Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Ranked 11th for 1971, this hit barely missed a position within the coveted top ten by a mere seven points. It peaked at Number Two during a 23 week presence in the Hot 100. Identify the song, now a classic, with help from this lyric sample.
"Almost heaven, West Virginia
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River
Life is old there, older than the trees
Younger than the mountains, growin' like a breeze"
2. Occupying the 18th position of the year end rankings for 1971 was a Number One hit composed by Kris Kristofferson but not released as a single by him. The song has been covered countless times in many genres, so with utter confidence that you'll nail the answer, I present the first two lines of the lyric.
"Busted flat in Baton Rouge, waitin' for a train
And I's feelin' near as faded as my jeans"
3. "So smile for a while and let's be jolly
Love shouldn't be so melancholy
Come along and share the good times while we can"
These lyrics appear in the song that ultimately finished 23rd in the rankings for 1971. It was a Number One hit on the country charts in 1970 and crossed over onto the pop charts in 1971 peaking at Number Three. What song was it?
4. The 26th position in the rankings for 1971 was filled by an artist making her Top 40 chart debut despite being a major contributor to the folk music scene for over a dozen years. The song was "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", a Number Three hit that year. Who was the artist?
5. At the rather advanced age of 32, a singer/songwriter made his chart debut with a hit that would ultimately finish 1971 ranked 32nd. Right in the middle of the song, the singer engages in a lyrical filibuster repeating the words "I know" 26 consecutive times! What was this song's title?
6. In 1968, Jerry Jeff Walker composed and recorded a nifty little number that barely made a dint in the Hot 100 peaking at Number 77. Three years later, a cover version did substantially better. It spent three weeks in the Top 10, albeit no higher than Number Nine on the charts, but with 19 weeks within the Hot 100, it accumulated enough points to finish the year ranked 44th. Ironically, it is now most closely associated with a talented black singer/dancer who often performed it in his stage act. I think you should get the song title with just this information but being of kind heart, I present you with this lyrical clue!
"He danced for those in minstrel shows and county fairs throughout the south
He spoke with tears of fifteen years how his dog and him traveled about
The dog up and died, he up and died, after twenty years he still grieves"
7. "I never thought I could act this way
And I've got to say that I just don't get it
I don't know where we went wrong
But the feeling's gone and I just can't get it back"
This lyrical segment is from a Number Five hit in 1971 that ended the year ranked in the 51st position. It was composed and sung by a Canadian folksinger who had made his mark in his native country over the previous half dozen years. Most Canadians will get this one... what about the rest of you?
8. Country crossover hits seemed to be the order of the day in 1971. Another Kristofferson composition finished the year ranked in the 60th position as recorded by "one hit wonder" Sammi Smith. Her version peaked at Number Eight on the Billboard charts lapping competing versions by Joe Simon, O.C. Smith and Gladys Knight and the Pips. Hopefully, this piece of the lyric will help you in the selection process.
"Take the ribbon from your hair, shake it loose and let it fall
Layin' soft upon my skin like the shadows on the wall"
9. It seems so long ago now but an artist who would conjure up one of the most dominating presence in the music industry over the following decades made his chart debut in late 1970. That said, his initial hit charted at a modest Number Eight and scored sufficient points to achieve a ranking of 64th in the year end accounting for 1971. Here's a piece of the lyric, you guess the song's title.
"I hope you don't mind
I hope you don't mind that I put down in words
How wonderful life is while you're in the world"
10. "Now that I've lost everything to you
You say you wanna start something new
And it's breakin' my heart you're leavin', baby I'm grievin'
But if you wanna leave, take good care
I hope you have a lot of nice things to wear
But then a lot of nice things turn bad out there"
This lyrical segment was featured in a Number 11 song that garnered sufficient chart action to squeeze into the top 100 for 1971 in the 99th position. In keeping with the theme of the quiz, it was the first of 11 Top 40 hits that a young British artist would have over a six year period through to 1977. Do you know it?
Source: Author
maddogrick16
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor
gtho4 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.