27. The Sex Pistols’ “God Save the Queen” was an ironic mockery of British
royalty.
a. True
b. False
28. In addition to TV, the Sex Pistols were banned in many clubs.
a. True
b. False
29. Joe Strummer of the Clash is the son of an English diplomat.
a. True
b. False
Short Answer Questions
30. The disco craze moved the spotlight from the arena stage to the
31. Name the group that brought the gay club sound to a mass audience.
Short Essay Questions
33. Describe the differences in the American and British brands of punk rock.
34. Describe the differences between the music of the Sex Pistols and the Clash.
35. What catapulted the disco sound into the American mainstream?
42
Chapter 10: New Wave & Synth Pop (1977-1987)
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Television
a. avoided lengthy guitar solos.
b. wrote only short songs.
c. played all their songs at a fast tempo.
d. highlighted melodic guitar passages.
2. The West Coast punk of The Germs
a. contained strongly violent elements.
b. was tame in comparison to New York punk.
c. moved in the direction of New Wave melodic pop.
d. rejected the chaotic performances of New York punk.
3. Pere Ubu’s sound was considered New Wave because it
a. was not experimental.
b. moved toward mainstream pop.
c. explored ambient landscapes.
d. included keyboard sounds.
4. Seymour Stein of Sire Records was involved in the New York punk movement
because
a. he was a member of a punk band.
b. he hated disco.
c. he recognized the importance of the punk movement.
5. Blondie
a. was considered a punk band.
b. was a reggae band.
c. took an anarchic stance.
6. Elvis Costello is noted for his
a. guitar playing.
b. keyboard playing.
c. mordant lyrics.
d. singing voice
43
7. The Police infused their albums with
a. reconstituted blues.
b. metal riffs.
c. reggae and ska rhythms.
d. synthesizer sounds.
8. Synth pop thrived because
a. audiences had grown tired of guitar-based rock.
b. new instruments and sounds made new styles possible.
c. synthesizers mimicked the human voice.
d. audiences didn’t care what instrument was used.
9. Brian Eno developed a synth pop sound in his collaboration with
a. David Bowie.
b. Elvis Costello.
c. Brinsley Schwarz.
d. John Hiatt.
10. Kraftwerk based their music on
a. polyrhythmic textures.
b. minimalistic repeating figures.
c. ambient sonic landscapes.
11. The songs of Devo
a. were written in response to their objection to the Vietnam War.
b. were punk holdovers.
c. made an anti-disco statement.
d. were aimed at the mainstream pop music market.
12. A band that is credited with bringing melodic rock and the guitar band format
back to rock is
a. Devo.
b. The Smiths.
c. Ultravox.
True/False Questions
13. There was a tendency for New Wave bands to move away from a blues.
a. True
b. False
14. Both punk and post punk harkened back to pre-sixties rock for their styles.
a. True
b. False
15. New Wave relied on the dance beat of disco.
a. True
b. False
16. CBGB owner Hilly Kristal never hired bands that played only original music.
a. True
b. False
17. The British group Ultravox wanted to get away from Americanisms in rock.
a. True
b. False
18. MTV was not available in L.A. and New York when it first appeared.
a. True
b. False
19. New Wave and synth pop bands were more telegenic than punk bands.
a. True
Short Answer Questions
20. What instrument did Elvis Costello include in his band that set him apart from
45
21. Gary Numan was one of the first to use a _______________ instead of a
22. The first machine that could replicate the sound of a drum set was
23. The Moog synthesizer was difficult to use and to master, but the synthesizer
became available to untrained pop musicians with the development of the
24. Name the Ohio-based band that made quirky synthesizer music that matched
their belief in reverse human evolution. ____________________ (Answer:
25. The first video played on MTV was
Short Essay Questions
26. What did critics of synth pop mean by calling it “white collar work”?
27. Did video “kill the radio star” or did MTV simply change what was viewed as
music? What do you think?
28. What are the musical elements that differentiate punk and New Wave?
29. How did Synth Pop artists use the new, easier-to-use synthesizer
technology?
30. Why is CBGB significant in the development of the punk genre?
46
Chapter 11: Alternative Rock (1982-1987)
Multiple Choice Questions
1. In the 1980s, consumers of alternative music wanted to
a. isolate their culture from the mainstream.
b. join the pop music mainstream.
c. recapture the integrity and awareness of the 1960s.
d. vent extreme emotions.
2. Alternative bands received airplay on
a. commercial stations.
b. specialty stations.
c. college radio.
d. pirate radio broadcasts.
3. Alternative bands built their fan base through
a. the distribution efforts of major labels.
b. persistent touring.
c. focused ad campaigns.
4. “Indie rock” found its listeners among
a. disaffected social outsiders.
b. other artists.
c. dissatisfied pop music consumers.
5. A band that maintained an indie identity while finding mainstream commercial
success was
a. Butthole Surfers.
b. Black Francis.
c. U2.
d. The Edge.
6. U2 established a socially aware identity through
a. participation in public demonstrations.
b. an ad campaign with Guinness beer.
c. appearances in cause-themed tours.
d. confrontational press conferences.
47
7. R.E.M. came into the pop mainstream through
a. college rock channels.
b. mainstream media attention.
c. major label support.
d. promotional stunts.
8. Hardcore band Sonic Youth were a product of the
a. Christian rock scene.
b. New York underground and modernist artists.
c. Seattle underground.
d. Washington, D.C. underground music scene.
9. Hardcore group Bad Brains stood apart from other bands because
a. they sold out to a major label.
b. the band members were Jesuit students.
c. the band members were African-American.
d. they were classically trained musicians.
10. Bad Brains pushed hardcore music limits in the direction of
a. musical proficiency.
b. sonic nihilism.
c. social protest.
11. “Straightedge” hardcore music
a. advocated violent confrontation.
b. promoted political ideals.
c. included a message of avoidance of drugs and alcohol.
d. encouraged drug abuse.
12. Minor Threat released records on their own label,
a. SST.
b. Minor Threat Records.
c. Fugazi Records.
d. Dischord Records.
48
13. Fugazi added a new element to the hardcore scene:
a. stage diving.
b. slam-dancing.
c. a political conscience.
d. self-mutilation.
14. Black Flag’s brand of hardcore was a variation on
a. British punk.
b. straightedge.
c. grunge.
d. heavy metal.
15. Compared to U.S. underground alternatives, alternative music in Great Britain
was more
a. violent.
b. political.
c. eccentric and divergent.
d. compassionate.
16. British alternative artist with a strong literary-based approach:
a. Replacements
b. David Gilmour
c. Emily Bronte
d. Kate Bush
17. The British progenitor of goth rock:
a. Bela Lugosi
b. Bauhaus
c. David Bowie
d. Hounds of Love
18. The visual model for the goth look was provided by
a. Kate Bush.
b. Ash of Love and Rockets.
c. Peter Murphy of Bauhaus.
d. Robert Smith of the Cure.
True/False Questions
19. Punk’s rejection of commercialism was not a concern in the “alternative
nation.”
a. True
b. False
20. U2 failed their initial audition at a major label.
a. True
b. False
21. Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” was an anti-war song.
a. True
b. False
22. Black Flag defined hardcore nihilism for the L.A. suburbs of Orange County.
a. True
b. False
23. Hardcore was finally able to reconcile itself with mass popularity.
a. True
b. False
24. The music of the Minutemen included folk elements, including even polka.
a. True
b. False
25. The eclectic efforts of Husker Du brought hardcore closer to a popular music
with mainstream potential.
a. True
b. False
Short Answer Questions
26. Name the charismatic performer who became “the face of hardcore’s angry
50
27. In contrast to other punk singers, Paul Westerberg’s vocals with the
Replacements offered greater _____________________________. (Answer:
Short Answer Essays
28. In what way were the politics of U2 reminiscent of those of the sixties?
29. How did Ian MacKaye set the stage for what would become emo several
years later?
51
Chapter 12: American Punk: The Second Wave (1987-1994)
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Kurt Cobain’s musical model for “Smells Like Teen Spirit” came from the band
a. Nirvana.
b. Black Flag.
c. The Minutemen.
d. The Pixies.
2. Grunge vocals typically range from melodic singing to
a. spoken word passages.
b. whispers.
c. full-throated screams.
3. The independent label near Seattle that was instrumental in the success of
the first grunge bands was
a. Anathema.
b. Sub Pop.
c. SST.
4. The Butthole Surfers were
a. un-categorizable and not radio-friendly.
b. thrust into the mainstream by unexpected public support.
c. the perfect pop stars for the 80s.
5. The Melvins were influenced by the sludgy metal sound of
a. Black Flag.
b. Black Sabbath.
c. Nirvana.
6. Which of the following would not be included in a riot grrrl show?
a. accounts of sexual abuse
b. female band members flashing the audience
c. stories of actual rapes
d. Mariah Carey diva-style vocal performances
52
7. Bratmobile released records on the
a. SST label.
b. DGC label.
c. Kill Rock Stars label.
8. Which band pioneered the low-fi slacker sound that became popular in the
1990s?
a. Oasis
b. Blur
c. Pavement
d. Mellow Gold
9. This Brit pop group was accused of “ripping off the Beatles.”
a. Suede
b. Oasis
c. Blur
d. Pulp
10. This band’s style was called “shoegaze.”
a. Oasis
b. Blur
c. Pulp
d. Suede
True/False Questions
11. Borrowing from a number of sources, the Seattle bands of the mid-1908s
created an entirely new sound.
a. True
12. Grunge retained the fast tempos and intensity of punk.
a. True
13. The punk movement had declared much of what the grunge rockers were
doing as off-limits.
a. True
53
b. False
14. Grunge mixes punk and heavy metal elements with sixties-style melodies.
a. True
15. Green River is named after a serial killer.
a. True
b. False
16. Nirvana was the first grunge band to sign with a major label.
a. True
17. Bikini Kill never included confrontational politics in their live shows.
a. True
b. False
18. At riot grrrl concerts there were girls-only dance areas where boys could not
push them around.
a. True
b. False
19. Kurt Cobain wanted Nirvana’s records to sound muddy.
a. True
b. False
20. Nirvana recorded their first album for $606.17.
a. True
21. Live Through This by Hole was released four days after the suicide of
member Courtney Love’s husband, Kurt Cobain. The album sold 2 million
copies.
a. True
b. False
22. Brit pop band Pulp wrote songs on themes of either sex or class.
54
a. True
b. False
Short Answer Questions
23. Grunge producer Steve Albini made records that sounded like
24. Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder launched a media crusade against
Short Essay Questions
25. Why were independent labels like Sub Pop so important to the development
of the grunge bands?
26. In what way was geography a factor in the development of the Pacific
Northwest grunge scene?
27. Why did Kurt Cobain ask producer Butch Vig to “take all the high end off the
snare”?
28. Why did the DGC record people want to remix Nirvana’s In Utero album?
29. How was the riot grrrl movement similar to the original hip hop movement?
30. What did Beck bring to slacker rock that propelled his work into a mainstream
pop audience?
55
Chapter 13: Hip-Hop and Rap (1973- )
Multiple Choice Questions
1. People who danced to the beats supplied by turntable manipulators were
known as
a. DJs.
b. emcees.
c. breakdancers.
d. old Schoolers.
2. Many credit him with “naming” hip hop music:
a. Grandmaster Flash
b. Kurtis Blow
c. Afrika Bambaataa
d. DJ Kool Herc
3. The first politically conscious hip hop record was
a. “Disco Sucks.”
b. “Good Times.”
c. “The Message.”
4. “Old School” hip hop refers to music from
a. New York City.
b. Los Angeles.
c. Jamaica.
d. Africa.
5. The first hip hop street party probably dates from around
a. 1973.
b. 1981.
c. 1988.
6. Grandmaster Flash was a master
a. emcee.
b. break dancer.
c. graffiti artist.
d. turntable manipulator.
56
7. “New School” hip hop replaced DJing to a large extent with
a. live musicians.
b. drum machines.
c. sampling.
d. funk.
8. Run-D.M.C. most often used samples from _______ music.
a. soul
b. rock
c. disco
d. funk
9. This group had the first number one hip hop hit record:
a. Run-D.M.C.
b. Sugarhill Gang
c. Beastie Boys
d. N.W.A.
10. Golden Age rap group with a sound forged from sampled records:
a. Eric B. and Rakim
b. Public Enemy
c. KRS-One
d. A Tribe Called Quest
11. Golden Age rap characterized by street slang and philosophy:
a. Eric B. and Rakim
b. Public Enemy
c. KRS-One
d. A Tribe Called Quest
12. Golden Age rap group that was part of a collective of rap groups:
a. Eric B. and Rakim
b. Public Enemy
c. KRS-One
d. A Tribe Called Quest