I Could Have Been A Number One Tune Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. With all the hits that the Rolling Stones had over the years, you'd think this song that has a title mentioning a body part would have been a hit for the group. Nope. It's a 1966 tune that gets lots of airplay. Name it.

Answer: Under My Thumb

"Under My Thumb" was a song written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards which originally was part of an album called "Aftermath" in 1966, but was never released as a single. It is famously known as the song being played at the Altamont concert of 1969 when a fight broke out and a concert goer was killed by a member of the Hell's Angels, who were providing security for the Stones.

The song is a part of almost every rock and roll radio station's play list these days and is one of the group's most popular.

2. The Beatles had over 60 tunes hit the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Charts either as A or B-sides during their careers. Amazingly, one of their most popular songs wasn't among them as it was never released as a single. Can you find the odd one out?

Answer: Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

Hard to believe, but The Beatles never released "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" as a single in the U.S. It was part of the "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album which was released in 1967. It is said to have been inspired by a drawing made by John Lennon's son Julian.

When released, there was widespread speculation that the song and its lyrics had to do with the drug LSD, but the members of the group always denied that.

3. The 1969 Beatles tune involved murder of a judge, a teacher and a girlfriend. The title of the song was "Maxwell's Golden Hammer".

Answer: False

The name of the tune was "Maxwell's SILVER Hammer", and it was part of the "Abbey Road" album released by The Beatles in 1969, but the song itself was never released as a single in the U.S. Although credited to Lennon/McCartney, as most of the Beatles tunes were, this song was written exclusively by Paul McCartney. Lennon did not care for the tune and is said not to have participated in its recording.

4. This song was a 1969 tune that led off the "Let It Bleed" album for The Rolling Stones. It also became the title of a documentary film about the group. Which of these was it?

Answer: Gimme Shelter

"Gimme Shelter" is the song that was the first track on the album "Let It Bleed" that was released by The Rolling Stones in 1969. Never intended for release as a single, the song nevertheless became one of the group's most popular tunes and a mainstay of their live shows.

It appears at number 34 on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". The 1970 motion picture of the same name is a documentary which recounts the final weeks of the group's 1969 U.S. tour.

5. One of the most popular songs of all time, this tune featured the opening line "There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold and she's buying a..." What's the song?

Answer: Stairway to Heaven

"Stairway to Heaven" was a composition which appeared on Led Zeppelin's fourth album which was untitled but commonly referred to as "Led Zeppelin IV". Written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, the tune ran over 8 minutes in length when completed and took almost four months to complete.

Although never released as a single in the U.S. mostly due to its length, examine these facts. As of 1991, the song's 20th anniversary, it had been air played over 2,800,000 times. If played continuously, that would add up to about 44 years.

The song has sold over 1,000,000 copies in sheet music form, and is listed on Rolling Stone Magazine's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" at number 31.

6. "Mr. Mojo Risin'" is a phrase repeated a number of times in this 1971 Doors tune. Can you remember the song?

Answer: L.A. Woman

"L.A. Woman" is the song that you probably hear often if you listen to the radio, but it was never released as a U.S. single by The Doors. It was the title track off an album of the same name, Jim Morrison's last before his death. It is said that the group only performed the song once at a live show because of its difficulty to sing.

By the way, Mr. Mojo Risin' is an anagram of Jim Morrison.

7. "Bandstand Boogie" was a tune originally written by Artie Shaw and performed as a big band tune by Les Elgart. A more contemporary singer/songwriter changed some of the lyrics in 1975 and the song later became a staple of a popular TV show. Who was the songwriter?

Answer: Barry Manilow

Barry Manilow was responsible for the lyrics changes to the "Bandstand Boogie". He originally recorded the song in 1975 for his "Trying to Get the Feeling Again" album, but never released the song as a single. He reworked the lyrics with the help of Bruce Howard Sussman and the revised song heavily referenced Dick Clark's long running TV show "American Bandstand".

It became the theme song for the song during its final 10 years on the air, from 1977 through 1987.

8. Billy Joel had a song that he originally recorded in 1976 that was not a hit single. However it got much airplay and became prominent again after the tragic 9/11 attacks. Can you figure out which song it is?

Answer: New York State of Mind

"New York State of Mind" was a cut from Billy Joel's' 1976 album called "Turnstiles". Joel wrote the song on his way back to the East Coast after a trip to Los Angeles. It received a good deal of airplay especially in the New York City area over the years, but after the 9/11 attacks it emerged as one of the anthems during the city's recovery.

It is still very popular and is used as a theme song for a few of New York's major sports teams.

9. Billy Joel's 1977 album "The Stranger" had five singles that reached Top 40 status. Of the songs listed here which song wasn't even released as a single?I'm hungry for your answer.

Answer: Scenes from an Italian Restaurant

It was "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" that didn't find its way to the U.S. singles charts when Joel released his top selling "The Stranger" album in 1977. The song itself has become one of Joel's most popular tunes over the years and is performed live at virtually every concert. "A bottle of red, a bottle of white" indeed!

10. "Saturday Night Fever" (1977) was a monster smash movie that produced a number of worldwide hits from the soundtrack. All the listed songs were released as singles in the U.S. except one. Which one?

Answer: More Than a Woman/ The BeeGees

The BeeGees had five releases from the soundtrack that reached the Billboard charts. "More Than a Woman" was the sixth song, but it surprisingly was never released as a single, although is one of their best known songs. The other choices all were released and hit the Billboard Hot 100 charts. "Boogie Shoes" peaked at number 53, "Disco Inferno" charted as high as number 35, and "A Fifth of Beethoven" reached the top of the Billboard charts, becoming a number one tune for Walter Murphy.

Source: Author fredsixties

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

All these very popular rock and roll songs might have been top sellers if the artists saw clear to release them as singles, but that never happened. Songs are from the 60s and 70s. See how many you can recall.

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