From Yes to Pink Floyd: The Progressive Rock Quiz

Estimated Completion Time
2 min
From Yes to Pink Floyd: The Progressive Rock Quiz
Image: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

About This Quiz

Take psychedelic rock, add a fantastic theme and wild production, and throw in a pinch of symphony, and you've got yourself a progressive rock song! Take our quiz to see how much you know about the most iconic artists and music in the genre.
Which of these was NOT a member of the band Rush?
Geddy Lee
Peter Gabriel
Neil Peart
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Rush consists of vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson and drummer Neil Peart.

What country did Rush hail from?
Australia
England
Canada
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While progressive rock had its roots in British rock 'n' roll, Rush formed in Canada in the 1970s.

What year did Yes release its debut album?
1969
1974
1979
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Yes released its self-titled debut album, which featured the single "Sweetness," in November 1969.

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What band did Yes open for on its first U.S. tour?
Rush
Pink Floyd
Jethro Tull
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Yes opened for Jethro Tull on its first U.S. tour in 1971.

Who was the original lead singer of Yes?
Jon Anderson
Phil Collins
Daevid Allen
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Jon Anderson, formerly of the Warriors and Gun, sang lead vocals for Yes.

What band's first album was called "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn"?
Jethro Tull
Pink Floyd
Genesis
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Prog rock legends Pink Floyd released their debut album "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" in 1967.

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What year was "The Dark Side of the Moon" released?
1971
1973
1975
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon" spent a record 741 weeks on the Billboard Top 200 chart after it was released in 1973.

Who is the star of the concept album "The Wall"?
Barrett
Floyd
Pink
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Pink Floyd's 1979 album "The Wall" tells the story of a rock star named Pink.

What band were both Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins a part of?
Porcupine Tree
Genesis
the Moody Blues
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Gabriel and Collins were both members of progressive rock band Genesis.

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What instrument did Collins play in Genesis when the band started out?
drums
tambourine
guitar
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Phil Collins started off as drummer for Genesis before taking over the lead vocalist spot from Peter Gabriel.

What year did Genesis release its first album?
1963
1969
1975
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The band released "From Genesis to Revelation," which featured songs like "Silent Sun" and "Fireside Song," in 1969.

What progressive rock band's first album was "This Was"?
the Moody Blues
Tool
Jethro Tull
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Jethro Tull hit it big in the U.K. with the 1968 album "This Was."

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What is Ian Anderson's trademark instrument?
bass
drums
flute
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Jethro Tull front man Ian Anderson is known for his wild flute-playing ways.

What is the band Jethro Tull named after?
an astronomer
an agriculturist
an artist
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The band took its name from 18th century agriculturist Jethro Tull, who invented the seed drill.

This band originally consisted of only one member: Steven Wilson.
the Mars Volta
Tool
Porcupine Tree
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Porcupine Tree was founded by singer and guitarist Steven Wilson in 1987.

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True or false: Porcupine Tree's first album was supposed to be a joke.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Wilson created an album of fake "lost recordings," but it turned into "On the Sunday of Life" after people actually liked the songs.

What band released the album "Days of Future Passed"?
the Moody Blues
Deep Purple
Rush
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Days of Future Passed" was the Moody Blues' second album but their first progressive rock album.

Which of these songs was NOT featured on "Days of Future Passed"?
"Nights in White Satin"
"Tuesday Afternoon"
"Dear Diary"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The 1967 release did not feature the song "Dear Diary."

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True or false: Tool was originally called Toolshed.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The four-piece band originated in the '90s as Toolshed before shortening its name to Tool.

What year did Tool release its first full album?
1988
1993
1998
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tool released the extended play "Opiate" in 1992, followed by the full-length "Undertow" in 1993.

When did supergroup Emerson, Lake and Palmer form?
1960
1970
1980
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Keith Emerson, Greg Lake and Carl Palmer of bands the Nice, King Crimson and Atomic Rooster joined forces to create the new band in 1970.

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True or false: Emerson, Lake and Palmer started off with small club shows.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The band's first show was before half a million fans in 1970. One month later, the band released its first album.

What band did Robert Fripp form in 1967?
King Crimson
Dream Theater
Electric Light Orchestra
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Robert Fripp was the only consistent member of King Crimson, which formed in 1967 and had dozens of different members over the years.

What year did Kansas release its first album?
1964
1969
1974
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Kansas released its self-titled debut, which featured songs like "Lonely Wind" and "The Pilgrimage," in 1974.

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What Kansas album features "Carry On Wayward Son"?
"Leftoverture"
"Vinyl Confessions"
"Monolith"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The hit song was featured on the 1976 album "Leftoverture," which eventually sold more than 3 million copies.

What band's debut album was called "De-Loused in the Comatorium"?
Muse
the Mars Volta
the Nice
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This unique title came from the Mars Volta, which released its first full-length album in 2004.

"Smoke on the Water" describes a disastrous concert by this artist.
Ozzy Osbourne
Frank Zappa
Jimi Hendrix
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water" tells the story of a 1973 Frank Zappa show that ended in flames.

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What band named its 1979 album "Discovery"?
King Crimson
Gong
Electric Light Orchestra
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Electric Light Orchestra's 1979 "Discovery" album featured songs like "Don't Bring Me Down" and "The Move."

Which of these groups did NOT feature Daevid Allen as a member?
Gong
the Moody Blues
Soft Machine
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Daevid Allen was a member of prog rock bands Gong and Soft Machine but never played in the Moody Blues.

What Supertramp album featured "Take the Long Way Home"?
"Breakfast in America"
"Paris"
"Crime of the Century"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Take the Long Way Home" can be found on Supertramp's 1979 release "Breakfast in America."

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