eventually left and launched a hugely successful solo career in the 80s. Who was he?

A) Ozzy Osbourne

B) Robert Plant

C) Roger Daltrey

D) Ronnie Van Zant

Warner Bros. Records, Wikimedia Commons

Answer: Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne fronted Black Sabbath through most of the 70s before leaving the group in 1979. He soon launched a hugely successful solo career, but his unmistakable voice remains permanently connected to Sabbath classics like Paranoid, War Pigs and Iron Man.

Carlos Varela, Wikimedia Commons

17. Name The Band That Sang “More Than A Feeling”

That soaring vocal, giant guitars and instantly recognizable opening helped make More Than a Feeling one of the biggest rock songs of 1976. The band also happened to share its name with a major American city. What was it?

Screenshot from More Than a Feeling, Epic Records (1976)

Answer: Boston

Boston released More Than a Feeling on its enormously successful self-titled debut album in 1976. Guitarist Tom Scholz painstakingly created much of the band’s layered studio sound, while Brad Delp delivered the soaring vocals that helped make the song a classic-rock fixture.

Michael Putland, Getty Images

18. Which Band Featured Sisters Ann And Nancy Wilson?

Ann Wilson supplied one of the most powerful voices in 70s rock, while Nancy Wilson became known for her guitar work. Together they helped give us songs like Magic Man, Crazy on You and Barracuda. What band were they in?

A) Heart

B) Blondie

C) The Runaways

D) Jefferson Starship

Bonnie Schiffman, Getty Images

Answer: Heart

Ann and Nancy Wilson became the faces of Heart, one of the decade’s most successful female-fronted rock bands. The group broke through with Dreamboat Annie in the mid-70s before releasing the hard-rocking Barracuda on Little Queen in 1977.

Richard McCaffrey, Getty Images

19. Where Was “Cheap Trick At Budokan” Recorded?

Here’s a geography question disguised as rock trivia. Cheap Trick’s hugely successful live album Cheap Trick at Budokan helped turn I Want You to Want Me into a major American hit. In which country is the famous Budokan arena?

Screenshot from I Want You to Want Me, Epic Records (1977), Modified

Answer: Japan

The performances used for Cheap Trick at Budokan were recorded in Tokyo, Japan, in 1978. The album became a major U.S. success the following year and transformed Cheap Trick from a respected rock band into international stars. The title really did give this one away.

Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music, Getty Images

20. Which Band Shouted “Hey! Ho! Let’s Go!”?

Last question. No multiple choice. Blitzkrieg Bop opened with one of the simplest and most recognizable chants in rock history: “Hey! Ho! Let’s go!” Which New York band released the song on its 1976 debut album?

Screenshot from Blitzkrieg Bop, Sire Records (1976)

Answer: Ramones

Ramones released Blitzkrieg Bop in 1976, and Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee and Tommy Ramone helped define the stripped-down sound of early punk rock. More than five decades later, that opening chant remains instantly recognizable even to people who barely know the band.

Masao Nakagami, Wikimedia Commons

So...Did You Get At Least 18?

20/20: Perfect. See, we told you it was easy.

18–19: You made the cut. Your 70s rock credentials are officially safe.

15–17: Pretty good, but that 18-point target got away from you.

10–14: There are definitely a few classic albums waiting for another listen.

Under 10: We tried to make this easy. We really did.

John Atashian, Getty Images

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