Q 01/05

Which three British bands, all founded in 1968, are named as heavy metal's most famous pioneers?

A) Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple

B) The Who, Cream and Free

C) Queen, Judas Priest and UFO

D) Motörhead, Saxon and Iron Maiden

Answer · why

A) Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple

All three were often derided by critics while filling stadiums.

Q 02/05

The first use of 'heavy metal' in a song lyric, describing a motorcycle, comes from which 1968 track?

A) Helter Skelter

B) Born to Be Wild

C) Summertime Blues

D) In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

Answer · why

B) Born to Be Wild

Steppenwolf's 'heavy metal thunder' became the anthem of Easy Rider a year later.

Q 03/05

Which Beat writer used 'the Heavy Metal Kid' as a character name in his 1961 novel The Soft Machine?

A) Jack Kerouac

B) Allen Ginsberg

C) William S. Burroughs

D) Hunter S. Thompson

Answer · why

C) William S. Burroughs

His follow-up Nova Express used 'heavy metal' as a metaphor for addictive drugs.

Q 04/05

Black Sabbath's heavy, down-tuned sound is partly credited to which accident of Tony Iommi's?

A) He went deaf in one ear

B) He was electrocuted

C) He broke his wrist onstage

D) He lost his fingertips in a factory

Answer · why

D) He lost his fingertips in a factory

Unable to play normally, he tuned down and leaned on simple power chords.

Q 05/05

Black Sabbath took their name from a 1963 horror film starring whom?

A) Boris Karloff

B) Vincent Price

C) Christopher Lee

D) Bela Lugosi

Answer · why

A) Boris Karloff

Geezer Butler noticed people queuing to be scared and the band wrote a song of the same name.