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