Sad Songs Say So Much Trivia Quiz

Answer: "American Pie" by- Don McLean

The song refers to the plane crash which killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper in 1959. McLean dedicated the album "American Pie" to Buddy Holly. There have been many interpretations of this abstract song, but McLean himself has never explained the full meaning behind the lyrics. He was quoted as saying; "songwriters should make their statements and move on, maintaining a dignified silence. They're beyond analysis, they're poetry".

"American Pie" was a number one hit in the U.S. for four straight weeks in 1972. At 8:33, it is the longest running number one song ever on the Billboard Hot 100.

Answer: Poison

Bret Michaels is the lead singer for Poison. He wrote the song after calling his girlfriend, a stripper in Los Angeles, and heard another man's voice in the background. This is Poison's only number one hit in the U.S., spending three weeks at the top beginning Christmas Eve in 1988, and carrying into 1989.

Bret Michaels has served as a judge on the TV series "Nashville Star" and starred in the reality dating series "Rock of Love".

Answer: The First Cut Is The Deepest

Sheryl Crow was born February 11, 1962, in Kennett, Missouri. Her list of musical accomplishments is extensive. She has won Grammy, American Music, and People's Choice Awards. She has collaborated with numerous musicians, and performed many duets. She has recorded numerous songs for movie soundtracks, including the title track from the James Bond film, "Tomorrow Never Dies". She is a breast cancer survivor, and in 2007, adopted a son named Wyatt.

"The First Cut is the Deepest" was originally written and performed by Cat Stevens in 1967. Rod Stewart also recorded a version of this song in 1977, which made it to number one on the U.K. charts.

Answer: Anna Nalick

In the song, a young woman is involved with an abusive, alcoholic army soldier. It is perceived that this leads to an abortion, and she doesn't know how to escape and move on, so she puts the story into a song.

Anna Nalick was born March 30, 1984, in Glendora, California. "Breathe(2AM)" comes from her debut album "Wreck of the Day", released in 2005. The song has been certified gold as a single and has been featured in episodes of television shows "Grey's Anatomy" and "Charmed".

Answer: Beth

"Beth" is a sweet ballad about missing a loved one while on the road, but the song didn't start out that way. Peter Criss(drummer for Kiss) wrote the song with Stan Penridge, who were both members of a band called Chelsea at the time. The song was actually intended as an insult to the girlfriend of a Chelsea guitarist named Rebecca, who constantly interrupted recording sessions. Parts of the song were rewritten and profanity taken out by Bob Ezrin, producer for Kiss. The title was also changed fron "Beck", to "Beth" by Gene Simmons.

The single was originally on the B-side of "Detroit Rock City", but was reissued as the A-side. This change made it much more successful, becoming the first single by Kiss to go gold. "Beth" has never been played live by the band since the departure of Peter Criss.

Layla is a song by Derek and the Dominos featuring Eric Clapton, Angie was recorded by The Rolling Stones, and Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac.

Answer: Led Zeppelin

Robert Plant wrote the song as a tribute to his son Karac, who died fron a stomach infection in 1977 while Robert was on tour with the band. This song in particular is very different from just about every other Led Zeppelin song. It is done in the style of soft-rock, featuring a synthesizer solo by John Paul Jones, who co-wrote the song.

The only live performances came from the band's tour of Europe in 1980. It is from the album "In Through The Out Door".

Answer: "Let Her Cry" by Hootie and the Blowfish

"Let Her Cry" tells of a man who is in love with a woman who is an addict. Trying to save her and the relationship causes him great anguish and frustration, all the while realizing that he is fighting a losing battle. Darius Rucker revealed that the song was in fact about a relationship that he himself was involved in. In real life however, it was him who was the addict and his girlfriend who tried to keep things together.

"Let Her Cry" comes from the album "Cracked Rear View", released in 1994. It won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1996.

Answer: I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", comes from the album "The Joshua Tree", released in 1987. Both song and album reached number one in the United States. For this song, lead singer Bono had to sing at the upper limit of his range to add the feeling of yearning.

It made Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list at number 93. I would have ranked it much higher.

Answer: No

Jim Steinman, who is a producer, composer, and lyricist, wrote the lyrics for "Two out of Three Ain't Bad". He also wrote and produced Meat Loaf's second album "Bat out of Hell II: Back into Hell".

Meat Loaf was born Marvin Lee Aday on September 27, 1947, in Dallas, Texas. In 2001, he changed his first name to Michael. He is known for his powerful voice and many of his songs are done in the style of rock opera. As a teenager, he was in Dallas and watched President Kennedy's plane land with friends. After finding a spot on the parade route, they heard he had been shot, and arrived at Parkland Hospital in time to see the First Lady, Jackie Kennedy, but did not see the President.

Meat Loaf has also acted in many TV shows and movies, the most notables being "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", and "Fight Club". In 2007, a documentary film was made about Meat Loaf, entitled "Meat Loaf: In Search of Paradise".

Answer: She Talks To Angels

During an episode of VH-1 storytellers, Chris Robinson explained that "She Talks to Angels" was about a number of people that he knew from the Atlanta club scene, all mixed into one story about a girl with really dark makeup that was always hanging around. The song is generally perceived to be about a girl who is an addict that gives her child up for adoption.

Chris Robinson was married to actress Kate Hudson, daughter of Goldie Hawn, from 2000-2007. They have one son together.

Answer: Pearl Jam

"Last Kiss" was originally written and performed by Wayne Cochrane in 1962, and the inspiration for the song is terribly sad. Cochran based the song around a real life accident in which a group of teenagers were out driving on the Saturday before Christmas, when they collided with a trailer truck. Three teenagers were killed including sixteen year old Jeanette Clark, to whom the song is dedicated.

When Pearl Jam released the song as a single, all proceeds went to aid the refugees of the Kosovo War. "Last Kiss" reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is the band's biggest hit.

Answer: "Shooting Star" by Bad Company

The song is about a boy named Johnny, who rises to stardom, but sadly, dies of a drug overdose. Paul Rodgers, lead singer for Bad Company, named Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin as two people he thought of when writing the song. "Shooting Star" runs over six minutes in length and is from the album "Straight Shooter", released in 1974.

Answer: Let It Be

"Let It Be" offers simple advice to all who suffer from lingering sadness. Mary McCartney, Paul's mother, died of breast cancer in 1956 when Paul was just fourteen years old. She is the inspiration for his "Mother Mary" lyric. In his dream, Paul's mother told him to "let it be".

"Let It Be" was the last single released by The Beatles while the band was still active in March 1970. It comes from the album of the same name which was the band's final record. It was ranked number 20 in Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr sang "Let It Be" together in 1998, at Trafalgar Square in London, during a memorial service for Paul's wife, Linda McCartney.

Answer: his son

Eric Clapton's 4 year old son Conor, fell to his death from a 53rd-story window in New York City in 1991. the housekeeper had finished cleaning and left the window open to air the room when Conor fell out. The song addresses the pain that Clapton felt following this loss. Clapton did not perform live for nine months after the tragedy, and when he did, the music was different. It had become more powerful, reflective, but softer.

"Tears in Heaven" won Song of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance at the 1993 Grammy Awards. Other songs Clapton wrote about his son Conor are "The Circus Left Town", and "Lonely Stranger".

Answer: Angel

"Angel" is a reflective song about life on the road and the death of Jonathan Melvoin, touring keyboard player for The Smashing Pumpkins, who died of a heroin overdose in 1990. It has been featured in a number of movies including "City of Angels", as well as television shows including "Alias", "Cold Case", and "Felicity". It has also been used as a song of healing following the Columbine High School Massacre and the September 11, 2001, World Trade Center attacks. "Angel" comes from the album "Surfacing", released in 1997.

Sarah McLachlan was born January 28, 1968, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. She founded Lilith Fair in the 1990's, which raised over $7 million for charities and was the most successful all female music festival in history. She is also an avid animal rights activist.