This week In Male Balladeers 51/52

How well do you know your music? Let’s find out with a quiz that accompanies this week playlist.

The subjects du jour are : Alex Turner, Adam Granduciel, Lou Reed, Joe Strummer, Morrissey, Eddie Vedder, Neil Diamond, Al Stewart, Leonard Cohen, Rufus Wainwright, Gregory Porter, The Three Tenors

They are the Male Balladeers selected among the 283 Posts we publish this week.

1. What inspired the song “505” by Arctic Monkeys?

  • A A famous art exhibition
  • B A hotel room
  • C A film soundtrack

2. Which artists influenced the sound of “Red Eyes” by The War on Drugs?

  • A The Beatles and The Rolling Stones
  • B Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan
  • C Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd

3. Which song by Lou Reed was performed during his 1974 concert at the Olympia Theatre in Paris?

  • A Walk on the Wild Side
  • B Lady Day
  • C Satellite of Love

4. In which song did Joe Strummer reference his experiences at a festival?

  • A Coma Girl
  • B Bankrobber
  • C Rock the Casbah

5. Which song was played live for the first time during Morrissey’s 1988 concert at Wolverhampton?

  • A Suedehead
  • B Everyday Is Like Sunday
  • C Disappointed

6. Pearl Jam’s “I Am Mine” addresses themes of:

  • A Romantic love
  • B Personal autonomy
  • C Political advocacy

7. Who collaborated with Neil Diamond on the song “September Morn”?

  • A Carole King
  • B Gilbert Bécaud
  • C Bob Dylan

8. “Lord Grenville” by Al Stewart tells the story of:

  • A A voyage across the Atlantic
  • B A doomed naval battle
  • C A medieval castle siege

9. In Leonard Cohen’s “Darkness,” which theme is primarily explored?

  • A The brilliance of life
  • B The inevitability of aging
  • C The joy of youth

10. Which artist provided vocal contributions to Burt Bacharach’s “Go Ask Shakespeare”?

  • A Jeff Buckley
  • B Rufus Wainwright
  • C Norah Jones

11. During which event was Gregory Porter’s “Be Good” performed live in 2012?

  • A The Grammy Awards
  • B Mijke’s Middag on NPO Soul & Jazz
  • C Montreux Jazz Festival

12. At which venue did The Three Tenors famously perform “Silent Night”?

  • A Vienna Christmas Concert
  • B Carnegie Hall
  • C Royal Albert Hall

WATCH IN FULL
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Tracklist

1 . Alex Turner . 505 (w/ Arctic Monkeys)

Lifted from : Arctic Monkeys close their world tour (2007)

2 . Adam Granduciel . Red Eyes (w/ The War On Drugs)

Lifted from : The War On Drugs visit Philadelphia (2018)

3 . Lou Reed . Lady Day

Lifted from : Lou Reed records the live album ‘Rock . Roll Animal’ at the Academy of Music in New York (1973)

4 . Joe Strummer . Coma Girl (w/ The Mescaleros)

Lifted from : We Remember Joe Strummer

5 . Morrissey . Disappointed

Lifted from : Morrissey goes solo (1988)

6 . Eddie Vedder . I Am Mine (w/ Pearl Jam)

Lifted from : Happy Birthday Eddie Vedder. ‘Stormy Vedder’

7 . Neil Diamond . September Morn

Lifted from : Columbia publish Neil Diamond’s thirteenth album . ‘September Morn’ (1979)

8 . Al Stewart . Lord Grenville

Lifted from : Al Stewart goes to the Belgian ‘Proms’ (1988)

9 . Leonard Cohen . Darkness

Lifted from : Leonard Cohen gives one last concert (2013)

10 . Rufus Wainwright . Go Ask Shakespeare (w/ Burt Bacharach)

Lifted from : On English TV today . Burt Bacharach meets Rufus Wainwright (2005)

11 . Gregory Porter . Be Good

Lifted from : Gregory Porter on Dutch radio (2012)

12 . The Three Tenors . Silent Night

Lifted from : Three Tenors celebrate Christmas (1999)

And the correct answers (in case you missed one or two) are:

1. The song “505” by Arctic Monkeys was inspired by a hotel room, serving as a metaphor for reunions with a significant other amid Alex Turner’s rising career. It represents longing and cyclical reunion themes.

2. “Red Eyes” by The War on Drugs was influenced by Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan. The song’s soundscape reflects resilience, drawing from these artists’ styles.

3. “Lady Day” was performed by Lou Reed during his 1974 concert at the Olympia Theatre in Paris. It fits his narrative songwriting style and showcases his solo work evolution.

4. Joe Strummer’s song “Coma Girl” references his experiences at a festival, particularly Glastonbury, capturing festival culture through its imagery.

5. Morrissey’s song “Disappointed” was played live for the first time at his 1988 concert in Wolverhampton. It was his solo material debut, post-The Smiths transition.

6. The song “I Am Mine” by Pearl Jam addresses personal autonomy and inner freedom, emphasizing individual ownership of one’s mind amid life’s challenges.

7. Neil Diamond’s song “September Morn” was a collaboration with Gilbert Bécaud. It expresses themes of romantic reconnection and features Bécaud’s melodic influence.

8. Al Stewart’s “Lord Grenville” recounts a doomed naval battle led by Sir Richard Grenville. It highlights historical narrative themes within its folk-rock composition.

9. Leonard Cohen’s “Darkness” primarily explores aging, combining introspective lyrics with blues influences to reflect on life’s twilight and inevitable decline.

10. Rufus Wainwright provided vocals for Burt Bacharach’s song “Go Ask Shakespeare.” This collaboration appears on Bacharach’s 2005 album, illustrating creative partnership themes.

11. Gregory Porter performed “Be Good” live during the NPO Soul & Jazz program “Mijke’s Middag” in 2012. The performance was part of a Dutch jazz and soul broadcast.

12. The Three Tenors famously performed “Silent Night” at the Vienna Christmas Concert. Their rendition highlights the trio’s crossover appeal in holiday and classical music.

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(*) According to our own statistics, updated on December 7, 2025