Signature Songs Trivia

1. Many of us have probably heard a bittersweet tune about a forlorn lover who left a certain part of his anatomy on the west coast of the United States. Which singer do you think of when you hear "I Left My Heart in San Francisco"?

From Quiz "Signature Songs" of Singers or Groups

Answer: Tony Bennett

Anthony Dominick Benedetto who was born in Astoria, N.Y on August 3, 1926, is the guy who enjoyed being in the City by the Bay "where little cable cars, reach halfway to the stars." He recorded his signature song in 1962 and it reached as high as 19th on the U.S. pop charts. He did have three number one hits, "Because of You" (1951), "Cold, Cold Heart" (1951), and "Rags to Riches" (1953). Tony Bennett, who has been recording for over 60 years, has won more than 15 Grammy Awards. Worldwide he has sold over 50 million records. Tony Bennett entered the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame in 1997. This signature song was written in 1954 by George Cory and Douglass Cross.

From Quiz Signature Songs 10: Rock & Roll Hall of Famers 2

Answer: The Bee Gees

The Bee Gees were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, along with Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Jackson 5, Joni Mitchell, Parliament-Funkadelic and The Rascals. Recorded and released in 1977, The Bee Gees released "Stayin' Alive" on the soundtrack to the film "Saturday Night Fever". The song went to number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks in early 1978. Dennis Byron was the band's drummer. Unable to find a drummer due to the death of Dennis Byron's mother, which led him to be away during the recording of the track, the band took two bars from the already recorded song "Night Fever" and endlessly looped the recording, crediting the drummer to "Bernade Lupe". The track's title would later be used for the 1983 sequel to "Saturday Night Fever", entitled "Staying Alive". Sylvestor Stallone directed "Staying Alive".

From Quiz Signature Songs 09: The 1990s

Answer: MC Hammer

"Please Hammer, Don't Hurt Them" sold more than ten million copies primarily on the strength of this single. The track sampled Rick James' "Super Freak". The song debuted live on "The Arsenio Hall Show" in 1989. It won two Grammys in 1991, for Best R&B Song and Best Rap Solo Performance.

From Quiz Signature Songs 08: The 1980s

Answer: Run-DMC

Run-DMC was recording the 1986 album "Raising Hell" with producer Rick Rubin (who also produced The Beastie Boys' album "License to Ill" that same year), when Rubin introduced them to the Aerosmith album "Toys in the Attic". Although Run-DMC did not want to do the cover, it was Jam Master Jay who suggested covering the track. Rubin, who was also working with Aerosmith on an upcoming studio album in 1987 (though ultimately the sessions with Rubin never got beyond some rough studio jams), contacted Aerosmith, and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry guested on the Run-DMC recording. The song revitalized Aerosmith's career, as they had largely been out of the limelight the last several years battling addictions and their 1985 album "Done With Mirrors" sold poorly. The track also helped break Run-DMC into the mainstream. The song is also credited for breaking rap into the mainstream, and was ranked Number Four on "VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop". Both groups won Soul Train Music Award for Best Rap - Single for 1987. "Rolling Stone" ranked the original recording as Number 336 on their 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. They ranked the Run-DMC higher, at 287.

From Quiz Signature Songs 05: The 1960s Edition

Answer: The Rolling Stones

Ranked Number two on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time,", "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" has long been a fixture on classic rock stations. Keith Richards awoke in the middle of the night with the riff in his mind (much like Paul McCartney and the melody of "Yesterday"). He recorded the song into a cassette recorder with the words "I can't get no satisfaction", went back to bed. Richards thought the riff bore a strong similarity to the Martha and the Vandella's track "Dancing in the Streets". Although Richards did not want the song released a single, the rest of the band did. They released the track with "The Under-Assistant West Coast Promotion Man" as the B-Side. The track went to Number One, replacing The Four Tops "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch). The single stayed at Number One for four weeks, finally knocked off by Herman's Hermits hit "I'm Henry the Eighth, I Am". In a 1968 interview with "Rolling Stone", Mick Jagger made this statement. "[Bob] Dylan once said, 'I could have written "Satisfaction", but you couldn't have written "Tambourine Man.'" It's true, but I'd like to hear Bob Dylan sing, 'I can't get no satisfaction.'"

From Quiz Signature Songs 07: Alternative/Grunge Edition

Answer: Pearl Jam

"Alive" began life as an instrumental demo entitled "Dollar Short" written by Stone Gossard and shopped around in order to find a lead singer. Eddie Vedder got hold of the tape and wrote the lyrics. "Alive" is Song One in what is called the "Mamasan" trilogy. The song deals with a young man who discovers his father is actually his step father. As he grows up, his mother falls in love with him because he looks so much like his father, who is deceased, and ultimately seduces him. This drives him to insanity, and in the song "Once" he goes on a killing spree. In the B-Side "Footsteps", he is in jail contemplating his life and awaiting execution. Although never charting on the Billboard Top 100, it spent sixty one weeks on the charts just slightly behind the top 100.

From Quiz Signature Songs 06: Heavy Metal Edition

Answer: Motörhead

Released October 27, 1980, Motörhead's "Ace of Spades" has long been held as their definitive song. They released a live version in 1988. The album "Ace of Spades" is also highly esteemed critically as well.

From Quiz Signature Songs 04: 70s-2000s Edition

Answer: Cheap Trick

Cheap Trick released their song "I Want You To Want Me" on their second album, the 1977 record "In Color". The studio version did not chart in the US; however, it went to Number One in Japan. Due to its success, as well as the singles "Clock Strikes Ten" and "Surrender", Cheap Trick toured Japan, resulting in their most famous album "Cheap Trick at Budokan". In 1979, Cheap Trick released a live version of "I Want You To Want Me" which quickly became their biggest selling single, peaking at Number Seven on the Billboard Top 100.

From Quiz Signature Songs 03: The Eclectic Edition

Answer: Petula Clark

Tony Hatch wrote the song in 1964. He said "'Downtown' was written on the occasion of my first visit to New York. I was staying at a hotel on Central Park and I wandered down to Broadway and to Times Square and, naively, I thought I was downtown. Forgetting that in New York especially downtown is a lot further downtown getting on towards Battery Park. I loved the whole atmosphere there and the song came to me very, very quickly." Originally he was going to give the song to The Drivers, but Petula Clark heard the song and said if he could write a lyric that matched the high quality of the melody she would be interested in recording the track. Interestingly enough, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin was one of the session musicians on "Downtown". The other session musicians were Vic Flick, Big Jim Sullivan, drummer Bobby Graham, and the Breakaways. "Downtown" became a Number One Hit on the Billboard Top 100 for two weeks in January 1965 until The Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" went to number One.

From Quiz Signature Songs 02: Rock & Roll Hall of Famers 1

Answer: The Grateful Dead

Robert Hunter, Jerry Garcia's primary lyricist made the statement about "Friend of the Devil" "that was the closest we've come to what may be a classic song." In 1970, the Grateful Dead released two now seminal, classic albums: "Workingman's Dead" and "American Beauty". The second track on "American Beauty" is "Friend of the Devil", a song about an outlaw trailed by both Satan and a law enforcement agency. Garcia and Dawson wrote the music and Hunter wrote the lyrics. Both Bob Dylan and Tom Petty has covered the song numerous times in concert. Dylan has officially released a live version of the song back in the late 1990s. The following artists were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994: 1. The Animals 2. The Band 3. Duane Eddy 4. The Grateful Dead 5. Elton John 6. John Lennon 7. Bob Marley 8. Rod Stewart

From Quiz Ipod Shuffle 32: Signature Albums

Answer: Miles Davis

Miles Davis recorded and released "Kind of Blue" in 1959. He recorded the album with drummer Jimmy Cobb, bassist Paul Chambers, Bill Evans and Wynton Kelly. The album also featured saxophonists John Coltrane and Julian "Cannonball" Adderley. Library of Congress added the album to the National Recording Registry in 2002, and Rolling Stone placed the album at Number 12 on their 500 greatest albums of all time.

From Quiz Signature Songs 01

Answer: Janis Joplin

Kris Kristofferson wrote "Me and Bobby McGee" back in the late 1960s and released the song on his debut album in 1970. Roger Miller first recorded the song for the album "Roger Miller 1970". Kenny Rogers & The First Edition, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Gordon Lightfoot, Bill Haley & His Comets, and Sam The Sham all put out versions of the song in 1970, before Janis Joplin recorded her version. Kristofferson sang the song to Joplin, and Bob Dylan's friend Bobby Neuwirth helped her learn the material. Joplin recorded the song just a few days before she died for her famous "Pearl" album. In 1971, Joplin's version hit was Number One on Billboard Top 100, and Joplin has been a seminal rock goddess ever since.

From Quiz Signature Songs

Answer: Lena Horne

"Stormy Weather" was co-written by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler in 1933. It has been covered by several artists such as Ethel Waters, Frank Sinatra and Shirley Bassey and others. Lena Horne's version of "Stormy Weather" was recorded in 1941 and was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Frame in 2000.

From Quiz Signature Songs 10: Rock & Roll Hall of Famers 2

Answer: James Taylor

James Taylor was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, along with Eric Clapton, Earth Wind and Fire, The Loving Spoonful, The Moonglows and Bonnie Raitt. James Taylor released the song on his second studio album "Sweet Baby James" in 1970. In a 2005 interview with NPR, Taylor said the first part was about his friend Suzanne who committed suicide. The second part was about overcoming drug addiction, and the third part was coping with fame and fortune. He also has said in 2008 at a live concert in Madrid that the song was composed in 1968 in the Spanish island of Formentera. In a 1972 "Rolling Stone" interview, Taylor had this to say about the song: "'Fire and Rain' has three verses. The first verse is about my reactions to the death of a friend. The second verse is about my arrival in this country with a monkey on my back, and there Jesus is an expression of my desperation in trying to get through the time when my body was aching and the time was at hand when I had to do it ... And the third verse of that song refers to my recuperation in Austin Riggs which lasted about five months. [Suzanne] committed suicide sometime later while I was over in London. At the time I was living with Margaret [Corey], and Richard [Corey] was around a lot, and so was Joel O' Brien. All three of them were really close to Susie Schnerr. But Richard and Joel and Margaret were excited for me having this record deal and making this album, and when Susie killed herself they decided not to tell me about it until later because they didn't want to shake me up. I didn't find out until some six months after it happened. That's why the 'They let me know you were gone' line came up. And I always felt rather bad about the line, 'The plans they made put an end to you,' because 'they' only meant 'ye gods,' or basically 'the Fates.' I never knew her folks but I always wondered whether her folks would hear that and wonder whether it was about them. The nadir of the nadir for The Flying Machine was a booking in the Bahamas at a failing nightspot called the Jokers Wild Club in Freeport; after three weeks of bad food and no pay, the group used their return tickets to flee. They disbanded once their flight landed in New York."

From Quiz Signature Songs 09: The 1990s

Answer: The Gin Blossoms

According to the magazine "Rolling Stone", Douglas Hopkins, the author of "Hey Jealousy", destroyed his gold record after dreaming about getting one for years, after a mere two weeks. Hopkins was deeply troubled, and in 1993 committed suicide. At his funeral, a woman told the band that Hopkins was the one who put sugar in the gas tank of the tour bus in 1992. The band fired Hopkins due to his alcoholism during the recording sessions of their hit album "New Miserable Experience".

From Quiz Signature Songs 08: The 1980s

Answer: Duran Duran

"Hungry Like the Wolf" was Duran Duran's fifth single in the United Kingdom, from their second album "Rio". The song did not do well in the US markets until MTV put the video in heavy rotation. Russell Mulcahy, the directory the band hired, shot the video in Sri Lanka. The director also shot their "Planet Earth" video. The video was lush, and was heavily reminiscent of Spielberg's "Raiders of the Lost Ark". The band recorded the track twice: once as a demo and once as the final master. The master recording uses the demo's original electronic backing track. Duran Duran was inspired by "Little Red Riding Hood" lyrically, as well as from the Gordon Lightfoot song "If You Could Read My Mind".

From Quiz Signature Songs 05: The 1960s Edition

Answer: The Righteous Brothers

Recorded in August and November 1964 and released December 1964, "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" by The Righteous Brothers became a world wide smash, hitting Number One in both the UK and the United States. According to BMI in a 1999 study this song had more radio and television airtime than any other song ever recorded. The song appears at Number 34 on "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". The song is one of the principal examples of Phil Spector's famous production technique called "the Wall of Sound". The song was considered too long for contemporary stands at 3:45, so Spector had the false time printed on the record and single labels, with the song supposedly running at 3:05 rather than its real length. Interestingly enough, a young Cher is one of the background vocalists on the recording.

From Quiz Signature Songs 07: Alternative/Grunge Edition

Answer: Oasis

"Wonderwall" was written by Noel Gallagher. As Oasis's signature song, "Wonderwall", is their only top ten hit on the US charts in the 1990s and the 2000s. It placed 76 on the UK's list of best selling singles. Although Noel originally wanted to sing the song he gave it to his brother Liam Gallagher, and Noel sang "Don't Look Back in Anger" which according to Noel is the only song he really wanted to sing. Like "Smells like Teen Spirit" for Kurt Cobain, "Wonderwall" has became rather a nuisance for Liam Gallagher. He said in 2008: ""I can't [expletive] stand that [expletive] song! Every time I have to sing it I want to gag. Problem is, it was a big, big tune for us."

From Quiz Signature Songs 06: Heavy Metal Edition

Answer: Scorpions

"Rock You Like a Hurricane" appears as the second song on the 1984 album "Love at First Sting". Reaching number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100, the song strongly propelled the album to success. They made a new version in 2000 called "Hurricane 200" for the "Moment of Glory" album. The song also featured "Still Loving You" which appeared at Number 22 on VH1's 25 Greatest Power Ballads list. The album had two different covers, a "clean version" and a not so clean cover due to a complaint from Wal-Mart. The clean shot was simply the band photo that appeared on the inside of the album.

From Quiz Signature Songs From a Different Angle

Answer: "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen

Beginning in July 1982, Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" went to Number One for six weeks. According to the Internet Movie Database, originally Stallone wanted "Another One Bites the Dust", but Queen refused to license their work, which proved a huge career break for Survivor. The track won the Grammy award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group. Jim Peterik, one of the key writers of the song, also said this: "When we got the initial rough cut of the movie, the scene that 'Eye Of The Tiger' appears in was cut to 'Another One Bites The Dust' by Queen. Frankie and I are watching this, the punches are being thrown, and we're going, 'Holy [expletive], this is working like a charm.' We called Stallone and said, 'Why aren't you using that?' He goes, 'Well, we can't get the publishing rights to it.' Frankie and I looked at each other and went, 'Man, this is going to be tough to beat.' We had the spirit of, 'We've got to try to top this.' I started doing that now-famous dead string guitar riff and started slashing those chords to the punches we saw on the screen, and the whole song took shape in the next 3 days."

From Quiz Signature Songs 04: 70s-2000s Edition

Answer: R. E. M.

Like several other great bands, it is debatable what R.E.M.'s signature should should be classified as. From the early part of their career, that designation most likely goes to "Radio Free Europe", "It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)", "and "The One I Love". In the early 1990s, R.E.M. shifted gears and released the massive single "Losing My Religion" for their "Out of Time" album (which is in my opinion their most uneven album to date, although it has some of their best material). The most famous songs are often the most universally applicable, and "Everybody Hurts" is certainly applicable. Mostly written by drummer Bill Berry, the song appeared on their 1992 album "Automatic for the People". From the liner notes of "In Time - The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003", Peter Buck said "the reason the lyrics are so atypically straightforward is because it was aimed at teenagers. I've never watched 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer', but the idea that high school is a portal to hell seems pretty realistic to me." In 2005 Buck told the BBC "If you're consciously writing for someone who hasn't been to college, or is pretty young, it might be nice to be very direct. In that regard, it's tended to work for people of a lot of ages." John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin fame provided the string arrangement.

From Quiz Signature Songs 03: The Eclectic Edition

Answer: Dean Martin

Irving Taylor and Ken Lane wrote "Everybody Loves Somebody" in 1947. In 1964, Martin and Lane were finishing up Martin's album "Dream with Dean", when they found they were one song short. Lane suggested his song to Martin, and Martin quickly recorded the track. Martin then re-recorded the song for his next album, which his record label Reprise retitled as "Everybody Loves Somebody". Martin had not had a Top Forty Hit since 1958, and largely due to the British Invasion, the music industry did not hold out much hope that Martin's single would really go anywhere. Martin proved otherwise, however, as his single went straight to Number One on the Billboard Top 100, and also held the same position on the Billboard Easy Listening chart for eight weeks solid. According to the book "Living High in the Dirty Business of Dreams" by Nick Toches, Martin hated anything to do with rock and roll which caused conflict with his son Dean Paul Martin who was fourteen in 1964. Martin Jr. was a huge fan of The Beatles. Martin told his son ""I'm gonna' knock your pallies off the charts". His son did not hold out much faith his father could pull this off, since he had not had a hit in six years. This all changed when "Everybody Loves Somebody" knocked The Beatles off the Number One spot. He told his son ""I told you I'd knock your pallies off the charts." Martin sent a telegram to Frank Sinatra regarding the song's success: "THAT'S THE WAY YOU DO IT". He also sent the following message to Elvis Presley: "IF ONE OF US CAN BEAT THE BEATLES -- I'LL DO IT!"

From Quiz Signature Songs 02: Rock & Roll Hall of Famers 1

Answer: Bob Dylan

Rolling Stone Magazine voted the song its number one song in its Top 500 Songs of all time list. Originally over twenty pages long, Dylan condensed the song to a few verses. Greil Marcus wrote an entire book about the song. The song was Dylan's most successful Billboard Top 100 single, charting at Number Two. Dylan has never had a Number One Hit on the Billboard Top 100. "Lay, Lady, Lay" was his last Top Ten hit, which charted in 1969. Originally the song was conceived as a waltz. Famously, Al Kooper, who had never played organ, improvised the organ riff which is a very identifiable part of the song. When they were listening to the playback during the original sessions, Dylan was so happy with Kooper's playing he insisted the organ be lifted up in the mix. The track has been covered by numerous other artists, including The Rolling Stones in 1995 on a live album "Stripped" and Jimi Hendrix. The song is also rather famous for being six minutes long and garnering significant radio play, at a time when most songs were two to three minutes at most. The song challenged the commercial format, paving the way for longer songs and also album oriented radio to come into being fruition. Dylan said this regarding the song: "It was ten pages long. It wasn't called anything, just a rhythm thing on paper all about my steady hatred directed at some point that was honest. In the end it wasn't hatred, it was telling someone something they didn't know, telling them they were lucky. Revenge, that's a better word. I had never thought of it as a song, until one day I was at the piano, and on the paper it was singing, 'How does it feel?' in a slow motion pace, in the utmost of slow motion." Bruce Springsteen said the following, when inducting Dylan in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988: "The first time I heard Bob Dylan, I was in the car with my mother listening to WMCA, and on came that snare shot that sounded like somebody'd kicked open the door to your mind ... The way that Elvis freed your body, Dylan freed your mind, and showed us that because the music was physical did not mean it was anti-intellect. He had the vision and talent to make a pop song so that it contained the whole world. He invented a new way a pop singer could sound, broke through the limitations of what a recording could achieve, and he changed the face of rock'n'roll for ever and ever " Paul McCartney had the following statement: ""It seemed to go on and on forever. It was just beautiful ... He showed all of us that it was possible to go a little further." Frank Zappa was actually depressed by the recording. He said: "When I heard 'Like a Rolling Stone', I wanted to quit the music business, because I felt: 'If this wins and it does what it's supposed to do, I don't need to do anything else ... ' But it didn't do anything. It sold but nobody responded to it in the way that they should have." Elvis Costello said in 2003 ""What a shocking thing to live in a world where there was Manfred Mann and the Supremes and Engelbert Humperdinck and here comes 'Like a Rolling Stone'." Paul Rothchild, The Doors' producer, said "What I realized when I was sitting there is that one of US-one of the so-called Village hipsters-was making music that could compete with THEM-the Beatles, and the Stones, and the Dave Clark Five-without sacrificing any of the integrity of folk music or the power of rock'n'roll." The following artists were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988: 1. The Beach Boys 2. The Beatles 3. The Drifters 4. Bob Dylan 5. The Supremes

From Quiz Ipod Shuffle 32: Signature Albums

Answer: The Beach Boys

The Beatles and The Beach Boys each took inspiration from one another. "Pet Sounds" was in response to The Beatles' 1965 record "Rubber Soul". According to Brian Wilson this is how he felt about "Rubber Soul": "I really wasn't quite ready for the unity. It felt like it all belonged together. Rubber Soul was a collection of songs ... that somehow went together like no album ever made before, and I was very impressed. I said, "That's it. I really am challenged to do a great album." The album, although not a major commercial success, has proven enormously influential to other musicians. McCartney said this about "Pet Sounds": "It was Pet Sounds that blew me out of the water. I love the album so much. I've just bought my kids each a copy of it for their education in life ... I figure no one is educated musically 'til they've heard that album ... I love the orchestra, the arrangements ... it may be going overboard to say it's the classic of the century ... but to me, it certainly is a total, classic record that is unbeatable in many ways ... I've often played Pet Sounds and cried. I played it to John [Lennon] so much that it would be difficult for him to escape the influence ... it was the record of the time. The thing that really made me sit up and take notice was the bass lines ... and also, putting melodies in the bass line. That I think was probably the big influence that set me thinking when we recorded Pepper, it set me off on a period I had then for a couple of years of nearly always writing quite melodic bass lines. "God Only Knows" is a big favourite of mine ... very emotional, always a bit of a choker for me, that one. On "You Still Believe in Me", I love that melody - that kills me ... that's my favourite, I think ... it's so beautiful right at the end ... comes surging back in these multi-coloured harmonies ... sends shivers up my spine." Eric Clapton has also said "I consider Pet Sounds to be one of the greatest pop LPs to ever be released. It encompasses everything that's ever knocked me out and rolled it all into one." After The Beatles put out "Sgt. Pepper", The Beach Boys planned to put out the album "SMilE", but due to Brian Wilson suffering a nervous break down the album was not finished by the band in the 1960s. Wilson put out a solo version of "SMilE" in 2004. George Martin, The Beatles' producer, has also said that without "Pet Sounds", "Sgt. Pepper" would not have been made. "Without Pet Sounds, Sgt. Pepper wouldn't have happened... Pepper was an attempt to equal Pet Sounds.""

From Quiz Signature Songs

Answer: Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett first sang "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" in 1962 at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. In 1963, this signature hit earned Bennett two Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Male Solo Vocal Performance.

From Quiz "Signature Songs" of Singers or Groups

Answer: Frank Sinatra

He assured us that if we could make it there, we'd make it anywhere, in 1979. The song had been the theme from the Liza Minelli film "New York, New York" (1977), and in it she belted out a great version of the song as well. The music was composed by John Kander and the lyrics were penned by Fred Ebb. Francis Albert Sinatra's rendition which told us that he "wanted to wake up in the city that doesn't sleep" was recorded for Reprise Records, and every year it is the closing song at the rookie graduating class festivities for the New York City Police Department.

From Quiz Signature Songs 10: Rock & Roll Hall of Famers 2

Answer: Gladys Knight & the Pips

Gladys Knight & the Pips were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 along with David Bowie, Jefferson Airplane, Little Willie John, Pink Floyd, The Shirelles and The Velvet Underground. Gladys Knight & the Pips scored a number one hit with "Midnight Train to Georgia" in 1973. The song was originally recorded by Cissy Houston, the mother of Whitney Houstin and released as a single a year ealrier. The track was originally written and recorded under the title "Midnight Plane to Houston" by the song's author Jim Weatherly. Jim Weatherly wrote the song and has this to say: "It was based on a conversation I had with somebody... about taking a midnight plane to Houston. I wrote it as a kind of a country song. Then we sent the song to a guy named Sonny Limbo in Atlanta and he wanted to cut it on Cissy Houston... he asked if I minded if he changed the title to 'Midnight Train to Georgia.' And I said, I don't mind. Just don't change the rest of the song." (Quote Source: Songfacts) In Knight's Autobiography, "Between Each Line of Pain and Glory", she stated she hoped the song was a comfort for people who go to Los Angeles seeking a career in music and movies and never making it.

From Quiz Signature Songs 09: The 1990s

Answer: Britney Spears

Britney Spears' debut album "...Baby One More Time" sold over 25 million copies and has become the most successful debut by a teenage artist. It's also the most successful debut album as well. "Oops!... I Did It Again", with its constant refrain of "I'm not that innocent" helped broaden Spears' image beyond the teenage bubblegum teenage pop. "...Baby One More Time", Britney Spears' first major hit, debuted in November 1998. Spears, however, was the second choice for the track. Max Martin, the song's author, originally wrote the song for TLC. After TLC rejected the song, Martin began shopping the song around. Britney Spears recorded the song. The song has gone on to be one of the biggest singles in Billboard history. Source: Songfacts Britney Spears

From Quiz Signature Songs 08: The 1980s

Answer: Madonna

Billy Strienberg and Tom Kelly wrote "Like a Virgin". In an "LA Times" interview, Steinberg revealed that when he wrote "Like a Virgin", it was actually not written for a female singer in mind, let alone Madonna. According to that interview: "I wasn't just trying to get that racy word virgin in a lyric. I was saying ... that I may not really be a virgin -- I've been battered romantically and emotionally like many people -- but I'm starting a new relationship and it just feels so good, it's healing all the wounds and making me feel like I've never done this before, because it's so much deeper and more profound than anything I've ever felt." Tom Kelly recorded the demo and played the recording for Michael Ostin, who was in Warner Brother's A&R department. He passed the song on to Madonna. In that same "LA Times" article, Ostin said "When I played it for Madonna she went crazy, and knew instantly it was a song for her and that she could make a great record out of it." In a 2009 "Rolling Stone" interview with Austin Scaggs, Madonna recalls her initial impressions of the demo tracks, where she discussed "Like a Virgin" and "Material Girl". "I liked them both because they were ironic and provocative at the same time but also unlike me. I am not a materialistic person, and I certainly wasn't a virgin, and, by the way, how can you be like a virgin? I liked the play on words, I thought they were clever. They're so geeky, they're cool. I never realised they would become my signature songs, especially the second one ['Material Girl']." In 1984, Madonna and Nile Rodgers, her producer, went to record the song. Initially Rodgers was against the idea of Madonna recording the track as he did not think it had a strong enough hook. Although she stated she liked the song in 2009, according to Craig Rosen's 1996 book ("The Billboard Book of Number One Albums"), she was not much on the song and was having second thoughts after hearing the demo. She said "It's weird because I couldn't get it out of my head after I played it, even though I didn't really like it. It sounded really bubble-gummy to me, but it grew on me. I really started to like it... But, my first reaction to it was, 'This is really queer.'" Rodgers told Madonna "I handed my apology to Madonna and said, 'you know... if it's so catchy that it stayed in my head for four days, it must be something. So let's do it.'" Because neither one of them could get the song out of their heads, Rodgers and Madonna recorded the track. Streinberg had this to say regarding the recording of "Like a Virgin": "When Madonna recorded it, even as our demo faded out, on the fade you could hear Tom saying, "When your heart beats, and you hold me, and you love me..." That was the last thing you heard as our demo faded. Madonna must have listened to it very, very carefully because her record ends with the exact same little ad-libs that our demo did. That rarely happens that someone studies your demo so carefully that they use all that stuff. We were sort of flattered how carefully she followed our demo on that. [Source: "The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits 2003".] It was the perfect union, I knew it from the first day in the studio. The thing between us, man, it was passionate, it was creative. [...] Madonna was sometimes temperamental during the recording, everyone told me she was a terrible ogre, but I thought she was great." [Source: Clerk, Carol (2002), "Madonnastyle".] "Like a Virgin" became Madonna's first of twelve number one hits where it stayed Number One for six weeks straight. The song would later become widely acknowledged as one of Madonna' definitive recordings. She performed the song live at the 1984 "MTV Music Awards", standing on top of a giant wedding cake and dressed in a wedding gown. The performance was very risque and has become an iconic MTV performance. The track also became highly controversial, as many social groups attacked the song for its sexual lyrics.

From Quiz Signature Songs 05: The 1960s Edition

Answer: Tony Bennett

With music by George Cory and lyrics by Douglass Cross, this gay couple composed "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" in 1954. In 1962. Tony Bennett recorded the for his album of the same name. Originally written for Claramae Turner, Turner never actually recorded the song. The song has long been Bennett's signature song. Bennett had this to say regarding the track: "That song helped make me a world citizen. It allowed me to live, work and sing in any city on the globe. It changed my whole life."

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Last Updated Dec 21 2024 5:53 AM

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