Steely Dan Quiz Questions and Answers
Q1. In what year did Steely Dan release their debut album, Can’t Buy a Thrill?
A. 1970
B. 1971
C. 1972
D. 1973
Answer: C. 1972
Q2. Who were the founding core members of Steely Dan?
A. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker
B. Walter Becker and Denny Dias
C. Donald Fagen and Jeff Baxter
D. Michael McDonald and Jim Hodder
Answer: A. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker
Q3. Which college did Donald Fagen and Walter Becker attend when they first met in 1967?
A. Columbia University
B. Bard College
C. New York University
D. Juilliard School
Answer: B. Bard College
Q4. What was the first single released by Steely Dan, which peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100?
A. Rikki Don’t Lose That Number
B. Reelin’ In the Years
C. Do It Again
D. Peg
Answer: C. Do It Again
Q5. Which musician played the iconic guitar solo on “Reelin’ In the Years” from Can’t Buy a Thrill?
A. Larry Carlton
B. Denny Dias
C. Jeff Baxter
D. Elliot Randall
Answer: D. Elliot Randall
Q6. Steely Dan’s second album, released in 1973, is titled what?
A. Pretzel Logic
B. Katy Lied
C. Countdown to Ecstasy
D. The Royal Scam
Answer: C. Countdown to Ecstasy
Q7. Who served as Steely Dan’s primary producer and engineer during their classic 1970s era?
A. Ted Templeman
B. Gary Katz and Roger Nichols
C. Russ Titelman
D. Bill Szymczyk
Answer: B. Gary Katz and Roger Nichols
Q8. Which Steely Dan album from 1974 features the hit single “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number”?
A. Aja
B. Gaucho
C. Pretzel Logic
D. Katy Lied
Answer: C. Pretzel Logic
Q9. In what year did Steely Dan cease touring and shift to a studio-only project?
A. 1972
B. 1974
C. 1976
D. 1980
Answer: B. 1974
Q10. Which 1975 Steely Dan album was recorded using a then-innovative 48-track studio setup?
A. Katy Lied
B. The Royal Scam
C. Aja
D. Gaucho
Answer: A. Katy Lied
Q11. What is the title of Steely Dan’s 1976 album that includes the track “Kid Charlemagne,” inspired by LSD chemist Owsley Stanley?
A. Pretzel Logic
B. The Royal Scam
C. Countdown to Ecstasy
D. Everything Must Go
Answer: B. The Royal Scam
Q12. Steely Dan’s highest-charting album, Aja (1977), reached what position on the Billboard 200?
A. No. 1
B. No. 2
C. No. 3
D. No. 7
Answer: C. No. 3
Q13. Which jazz saxophonist, a member of Miles Davis’s band, played on Steely Dan’s Aja?
A. Wayne Shorter
B. John Coltrane
C. Charlie Parker
D. Stan Getz
Answer: A. Wayne Shorter
Q14. The song “Peg” from Aja features a guitar solo by which renowned session musician?
A. Denny Dias
B. Jay Graydon
C. Larry Carlton
D. Steve Gadd
Answer: B. Jay Graydon
Q15. What Grammy did Aja win in 1978?
A. Album of the Year
B. Best Pop Vocal Album
C. Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical
D. Record of the Year
Answer: C. Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical
Q16. Steely Dan’s troubled 1980 album Gaucho was delayed due to what major label change?
A. ABC Records folding
B. MCA acquiring ABC
C. Warner Bros. merger
D. Capitol Records buyout
Answer: B. MCA acquiring ABC
Q17. In what month and year did Steely Dan officially disband for the first time?
A. June 1981
B. December 1980
C. March 1982
D. July 1979
Answer: A. June 1981
Q18. Which Steely Dan song from Gaucho was inspired by a Keith Jarrett piano piece, leading to a co-writing credit?
A. Hey Nineteen
B. Time Out of Mind
C. Gaucho
D. Third World Man
Answer: C. Gaucho
Q19. What was Donald Fagen’s first solo album, released in 1982, which echoed Steely Dan’s style?
A. Kamakiriad
B. The Nightfly
C. Morph the Cat
D. Sunken Condos
Answer: B. The Nightfly
Q20. Walter Becker’s debut solo album, released in 1994, is titled what?
A. Circus Money
B. Two Against Nature
C. Everything Must Go
D. 11 Tracks of Whack
Answer: D. 11 Tracks of Whack
Q21. In what year did Steely Dan reunite and begin touring again?
A. 1993
B. 1995
C. 2000
D. 2003
Answer: A. 1993
Q22. Steely Dan’s first live album, Alive in America, was released in what year?
A. 1993
B. 1995
C. 1998
D. 2000
Answer: B. 1995
Q23. Which 2000 Steely Dan album won the Grammy for Album of the Year?
A. Everything Must Go
B. Gaucho
C. Aja
D. Two Against Nature
Answer: D. Two Against Nature
Q24. How many Grammy Awards did Two Against Nature win in total?
A. Two
B. Three
C. Four
D. Five
Answer: C. Four
Q25. Steely Dan’s final studio album, Everything Must Go, was released in what year?
A. 2000
B. 2003
C. 2006
D. 2012
Answer: B. 2003