Questionable Songs (Each title is a question) Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. "Why Do Fools Fall In Love?" started like this: "Oh wah, oh wah, oh wah Oh wah, oh wah, oh wah Why do fools fall in love? Why do birds sing so gay And lovers await the break of day? Why do they fall in love"? Sounds like a fairly easy question, no? The answer, however, may not be that simple. It was posed in musical form by one of the early Rock & Roll groups from back in the 1950s. While they were together for only a brief while, their one big mega-hit song was enough to get them into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Who was this quintet from The Big Apple?

Answer: Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers

Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers struck gold with their very first release. "Why Do Fools Fall In Love?" topped the "Billboard R&B Chart" from March 17, 1956-April 17, 1956. It also was number one on the U.K. Singles list, and reached as high as sixth place on the "Billboard Pop Singles Chart".
Less than 12 years later, lead singer Frankie Lymon would be dead.

In 2004 "Rolling Stone" magazine had "Why Do Fools Fall In Love?" in the 307th slot of the "500 Greatest Songs of All-Time". Together during just 1956-1957, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers recorded only eight singles, but their signature song was enough to make them Hall of Fame inductees.

The group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, more than twenty years after Frankie Lymon died from a drug overdose in a relative's home, at the age of 25, on February 27, 1968.

A little more of Frankie Lyman & The Teenagers' one hit wonder:

"Love is a losing game
Love can be a shame
I know of a fool you see, for that fool is me
Tell me why, why, why, tell me why

Why does my heart skip a crazy beat?
Before I know it will reach defeat
Tell me why, why, why
Why do fools fall in love"?

2. ("How Do You Solve A Problem Like) Maria"? is a bouncy number from one of Hollywood's most popular musical films. The movie deals with a young lady who is trying to decide in which direction to take her life. Romance, fighting, spectacular scenery, suspense and a great score are all part of this picture. Here are some of its enchanting lyrics: "She climbs a tree and scrapes her knee Her dress has got a tear She waltzes on her way to Mass And whistles on the stair And underneath her wimple She has curlers in her hair I even heard her singing in the abbey She's always late for chapel But her penitence is real She's always late for everything Except for every meal I hate to have to say it But I very firmly feel Maria's not an asset to the abbey" Can you name that film?

Answer: The Sound of Music

"The Sound of Music" won seven Academy Awards and was nominated for three more. Julie Andrews won for Best Actor, Robert Wise took the statuette for Best Director, and Peggy Wood brought home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress as the Mother Abbess at the Nonnberg Abbey. In addition, "The Sound of Music" won Best Picture, and was a huge financial success for 20th Century Fox, grossing over $125 million at U.S. box offices after being made for just over $8 million.
Among some of the other popular songs in the score from the legendary duo of Rogers and Hammerstein are, "Edelweiss", Do-Re-Mi", "(These Are A Few of) My Favorite Things", "Climb Every Mountain", "Sixteen Going on Seventeen", and the title tune from "The Sound of Music" was ranked number ten on the A.F.I. (American Film Institute's) list of "100 Years...100 Songs.

Other thoughts from the nuns about Maria:

"I'd like to say a word in her behalf
Maria makes me laugh

How do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?
How do you find a word that means Maria?
A flibbertijibbet! A will-o'-the wisp! A clown!

She could throw a whirling dervish out of whirl
She is gentle! She is wild!
She's a riddle! She's a child!
She's a headache! She's an angel!
She's a girl!

Oh, how do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand"?

The movie was based on the Broadway show, which opened at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater in 1959, starring Mary Martin as Maria, and Theodore Bikel as Captain von Trapp. (In the film, Christopher Plummer played the patriarch of the von Trapp family).

3. Many people dream of finding their perfect soul-mate and falling in love. Romance, however, doesn't always last and a break-up can cause great sorrow. "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?" tells the tale of such sadness. In 1971, a British group took "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?" to the top of both the "Billboard Hot 100" and "Canadian RPM Singles" charts. What was the name of that trio, which began playing together back in 1958 as The Rattlesnakes? Perhaps these lyrics will make the answer as easy as ABC: "I can think of younger days when living for my life Was everything a man could want to do. I could never see tomorrow, but I was never told about the sorrow. And how can you mend a broken heart? How can you stop the rain from falling down? How can you stop the sun from shining? What makes the world go round?"

Answer: Bee Gees

The brothers Gibb - Barry, Maurice and Robin - were the Bee Gees. They released over three dozen albums, more than 80 singles and sold over 220 million records worldwide. For their efforts, they earned nine Grammy Awards. Their first song to top the "Billboard Hot 100" chart was ""How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?" (1970). They had nine tunes reach number one on the "Billboard Hot 100" chart, including "You Should Be Dancing" (1976), and "Night Fever" (1978). The Bee Gees also wrote their own tunes, and one of them, "How Deep is Your Love" (1977), has been covered by over 400 artists.
The Bee Gees were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

Sing along with some more of "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?"

"How can you mend this broken man?
How can a loser ever win?
Please help me mend my broken heart and let me live again"

4. "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?" was one of those late '60s tunes that once it got in your head, it tended to stay there a while. Written in 1968 by the famed duo of composer Burt Bacharach and lyricist Hal David, it climbed to number ten on the "Billboard Hot 100" and to number four on the "Billboard Adult Contemporary" lists. The song won the singer a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance of the Year, and "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?" was just the first of five Grammy Awards, that this performer collected in a career that began in 1962. Who is this artist who has placed three recordings in The Grammy Hall of Fame? Perhaps some of Hal David's lyrics will help jog your memory: "Do you know the way to San Jose? I've been away so long I may go wrong and lose my way Do you know the way to San Jose? I'm going back to find some peace of mind in San Jose L.A. is a great big freeway Put a hundred down and buy a car In a week, maybe two, they'll make you a star"

Answer: Dionne Warwick

Dionne Warwick released over 65 albums and 85 singles between 1962-2014. "Alfie" (1967), "Don't Make Me Over", her first single (1962), and "Walk on By" (1964) have all been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?", was recorded on the Scepter Record label, and sold well over a million copies. A couple of her other well known numbers are "Then Came You", a number one "Billboard" hit (1974), and "That's What Friends Are For" (1985) on which she was joined by Elton John, Gladys Knight, and the great Stevie Wonder.
Dionne Warwick has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame...you can view it at 6922 Hollywood Boulevard.

Let's hear some more of "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?"

"Weeks turn into years, how quick they pass
And all the stars that never were
Are parking cars and pumping gas

I've got lots of friends in San Jose
Do you know the way to San Jose?
Can't wait to get back to San Jose"

5. In 1960, the singing sensation who went by the sobriquet of the King of Rock & Roll, released a little ditty titled "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" The song chronicles the musings of a young man who is missing his lost girlfriend, while wondering if she too, feels sad about their splitting. It would go on to be just one of his many number one "Billboard" hits. "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" began like this: "Are you lonesome tonight" Do you miss me tonight? Are you sorry we drifted apart? Does your memory stray to a brighter sunny day? When I kissed you and called you sweetheart?" Can you name the Tupelo, MS tunesmith who recorded "Are You Lonesome Tonight?"

Answer: Elvis Presley

Yeah, I figured you'd nail that one. Elvis Aron Presley took "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" to the top of the Billboard Hot 100" chart, where it remained for six weeks (November 28, 1960-January 9, 1961). Over his career Elvis is reputed to have recorded more than 600 songs, with dozens sitting in the top spot on the "Billboard Hot 100" and "Billboard Hot Country Hits" charts. His first song to reach numero uno was his very first release, "Heartbreak Hotel" in 1956, and the last to do so was "Suspicious Minds" (1969).
In addition to his musical body of work, The King also appeared in more than 30 Hollywood movies. Elvis left the building August 16, 1977 at the age of 42.
The King was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.

Some more of one of the King's number one hits:

"Do the chairs in your parlor seem empty and bare?
Do you gaze at your doorstep and picture me there? *
Is your heart filled with pain? Shall I come back again?
Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight?"

*In many of the King's concerts he jokingly substitutes this line with the following: "Do you gaze at your bald head and wish you had hair"?
How he knew I'm bald I have no clue, but I almost drove off the road the first time I heard it. He was barely able to finish the tune since he was laughing while singing until the very end. What a hoot!

The other three answer choices are past hosts of "The Tonight Show".

6. "Why Don't You Believe Me?" was a big hit for a singer born Giovanna Carmella Babbo. The song was her first hit, and it peaked at the top of the "Billboard List of Best Sellers" on November 22, 1952. Between 1952-1968, she released more than 25 albums and over 60 singles, including "Your Cheatin' Heart" (a number two hit in 1953). Can you come up with the professional name she was known by when she released "Why Don't You Believe Me?" Here's part of the question: "Why don't you believe me? it's you I adore Forever and ever, can I promise more? I've told you so often the way that I care Why don't you believe me? it just isn't fair"

Answer: Joni James

Joni James was born in Chicago on September 22, 1930. "Why Don't You Believe Me?" went on to sell over two million copies.
Joni James fared well with a couple of other interrogatory tunes which cracked the top five on "Billboard". The first was "Have You Heard?" (1953), and "How Important Can It Be?" (1955).
Joni James has a well earned star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Here's more of Ms. James lamenting from her signature song:

"How else can I tell you, what more can I do?
Why don't you believe me? I love only you"

Other artists who lyrically asked "Why Don't You Believe Me?", include The Singing Rage Ms. Patti Page (whose version reached number four), Margaret Whiting (number 29), and The Duprees (number 37).

7. "Do You Want To Know A Secret?" was a 1963 smash hit, selling over a million copies, and peaking at number two on the "Billboard Hot 100" list. I suspect these lyrics will be pretty familiar: "You'll never know how much I really love you You'll never know how much I really care Listen, do you want to know a secret Do you promise not to tell, whoa oh oh Closer, let me whisper in your ear Say the words I love to hear I'm in love with you, ohh" Who is best known for this merry melody?

Answer: The Beatles

"Do You Want To Know A Secret?" was track four, side two on The Fab Four's very first studio album, "Please Please Me". Recorded at EMI Studios, "Rolling Stone" magazine listed "Please Please Me" in the 29th spot on their list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All-Time.
"Do You Want To Know A Secret?" was written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon, with George Harrison handling the vocals, on one of The Beatles' most popular songs.

What say lads and lassies, a wee bit more of the work of McCartney, Lennon, Harrison, and Ringo Starr:

"I've known the secret for a week or two
Nobody knows, just we two
Closer, let me whisper in your ear
Say the words I love to hear I'm in love with you, ohh"

8. "Who can I turn to when nobody needs me? My heart wants to know and so I must go where destiny leads me With no star to guide me and no one beside me I'll go on my way and, after the day, the darkness will hide me" That was the musical poser made famous by a legendary singer in 1964. The song reached number 33 on the "Billboard Hot 100" list, and number three on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. Who is the Astoria N.Y. native who musically asked that question? Hint: He once left one of his vital organs in The City by the Bay.

Answer: Tony Bennett

Antonio Benedetto, better known by the moniker, Tony Bennett, has been entertaining the world for over half a century. He has released north of 70 albums and more than 80 singles. As of 2015 Tony Bennett, whose signature song "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" (1963) won him his first Grammy Award, has sold over 50 million records around the globe. Tony Bennett has also been inducted into The Big Band & Jazz Hall of Fame (1997), and awarded a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame. Tony Bennett earned his 18th Grammy Award for "Best Traditional & Pop Vocal Album" with "Cheek to Cheek" (2015), which he recorded with Lady Gaga.
The very long list of New York native Tony Bennett's hit singles include "Because of You", "Cold, Cold Heart (both 1951) and "Rags to Riches" (1953).

Let's enjoy some more of "Who Can I Turn To?":

"And maybe tomorrow I'll find what I'm after
I'll throw off my sorrow, beg, steal, or borrow my share of laughter
With you I could learn to, with you what a new day
But who can I turn to if you turn away?"

9. "Don't know when I've been so blue Don't know what's come over you You've found someone new And don't it make my brown eyes blue I'll be fine when you're gone I'll just cry all night long, say it isn't true And don't it make my brown eyes blue"? "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue?" was a smash hit for a young Country & Western songstress, back in 1977. The melancholy melody made it all the way to number two on the "Billboard Hot 100" list, and also was a Grammy Winner for Song of the Year. Which of these lovely ladies sang "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue?" (Hint: think beautiful long tresses.) Perhaps these mournful lyrics will jog your memory: "Don't know when I've been so blue Don't know what's come over you You've found someone new And don't it make my brown eyes blue I'll be fine when you're gone I'll just cry all night long, say it isn't true And don't it make my brown eyes blue"

Answer: Crystal Gayle

Crystal Gayle's "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue?" also topped the "Billboard Country Singles" list four consecutive weeks in '77. Her signature song was track one on her Platinum Album, "We Must Believe" (1977).
Born Brenda Gail Webb on January 9, 1951, Ms. Gayle is the (19 years) younger sister of another C&W great, Loretta Lynn.
In a career spanning over five decades, Crystal Gayle has released more than 35 albums and over four dozen singles. Among the more than a dozen of those singles which made it to the top of the "Billboard Country Singles" list, are (You've Been) "Talking in Your Sleep" (1978), "Our Love Is On the Faultline" (1983), and "Straight to the Heart" (1986). Ms. Gayle was named Female Vocalist of the Year by The Academy of Country Music in 1976, '77, and '78.
Crystal Gayle Day is celebrated annually on October 2nd in Hollywood, where she also has a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Some more of her most popular song:

"Tell me no secrets, tell me some lies
Give me no reasons, give me alibis
Tell me you love me and don't let me cry
Say anything but don't say goodbye

I didn't mean to treat you bad
Didn't know just what I had
But honey now I do
And don't it make my brown eyes
Don't it make my brown eyes
Don't it make my brown eyes blue"

10. Now, I have a question for y'all. Have you ever wondered ("Who Wrote) The Book of Love"? Well I'll clear that up for you right now. Actually, it was the combined talents of George Malone, Charles Patrick, and Warren Davis. It was one of the early R&R hit songs, and it was the only Top 40 tune for a group of do-woppers formed in New Jersey. Here are some of their questionable lyrics: "I wonder, wonder who, who-oo-ooh WHO (Who wrote the Book Of Love?) Tell me, tell me, tell me Oh, who wrote the Book Of Love? I've got to know the answer Was it someone from above? (Chapter One says to love her) (You love her with all your heart) (Chapter Two you tell her you're never, never, never, never, never gonna part Can any of you bibliophiles tell me "(Who Wrote) The Book of Love?"?

Answer: The Monotones

The Monotones featured one of the song's writers, Charles Patrick, as their lead singer. Together they took their million-selling song to number five on the "Billboard Top 100" chart, and it peaked at number three on the "Billboard R&B" list (1958). They went on to record just a handful of forgettable ditties, before disbanding in 1962.

Let's end this quiz with these words, now that you know (Who Wrote) The Book of Love:

"(In Chapter Three remember the meaning of romance)
(In Chapter Four you break up but you give her just one more chance))

(Oh, I wonder, wonder who, mmbadoo-ooh, WHO)
(Who wrote the Book Of Love?)"

Source: Author paulmallon

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

Songs can express an emotion, tell a secret, and even make the world go 'round. Musical numbers can also provide us with vital, as well as trivial, information. See if you can answer these musical questions.

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