50 Fun Facts About 70s Rock

How many symbols, one per member, stand in for a title on Led Zeppelin's 1971 fourth album?

After lukewarm reviews for Led Zeppelin III, the band left the name and every other detail off the cover.

Despite being FM radio's most-requested song, what was true of 'Stairway to Heaven' in the US?

It finally charted in the UK in 2007 on download sales promoting the Mothership compilation.

Who wrote the first lyrics of 'Stairway to Heaven' beside a log fire at Headley Grange?

Page said a huge percentage of the words were written there and then, partly improvised.

What was the title of John Bonham's drum-solo showcase, often 20 minutes long live?

It first appeared on Led Zeppelin II and became a concert staple.

Who designed the prism sleeve of The Dark Side of the Moon?

Keyboardist Richard Wright had asked for something 'simple and bold' to represent the band's light show.

Who sang the wordless vocal on 'The Great Gig in the Sky'?

Engineer Alan Parsons, who had worked on Abbey Road, recruited the session singer.

Over which power station did Pink Floyd float an inflatable pig for the Animals cover?

The pig was photographed between two of the building's chimneys.

Which former member unexpectedly visited the studio during the Wish You Were Here sessions?

'Shine On You Crazy Diamond', the nine-part tribute to him, takes up most of the album.

What was Pink Floyd's only UK and US number-one single?

Roger Waters modelled The Wall's protagonist Pink on himself and Syd Barrett.

How many weeks did 'Bohemian Rhapsody' spend at UK number one on its 1975 release?

It was the Christmas number one, and it added five more weeks at the top after Freddie Mercury's death in 1991.

In which country did Queen begin recording 'Bohemian Rhapsody' in August 1975?

Rockfield Studio 1 near Monmouth followed three weeks of rehearsal at Penrhos Court in Herefordshire.

Which guitarist joined the Eagles for Hotel California, replacing Bernie Leadon?

It was also the last Eagles album with founding bassist Randy Meisner.

The Eagles' founding members had all been recruited as band members by which singer?

All four played on her self-titled 1972 album before striking out on their own.

Which album was the first ever to receive the RIAA's new Platinum certification in 1976?

It has since been certified 40 times Platinum, the best-selling album of the 20th century in the US.

Which Fleetwood Mac album won Album of the Year at the 1978 Grammys?

It was made as the McVies divorced and Buckingham and Nicks split, and has sold over 40 million copies.

Which two musicians joined Fleetwood Mac for their 1975 self-titled album?

Mick Fleetwood had heard their Buckingham Nicks album played by engineer Keith Olsen.

A fire during whose concert inspired 'Smoke on the Water'?

Someone fired a flare gun into the rattan ceiling during Don Preston's synthesiser solo on 'King Kong'.

In which Swiss town did the casino fire of 'Smoke on the Water' happen in 1971?

The band had planned to record in the casino after its final show of the season.

Which band did the 1975 Guinness Book of World Records list as 'the globe's loudest band'?

The record came from a 1972 concert at London's Rainbow Theatre.

Which Black Sabbath single was the band's only UK top-20 hit, reaching number four?

Fifty-five years later, in July 2025, it topped Billboard's Hot Hard Rock Songs chart for the first time.

Who replaced Ozzy Osbourne as Black Sabbath's singer after he was fired in 1979?

The former Rainbow vocalist made Heaven and Hell, Mob Rules and the live album Live Evil with them.

In which year did the plane crash that killed Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines occur?

Lynyrd Skynyrd reformed in 1987 with Ronnie's brother Johnny on vocals.

'Sweet Home Alabama' was written as a response to songs by which artist?

The targets were 'Southern Man' and 'Alabama'; Van Zant said Young was 'shooting all the ducks in order to kill one or two'.

Who's Next grew out of which abandoned Who rock-opera project?

Eight of its nine songs came from the project; the exception was John Entwistle's 'My Wife'.

In which country did the Rolling Stones record most of Exile on Main St. as tax exiles?

The loose sessions ran through the night in the basement of Nellcôte, Keith Richards's rented villa.

Which E Street Band member leans on Springsteen's shoulder on the Born to Run cover?

Six months of the 18-month sessions went into the title track alone as Springsteen chased Phil Spector's Wall of Sound.

Which critic wrote in 1974 that he had seen 'rock and roll future' in Springsteen?

Landau went on to co-produce Born to Run and manage Springsteen for decades.

Roughly how much did the Ramones' 1976 debut album cost to record?

It took seven days; the label paid just $125 for the much-imitated cover photo.

In which New York City neighborhood did the Ramones form in 1974?

They went on to play 2,263 concerts over 22 years.

How many studio albums did the Sex Pistols release?

Never Mind the Bollocks arrived on Virgin in October 1977, and the band was finished within months.

The Sex Pistols' 'God Save the Queen' was timed to coincide with which 1977 event?

The single described the monarchy as a 'fascist regime'.

Which Clash bassist wrote and sang 'The Guns of Brixton' on London Calling?

He doubted the paranoid lyric until Strummer pushed him to finish it; he is also the bass-smasher on the album cover.

Who wrote and produced Boston's 1976 debut, largely from demos made in his basement?

It became the best-selling debut LP in US history at the time, at 17 million copies.

Frampton Comes Alive! was recorded primarily at which San Francisco venue?

It was the best-selling album of 1976 after four studio albums had gone nowhere.

Which instrumental on Van Halen's 1978 debut popularized two-handed tapping?

The album also carried their cover of the Kinks' 'You Really Got Me'.

Which persona did Bowie adopt on 1976's Station to Station?

Halloween Jack had been the Diamond Dogs character two years earlier.

Who produced AC/DC's Highway to Hell, the first of three albums he made with the band?

It was Bon Scott's last album; he died in February 1980 and Brian Johnson replaced him.

Eric Clapton's 'Layla' was inspired by his secret love for the wife of which musician?

Pattie Boyd later married Clapton; the song was co-written with drummer Jim Gordon.

In which Georgia city did Duane Allman die in a 1971 motorcycle accident?

Eat a Peach, released the next year, was the last Allman Brothers album to feature him.

Which drummer did Neil Peart replace in Rush in July 1974?

The change came four months after the debut album and completed the classic power trio.

Which Kiss member performed as 'the Catman'?

Stanley was the Starchild, Simmons the Demon and Frehley the Spaceman.

Which nickname was given to Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry?

Toys in the Attic and Rocks broke the Boston band into the mainstream.

Journey was formed in 1973 by former members of which band?

Steve Miller Band alumni were also involved; Steve Perry did not arrive until 1977.

Where did the founders of Talking Heads meet as freshmen?

Byrne and Frantz played in a band called the Artistics there before forming Talking Heads in 1975.

Which artist designed Yes's elaborate album covers?

Fragile, with 'Roundabout', and Close to the Edge were among four straight US platinum sellers.

Greg Lake joined Emerson, Lake & Palmer from which band?

Keith Emerson came from the Nice and Carl Palmer from Atomic Rooster; they broke through at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival.

Who co-wrote Patti Smith's 1978 hit 'Because the Night'?

It reached number 13 in the US; her 1975 debut Horses had been produced by John Cale.

Which Janis Joplin single reached number one posthumously in March 1971?

The Kris Kristofferson cover came from Pearl, released after her death in October 1970 at 27.

In which city did Jim Morrison die in July 1971?

He was 27, the same age as Hendrix and Joplin the year before, and the circumstances remain disputed.

Under what longer name did T. Rex start out in 1967?

Marc Bolan was the only constant member, and 'Get It On' was one of four UK number ones.