Quiz of the Day
Vinyl & Music History
Saturday, 18 April 2026
Record Store Day — music milestones, iconic albums, vinyl facts
1. What speed (in RPM) does a standard vinyl LP record play at?
- 33⅓ RPM
- 45 RPM
- 16 RPM
- 78 RPM
The 33⅓ RPM LP was introduced by Columbia Records in 1948 and could hold about 22 minutes per side — a huge upgrade from the 78 RPM format which held only about 3-5 minutes per side.
2. Which album is the best-selling of all time?
- Thriller by Michael Jackson
- The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd
- Abbey Road by The Beatles
- Back in Black by AC/DC
Thriller has sold an estimated 70 million copies worldwide since its 1982 release. Seven of its nine tracks were released as singles, and all seven reached the top 10.
3. Who invented the phonograph, the first device to record and play back sound?
- Thomas Edison
- Nikola Tesla
- Alexander Graham Bell
- Guglielmo Marconi
Edison invented the phonograph in 1877. The first words he recorded were 'Mary had a little lamb.' He was reportedly so startled that it worked on the first try that he was 'always afraid of things that worked the first time.'
4. Which iconic album cover features a prism splitting white light into a rainbow?
- OK Computer
- Led Zeppelin IV
- The Dark Side of the Moon
- Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd's 'The Dark Side of the Moon' spent 937 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart — that's nearly 18 years. The album's themes of time, death, and money remain universally relatable.
5. What does the term 'B-side' refer to?
- The second album by an artist
- A remix of a song
- The flip side of a vinyl single
- A live version of a track
Some B-sides became more famous than their A-sides. Queen's 'We Will Rock You' was originally the B-side to 'We Are the Champions', and Gloria Gaynor's 'I Will Survive' started as a B-side.
6. Which music format outsold all others in 2023 for the first time in decades?
- Digital downloads
- Vinyl records
- CDs
- Cassette tapes
Vinyl sales have grown every year since 2006, driven by collectors and younger listeners. In many markets, vinyl now outsells CDs, with coloured and limited-edition pressings commanding premium prices.
7. Which legendary music venue in New York was a birthplace of punk rock?
- Madison Square Garden
- Studio 54
- The Apollo
- CBGB
CBGB (Country, Bluegrass, Blues and Other Music for Uplifting Gormandizers) hosted early performances by The Ramones, Blondie, and Talking Heads. It closed in 2006 and is now a fashion boutique.
8. How many tracks are on The Beatles' 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'?
- 15
- 10
- 11
- 13
Released in 1967, it took over 700 hours to record — unprecedented at the time. It's often called the first 'concept album' and was one of the first to print full lyrics on the sleeve.
9. What material are vinyl records traditionally made from?
- Shellac
- Bakelite
- PVC (polyvinyl chloride)
- Rubber
Early 78 RPM records were made from shellac (derived from lac beetle secretions). The switch to PVC in the late 1940s made records lighter, less brittle, and capable of finer groove detail.
10. Which artist has the most number-one singles on the UK charts?
- Cliff Richard
- Madonna
- Elvis Presley
- The Beatles
The Beatles hold 17 UK number-one singles. Elvis comes second with 21 US number-ones but fewer UK chart-toppers. The rivalry between Beatles and Elvis fans continues to this day.
11. What was the first music video played on MTV when it launched in 1981?
- Thriller by Michael Jackson
- Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles
- Take On Me by a-ha
- Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
The ironic choice was deliberate. MTV launched at 12:01 AM on August 1, 1981. The channel's early years featured VJs (video jockeys) and transformed how music was marketed and consumed.
12. Which groundbreaking festival took place on a dairy farm in New York in August 1969?
- Glastonbury
- Isle of Wight
- Woodstock
- Monterey Pop
Despite planning for 50,000 attendees, an estimated 400,000 people showed up. The fences were torn down and it became a free event. Jimi Hendrix's dawn performance of the US national anthem became iconic.
13. What is the groove on a vinyl record?
- A digital code etched into the surface
- Microscopic holes that produce sound
- A spiral channel cut into the surface that the needle follows
- Magnetic strips embedded in the vinyl
A typical LP has one continuous groove spiralling from the outside edge to the centre. If uncoiled, the groove on a 12-inch LP would stretch about 500 metres — nearly a third of a mile.
14. Which female artist released the album 'Tapestry', one of the best-selling albums of the 1970s?
- Joni Mitchell
- Carly Simon
- Stevie Nicks
- Carole King
Tapestry spent 15 consecutive weeks at number one in 1971 and remained on the Billboard 200 for over six years. It won four Grammy Awards including Album of the Year.
15. When was Record Store Day first celebrated?
- 2008
- 1998
- 2013
- 2003
Record Store Day was co-founded by Chris Brown of Bull Moose Music and Eric Levin of Criminal Records. It's now celebrated in hundreds of independent record shops across more than 20 countries each April.