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The Title (in Brackets) Trivia

The Title (in Brackets) Trivia Quizzes

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8 quizzes and 95 trivia questions.
1.
  Song Titles Containing Parentheses   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz is about US Pop songs through the years that had part of the song title in parentheses.
Average, 10 Qns, shanteyman, Oct 18 12
Average
shanteyman
462 plays
2.
  Song Titles (Parenthetically Speaking)   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
Flipping through my Billboard Top Hits book, I noticed a number of songs with parentheses as part of their titles. So I immediately thought "Quiz!" and here it is! Rock & Roll, mid-'50s-mid- '80s.
Average, 15 Qns, sundancer415, Jan 09 24
Average
sundancer415
Jan 09 24
834 plays
3.
  We're not Finished (Naming this Song)    
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
I'll give you the band and their song's main title, and you match that to the song's title in parentheses. Easy, (right?)
Easier, 10 Qns, Casedinlight, Jul 13 21
Easier
Casedinlight
Jul 13 21
355 plays
4.
  Songs (With Subtitles)   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Generally speaking, a good song will have a good title. In some cases, however, the songwriter has also added a subtitle, a parenthetical addition to the title. Here, you match the parenthetical subtitle to the song title.
Tough, 10 Qns, eauhomme, Sep 19 10
Tough
eauhomme
1136 plays
5.
  Song Titles (Parenthetically Speaking) II    
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
There seems to be no end to the songs that use parentheses in the title, so here's Quiz #2 on the subject. Note: Songs are from 1950s-1980s only. Good luck! (And no fair peeking at books!)
Tough, 15 Qns, Sundancer415, Sep 19 10
Tough
Sundancer415
707 plays
6.
  Song Titles (In Parentheses)   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
I've long been intrigued by parenthesised song titles. Is the portion in brackets not as important? An afterthought? Or is it just there to cause confusion? Do you remember these parenthetical hits?
Average, 10 Qns, wilbill, Oct 02 12
Average
wilbill
514 plays
7.
  Brackets Bonanza!    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Parenthetical song titles are those which contain words in brackets. Oftentimes the words in parentheses are a reference to a chorus or at least its beginning. Songs are all oldies, from various decades.
Average, 10 Qns, elmo7, Jun 10 17
Average
elmo7
191 plays
8.
  Hit Records (sub-titled)    
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
Many hit records had a sub-title which appeared in parentheses after the main part of the title (like this). How many can you remember?
Tough, 15 Qns, jigsawbill, Feb 12 11
Tough
jigsawbill
1850 plays
trivia question Quick Question
What soul group had a number four hit on Billboard's U.S. Pop chart in 1973 with "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)"?

From Quiz "Song Titles (Parenthetically Speaking)"





The Title (in Brackets) Trivia Questions
1. What was in the parentheses of John Lennon's 1980 hit, "(_____ _____) Starting Over"?

From Quiz Song Titles (In Parentheses)

Answer: Just Like

This record reached number one in Billboard's Hot 100 less than three weeks after John Lennon's death. Sad irony for a song that's very optimistic and forward-looking.

2. What early Elvis hit actually used parentheses in the title?

From Quiz Song Titles (Parenthetically Speaking) II

Answer: (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear

"Teddy Bear" reached number one (U.S. Billboard) and stayed there for a remarkable seven weeks in an eighteen-week stay on the charts in 1957. My source is Joel Whitburn's "The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits 1955-Present [1983]", but it's interesting to note that in Whitburn's earlier Work, "Top Pop Artists & Singles 1955-1978," he lists the song only as "Teddy Bear." I have to believe he corrected himself in the second book. None of the other options, although all Elvis songs, included any parentheses at all.

3. What two words parenthetically precede the Righteous Brothers' number one song "Soul and Inspiration"?

From Quiz Song Titles (Parenthetically Speaking)

Answer: (You're My)

Bill Medley and the late Bobby Hatfield had ten Top 40 hits (Billboard's U.S. Pop chart) between 1964 and 1974. This one was a certified million selling gold record, their only one.

4. In 1965 James Brown's first Billboard Top ten record began life nearly seven minutes long. What hit was released as (Pt 1) at just over two minutes in length?

From Quiz Song Titles (In Parentheses)

Answer: Papa's Got A Brand New Bag (Pt. 1)

The Godfather Of Soul" was arguably the King Of (Pt. 1) Songs. In his prolific career, James Brown released (by my unofficial count) 37 singles bracketed Pt. 1, 2, 3, Pts 1&2 or Pts. 1&2. In 1969 Parts 1 and 2 of "Let A Man Come In And Do The Popcorn" both reached the Billboard Top 40.

5. "Action (Where the Action Is)" was the theme song for the television show "Where the Action Is" that aired from 1965-67. Which rocker from Massachusetts sang the US Top Twenty hit song?

From Quiz Song Titles Containing Parentheses

Answer: Freddy Cannon

Swampscott, Massachusetts, native Freddy Cannon's "Action (Where the Action Is)" made it to Number 13 in the US in 1965. Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon first hit the US Top Ten in 1959 with "Tallahassee Lassie". Steve Venet and Tommy Boyce composed "Action (Where the Action Is)". They would go on to compose songs for many artists including The Monkees. Paul Revere and the Raiders and the Robbs evolved into the show's house band. Steve Alaimo, Linda Scott and Pete Manifee and The Action Kids were among the regulars who appeared weekly on the telecast. When the show went off the air in spring of 1967 Paul Revere and Mark Lindsay from Paul Revere and the Riders hosted a teen show called "Happening '68" that aired after "American bandstand" (1957). Santa Monica native Bobby Sherman was a regular performer on "Shindig" (1965). Gary Lewis was born in Los Angeles and Sammy Davis Jr. was from Harlem, New York. Both were frequent hosts on "Hullabaloo" (1965).

6. What soul group had a number four hit on Billboard's U.S. Pop chart in 1973 with "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)"?

From Quiz Song Titles (Parenthetically Speaking)

Answer: The Four Tops

Don't feel bad if you missed this one; I almost did, and I wrote the quiz! The original Four Tops were Levi Stubbs, Duke Fakir, Lawrence Payton, & Obie Benson. Their first record for Motown was an album of jazz standards released shortly before their first hit, "Baby I Need Your Loving".

7. Another great one: (or How I was Robert McNamara'd into Submission).

From Quiz Songs (With Subtitles)

Answer: "A Simple Desultory Philippic" by Simon & Garfunkel

A rather bizarre parody of the work of Bob Dylan and folk music in general, with several names dropped into the lyrics almost at random.

8. What was the sub-title to Joe Tex's 'Ain't Gonna Bump No More'?

From Quiz Hit Records (sub-titled)

Answer: With No Big Fat Woman

A top 20 hit in both the US and UK in 1977.

9. In November, 1966, The Monkees released a two-sided hit. "I'm A Believer" was the A-side. The B-side, written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, was "(I'm Not Your) ________ ______"

From Quiz Song Titles (In Parentheses)

Answer: Steppin' Stone

"Steppin' Stone" was first recorded by Paul Revere and The Raiders as an album track. The song's edginess made it a popular cover for punk and garage rock artists like The Trashmen, Johnny Thunders, S.O.A. and The Sex Pistols.

10. In 1978 Billy Joel had a Number 17 hit with "Movin' Out". What boy's name was mentioned in parentheses in the title of the song and was also the first word in the lyrics of the song?

From Quiz Song Titles Containing Parentheses

Answer: Anthony

"Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" also contained names such as Sergeant O'Leary, Mama Leone and Mr. Cacciatore. "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" was a track from Billy's 1977 "The Stranger" LP. It was Joel's second US Top Twenty single release. He didn't top the US charts until he released "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" in 1980. "Movin' Out" was also the title of a Twyla Tharp Broadway musical that featured Billy's songs. It ran for 1,307 shows beginning in 2002 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York. The song lyrics narrate the apparent futility of trying to live a blue-collar existence.

11. Kirsty MacColl sung about a less-than-honest person she knew and compared him with a man who was courting her. "There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop" makes what claim?

From Quiz Songs (With Subtitles)

Answer: (Swears He's Elvis)

"There's a guy works down the chip shop swears he's Elvis, just like you swore to me that you'd be true. There's a guy works down the chip shop swears he's Elvis, but he's a liar and I'm not sure about you."

12. Christopher Cross hit _ 'Arthur's Theme(__________)'?

From Quiz Hit Records (sub-titled)

Answer: Best That You Can Do

A hit in 1981 in the US and 1982 in the UK.

13. Which soul singer had a hit in 1971 with the single "Hot Pants (She Got to Use What She Got To Get What She Wants)"?

From Quiz Brackets Bonanza!

Answer: James Brown

We are informed by the ever-serious Wikipedia that the song is "an ode to the captivating power of the title garment". James Brown actually released the song as a three-part single. It went to No. 1 on the American R&B chart and No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100.

14. "All Night Long (All Night)" was the third Billboard number one for what former Commodore?

From Quiz Song Titles (In Parentheses)

Answer: Lionel Richie

"Endless Love" with Diana Ross and "Truly" were Richie's first two solo singles post-Commodores and both reached number one. A few months later "All Night Long (All Night)" hit the top with a more dance oriented style.

15. In 1981 Sheena Easton had her biggest US chart success with a Number One single that contained the words (Nine to Five) after the title. What was the title of the song?

From Quiz Song Titles Containing Parentheses

Answer: Morning Train

"Morning Train (Nine to Five)" was originally titled "9 to 5" when it was written by British composer Florrie Palmer. The title was changed when the song was released in the US to avoid confusion with the Dolly Parton hit from the soundtrack of a movie of the same name. A music video was filmed using the Bluebell Railway in Sussex, England. "Modern Girl" was a previous US Top Twenty release by Easton. "Machinery" was a 1982 release that made it to Number 54 in the US. "Take My Time" failed to chart in the US for Easton in 1981. A native of Bellshill, Scotland, Easton sang the theme to the Bond film, "For Your Eyes Only", in 1981 and had a US Top Ten duet with Kenny Rogers in 1983 titled "We've Got Tonight".

16. Which Italian language song with a parenthetical phrase received a lot of air time between 1958 and 1975, charting by four different artists?

From Quiz Song Titles (Parenthetically Speaking) II

Answer: Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto di Blue)

A guy named Domenico Modugno (I swear!) took "Volare" to number one on the U.S. Pop Chart in 1958; his version was actually titled "Nel Blu di Pinto di Blu (Volare)" -- or at least, that's what's printed in Joel Whitburn's "The Billboard Book of Top 40 Songs" under the guy's name. Under the song title, all four singers are listed as singing "Volare (Nel Blu di Pinto di Blu)". Man! You could have pulled out every one of my eyelashes and toenails and I still wouldn't have come up with that guy's name. Interestingly, Dean Martin released his version of this song just one week after Domenico's record broke through; Dino's peaked at number 12. Bobby Rydell was next; his "Volare" went to number four in 1960. Al Martino's version reached only number 33 in 1975. My guess is we were all pretty sick of the song by then. For extra points in some future trivia contest: "Volare. Nel blu dipinto di blu" translates roughly as "Flying. In the blue sky, painted in blue." Sounds a lot more romantic in Italian, doesn't it?

17. Who sang the 1972 hit titled "Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress)"?

From Quiz Song Titles (Parenthetically Speaking)

Answer: The Hollies

Originally part of the British Invasion, mates Graham Nash and Allan Clarke hooked up with, at various times in the group's incarnation, Tony Hicks, Dan Rathbone, and Erick Haydock. They began as a cover band in England in the early '60s. The Hollies had a few hits there before breaking into the American Top 40 with their own penned songs, starting with "Look Through Any Window," and "Stop Stop Stop" in 1966. Between 1965 and 1975, the group had eleven top 40 hits and two gold records ("Long Cool Woman" and "The Air That I Breathe," in 1972 and 1974 respectively). Nash left the band in 1968 and joined David Crosby and Stephen Stills for another round of mega-hits as Crosby Stills & Nash, later augmented to a quartet by the addition of the inimitable Neil Young. The Hollies, said to have named themselves in honor of Buddy Holly, had a good run even after Graham Nash's departure.

18. John Lennon did a holiday song called simply enough "Happy Xmas", but added a subtitle after it. What was the subtitle?

From Quiz Songs (With Subtitles)

Answer: (War is Over)

"Give Me Peace on Earth" is the subtitle from George Harrison's "Give Me Love", while "Wonderful Christmastime" is the title of Paul McCartney's contribution to Christmas Music and "Ding Dong Ding" is the background lyric to "Wonderful Christmastime". "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" was intended as a Vietnam protest song, but has become a timeless holiday classic.

19. Which group released "Don't You (Forget About Me)" in 1985?

From Quiz Song Titles Containing Parentheses

Answer: Simple Minds

Simple Minds evolved from a Glasgow, Scotland, Punk band called Johnny and The Self-Abusers in 1977. By the end of the following year the lineup for Simple Minds was nearly in place. They released their debut album, "Line in A Day" the following year. The band toiled and had an occasional personnel change through the mid-eighties. When "The Breakfast Club" film was released in 1985 and featured "Don't You (Forget About Me)" on the soundtrack the band received international attention. Billy Idol, Bryan Ferry and other artists had turned down the song before Simple Minds recorded a version that went to Number One in the US. "Head Over Heels" and "Shout" were 1985 releases from Tears For Fears. Thompson Twins released "Lay Your Hands On Me" the same year. "Oh Sheila" was released in 1985 by Ready For The World.

20. The Moody Blues had two songs with parentheses in the titles between 1965 and 1981. One was "I'm Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band)". What was the other?

From Quiz Song Titles (Parenthetically Speaking) II

Answer: Tuesday Afternoon (Forever Afternoon)

For those who weren't around in 1965, I have to tell you, this band was a jolt to Rock and Roll-dom. Justin Hayward, Ray Thomas, Graeme Edge, John Lodge and Mike Pinder were part of The British Invasion, but after "Go Now!" they started sounding very un-rockish; much more eloquent than the usual fare. As their website states, as "pioneers of concept-rock, ... they bridged the gap between classical and pop-rock genres." The Moody Blues scored fourteen platinum and gold records. Their remarkable albums included "Days of Future Passed," "In Search of the Lost Chord," "On the Threshold of a Dream," "A Question of Balance," and "Every Good Boy Deserves Favour." The incorrect answers were Moody Blues hits; those titles just didn't include parentheses.

21. What word completes the parenthetical in Gilbert O'Sullivan's bittersweet hit, "Alone Again (_________)"?

From Quiz Song Titles (Parenthetically Speaking)

Answer: Naturally

"Alone Again" brought Gilbert O'Sullivan (born Raymond Edward O'Sullivan) a gold record in 1972. He also wrote it. The song was huge worldwide, reaching number three in the U.K., number one in the U.S., and number two in New Zealand. Its status resulted in Record Mirror music mag voting O'Sullivan "Male Singer of 1972." The singer-songwriter's first manager changed his name to make a play on words with the famous operetta composers.

22. (Exordium and Terminus) is the subtitle to what rather interesting hit of the 60's?

From Quiz Songs (With Subtitles)

Answer: "In the Year 2525" by Zager and Evans

"Exordium and Terminus" basically means "The Beginning and the End", but the song actually does not deal with any beginning--just bad science fiction predictions of life in the years 2525, 3535, 4545, 5555, 6565, 7510, 8510, and 9595.

23. Another fairly easy one. Which sportsman's name followed 'Black Superman (...)'?

From Quiz Hit Records (sub-titled)

Answer: Muhammad Ali

How many of you remembered the artist? A UK hit in 1975 for Johnny Wakelin and The Kinshasa Band.

24. There was a rocking little single, with which TWO very prominent artists of the rock and roll era had hit records, in 1957. Which song would this be?

From Quiz Brackets Bonanza!

Answer: (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care

The date is, of course, the key to this question as all the other choices were hit records from the 60s. "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care" produced very big hits for two giants of rock and roll, Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley. People are still debating the relative merits of each recording in 2017, on YouTube. A great version of the song formed a part of Queen's rock and roll medley, often performed at their live shows.

25. Which 1976 release was a Number Three hit in the US by The Captain and Tennille?

From Quiz Song Titles Containing Parentheses

Answer: Lonely Night (Angel Face)

"Lonely Night (Angel Face)" was a 1976 Captain and Tennille Top Ten as well as "Muskrat Love". The duo also debuted a variety show the same year. After performing as a duo in a local Los Angeles venue they released a song composed by Toni Tennille called "The Way I Want to Touch You" that became a regional hit. In 1975 they released "Love Will Keep Us Together" which went to the top of the US charts beginning a string of successful hits. During the 1976 US Bicentennial Captain and Tennille performed for Queen Elizabeth II and President Gerald Ford in the White House. "Did You Boogie (with Your Baby)" was by Flash Cadillac and The Continental Kids, "Anytime (I'll Be There)" was by Paul Anka and "Give It Up (Turn It Loose)" was released by Tyrone Davis.

26. The Temptations had a parenthetically-titled hit in 1971 which spent two weeks at number one in the spring of 1971. Name that tune!

From Quiz Song Titles (Parenthetically Speaking) II

Answer: Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)

"Just My Imagination" is the only option, of the four Temps songs listed, that used parentheses. It was one of many (at least seven by my count) songs to use the visual "aside" punctuation. Must be a Detroit thing; Aretha used them a bunch, too. This song was one of four number one hits between 1964 and 1975 for the fantastic fivesome of David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, Otis Williams, Mel Franklin, and Paul Williams.

27. Who hit number one on the U.S. Pop chart in August 1972 with "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)"?

From Quiz Song Titles (Parenthetically Speaking)

Answer: Looking Glass

Poor Brandy... In love with a guy who's in love with the sea. Bummer. At least she got a nice locket (on a fine Spanish silver, braided chain) out of the deal. The four members of Looking Glass graduated from Rutgers Univ. in New Brunswick, N.J.

28. Remember Rupert Holmes' (The Pina Colada Song)? What was the actual title?

From Quiz Songs (With Subtitles)

Answer: "Escape"

"Partners In Crime" is the album the song appeared on, "O'Malley's" is the bar they meet at, and of course the chorus starts out "If you like Pina Coladas", but the last line of the chorus is where the song gets the title: "Write to me and Escape".

29. Which song title was followed by '(The Queen Of The Blues)'?

From Quiz Hit Records (sub-titled)

Answer: Bridget the Midget

A novelty hit in the UK in 1971 for Ray Stevens.

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