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Black Holes and Revelations - Quiz
Contributed by: Blake
  • 1. Which track is described as an attack on an all but unnamed political leader?
A) Assassin
B) Exo-Politics
C) Take a Bow
D) Starlight
  • 2. What lyrical phrase from 'Take a Bow' is mentioned in the text?
A) orchestrated alien invasion
B) black holes and revelations
C) Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
D) you corrupt / and bring corruption to all that you touch
  • 3. Which tracks carry the themes of political attack along with 'Take a Bow'?
A) Soldier's Poem and Starlight
B) Exo-Politics and Assassin
C) Starlight and Invincible
D) Map of the Problematique and Supermassive Black Hole
  • 4. According to Bellamy, what does 'Exo-Politics' describe?
A) A populist revolt against the New World Order
B) A personal revelation of an everyday nature
C) An orchestrated alien invasion for increasing military budgets and building space weapons
D) A soldier realizing they are being used
  • 5. From whose perspective is 'Soldier's Poem' sung?
A) Someone realising they are being used
B) A knight galloping in Cydonia
C) An alien invading Earth
D) A political leader being attacked
  • 6. Which of the following is NOT listed among the album's political or thematic elements?
A) Economic inflation and taxation
B) Abusive power
C) New World Order conspiracy
D) Unjustifiable war
  • 7. What area does Bellamy find stimulating for the imagination?
A) The unknown in general
B) Historical biographies
C) Modern technology
D) Classical literature
  • 8. Which song particularly features rebellious paranoia?
A) Invincible
B) Soldier's Poem
C) Assassin
D) Starlight
  • 9. Which emotional themes are included on the album?
A) Hope, despair, and pride
B) Joy, apathy, and fear
C) Regret, ambition, and love
D) Sadness, greed, and jealousy
  • 10. Where is the title of the album taken from?
A) Take a Bow lyrics
B) Exo-Politics lyrics
C) Knights of Cydonia lyrics
D) Starlight lyrics
  • 11. What do the 'revelations' represent in Bellamy's songwriting for the album?
A) Songs from unknown regions of the imagination
B) Something personal, genuine, and everyday that people can relate to
C) The galloping of the Four Horsemen
D) Conspiracy theories about alien invasions
  • 12. What do the 'black holes' represent in Bellamy's songwriting?
A) Attacks on political leaders
B) Rebellious paranoia tracks
C) Songs from the more unknown regions of the imagination
D) Personal revelations of an everyday nature
  • 13. Where was the album artwork photographed?
A) Cydonia, Mars
B) London, UK
C) Dundee, Scotland
D) Bardenas, Spain
  • 14. Who designed the album artwork?
A) Matthew Bellamy
B) The Four Horsemen
C) BBC Radio 1
D) Storm Thorgerson
  • 15. What inspired the album artwork motif?
A) The UK singles chart success
B) An orchestrated alien invasion
C) The galloping of 'Knights of Cydonia' and 'Invincible'
D) A soldier's poem perspective
  • 16. The motif in the artwork is an allusion to what?
A) The New World Order conspiracy
B) The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
C) Black holes and revelations
D) A populist revolt
  • 17. On what date did Muse perform at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in Dundee?
A) July 3
B) May 13
C) August 18
D) June 19
  • 18. Which city hosted BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend where Muse performed on May 13?
A) Tokyo, Japan
B) Dundee, Scotland
C) London, England
D) Bardenas, Spain
  • 19. Which songs did Muse perform at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend?
A) Invincible, Map of the Problematique and Soldier's Poem
B) Take a Bow, Starlight and Invincible
C) Supermassive Black Hole, Starlight and Knights of Cydonia
D) Take a Bow, Exo-Politics and Assassin
  • 20. When was 'Supermassive Black Hole' released as the lead single?
A) July 3, 2006
B) May 13, 2006
C) August 18, 2009
D) June 19, 2006
  • 21. What chart position did 'Supermassive Black Hole' reach on the UK singles chart?
A) Number four
B) Number ten
C) Number nine
D) Number two
  • 22. Which singles followed the release of 'Supermassive Black Hole' in the UK?
A) Starlight, Knights of Cydonia, Invincible and Map of the Problematique
B) Only Starlight and Knights of Cydonia
C) Take a Bow, Exo-Politics, Assassin and Soldier's Poem
D) Assassin, Starlight and Invincible
  • 23. How many weeks did the album stay at number one on the UK Albums Chart?
A) Four weeks
B) One week
C) Ten weeks
D) Two weeks
  • 24. When was the first US single, 'Knights of Cydonia', released?
A) 19 June 2006
B) 3 July 2006
C) 13 June 2006
D) 18 August 2009
  • 25. What chart position did 'Knights of Cydonia' reach on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart?
A) Number nine
B) Number 10
C) Number four
D) Number two
  • 26. Which singles followed 'Knights of Cydonia' in the US?
A) Assassin and Soldier's Poem
B) Take a Bow and Exo-Politics
C) Starlight and Supermassive Black Hole
D) Invincible and Map of the Problematique
  • 27. What was Muse's most popular single in the US at that point?
A) Supermassive Black Hole
B) Starlight
C) Invincible
D) Knights of Cydonia
  • 28. What chart position did 'Starlight' reach on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart?
A) Number four
B) Number two
C) Number 10
D) Number nine
  • 29. At what position did the album debut on the Billboard 200?
A) Number two
B) Number nine
C) Number 10
D) Number four
  • 30. When was 'Black Holes and Revelations' released in the UK?
A) 18 August 2009
B) 13 June 2006
C) 3 July 2006
D) 19 June 2006
  • 31. In which countries was the album released following its UK release?
A) Spain, France, Germany and Italy
B) US, Australia, Taiwan and Japan
C) China, India, South Korea and Singapore
D) Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina
  • 32. What content was featured on the limited edition CD/DVD combination?
A) Videos and live renditions of Supermassive Black Hole, Knights of Cydonia and Starlight
B) Live performances from BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in its entirety
C) Studio outtakes of Take a Bow and Exo-Politics
D) Documentaries about Bardenas, Spain and Storm Thorgerson
  • 33. When was the album re-released in the US on vinyl LP?
A) 18 August 2009
B) 22 March 2024
C) 3 July 2006
D) 13 June 2006
  • 34. When was the album certified quadruple platinum in the UK?
A) 18 August 2009
B) June 19, 2006
C) 22 March 2024
D) 3 July 2006
  • 35. How many copies did the album sell in its first week in the UK?
A) 250,000 copies
B) 115,144 copies
C) 50,000 copies
D) 1,000,000 copies
  • 36. By what organization was the album certified quadruple platinum?
A) Billboard
B) BBC
C) BPI
D) Q Magazine
  • 37. How many copies had the album sold in the UK as of 2018?
A) 500,000 copies
B) Ten million copies
C) More than one million copies
D) 115,144 copies
  • 38. What effect did 'Black Holes and Revelations' have in the US?
A) It popularised Muse in the US
B) It banned vinyl LPs
C) It caused a populist revolt
D) It started an alien invasion
  • 39. Which publication did Bellamy tell about the album's title derivation?
A) BPI
B) Billboard
C) BBC Radio 1
D) Q
  • 40. Which song titles are explicitly mentioned as alluding to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse through their galloping motif?
A) Assassin and Soldier's Poem
B) Take a Bow and Exo-Politics
C) Supermassive Black Hole and Starlight
D) Knights of Cydonia and Invincible
  • 41. What number studio album is Black Holes and Revelations for Muse?
A) Second
B) Third
C) First
D) Fourth
  • 42. Who produced Black Holes and Revelations?
A) Chris Wolstenholme
B) Rich Costey
C) Matt Bellamy
D) Tom Tom
  • 43. Which musical artist influenced the style of the album?
A) The Beatles
B) Radiohead
C) Led Zeppelin
D) Depeche Mode
  • 44. Which band was listed as an influence alongside Depeche Mode?
A) U2
B) Nirvana
C) Lightning Bolt
D) Metallica
  • 45. Which conspiracy type is mentioned in the album's lyrics?
A) Moon landing hoaxes
B) New World Order conspiracies
C) Secret society financial conspiracies
D) Ancient alien architect theories
  • 46. In how many countries did the album enter the charts at number one?
A) Ten
B) Five
C) Three
D) One
  • 47. What certification did the album receive in the UK?
A) Double platinum
B) Gold
C) Quadruple platinum
D) Platinum
  • 48. What certification did the album receive in the US?
A) Quadruple platinum
B) Gold
C) Platinum
D) Triple platinum
  • 49. Which prestigious award was the album nominated for?
A) The Mercury Prize
B) The Grammy Award for Album of the Year
C) The Pulitzer Prize
D) The Brit Award for Best Album
  • 50. What was the title of the 2008 live album that featured recordings from the tour?
A) Absolution Live
B) HAARP
C) Hullabaloo
D) Live at Rome
  • 51. What was Muse's third album, which brought them mainstream exposure in the US?
A) Origin of Symmetry
B) Absolution
C) The Resistance
D) Showbiz
  • 52. In what year was Absolution released?
A) 2006
B) 2005
C) 2003
D) 2001
  • 53. Where did Muse spend about two weeks writing and rehearsing for their fourth album?
A) Avatar Studios
B) Studio Miraval
C) Townhouse Studios
D) Electric Lady Studios
  • 54. Who is the songwriter and guitarist of Muse?
A) Chris Wolstenholme
B) Dominic Howard
C) Matt Bellamy
D) Rich Costey
  • 55. Who is the bassist of Muse?
A) Matt Bellamy
B) Rich Costey
C) Tom Tom
D) Chris Wolstenholme
  • 56. Why was writing and recording more relaxed for this album compared to previous ones according to Chris Wolstenholme?
A) They had a huge budget
B) They only had to record three songs
C) The band had no deadline
D) The producer did all the work
  • 57. What city did the group move to when progress was slow and they had difficulty deciding on songs?
A) New York City
B) London
C) Milan
D) Paris
  • 58. What new skill did Matt Bellamy learn while spending time in New York clubs?
A) Synthesizer programming
B) Classical piano
C) Sound engineering
D) DJing
  • 59. Which guitar amplifier model did Bellamy use?
A) Fender Twin Reverb
B) Marshall JCM800
C) Orange Rockerverb
D) Vox AC30
  • 60. What other guitar amplifier model did Bellamy use?
A) Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier
B) Roland Jazz Chorus
C) Ampeg V4
D) Vox AC15
  • 61. What old synthesizers did the band purchase to change their working style?
A) Roland Jupiter-8
B) Moog Minimoog
C) Buchla 200e
D) Sequential Circuits Prophet-5
  • 62. What did Matt Bellamy spend several weeks recording in Italy?
A) Vocals
B) Guitar solos
C) Bass lines
D) Synthesizer tracks
  • 63. Where was the album mixed?
A) Avatar Studios, New York
B) Townhouse Studios, London
C) Electric Lady Studios, New York
D) Studio Miraval, France
  • 64. Whose music inspired the string arpeggios that open "Take a Bow"?
A) George Bellamy
B) Philip Glass
C) Prince
D) Elvis Presley
  • 65. What backs the opening string arpeggios on "Take a Bow"?
A) A flamenco guitar
B) A Moog synthesiser
C) A mariachi trumpet
D) A prepared piano
  • 66. On what instrument was the "Map of the Problematique" riff originally written?
A) Guitar
B) Synthesiser
C) Keyboard
D) Drums
  • 67. What did "Assassin" begin as before the band trimmed it?
A) A surf rock single with mariachi trumpets
B) A short dance track with club beats
C) An acoustic ballad inspired by Elvis Presley
D) A long progressive rock song with a huge piano break
  • 68. Which artist did critics liken "Supermassive Black Hole" to?
A) Philip Glass
B) George Bellamy
C) Elvis Presley
D) Prince
  • 69. Who is the drummer of Muse mentioned in the text?
A) George Bellamy
B) Matt Bellamy
C) Dominic Howard
D) Costey
  • 70. What kind of recording approach had Muse initially planned for "Soldier's Poem"?
A) Massive, epic approach
B) Small studio with vintage equipment
C) Noise rock jam
D) Acoustic club session
  • 71. What specific trumpet style is featured in "Knights of Cydonia"?
A) Blues trumpet
B) Jazz trumpet
C) Classical trumpet
D) Mariachi trumpet
  • 72. How does "Knights of Cydonia" end?
A) With a mariachi trumpet fanfare
B) With a massive piano break
C) With string arpeggios
D) With a guitar solo
  • 73. Why were some US dates in support of My Chemical Romance cancelled?
A) Food poisoning
B) Bad weather
C) Band injuries
D) Poor ticket sales
  • 74. Which US festival featured a headlining slot for Muse during the tour?
A) Lollapalooza
B) Bonnaroo
C) Coachella
D) Glastonbury
  • 75. At the 2007 Big Day Out Festival, which band headlined above Muse?
A) Green Day
B) My Chemical Romance
C) Radiohead
D) Tool
  • 76. In which month did Muse tour Eastern Europe?
A) June
B) November
C) July
D) October
  • 77. What event marked the end of the November arena tour of Australia?
A) KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas
B) Big Day Out Festival
C) Benicàssim Festival
D) Lollapalooza 2007
  • 78. What was the average score of Black Holes and Revelations on Metacritic?
A) 65
B) 90
C) 75
D) 85
  • 79. Based on its Metacritic score, what kind of reviews did the album receive?
A) Universal acclaim
B) Generally favourable reviews
C) Generally unfavourable reviews
D) Mixed or average reviews
  • 80. How many reviews were used to calculate the Metacritic score?
A) 15
B) 100
C) 50
D) 32
  • 81. Who wrote in Rolling Stone that the album was 'one of the year's most overblown records'?
A) Christian Hoard
B) Barry Schwartz
C) Andrew Perry
D) Will Hermes
  • 82. Who described the album in Entertainment Weekly as 'corny and bombastic'?
A) Noel Murray
B) Anthony Thorton
C) Will Hermes
D) Christian Hoard
  • 83. According to Will Hermes in Entertainment Weekly, if prog is the new punk, what band are Muse?
A) Queen
B) The Darkness
C) Green Day
D) Radiohead
  • 84. Who wrote in Observer Music Monthly that the record was 'Entertaining and rabble-rousing, daft and deadly serious'?
A) Brian Raferty
B) Barry Schwartz
C) Andrew Perry
D) Noel Murray
  • 85. Who wrote in Stylus Magazine that Muse bring loud, excessive, and proggy elements?
A) Christian Hoard
B) Will Hermes
C) Anthony Thorton
D) Barry Schwartz
  • 86. Which publication compared Muse's elaborate and gaudy hard rock to the Darkness's debut?
A) E! Online
B) NME
C) Pitchfork
D) The Guardian
  • 87. Who wrote in NME that Muse made a 'ridiculous, overblown, ambitious and utterly brilliant album'?
A) Brian Raferty
B) Anthony Thorton
C) Noel Murray
D) Christian Hoard
  • 88. Which publication wrote that the album's electronic elements shouldn't work, but Bellamy's mania makes it succeed?
A) The Los Angeles Times
B) The Guardian
C) Pitchfork
D) The A.V. Club
  • 89. Which publication found the combination of electronic elements and rock 'jarring' and 'slightly half-baked'?
A) The Los Angeles Times
B) The Guardian
C) E! Online
D) Stylus Magazine
  • 90. What grade did Noel Murray of The A.V. Club give to Black Holes and Revelations?
A) B+
B) D+
C) A
D) C-
  • 91. Who wrote in Spin that the album was 'admirable and terrible'?
A) Christian Hoard
B) Noel Murray
C) Brian Raferty
D) Andrew Perry
  • 92. What did Brian Raferty criticize the lyrics on the album for being?
A) Too serious and authentic
B) Corny and bombastic
C) Mumbo jumbo about persecution
D) Jarring and half-baked
  • 93. Which publication called the album 'the band's most autopiloted effort yet'?
A) Pitchfork
B) NME
C) Spin
D) Rolling Stone
  • 94. In what year was the updated edition of 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die published, which included Black Holes and Revelations?
A) 2006
B) 2008
C) 2011
D) 2009
  • 95. Which publication named Black Holes and Revelations the third-best album of the year?
A) Q
B) Rhapsody
C) NME
D) Classic Rock
  • 96. Classic Rock named Black Holes and Revelations one of the ten essential progressive rock albums of which time period?
A) The century
B) The year
C) The decade
D) All time
  • 97. What position was Black Holes and Revelations voted as the best album of all time by readers of Q in 2006?
A) 18th
B) 74th
C) 34th
D) 44th
  • 98. On 26 January 2008, 'Knights of Cydonia' was announced as the number-one song on which Australian chart?
A) Rhapsody Top 100 Tracks
B) Mercury Prize Countdown
C) Q Magazine Top 100
D) Triple J Hottest 100
  • 99. Which year's Triple J Hottest 100 featured 'Knights of Cydonia' as the number-one song?
A) 2007
B) 2006
C) 2008
D) 2009
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