Rock Music's Mockingbirds, Part 2 Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. "I Shot the Sheriff" was a major hit for Eric Clapton in 1974. Who wrote it?

Answer: Bob Marley

The song was written by Bob Marley and performed by his band The Wailers. It appears on the album "Burnin'", which was released in 1973. More than any other musician, Bob Marley brought the music of Jamaica - reggae - into the mainstream.

2. British supergroup Cream had a hit with "Crossroads", on their 'Wheels of Fire' album. Who wrote it?

Answer: Robert Johnson

Blues king Robert Johnson wrote the song, which was originally titled "Cross Road Blues". It has also been covered by Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ten Years After, and John Mayer.

3. "My Way" is considered to be Frank Sinatra's signature song. But he didn't write it. Who did?

Answer: Paul Anka

Paul Anka wrote the lyrics to "My Way", although the melody is from a French song by Claude Francois and Jacques Revaux. Sinatra's version hit the charts in 1969.

4. "Woodstock" was one of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young's most popular songs. But they can't take credit for it. Who can?

Answer: Joni Mitchell

"Woodstock" originally appeared on Joni Mitchell's album "Ladies of the Canyon".
Ironically, Joni was not even at Woodstock, and wrote the song based on what she was told about the event by Graham Nash, whom she was dating. Another version of it was later performed by Matthews' Southern Comfort.

5. The Byrds had a big hit with "Mr. Tambourine Man" in June, 1965. But it was composed by somebody else. Who?

Answer: Bob Dylan

Known to many as "Rock's Poet", Bob Dylan was born Robert Zimmerman in Duluth, Minnesota. "Mr. Tambourine Man" was one of many Dylan songs recorded by The Byrds. Dylan's version has four verses; The Byrds' has only two. It originally appeared on Dylan's "Bringing It All Back Home" album.

6. "Honey Don't" was a mid-60s hit for the Beatles. Who wrote it?

Answer: Carl Perkins

Nine years before the Beatles' version was released in Dec., 1964, the song was recorded by rockabilly legend Carl Perkins. It was the B-side of "Blue Suede Shoes". It has also been covered by Ronnie Hawkins and Johnny Rivers.

7. "Leaving on a Jet Plane" was Peter, Paul and Mary's biggest and last hit song. But they did not write it. Who did?

Answer: John Denver

"Leaving on a Jet Plane" was written and originally performed by John Denver, who was then a member of The Mitchell Trio. But it didn't become a hit until Peter, Paul and Mary recorded it two years later, in 1969. John Denver had half a dozen hits, including "Take Me Home, Country Roads" and "Rocky Mountain High".

He was also widely respected as a humanitarian and environmental activist. He died in 1997 when the light plane he was piloting crashed off the coast of California.

8. The Summer of Love anthem "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)" was a hit for Scott McKenzie in 1967. But it was written by someone else. Who?

Answer: John Phillips

Scott McKenzie's hit song was written and produced by his friend John Phillips, founder of The Mamas and the Papas. John wrote it to help promote the Monterey Pop Festival. As members of a group called The Journeymen, John and Scott recorded three albums for Capitol Records.

When The Journeymen disbanded in 1964, Scott struck out on his own, and John formed The Mamas and the Papas with his second wife, Michelle, Cass Elliot, and Denny Doherty. John's daughter Mackenzie, the actress, was named after his friend Scott.

9. "Blinded by the Light" was a Number one hit for Manfred Mann's Earth Band in 1977. Who wrote it, four years earlier?

Answer: Bruce Springsteen

"Blinded by the Light" was the first single from Bruce Springsteen's debut album, "Greetings from Asbury Park, N. J.", which was released in 1973. As performed by Manfred Mann, it remains the only Number one hit Springsteen, a.k.a. The Boss, has written.

10. "Act Naturally" was a hit for The Beatles, and before that for Buck Owens. But none of them wrote it. Who did?

Answer: Johnny Russell

Johnny Russell had more success as a songwriter than as a performer. "Act Naturally" is also credited to Voni Morrison, who worked with Russell. But she did nothing more than introduce the song to Buck Owens. It was written in 1961, but it took two years to find someone who wanted to record it. That person was Buck Owens, and it became his first Number one hit.

The other famous version of the song was done by The Beatles, with vocals by Ringo Starr.

Source: Author treplag

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

In this quiz, you are asked to name the artists who originally wrote and performed songs that became hits for someone else.

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