Before Steppenwolf formed, singer John Kay and guitarist Mars Bonfire were members of the Sparrows. Canadian-born Dennis McCrohan first changed his name to Dennis Edmonton and later to Mars Bonfire. The Sparrows broke up in 1967, leaving Bonfire time to drive into the mountains and deserts of Los Angeles in his used Ford Falcon.

When the Yardbirds formed in 1963, they called themselves Blue-Sounds; their repertoire was American blues and R&B. The Yardbirds name was inspired by Jack Kerouac’s classic novel On the Road. Kerouac described people he met as he traveled across the US, including those who hung around rail yards. He called them “rail yard hobos.” Another influence was jazz great Charlie Parker, often nicknamed “Yardbird” or “Bird.”

“I’ve Seen All Good People” appeared on 1971’s The Yes Album. The song is in two parts. It opens with “Your Move,” released as a single in 1971 that reached №40. It closes with “All Good People.” The combination, “I’ve Seen All Good People,” was written and sung by Jon Anderson.

“Harper Valley PTA” was Jeannie C. Riley’s only pop hit but it made her the first woman to reach №1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Country Singles charts with the same song.

“It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” was included on R.E.M.’s 1987 album Document and reached №69. Its lyrics were written by R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe in the stream-of-consciousness tradition of Chuck Berry’s “Too Much Monkey Business” and Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues.”

“The God of Hellfire,” Arthur Brown, is noted for his dynamic performances in a flaming metal helmet. Brown is one of the acknowledged pioneers of theatrical rock. The frontman of The Crazy World of Arthur Brown performed his incendiary hit “Fire” at promoter Bill Graham’s Fillmore East over two nights in 1968.

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

Supertramp’s 1979 LP Breakfast in America featured its memorable title track and “The Logical Song,” which reached №6 and was the band’s biggest hit. The song, an indictment of the UK’s education system, was primarily written by Roger Hodgson, who told Creating the Classics that he reached back to his childhood for the lyrics.

“Say It Loud — I’m Black and I’m Proud” was written by James Brown and his bandleader, Alfred “Pee Wee” Ellis. Released as a two-part single in August 1968, four months after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the black pride anthem reached №1 on the R&B chart and was a №10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Alison” is one of Elvis Costello’s most popular songs but did not chart in 1977 when released as a single from his debut album My Aim Is True. Costello explains the song’s inspiration in his 2015 autobiography Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink.

Perry included “Foolish Heart” on his 1984 album Street Talk, and it reached №18. “The feeling was just basically one of being confused about falling back in love again,” Perry explained to Dick Clark, “because your heart wants to so bad, but your head says, ‘Wait a minute, you’ve done that before and it doesn’t feel good.’

1. Springsteen called it emotionally autobiographical A. “Adam Raised a Cain” B. “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” C. “Glory Days”

When “Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie” was released, the band’s name was changed to Jay & the Techniques without their knowledge. “I think Jerry changed it because there was Smokey Robinson & the Miracles and Martha & the Vandellas, and he just didn’t like that single-name thing,” said Proctor. “It wasn’t that I was the leader of the group, just the lead singer on the song. Then it didn’t make sense to change it back after the song was a hit.”

“Missing You” is the №1 single from John Waite’s 1984 album No Brakes. The former frontman of the British band The Babys explained its inspiration in American Songwriting. “I was getting divorced. I was trying to get home because my marriage was in genuine trouble — everything was wrong, and it had been wrong for a while."

“Vehicle” was one of the biggest hits in the jazz rock era when horn bands dominated the charts. The Ides of March reached №2 in 1970 with the tune, their only hit. Singer-songwriter Jim Peterik told AXS, “We started as a British Invasion wannabe. We loved the Hollies, the Kinks, the Zombies. Our first single on Parrot, ‘You Wouldn’t Listen,’ echoed that.

Despite their robes and headdress, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs were part of the Tex-Mex musical tradition of Doug Sahm and Freddy Fender. Sam is Domingo Samudio, a Dallas, Texas rocker whose first and biggest hit was 1964’s “Wooly Bully.”

Born Veronica Yvette Bennett, Ronnie Spector was born in Spanish Harlem, where growing up was tough for a girl with African American and Cherokee heritage. “When you don’t look like everyone else, you automatically have a problem in school,” Spector told The Guardian. “They would beat me up because I was different-looking. To be honest, I caught hell.”

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

Here are the stories behind the songs that describe characteristics - gluttony, greed, etc. - that we should be New Year's resolutions to end but probably won't

“Back in Black” is the title cut of AC/DC’s 1980 album, one of the best-selling LPs in history. “Back in Black” is a tribute to lead singer Bon Scott, who died suddenly in February 1980 at age 33. The song was primarily written by Brian Johnson, Scott’s replacement, and credited to co-writers Angus and Malcolm Young. In 1981, “Back in Black” reached №37.