1950s and '60s Mix Trivia

1. This song was recorded by the Beatles in 1963 and released on their second album. Paul McCartney had heard Peggy Lee's version but had no idea it originated as a showtune. What song is this?

From Quiz Music from "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" 50s - 60s

Answer: Till There Was You

"Till There Was You" was written by Meredith Willson and originally recorded in 1950 as "Till I Met You." The revised song was popularized as part of "The Music Man." The first Billboard hit recording was by Anita Bryant in 1959 and reached number 30. Peggy Lee's version released in 1961 was a minor hit in the UK. In "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," Midge (Mrs. Maisel) dances to this song with Lenny Bruce.

From Quiz Marvelous Music from "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel"

Answer: Connie Francis

Connie Francis is an internationally successful singer and released albums in multiple languages. She is estimated to have sold over 100 million records worldwide. She was also the first woman to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" in 1960. She's continued performing a wide variety of genres into the new millennium.

From Quiz My Favorite Rock 'n Roll Songs 1957-1961

Answer: Chan Romero

"Hippy Hippy Shake" was a top ten hit for Chan Romero in 1959 in Australia. Elsewhere the song did not chart but it seems that every musician in the early sixties knew the song. In 1964 the Swinging Blue Jeans hit the charts with a good version of the song making the top ten in many countries. For raw rock 'n' roll you can't beat the original.

From Quiz Top 40 Radio V - Pre-Beatles

Answer: Dutchman's Gold

Multi-Oscar winner Brennan reached Number 30 on the Billboard Charts with this one. Two years later he made the national Top Ten with another spoken effort... the emotional "Old Rivers." Brennan won the very first Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for his role in the 1936 film "Come and Get It."

From Quiz Top 40 Radio II - Pre-Beatles

Answer: 13

Hard to believe but The Skyliners never had a Top Ten hit. This classic topped out at number twelve. Lead singer Jimmy Beaumont was only 17 when he wrote the groups best known songs "Since I Don't Have You" and "This I Swear." Thirteen "you's" is nothing compared to the "na na's" at the end of "Hey Jude!"

From Quiz Musical Mindbenders

Answer: Petula Clark

In the early '40s, child star Petula Clark sang on hundreds of radio shows broadcast to the British Armed Forces in WWII. In 1964, Pet's recording of "Downtown" won a Grammy as Best Rock-and-Roll Record of the Year beating "A Hard Day's Night." In 2010, Petula was still performing concerts!

From Quiz Songs That You Never Forget

Answer: lonesome

Few members will have failed on this question. One of the best known of Elvis's songs that has been performed many times by many artists. The song is called "Are You Lonesome Tonight".

From Quiz Oldies Mania: Part 2

Answer: Heartbreak Hotel

"Heartbreak Hotel" was Elvis's first #1 hit. It was released on January 27, 1956. It finally reached #1 three months after its release.

From Quiz Oldies Mania: Part 1

Answer: Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley is best known for singing "Hound Dog". Another blues singer sang it before him, but "Hound Dog" is the song best associated with Elvis.

From Quiz 1950s and 60s Music Collection 2

Answer: 'Tell Me What He Said'

'Tell Me What He Said' was released by Helen Shapiro, and reached Number 2 in the UK charts in March 1962.

From Quiz 1950s and 60s Music Collection 1

Answer: 'Will You Love Me Tomorrow'

'Will You Love Me Tomorrow' was a hit for the Shirelles in March 1961, and reached Number 4 in the UK charts.

From Quiz Lyrics from The 50s and 60s

Answer: "Poor Side Of Town"

From 1964-1977, Johnny had a total of nine top ten hits. The only one to reach number 1 status was "The Poor Side Of Town".

From Quiz Oldies Lyrics Trivia

Answer: 'It's My Party'

Sung by Leslie Gore, it became her first number one song, just after her seventeenth birthday. In total, she had eleven Top 40 hits before she was twenty-one.

From Quiz Oldies: Love and Romance Lyrics

Answer: Platters

'Twilight Time'

From Quiz Music from "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" 50s - 60s

Answer: Barbra Streisand

Dolly was of course Carol Channing's signature role on Broadway. Ethel Merman and Mary Martin were both offered the role but turned it down. However, both later played the role. The musical was extremely successful winning ten Tony Awards and becoming the longest running Broadway show in its time with 2,844 performances. The film version was released in 1969 starring Barbra. In "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," the song is used as background for a long shot near the opening of season 2 which starts on a street in Manhattan, flows into a department store with choreographed patrons, down a mail chute and into the basement where Midge (Mrs. Maisel) is working. This shot helped the show win the Emmy for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single- Camera Series in 2019.

From Quiz Marvelous Music from "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel"

Answer: The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd

Yes, the title is correct. The original phrase, of course, is "the smell of greasepaint (an oily type of makeup used in the theater), the roar of the crowd." (I haven't been able to find a reference explaining why they transposed the words "smell" and "roar.") It followed Bricusse and Newley's big success with "Stop the World - I Want to Get Off" from 1962. It was nominated for six Tony Awards including Best Original Score.

From Quiz Pop Music in the '50s & '60s

Answer: Michelle

"Michelle" written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon/McCartney was a number one hit on the UK Singles Chart for The Overlanders in 1966. It did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100. "Michelle" was first released by The Beatles on their 1965 album "Rubber Soul" and was also released as a single in some European countries. It was number one in Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Norway, and also in New Zealand. A version of "Michelle" was released by David & Jonathan with The George Martin Orchestra, which entered the UK Singles Chart on the same day as The Overlanders version but only reached number 11. It peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1966. "World Without Love" by Peter and Gordon, was number one for two weeks in 1964. It was the first cover version of a Lennon/McCartney song to reach number one on the UK Singles Chart but it was not an album track by The Beatles. "With A Little Help From My Friends" by Joe Cocker, was number one for one week in 1968. It was first released by The Beatles on their 1967 album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". "OB-LA-DE OB-LA-DA" by Marmalade, was number one for three weeks in 1969. It was first released by The Beatles on their 1968 album "The Beatles" (The White Album).

From Quiz When They Were Young

Answer: Charlie Johnson

Charles Weedon Westover had a love for country music, which inspired him to learn to play the guitar. This got him part-time work as a rhythm guitarist in The Moonlight Ramblers at the Hi-Lo Club, a band whose lead singer was Doug DeMott. DeMott was fired in 1958 for drunkenness, and Westover took over as leader and singer, naming himself Charlie Johnson and renaming the band as the Big Little Show Band. A key moment for Shannon came when Max Crook joined the band in 1959 as their keyboard player. The pair started writing songs together, one of which was entitled "Little Runaway". Crook sent some demo tapes to a DJ in Ann Arbor, who sent them to a Detroit talent agency and the next moment the pair were signed to Bigtop Records. Charlie Johnson was convinced to change his name to Del Shannon; "Little Runaway" had its title trimmed to "Runaway". It was released in 1961 and the rest is history. (Note) All of the residents in the town of Rock Ridge in the film "Blazing Saddles" were named Johnson.

From Quiz My Favorite Rock 'n Roll Songs 1957-1961

Answer: Sanford Clark

Sanford Clark had made the top ten in 1956 with his signature song "The Fool". In 1958 he released a great little rocker called "Modern Romance" which sadly for him did not chart. His only other charted song was "A Cheat" released in 1956. "The Fool" was covered by Elvis Presley on his 1971 album "Elvis Country" and is a good version of the tune.

From Quiz The Lyrics Lake

Answer: Walk Like a Man

The Four Seasons, with Frankie Valli as the frontman, recorded and released "Walk Like a Man" in January 1963 on the album "Big Girls Don't Cry And Twelve Others". It immediately became a bit, reaching Number One on the Billboard Hot 100, being their third Number One hit. They were also the first white artists to sign with their record label, Vee-Jay.

From Quiz Feel The Beat

Answer: Freddy Cannon

Freddy Cannon was one of the original rock and rollers. "Tallahassee Lassie" made number 17 on the fledgling UK singles chart in 1959. The thumping bass drum sound, which was to become a sound associated with him, led to his nick name of "Boom Boom". His biggest hit single in the UK was "Way Down Yonder In New Orleans", which made number three on the singles chart. A rocking version of an old song, it too was a 1959 release. A tour of Britain gave him sufficient exposure to mean that his album "The Explosive Freddy Cannon", released in 1960, became the first rock and roll album to top the UK album chart.

From Quiz Top 40 Radio II - Pre-Beatles

Answer: sweeter than wine

Released late in 1957 "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine" was the second of Jimmie's five Top 10 records in 1957-58. Jimmie got his big break when he appeared on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. He is NOT related to "The Singing Brakeman" Jimmie Rodgers.

From Quiz Top 40 Radio I - Pre-Beatles

Answer: The Monotones

Monotones... one tone and one hit. This was their only hit, but it made the Top Ten in mid-1958. The Four Seasons had a hit under the name "Wonder Who." Harvey and the Moonglows gave us "The Ten Commandments of Love". Harper Lee wrote a book... something about birds I think...

From Quiz Rock and Roll- The First Generation

Answer: Big Mama Thorton

Big Mama recorded Hound Dog in 1952, four years prior to the Elvis Presley version of the Leiber and Stroller song.

From Quiz Musical Mindbenders

Answer: The BeeGees

From 1966-69, the BeeGees were a five-member band. Colin and Vince were full performing partners in the group and were pictured on 45s envelopes (Massachusetts) and LP covers. Vince Melouney appeared with the BeeGees on their "One Night Only" concert in 1999.

From Quiz Songs That You Never Forget

Answer: rich

This musical opened in London's West End in 1967 and is world famous. In this song Tevye (famously played by Alfie Bass) sings to God about how a "small fortune" in money might change his life as a poor husband and father. He is playing a jew in Czarist Russia.

From Quiz Oldies Mania: Part 2

Answer: Chuck Berry

Although Chuck Berry was the original singer of this song, Elvis also sang it.

From Quiz Oldies Mania: Part 1

Answer: "Blueberry Hill"

"Blueberry Hill" is where this line comes from. Richie Cunningham, from "Happy Days" used to sing this all the time on the show.

From Quiz 1950s and 60s Music Collection 2

Answer: 'Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen'

'Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen' by Neil Sedaka reached Number 4 in the UK charts, in February 1962. This song was later covered by Neil Diamond as an album track.

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Last Updated Dec 21 2024 5:55 AM

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