How well do you know your music? Let’s find out with a quiz that accompanies this week playlist.
The subjects du jour are : Marianne Faithfull, George Michael, The Offspring, Blur, . Japan, Faith No More, Megadeth, Jamiroquai, Metallica, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, Smashing Pumpkins
They are the ’90s Throwback’ artists selected among the 294 Posts we publish this week.
1. Which figure inspired the title track of Marianne Faithfull’s “Broken English”?
- A Ulrike Meinhof
- B Patti Smith
- C Janis Joplin
2. Why did George Michael include ’90 in the title of “Freedom! ’90”?
- A To signify a decade change
- B To distinguish it from Wham!’s “Freedom”
- C To honor the supermodels in the video
3. What event prompted The Offspring’s “The Kids Aren’t Alright” to be written?
- A Dexter Holland visiting a decaying neighborhood
- B Touring experiences in Europe
- C Watching a popular TV show
4. Which actor features in Blur’s “Parklife” for the spoken-word verses?
- A Hugh Grant
- B Phil Daniels
- C Tom Hiddleston
5. What differentiates the single version of X Japan’s “Week End” from the album version?
- A Extended guitar solo
- B Additional piano bridge
- C Different vocalist
6. Faith No More performed “Edge of the World” at which event?
- A “Da Show” in NYC, 1990
- B WoodStock ’94
- C Live Aid, 1985
7. Megadeth’s “She-Wolf” was inspired by an incident involving whom?
- A A producer’s wife
- B A manager’s girlfriend
- C A famous actress
8. How did Jamiroquai’s “Virtual Insanity” music video achieve its visual effect?
- A CGI
- B Moving set walls
- C Rotating camera angles
9. “Blackened” from Metallica’s album addresses what themes?
- A War and violence
- B Environmental destruction
- C Personal relationships
10. Pearl Jam’s live performance of “Dirty Frank” on December 31, 1992, was noted for what reason?
- A First full live performance
- B Unique collaboration
- C Album release celebration
11. Alice in Chains performed at “MTV Drops the Ball” on December 31, 1992. Which song did they play?
- A Angry Chair
- B Man in the Box
- C Rooster
12. What was the special highlight of Billy Joel’s New Year’s Eve concert at the Amway Center in Orlando?
- A Playing “Piano Man” at midnight
- B Collaborating with AC/DC’s Brian Johnson
- C Crowd-sourced setlist
Tracklist
1 . Marianne Faithfull . Broken English |
2 . George Michael . Freedom! |
3 . The Offspring . The Kids Aren’t Alright |
4 . Blur . ParklifeOn English TV today, Blur at ‘Later… with Jools Holland’ (1994) |
5 . X Japan . Week End |
6 . Faith No More . Edge of the World |
7 . Megadeth . She-Wolf |
8 . Jamiroquai . Virtual InsanityAs we wish . Happy Birthday to Jay Kay, the day is perfect for . best of his band . Jamiroquai |
9 . Metallica . Blackened |
10 . Pearl Jam . Dirty Frank |
11 . Alice In Chains . Angry Chair |
12 . The Smashing Pumpkins . SivaThe Smashing Pumpkins spend New Year’s Eve in Chicago (1991) |
And the correct answers (in case you missed one or two) are:
1. Marianne Faithfull drew inspiration from Ulrike Meinhof for the title track of “Broken English.” This song reflected the turbulent political climate and became a standout feature of the album.
2. The ’90 was included in the title “Freedom! ’90” to distinguish it from a previous song called “Freedom” by George Michael’s former band, Wham!. It marked a stylistic departure from his past work.
3. The visit to his childhood neighborhood, which had changed for the worse, prompted Dexter Holland to write “The Kids Aren’t Alright.” The song is a reflection on lost potential among friends from his past.
4. Phil Daniels provided the spoken-word verses for Blur’s “Parklife.” His performance added a quintessentially British flair to the song, linking it closely with the Britpop movement.
5. The single version of X Japan’s “Week End” features an alternate arrangement, including a different guitar solo and a piano bridge, separating it from the album version on *Blue Blood*.
6. Faith No More performed “Edge of the World” live at “Da Show” in New York City on December 26, 1990. It was part of their setlist showcasing music from their 1990 album “The Real Thing.”
7. Megadeth’s song “She-Wolf” was inspired by a personal betrayal involving a manager’s girlfriend. Dave Mustaine wrote the song to address this incident in his signature confrontational style.
8. Jamiroquai’s “Virtual Insanity” video achieved its distinctive look with a moving set where the walls shift around Jay Kay. This innovative visual won multiple awards, including at the MTV VMAs.
9. The track “Blackened” from Metallica’s *…And Justice for All* explores themes of environmental destruction and apocalypse. It was co-written by James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, and Jason Newsted.
10. Pearl Jam played the full version of “Dirty Frank” live for the first time on December 31, 1992. This performance became notable due to its rare setlist inclusion at The Academy Theater, NYC.
11. Alice in Chains performed “Angry Chair” during the “MTV Drops the Ball” event on December 31, 1992. The show captured the energy of grunge music at its height during the early ’90s.
12. The highlight of Billy Joel’s New Year’s Eve concert in Orlando was his collaboration with AC/DC’s Brian Johnson on “You Shook Me All Night Long.” This cross-genre performance was memorable for fans.
For THE FULL 90s THROWBACKS COLLECTION click here
