From Jessie J to Jerry Lee, how well do you know this week in music history – quiz

1. 

   Boom! Shake the Room by Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince went to No 1 in the UK this week in 1992. In the song, what does the Fresh Prince – Will Smith nowadays – do when he sees an attractive woman?

   1. I flip ’em around and then I work that booty

   2. I say she looks my momma and I got a momma thing

   3. I say something corny, even though I’m getting horny

   4. I pretend I never seen her, say I don’t know her name is Tina

2. 

   Liam Gallagher was stopped by customs officials at Heathrow on 25 September 1999 and made to pay £1,300. What item had he failed to declare on his return from the US?

   1. His genius

   2. A complete collection of original mono Beatles albums on vinyl, all signed by Ringo Starr

   3. A fur coat for his then wife, Patsy Kensit, and toys for their son Lennon

   4. Nine bottles of Johnny Walker black and 426 packets of Marlboro reds

3. 

   Happy birthday, Tracey Thorn, 54 on 26 September. Back in 1983, she sang on the Working Week single Venceremos – We Will Win, which was a tribute to which great South American figure?

   1. World Cup-winning football manager César Luis Menotti

   2. Beret-wearing revolutionary Che Guevara

   3. Murdered leftwing folk singer Victor Jara

   4. Notorious drug baron Pablo Escobar

4. 

   David Bowie went to No 1 in the UK album charts this week in 1980 with the album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps). Which of the following musicians did not appear on it?

   1. E Street Band pianist Roy Bittan

   2. Who guitarist Pete Townshend

   3. King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp

   4. Cream bassist Jack Bruce

5. 

   Who became the oldest person to top the US charts this week in 2011?

   1. Bob Dylan

   2. Aretha Franklin

   3. Loretta Lynn

   4. Tony Bennett

6. 

   Nirvana’s album Nevermind was released this week in 1991, prompting the grunge explosion. The New York Times duly published a lexicon of grunge for its readers, though it was entirely fictitious, composed by Sub Pop receptionist Megan Jasper. Which of the following phrases did she not fool the NYT into printing?

   1. Swingin’ on the flippity flop – hanging out

   2. Kurted out – Asked to leave a room so someone can take drugs in private

   3. Lamestain – Uncool person

   4. Cob Nobbler – Loser

7. 

   What did Jerry Lee Lewis accidentally do at his 41st birthday party, on 29 September 1976?

   1. Burn down his house, after leaving the cake – with candles lit – next to his curtains

   2. Cause terror in his neighbourhood after allowing his pet tiger out of the front door

   3. Shoot his bass player in the chest

   4. Insult the President Gerald Ford when he told what he thought was a prank caller to “leave me the fuck alone, asshat”

8. 

   Happy 30th birthday, Ben Lovett out of Mumford & Sons! How many Grammy and Brit awards have the braces-bearing folk rockers won so far in their career?

   1. None

   2. Four

   3. Six

   4. Seven

9. 

   How long did it take for the Spice Girls’ reunion show at the O2 in London to sell out after tickets went on sale on 1 October 2007?

   1. 38 seconds

   2. Two minutes and 23 seconds

   3. 31 minutes

   4. Tickets were still on sale on the night of the show

10. 

    Jessie J recorded her last UK No 1 single this week in which year?

    1. 2010

    2. 2011

    3. 2013

    4. 2014

Solutions

1:A - According to the song, he “never wrote a whack jam”., 2:C - “At first he made quite a fuss,” said a customs official., 3:C - Jara was killed following the Chilean coup of September 1973., 4:D - A version of Cream’s I Feel Free was recorded during the album sessions, but not used on the album., 5:D - Duets II featured collaborations with Lady Gaga and Amy Winehouse., 6:B - Jasper still works for Sub Pop, though she’s no longer a receptionist., 7:C - Norman Owens survived, but later sued his boss., 8:B - Two of each. Though one of the Grammys was for “best music film”., 9:A - More than a million people registered to buy tickets., 10:D - Bang Bang was recorded with Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj.

Scores