Pop Music Songs of 1971 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Jeremiah

The Los Angeles-based band Three Dog Night enjoyed huge commercial success in the early 1970s, and their biggest hit was a Hoyt Axton song entitled "Joy to the World." The lyrics didn't make a whole lot of sense, but the catchy melody and positive energy of the song carried "Joy to the World" to the top of the Billboard charts in February 1971. The opening lyrics to the song read:

"Jeremiah was a bullfrog, was a good friend of mine
I never understood a single word he said
But I helped him a-drink his wine
And he always had some mighty fine wine
Singin' joy to the world all the boys and girls
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and me..."

Answer: Ringo Starr

Ex-Beatle Ringo Starr exploded onto the U.S. pop music charts in the spring of 1971 with his song entitled "It Don't Come Easy." The song climbed to the number four spot in the U.S. singles charts. It featured an all-star lineup of musicians including George Harrison, Steven Stills, Klaus Voorman and Badfinger's Peter Ham. Paul McCartney had tremendous success in 1971 with a song called "Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey."

Answer: Baton Rouge

Texas-born singer Janis Joplin died in October 1970, but her single "Me and Bobby McGee" (from the album "Pearl") climbed to the number spot in the Billboard charts when it appeared in 1971. "Me and Bobby McGee" opened with these lines:

"Busted flat in Baton Rouge, waiting for a train
And I's feeling near as faded as my jeans
Bobby thumbed a diesel down just before it rained
It rode us all the way to New Orleans..."

Baton Rouge is the capital of Louisiana.

Answer: There can be no denying

Carole King struck solid gold with "It's Too Late". The song stayed at the top of the U.S. singles charts throughout the spring of 1971 and won a Grammy Award for Best Song in 1972. King opened the song with these words:

"Stayed in bed all morning just to pass the time
There's something wrong here, there can be no denying
One of us is changing, or maybe we just stopped trying
And it's too late, baby, now it's too late..."

This song remains one of the best break-up tunes of all time.

Answer: Thieves

"Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves" became a number one song for Cher on the Billboard charts in November 1971 and remained at the top for two weeks. The song told the tale of a young woman who has become infatuated with a man and is now "in trouble." This song was Cher's first number one single in the U.S. as a solo artist.

Answer: Winter

James Taylor ("Sweet Baby James") took "You've Got a Friend" to the number position in the U.S. singles charts in late July of 1971. The song's comforting message and Taylor's vocal work with backup singer Joni Mitchell made this a very popular tune. Taylor crooned the following words in the chorus:

"Winter, spring, summer, or fall
All you got to do is call
And I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah
You've got a friend..."

Answer: Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder was born in Saginaw, Michigan, in 1950. His song "If You Really Love Me" peaked at number eight in the Billboard singles charts in August 1971. Wonder sang these lyrics:

"And if you really love me, won't you tell me.../
Then I won't have to be playing around..."

Marvin Gaye, born in the District of Columbia, had a 1971 hit with "What's Going On." West Virginia-born Bill Withers sang "Ain't No Sunshine", and Arkansas-born Al Green had a hit with "Tired of Being Alone."

Answer: Brewer and Shipley

Mike Brewer and Tom Shipley produced a top 40 folk rock hit in April 1971 with "One Toke Over the Line", a song which made references to marijuana. The song featured a catchy melody and peaked at the number 10 spot in the Billboard singles charts. The lyrics of the chorus read:

"One toke over the line, sweet Jesus
One toke over the line
Sitting downtown in a railroad station
One toke over the line"

Delaney and Bonnie had a 1971 hit song called "Never Ending Song of Love."

Answer: Chicago

In June 1971, the jazz-rock band Chicago re-released the song "Beginnings" which had originally appeared on the group's 1969 "Chicago Transit Authority" album. The song featured the lead vocal work of Robert Lamm and eventually climbed to the number seven position in the Billboard singles chart. The song's end lyrics read:

"Only the beginning of what I want to feel forever
Only the beginning, only just the start
I've got to get you into my life...
Got to get you next to me"

Answer: The Five Man Electrical Band

The Five Man Electrical Band, from Ottawa, Ontario, reached the number three spot in the U.S. singles charts in 1971 with a re-release of their song "Signs." Guitarist Les Emmerson sang lead vocals on this song, a ditty which commented on discrimination. Some of the lyrics read:

"Now hey you, mister, can't you read?
You've got to have a shirt and tie to get a seat
You can't even watch, no you can't eat
You ain't supposed to be here
And the sign said you got to have a membership card to get inside
Ugh!"

Lobo, from Florida, had a hit with "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo." Daddy Dewdrop, from Cleveland, performed the song "Chick-A-Boom." The Guess Who hailed from Winnipeg, Manitoba.