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Kenny Rogers said that Jimi Hendrix once told him that “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)” was his all-time favorite song.

Regarded as one of the greatest live albums, At Fillmore East was recorded by the Allman Brothers Band on the final two nights of a three-night stand March 12–13, 1971 at Bill Graham’s iconic rock venue.

Promoter Ron Delsener presented Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed, Neil Young, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and many other stars at the Palladium.

A Star Is Bought was written and produced by Brooks and Harry Shearer. Brooks, according to the album’s scenario, wants to become a crossover recording star, appealing to as many different music fans as possible.

'Rock Quiz: 1000 Questions Classic Rock Challenge!' Book Excerpt

The core members of Mountain — singer-guitarist Leslie West, bassist and producer Felix Pappalardi, and drummer Corky Laing — formed in 1969. Mountain’s “Mississippi Queen” is the band’s biggest hit, reaching №21 in 1970. West told Music Aficionado that Laing came up with the inspiration for the lyrics.

“She Works Hard for the Money” is the title track of Donna Summer’s 1983 album. Released as the lead single, it was a №1 R&B hit that year. Summer wrote the song with producer Michael Omartian.

"Twist and Shout” became one of the Beatles’ big hits when it was released in March 1964 at the outset of Beatlemania. The song was a cover of the Top 20 hit two years earlier by the Isley Brothers.

The British Invasion knocked many American groups off the charts in the mid-1960s. Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs, who scored a number one hit with “Sugar Shack” in 1963, decided to adopt a grittier sound with “Bottle of Wine.” Gilmer still performed lead vocals, but the band shortened its name to the Fireballs to reflect ‘60s fans’ preference for groups.

“Sentimental Lady” was written by guitarist Bob Welch and first recorded for Fleetwood Mac’s 1972 album Bare Trees. The Fleetwood Mac version was 4:34 with backing vocals by Christine McVie.

Rock Quiz: 1000 Questions Classic Rock Challenge! Book Excerpt

Carl Perkins released “Blue Suede Shoes” in early 1956. The early rockabilly tune reached №2. Elvis Presley released his uptempo version in September 1956, a №20 hit. While varying accounts exist, Perkins described the song’s inspiration on NPR in 1996.

“Tiny Dancer” was first released on Elton John’s 1971 album Madman Across the Water. When an edited single version was released in 1972, it only reached №41. As more album cuts were played on FM radio in the 1970s, “Tiny Dancer” in its original form became a listener favorite.

“Want to take a mind excursion? How ‘bout a little diversion? The hippest of all trips. The return to reality. Well, join me.” With that introduction, William Mercer, or Rosko to free-form radio fans, would open his shows that showcased a broad range of music: rock, soul, folk, and jazz. Mercer, who grew up on New York’s 114th Street and Manhattan Avenue, read poetry by Kahlil Gibran and delivered impassioned monologues against the My Lai massacre and the Kent State shootings

Robert Klein’s debut album, 1973’s Child of the 50’s, received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Comedy Album. The album was recorded live at New York’s Bitter End.

Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen and Walter Becker met at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, the site of 1973’s “My Old School.” The tune was included on Steely Dan’s 1973 LP Countdown to Ecstasy. The song only reached №63 but is a fan favorite. Its lyrics describe their arrest, along with Fagen’s girlfriend, Dorothy White, in a marijuana raid.

After leaving the Beatles, George Harrison had an impressive solo career before his untimely death in 2001 at age 58. Harrison notched five Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Of the five, only one was not original to Harrison: “Got My Mind Set on You.”

The Rolling Stones’ 1986 hit “Harlem Shuffle” was first recorded by Bob & Earl, an R&B duo whose version rose to number 44 on the charts in 1963. The song’s roots are not uptown in New York City; instead, the dance was born 3,000 miles away in Los Angeles.

“Black Dog” opens 1971’s untitled fourth Led Zeppelin album and reached №15. Its title comes from a nameless Labrador retriever who wandered around the studio during recording.