Alt 90's Quiz: Results and Answers

[slipjig3]

First of all, a bazillion thank-you's to everyone who participated in the 90's alternative music quiz; I had a blast with this, and I hope you did as well.

This wasn't technically presented as a contest, but for those of you who were wondering who answered the most correctly: Our blue-ribbon grand-prize-winning Grand Poobah is... *cue hyperdramatic drum roll* ...telepresence, with a staggering 23 out of 28 possible points, followed very closely (with only a half-point lag) by easterkat. Well done, both of you! Third place, with 19 1/2 points, went to regular reader prairieflower, who batted her beguiling eyelashes and asked me to issue a prize to the winners, so I will: the top three finishers, if they wish, will each receive a mix of classic 90's alternative hits for your listening pleasure. Just drop me a line and let me know.

Here, by the way, are the top ten respondents to the quiz—those marked with an asterisk are eligible for the prize:
1) telepresence *
2) easterkat *
3) prairieflower *
4) spoothbrush
5) mgrasso
6) tablesaw
7) we_happy_few
8) engagefriction
9) jmspencer
10) botia

Thank you all again, and congratulations! Now, the moment you've all been waiting for:

The Answers
1) In 1991, who became (probably) the first mandolin player to appear on a Number One single?
Answer: Peter Buck (R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion")
Half-credit for knowing which song I was referring to. (Confidential to reader: Just because "mandolin" and "Mandy Patinkin" have the same first syllable...)

2) So, what the hell is Beck singing just before, "I'm a loser, baby, so why don't you kill me?"
Answer: "Soy un perdedor" (Spanish for "I'm a loser")
The bane of karaoke singers everywhere.

3) He sat out of his own band's MTV Unplugged taping, leaving his brother to handle the lead vocals. What's his, and his brother's, last name?
Answer: Gallagher (Liam and Noel, of Oasis)
Half-credit for at least identifying the band. Liam was at the concert, but in his infinite wisdom chose to pitch a fit and sit out.

4) Smashing Pumpkins. Liz Phair. Jesus Lizard. Veruca Salt. Eleventh Dream Day. Urge Overkill. What do they all have in common? (Would it help if I added Richard Marx to the list, or just make you ill?)
Answer: They're all from Chicago
Full credit given for "Illinois". A gratuitous shout-out to my home town, and thank you to all you who got it right. I was a tad worried about this one....

5) Using the word "verve" in your band name appears to be a one-way ticket to one-hit-wonder status. Name two songs that illustrate this.
Answer: "Bittersweet Symphony" (The Verve), "The Freshman" (The Verve Pipe)
Half-point each.

6) What band was Juliana Hatfield fronting before becoming rock's most visible virgin?
Answer: Blake Babies
Half-credit given for "Julianna Hatfield Three," although I'm debating giving full credit, since the wording's a tad ambiguous.

7) When Whale is wailing, "Baby, we don't love you, baby, we don't love you, baby, yeah," what indiviual are they addressing?
Answer: A hobo humpin' slobo babe (from the Whale hit of the same name)
Confidential to reader: Huh, hadn't thought of that. Is it about Milosovic?

8) Neil Young schmoozed with Pearl Jam for a while, and he was once again cooler than cool. Who was David Bowie's similar schmoozee?
Answer: Nine Inch Nails
Bowie and NIN toured together, in addition to working together in the studio on such tracks as "I'm Afraid of Americans". Full credit given for "Trent Reznor", which is bloody well the same thing. (Interestingly, the first two respondents gave exactly the same wrong answer.)

9) Regardless of whether you want to go down like some junkie cosmonaut, being with you, girl, is like what two things?
Answer: Being low, being stoned (from "Low" by Cracker)
Half-credit each. "Hey, hey, hey" optional.

10) It's 1991. The radio's on. Eddie Vedder is singing, but it's not a Pearl Jam track. What is it, most likely?
Answer: "Hunger Strike," Temple of the Dog
Those of you who named "The Face of Love" with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan have my respect, though. And no, I have no idea why Pearl jam turned up three times on this quiz, either.

11) Who was the only member of Arrested Development (remember them?) to have an MTV Buzz Clip as a solo act?
Answer: Dionne Farris (with "I Know")
Exactly two people got this one right. A lot harder than I thought.... (I am not accepting "Who cares?" as a valid answer.)

12) If you can't, you won't, and you don't stop, then it's pretty evident that you've got mad hits like you was...who?
Answer: Rod Carew (from "Sure Shot" by the Beastie Boys)
I've opted to give full credit to anyone who said "Beastie Boys", since it's not 100% clear that I'm looking for a bit of lyric rather than the band. And for the one of you said, "White Jewish boys who can't rap," I'm letting you off easy.

13) You flip on MTV, and find a 25-second film of a man on fire running down an L.A. street in broad daylight, slowed to 2 1/2 minutes. What the f*@! is this? (Title and artist, please.)
Answer: "Wax," California
The video is currently available on the Spike Jonze edition of the Director's Label series of DVDs.

14) Which of the following cannot be considered a Seattle or almost-Seattle band in any way: Nirvana, Screaming Trees, Candlebox, Stone Temple Pilots, Mudhoney, Pearl Jam, Mother Love Bone, Soundgarden, Queensrÿche
Answer: Stone Temple Pilots
They were a California band.

15) Aurora Gory Alice may have been a fine album, but the main reason why Letters to Cleo got all that airplay for "Here and Now" was its use on what TV show?
Answer: Melrose Place
The track was released on the show's official soundtrack CD.

16) When America assembles three talented underage teen boy musicians with a cute blonde lead, they get Hanson. When Australia does it, they get what alt-rock band?
Answer: Silverchair
A few people got the band name confused with that of their breakthrough album, Frogstomp.

17) According to the Teenage Guide to Poplarity, how often should you wash your hair?
Answer: Once every two weeks (from "Popular" by Nada Surf)
This figure was allegedly taken from a teen self-help book from the 1950's.

18) Lisa Loeb's backup band on "Stay (I Missed You)"?
Answer: Nine Stories
She subsequently ditched them for her follow-up album.

19) Let's see.... I'll take Bands Whose Lead Singer's Fatal Drug Overdose Didn't Change the Fact That They Were Better Known for a Kid in a Bug Costume Than Their Actual Music for $200, Alex.
Answer: Blind Melon
In reference to the Bee Girl, of course. Thanks to the two of you who answered in the form of a question.

20) Wynona's got herself a big brown beaver, which turns out to possibly be a what?.
Answer: A porcupine (from "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver" by Primus)
This one was especially fun for the fourth-and-long punting answers: "Stolen clothes." "Unshaven vagina." "I'd...rather not say."

21) Oo! Mud fight at Woodstock '94! Who's that onstage, not even trying to duck?
Answer: Green Day
About as close as Woodstock '94 ever came to a "moment".

22) Who played Jill Sobule's boyfriend in the video for "I Kissed a Girl"? While we're here, what's the boyfriend's name in the song?
Answer: Fabio; Larry
No, not Brad Pitt. Nor Edward James Olmos.

23) Aren't you the guy who robbed the store 24? Maybe the fuck who tried to _____ ______ _____?
Answer: Jimmy my door (from "Happier" by Jennifer Trynin)
The other really hard one—only two correct responses. (And no, not "eat the poor". Nor "hump my dog".

24) Soul Coughing's album Ruby Vroom is named in honor of the daughter of what "Blood Makes Noise" singer-songwriter?
Answer: Suzanne Vega
Major kudos to tablesaw for also providing the name of Ruby's father, producer Mitchell Froom.

25) In front of you are the following: A single, "Plowed". An album, Wax Ecstatic. A bit of lyric, "Sixteen candles down the drain." The connection?
Answer: Sponge
No clever commentary available. Sorry.

26) Name the second-most famous 90's alternative music icon named Manson. (No, no the skinny guy with one tinted contact.)
Answer: Shirley Manson, lead singer of Garbage
"Mansun" was accepted as an alternate answer.

27) Once there was this kid who got into an accident and couldn't come to school. What became of him?
Answer: His hair turned from black into bright white
Yes, I hate that song, too.

28) Fill in blank, and name artist: "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth ______________"
Answer: "...With Money in My Hand," Primitive Radio Gods
I've been downhearted, baby....

Comments

[prairieflower.livejournal.com]

I SO can't wait for my CD!


This was a fun meme. The 90s were full of memories-- and I'm totally sentimental, so I remembered TONS of songs.

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

*grin* So glad you liked!

[prairieflower.livejournal.com]

*ahem*

You should totally IM or e-mail me so you can ask me for my address so you can send me my prize.

*bats eyelashes prettily again*

[botia.livejournal.com]

What, I don't get a prize? See if I ever visit again beyotch! ;)

[botia.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, and Saturday night, The Cruxshadows are going to be at Valentine's. We're going, you want to? I spend money I didn't have at Torrid for a new outfit for the show

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

Give us a call! We'll chat possibilities (depending on what time the show is).

[engagefriction.livejournal.com]

YAY i got 8th! That's MUCH better than I thought I did :D

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

Ya done great, actually. I'll tell you your score if you're interested.

[engagefriction.livejournal.com]

Yesh, my score would be awesome! :-)

[engagefriction.livejournal.com]

By the way, all my 90s knowledge stems from WEQX and watching Beavis & Butthead (when the videos were on). haha!

[spoothbrush.livejournal.com]

Can I have a prize if someone chooses to not accept theirs?

And was Losing My Religion #1? I was thinking it was that Extreme song. More Than Words? but I wouldn't EVER have known who played on that. But I didn't think that LMR ever actually topped the charts in the US, anyway.

[spoothbrush.livejournal.com]

Also, I think you may be the only other person I know who listened to Jen Trynin.

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

*googles* Gack! You're right! The song peaked at #4; it was the album, I believe, that hit the top. Gahh, sorry. (That said, "More That Words" didn't have a mandolin—only vocals and acoustic guitar.)

[spoothbrush.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I thought after I posted that I might have been hallucinating the mandolin in that song. Or mixing it up with one of the various covers I've heard.

Still, any song that a) was a hit in the 90s, b) involves the names Nuno Bettencourt and Pornograffiti, and c) somehow doesn't sound like either deserves some mention, right?

[zarhooie.livejournal.com]

I was This Many *holds up hands with fingers splayed* in the ninties so I have a Damn Good Reason for knowing none of this. However, one of my exes had a good showing. Good jorb, Spence!

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

*pthpthbthbth* Whippersnapper.

[tablesaw]

How many total contestants were there?

[felisdemens.livejournal.com]

Nope, it had nothing to do with Milosevic.

[nonethewiser.livejournal.com]

What about Maggie May? Not a '90s song, but unmistakably mandolinned, right? Maybe it was never a #1.

[we-happy-few.livejournal.com]

It was a good quiz. I was amazed that I got as much as I did, not really considering myself "way alternative" in the 90s. But I guess I was, to a degree. It didn't help that I was far far off in the woods for the first half of the 90s at a college with <300 students.

Thanks for validating my misspent youth.