Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. "It's close to midnight and something's lurking in the dark". Thus begins the song "Thriller". It was released in 1982, on the album of the same name. Estimated world-wide sales of "Thriller" are somewhere north of six million copies. C'mon, no need to beat around the bush on this one. What is the name of the "King of Pop" who took this song to number four on the Billboard Hot 100 list?
2. A beautiful song titled "People", written for the Broadway show "Funny Girl" debuted in 1984. It was the combined work of composer Jule Styne and lyricist Bob Merrill. Artists such as Dionne Warwick, Perry Como and Jack Jones are among the many who have covered it. But no one did it with the panache of our mystery guest. Fill in the blanks to identify her. People, people who have heard ______ ________ sing "People" are the luckiest people in the world.
3. Originally titled "Do the Bop", our next song said that "you can rock it you can roll it, do the stomp and even stroll it at the hop". Recorded in 1957 on ABC records, "At the Hop" stayed atop the Billboard Top 100 charts for seven weeks, beginning January 6, 1958. The title change was suggested by none other than "America's Oldest Teenager", Dick Clark.
Who was it that told us we could "do the dance sensation that is sweepin' the nation at the hop"?
4. "These Boots are Made for Walkin'" (1966) tells the tale of a young lady who discovers that her man has been steppin' out on her, and she is NOT happy about it. The artist who recorded this bouncy tune looked great doing it in her "go-go" boots, which helped create both a signature look as well as a signature song. Can you name the singer-actress who warned her cheatin' scoundrel of a boyfriend that "one of these days, these boots are gonna' walk all over you"?
5. Do you remember these lyrics: "You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips"? Well, they come from a song titled "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" (1964). It reached Number One on the Billboard Hot 100 list on February 16, 1965 and stayed there for two weeks. Phil Spector was one of the writers of the song. What group took it to number 34 on "Rolling Stone" magazine's 2004 list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All-Time?
6. Would you agree that anybody saying (or singing) these following words is a bit infatuated? "I've got sunshine on a cloudy day, with my girl I've even got the month of May". Yup, you sure would and the song those lyrics come from was "My Girl" (1964). It was written by two members of The Miracles, Smokey Robinson and Ronald White. But The Miracles were not the group that made it their signature song. Do you know which very famous group did just that?
7. If you want to perk up thousands of people real fast, just play "Sweet Caroline" and they'll think "good times never seemed so good". It seems to work pretty well in Boston's Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox, where it has become the unofficial eighth inning anthem. Ironically it was written and recorded by a guy who was/is a life-long fan of the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers. Can you name the multi-talented singer-songwriter who has been entertaining us since 1962, and who took "Sweet Caroline" to the number four spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1969?
8. Sometimes when you're feeling a little down-in-the dumps, a change of scenery might be just what the doctor ordered. But where to go? In 1964 a singer had a possible solution, as she sang: "When you're alone and life is making you lonely you can always go, "Downtown". Written by Tony Hatch, "Downtown" quickly went up to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 list for the weeks of January 23, and January 30, 1965. Can you name the artist whose recording of "Downtown" sold three million copies in the U.S. alone?
9. It's bad enough for a guy to lose his girl, but hearing about it second-hand, somehow makes it worse. It makes him think, "I know that a man ain't supposed to cry, but these tears I can't hold inside". The popular singer who made it big with "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" had previously recorded over 30 singles before taking his signature song to the Number One spot on The Billboard Hot 100 list, on December 14, 1968. It went to the top of the U.K. Singles chart the following month. Can you mention the moniker of the man who made Motown Records mighty merry with this memorable music?
10. "Thanks for the Memory", of rainbows on a wave, and stockings in the basin when a fellow needs a shave, thank you so much. These are parts of a husband's nostalgic look back after many years of marriage, as he and his wife contemplate divorce. It was first heard in the film "The Big Broadcast of 1938", and on the single released the same year, the distaff lyrics were sung by Shirley Ross. Who is the man, better known for his nose and comedy than his singing, who recorded what might just be the all-time signature song?
Source: Author
paulmallon
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agony before going online.
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