Country Crossover Kings, Vol. 4 Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Jimmy Dean had a huge crossover hit in 1961 with a song about a miner that spawned two sequels, neither of which garnered the same success as the original. Name Dean's hit.

Answer: Big Bad John

Jimmy Dean released "Big Bad John" as a single from his album "Big Bad John and Other Fabulous Songs and Tales". It was written by Dean and Roy Acuff. Chart success:
Number/Chart
1 - US Billboard Hot Country & Western Sides
1 - US Billboard Hot 100
1 - US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
2 - UK Singles
The song spent two weeks atop the US Country chart and five weeks atop the US Hot 100. On the US Country chart it was preceded by Leroy Van Dyke's "Walk on By" and succeeded by the same song. On the Us Hot 100 it was preceded by Dion's "Runaround Sue" and succeeded by The Marvelettes' "Please Mr. Postman". Dean's sequels for "Big Bad John" were "The Cajun Queen" and "Little Bitty Big John". In 1962 Dean won the Grammy for Best Country & Western Recording. It was Dean's first Number One on the US Country chart, the US Hot 100, and the US Adult Contemporary chart.

2. Who had a hit with these lyrics in 1977? "Southern nights Have you ever felt a southern night? Free as a breeze, not to mention the trees Whistling tunes that you know and love so"

Answer: Glen Campbell

Glen Campbell released "Southern Nights" as the title single from the album of the same name. It was written by Allen Toussaint. Chart success:
Number/Chart
1 - US Billboard Hot Country Singles
1 - US Billboard Hot 100
1 - US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
2 - Canadian RPM Country Tracks
1 - Canadian RPM Top Singles
1 - Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks
28 - UK Singles
It was Campbell's fifth and final US Country Number One and second and final US Hot 100 Number One. On the US Country chart it was preceded by Charley Pride's "She's Just an Old Love Turned Memory" and succeeded by Kenny Rogers' "Lucille". On the Us Hot 100 it was preceded by Thelma Houston's "Don't Leave Me This Way" and succeeded by The Eagles' "Hotel California".

3. "Hey it's good to be _______________ Sometimes this old farm feels like a long-lost friend Yes 'n' hey, it's good to be _______________" Fill in the blanks with the title of this John Denver song from 1974.

Answer: Back Home Again

John Denver released "Back Home Again" as the title single from his album of the same name. It was written by Denver. Chart success:
Number/Chart
1 - US Billboard Hot Country Singles
5 - US Billboard Hot 100
1 - US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
1 - Canadian RPM Country Tracks
10 - Canadian RPM Top Singles
1 - Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks
The song won The CMA Song of the Year in 1975 and helped Denver win CMA Entertainer of the Year. On the US Country chart is was preceded by Loretta Lynn's "Trouble in Paradise" and succeeded by Charlie Rich's "She Called Me Baby". It was Denver's first Number One on the US Country chart, third Number One on the US Adult Contemporary chart, and fifth Top Ten on the US Hot 100.

4. "Make the World Go Away" was originally recorded by Ray Price in 1963 and then again by Donny and Marie Osmond in 1975, but who had a crossover hit with it in 1965?

Answer: Eddy Arnold

Eddy Arnold released "Make the World Go Away" as a single from his album "My World". It became his signature song. It was written by Hank Cochran. Chart success:
Number/Chart
1 - US Billboard Hot Country Singles
6 - US Billboard Hot 100
1 - US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
2 - Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks
8 - UK Singles
Eddy's version spent three weeks at the top of the US Country chart. On that chart it was preceded by 'Little' Jimmy Dickens' "May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose" and succeeded by Buck Owens & The Buckaroos' "Buckaroo". It was the 20th Number One for Arnold on the US Country chart and the ninth Top Forty on the US Hot 100.

5. Name this Johnny Cash hit from 1958. "There's a story in our town Of the prettiest girl around Golden hair and eyes of blue How those eyes could flash at you (How those eyes could flash at you) Boys hung 'round her by the score But she loved the boy next door Who worked at the candy store"

Answer: Ballad of a Teenage Queen

Johnny Cash released "Ballad of a Teenage Queen" as a single from his album "Johnny Cash: Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous". It was written by Jack Clement. Chart success:
Number/Chart
1 - US Billboard Hot Country Singles
14 - US Billboard Hot 100
On the US Country chart it was preceded by Jerry Lee Lewis' "Great Balls of Fire" and succeeded by Don Gibson's "Oh Lonesome Me". It was Johnny's third Number One on the US Country chart and second Top Twenty on the US Hot 100.

6. "There's something in the air I can feel it everywhere All the conditions are right Someone could lose a heart tonight Someone could lose a heart" Which artist do these 1981 lyrics belong to?

Answer: Eddie Rabbitt

Eddie Rabbitt released "Someone Could Lose a Heart Tonight" as a single from his album "Step By Step". It was written by Rabbitt, Even Stevens, and David Malloy. Chart success:
Number/Chart
1 - US Billboard Hot Country Singles
15 - US Billboard Hot 100
10 - US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
4 - Canadian RPM Country Tracks
On the US Country chart it was preceded by Mickey Gilley's "Lonely Nights" and succeeded by T.G. Sheppard's "Only One You". It was Rabbitt's tenth Number One on the US Country chart and fifth Top Twenty on the US Hot 100.

7. Waylon Jennings had a hit singing the theme from the TV show "Dukes Of Hazzard". The song was appropriately titled "Theme from The Dukes of Hazzard" but what was the subtitle of this song?

Answer: Good Ol' Boys

Waylon Jennings recorded the "Theme from The Dukes of Hazzard(Good Ol' Boys)" for the TV show then recorded and released a different version for his album "Music Man". Jennings wrote both versions. Chart success:
Number/Chart
1 - US Billboard Hot Country Singles
21 - US Billboard Hot 100
2 - Canadian RPM Country Tracks
The song was Waylon's 10th Number One on the US Country chart and his highest ranked song on the US Hot 100. On the Country chart it was preceded by Don Williams' "I Believe in You" and succeeded by Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again".

8. Janet Jackson had a crossover hit between R & B and Pop with "Alright" in 1990. In 2009, which Country artist had a crossover hit between Country and Pop with a similarly titled song?

Answer: Darius Rucker

Darius Rucker released "Alright" as a single from his album "Learn to Live". It was written by Rucker and Frank Rogers. Chart success:
Number/Chart
1 - US Billboard Hot Country Singles
30 - US Billboard Hot 100
2 - Canadian RPM Country Tracks
61 - Canadian Hot 100
This was Rucker's third US Country Number One that was also a US Hot 100 Top Forty. He is the first Country artist since Wynonna Judd to have his first three releases hit Number One.

9. "In '43 they put to sea thirteen men and Kennedy Aboard the PT 109 to fight the brazen enemy And off the Isle of Olasana in the straight beyond Naru A Jap Destroyer in the night cut the 109 in two" Which singer had a hit in 1962 with these lyrics about JFK's service in WWII?

Answer: Jimmy Dean

Jimmy Dean released "PT 109" as a single from his album "Portrait of Jimmy Dean". It was written by Marijohn Wilkin and Fred Burch. Chart success:
Number/Chart
3 - US Billboard Hot Country Singles
8 - US Billboard Hot 100
2 - US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The song enjoyed great success because Kennedy was still President at the time of its release. It was Dean's most successful song of 1962, a year in which he had four US Country Top Twenty songs that were also Top Forty hits on the US Hot 100 and Top Ten hits on the US Adult Contemporary chart. The other three songs were "Dear Ivan", "To a Sleeping Beauty", and "Little Black Book".

10. Of the following singers, each had a hit in 1955 singing "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" but only one had a crossover hit with it. Which singer is this who crossed-over with another song later that year that was an even bigger hit for him?

Answer: Tennessee Ernie Ford

Tennessee Ernie Ford released "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" as a single only. Later that year he would have his biggest crossover hit with "Sixteen Tons". "Ballad" was written by George Bruns and Tom W. Blackburn for the Disney TV show "Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier". Chart success for Ford's "Ballad":
Number/Chart
4 - US Billboard Hot Country & Western Sides
5 - US Billboard Hot 100
Ford's version finished the year ranked number 37 for the year. It was Ford's 10th Top Ten on the US Country chart and sixth Top Twenty on the US Hot 100.

Bill Hayes took "Ballad" to Number One on the US Country chart for four weeks. Fess Parker, who played Crockett on the Disney TV show, took his version to number six on the same chart and finished the year ranked number 31 for the year. Mac Wiseman reached number ten on the chart with the song.

Source: Author tazman6619

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor kyleisalive before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

This quiz will focus on male Country Singers who have crossed-over to other charts. I will either give lyrics or a clue and you will name either the song or the singer.

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