I don't what singer was previously known as Elston Gunn
― tom d: he did what he had to do now he is dead (Tom D.), Tuesday, 17 August 2010 12:30 (thirteen years ago) link
had to wiki it
― margana (anagram), Tuesday, 17 August 2010 12:58 (thirteen years ago) link
I didn't know that either!
― he's always been a bit of an anti-climb Max (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Tuesday, 17 August 2010 14:01 (thirteen years ago) link
There was once one were they had to identify different genres of dance music, made deeply unfair by the fact that Paxman didn't have the faintest clue about any of it, but acted as if he did. Contestant: "That's jungle" Paxo: "No, it's obviously drum n bass" (withering stare).
― rhythm fixated member (chap), Tuesday, 17 August 2010 15:39 (thirteen years ago) link
Recently, they had a round where they played brief snips of the intro for all the tracks off an album. Kinda easy, and the team got them all except for:
"tinklytinkly/BAMBAMBAMBAM/skirrrrskirrrr"
Stude: "Um, The Velvet Underground?"Paxo: "No, that's the third album, this was the Velvet Underground and Nico.."
― Mark G, Thursday, 7 October 2010 13:11 (thirteen years ago) link
that's totally unfair.
― village idiot (dog latin), Thursday, 7 October 2010 13:21 (thirteen years ago) link
Well that depends on whether the question was to name the artist or the title. If he was after the title then I think Paxo was within his rights.
― margana (anagram), Thursday, 7 October 2010 13:26 (thirteen years ago) link
It was for the title, yes.
― Mark G, Thursday, 7 October 2010 13:29 (thirteen years ago) link
Suggests that Paxo is familiar with the VU oeuvre
― Tom A. (Tom B.) (Tom C.) (Tom D.), Thursday, 7 October 2010 14:03 (thirteen years ago) link
The question was to name the album title and the dick was wrong and I was yelling him the right answer at the telly.
― Already WSed last summer (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 7 October 2010 14:48 (thirteen years ago) link
It was a "kooky" female art/design student who got it wrong
― Tom A. (Tom B.) (Tom C.) (Tom D.), Thursday, 7 October 2010 14:59 (thirteen years ago) link
Was that the London College of Art or whatever? Pretty knowledgeable team on the whole in that episode.
― Already WSed last summer (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 7 October 2010 15:02 (thirteen years ago) link
― san te cross (onimo), Thursday, 7 October 2010 15:02 (thirteen years ago) link
I never really pay much heed to who's actually playing on the telly.
Tonight's resident indie dude recognised Strokes, Arcade Fire and Yeah Yeah Yeahs but mistook Radiohead, of all people, for Jose Gonzalez. You could see him wracking his brains for the name of the Gonzalez album. Tsk.
― The baby boomers have defined everything once and for all (Dorianlynskey), Monday, 18 October 2010 22:11 (thirteen years ago) link
That made me laugh a bit.
― ailsa, Monday, 18 October 2010 22:23 (thirteen years ago) link
Haha, oh God, none of them recognised John Lennon.
― ailsa, Monday, 25 October 2010 19:35 (thirteen years ago) link
Or Otis Redding
― Number None, Monday, 25 October 2010 20:13 (thirteen years ago) link
Or Eva Cassidy (ok I can let them off that one).
― ledge, Monday, 25 October 2010 21:17 (thirteen years ago) link
I figured then most likely to have recognised Eva Cassidy given Lennon fail, tbh.
― ailsa, Monday, 25 October 2010 21:40 (thirteen years ago) link
Times change:
Recently, the music round featured "bands/acts that Jack White has featured prominently in"
and the one guy on the Uni team got them all right.
I guessed at all but the last "White Stripes" one, in hope.
― Mark G, Thursday, 6 October 2011 11:56 (twelve years ago) link
yeah the last few pop music rounds have been tough!
― dog latin, Thursday, 6 October 2011 14:03 (twelve years ago) link
This weeks music round is a "Pazz and Jop" themed round.
― Mark G, Monday, 10 August 2015 19:18 (eight years ago) link
I got none but the starter, the team guessed more obscure bands than the correct answers, and Jeremy clearly knew none of them.
I guess the days of "ummmm, The Who?" are well and truly over.
― Mark G, Monday, 10 August 2015 19:21 (eight years ago) link
I somehow got TV on the Radio right even though I don't think I've ever heard them.
― Hamsters of Misfortune (ultros ultros-ghali), Monday, 10 August 2015 19:28 (eight years ago) link
This week, music round was based on the momentous "Sex pistols 1st gig at the Lesser free trade hall" gig.
Specifically, the bands that had members that were there. As opposed to the 2nd etc.
(Mark E Smith wasn't at the first one, it has now been established)
― Mark G, Monday, 11 July 2016 21:55 (seven years ago) link
I know the Music round is my chance to score points on University Challenge, but for gods sake!!! even my gran knows that Cole Porter sounds bugger all like Bo Diddley!!
― Mark G, Monday, 8 August 2016 19:02 (seven years ago) link
Well, I laffed. So did paxo..
― Mark G, Tuesday, 9 August 2016 06:42 (seven years ago) link
Trying to think what the other team got that wrong with.
But god to think further on that, unless Cole Porter was a totally random name, what does that say about timeless vital music. Just wondering if Bo can just sound like old music to people. I guess it's 60 years old now but I'd just find it too electrifying to categorise like that. Not to disparage Porter of course.I guess the Sex Pistols are grandad music by now too. Does dadrock gain a generation as it gets older?
― Stevolende, Tuesday, 9 August 2016 07:40 (seven years ago) link
Yeah, I was laughing at that sequence.
Cole Porter/Woody Guthrie for Bo DiddleyModest Mouse for The Cure"don't know" for The ClashWham for George Michael (so close!)
― jmm, Tuesday, 9 August 2016 15:06 (seven years ago) link
Not that anyone needs to know this stuff, but the kids looked so lost.
― jmm, Tuesday, 9 August 2016 15:09 (seven years ago) link
Really do wonder if there was any thought behind the 2 suggestions for Bo Diddley beyond being names of old artists that the tema member had heard of.Or odes it all blend into one great big continuum of old timey folky stuff without electronic beats.
Since most of the Cole porter I've heard has tended to be later interpretations wonder if there is much real similarity. An attempt to make popular music based on black rhythms and influences? But I bet the original still sounds pretty staid by today or even 50s/60s standards.
― Stevolende, Tuesday, 9 August 2016 15:18 (seven years ago) link
I'm guessing they were just naming old artists whose music they'd never actually heard (or never linked up with that name). And to be fair to Manchester, Paxman wouldn't let them go without taking a guess.
― jmm, Tuesday, 9 August 2016 16:59 (seven years ago) link
I'm constantly amazed at how simple the popular music questions are and how rarely they get them. Like I don't understand how you can live your life knowing the most obscure aspect of fluid dynamics but not recognise a really famous top ten single. I guess more and more it's basically 'they're young'
― kinder, Wednesday, 10 August 2016 20:02 (seven years ago) link
Most 19 year-olds not hugely interested in 20-30 year-old pop music feels reasonable
― Tom Watson in a fedora (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 10 August 2016 20:07 (seven years ago) link
Also less and less likely to access music thru older curators like "classic radio" etc
― Tom Watson in a fedora (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 10 August 2016 20:08 (seven years ago) link
Also always been posh kids on UC who don't have much interest in pop music of any era
― Tom Watson in a fedora (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 10 August 2016 20:09 (seven years ago) link
infuriates me when they act all embarrassed for actually knowing a pop music question
― Number None, Wednesday, 10 August 2016 20:10 (seven years ago) link
Well that's a different kind of douchiness but hardly limited to kids
― Tom Watson in a fedora (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 10 August 2016 20:12 (seven years ago) link
yes, but it's a common occurrence on the TV show University Challenge
― Number None, Wednesday, 10 August 2016 20:14 (seven years ago) link
It's usually Paxman who starts it
― Tom Watson in a fedora (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 10 August 2016 20:16 (seven years ago) link
that's true
― Number None, Wednesday, 10 August 2016 20:18 (seven years ago) link
It's sad/irritating when kids have those packaged opinions about things they're too young to have experienced as "live" cultural moments but if my boy's anything to go by I blame reading and watching too many internet Fantanos
― Tom Watson in a fedora (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 10 August 2016 20:21 (seven years ago) link
"received wisdom": not quite an oxymoron but something like that
― Tom Watson in a fedora (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 10 August 2016 20:23 (seven years ago) link
Posts, yes if its something like knowing the lineup of One Direction or some such, but genuine annoyance if its something they 'should' know, (see the 'Velvet Underground AND NICO' up thread)
― Mark G, Thursday, 11 August 2016 07:15 (seven years ago) link
I think the relative importance of 1D or the VU is your opinion, not a historical truth, and to a 19-20 year-old that's an even more arbitrary distinction.
― Tom Watson in a fedora (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 11 August 2016 07:53 (seven years ago) link
Sure, but then that's what this quiz is about: Knowing the year of accession of King Henry III vs the year Ringo joined the Beatles. In 1972 only one of these facts were deemed important.
― Mark G, Thursday, 11 August 2016 08:49 (seven years ago) link
Something about pop music questions not being tied into canonicity - it's a different kind of question/knowledge, just as akin to current affairs or sociology as it is to catalogues of dates. By kinder's argument upthread I see no difference between the likelihood of knowing about the Beatles or Drake or fluid dynamics or etc
― Tom Watson in a fedora (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 11 August 2016 09:04 (seven years ago) link
Or in shorter words, thinking one pop question should be more obvious than another is nothing but a product of age and upbringing.
― Tom Watson in a fedora (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 11 August 2016 09:06 (seven years ago) link
The idea that out of 1D and VU, only one would be in a library.
(Not an actual library obv, one of those fusty old ones that politicians like to stand in front of to look important)
― Mark G, Thursday, 11 August 2016 09:28 (seven years ago) link