Songs Of The 90s Trivia Quiz

Answer: Nothing Compares 2U

'Nothing Compares 2U' was written by Prince. It was a hit for Sinead O'Connor when it was released in 1990 and it topped seventeen different singles charts including in her native Ireland and the UK.
Sinead had a troubled upbringing. Her parents separated when she was just eight years old and she along with her two sisters had to live with their mother. She suffered abuse at the hands of her mother but her father was denied custody. She has since worked to make people more aware of the issues of child abuse.

Answer: You're Gorgeous

'You're Gorgeous' was a hit for Babybird in 1996. It reached number three in the UK singles charts and was one of the best selling singles of that year.
Babybird comprised of Stephen Jones and some backing musicians. In the beginning of his music career Jones was unable to get a recording contract and so set about financing his records himself.

Answer: Common People

'Common People' was a hit for Pulp in 1995 and made it to number two in the UK charts. The singer Jarvis Cocker recalled a student he met while studying at university. She said she wanted to live in Hackey like common people and the band used that theme and made it a little more risky.

Answer: Why Does It Always Rain On Me

'Why Does It Always Rain On Me' was a hit for Travis in 1999 and reached number ten in the UK charts. It is from their album 'The Man Who' which reached number one in the UK album charts.
Apparently when the band were singing this at Glastonbury it started raining the minute the band started to sing the chorus. The spooky thing was it had not rained up until that point.

Answer: If You Tolerate This Then Your Children Will Be Next

'If You Tolerate This Then Your Children Will Be Next' was the first number one hit for The Manic Street Preachers. The song was released in 1998 and features on the album 'This is My Truth Tell Me Yours', which was their first album to go to number one as well.
The Manic Street Preachers started off with four members. In 1995 Richey Edwards disappeared, some have assumed he has committed suicide as he had problems with depression, self harm, drugs and alcohol. The band continued just the three of them with James Dean Bradfield as the lead singer.

Answer: Show Me Heaven

'Show Me Heaven' is a song written by Eric Rankin and Joshua Rifkin, although the lyrics were tweaked a bit by Marie McKee who then performed the song. It was a song written for the film 'Days Of Thumder' and was released in 1990. The song was a top ten in eight different singles charts and out of these charts made it to number one in four including the UK.

Answer: To The Moon And Back

'To The Moon And Back' was the second single release for Savage Garden and it charted at number three in the UK and reached number one in their native Australia in 1996. The song is from their first album 'Savage Garden' which also contains their hits 'I Want You' and 'Truly Madly,Deeply'.

Answer: I Believe I Can Fly

'I Believe I Can Fly' was a hit for R Kelly in 1996 - 1997 reaching number one in the UK singles charts and winning three grammy awards. Kelly wrote this song himself and it was used in the 1996 film "Space Jam".
Kelly has written songs for other artists including Michael Jackson's 'You Are Not Alone'.

Answer: Slight Return

'Slight Return' was a hit for The Bluetones in 1996 where it reached number two in the UK singles charts. It had been released a year earlier but did not chart. It is a release from their first album 'Expected To Fly' which topped the UK album charts in 1996.

Answer: Breakfast At Tiffany's

'Breakfast At Tiffany's' was a hit for Deep Blue Something. The song was taken from their second album 'Hope' which made gold record status. It reached number one in the UK and number five in the US.
The song was inspired by Audrey Hepburn's role in the film "Roman Holiday" but they chose the title of one of her other films, 'Breakfast At Tiffany's', because it sounded better.

Answer: A Little Time

'A Little Time' was a hit for The Beautiful South in 1990 and was from the album 'Choke'. It was the group's first and only number one hit single in the UK. The video won Best Video Award in the 1991 Brit Awards.
The song featured Briana Corrogan as the female singer but she left in 1992 to go solo and the band has since had two other female singers.

Answer: A Million Love Songs

'A Million Love Songs' by Take That. Released in 1992 it made number seven in the UK. It was taken from their first album 'Take That And Party' which reached number two in the UK albums chart.
What stands out as something I can't forget about Take That is the departure of Robbie Williams in 1996 and the news of Take That being over. Some fans went hysterical, there were even threats of suicide! Ten years later they are back and just as popular (or even more so).

Answer: Cornflake Girl

'Cornflake girl' was a hit for Tori Amos in 1994 where it reached number four in the UK singles charts. The song was written by Amos and has deep meaning about betrayal. She wrote it after her disgust that African girls between the ages of four and puberty are subjected to Female Genital Cutting (FGC). FGC is meant to be a way of reducing women's sexual desires.

Answer: Barbie Girl

'Barbie Girl' was a hit record for Aqua, a Norwegian/Danish pop group. It was released in 1997. The group faced a lawsuit from Mattel the makers of the barbie doll but luckily for them the judge dismissed it. The song was very successful worldwide topping the charts worldwide and selling over eight million copies.

Answer: How Bizarre

'How Bizarre' was a hit for OMC. It was released late 1995, and reached number five in the UK singles charts, but number one in their native New Zealand and four other countries.
OMC stands for Otara Millionnaires Club which was apparently because Otara is one of the poorest areas of Auckland (so a little sarcasm me thinks).

Answer: Beautiful Stranger

'Beautiful Stranger' was a hit for Madonna in 1999 and reached number two in the UK. The song was written and produced by Madonna and William Orbit. The song was written for the Austin Powers film, 'The Spy Who Shagged Me' and received a Grammy Award for 'Best Song Written For A Motion Picture'.

The video of the song starring Mike Myers as Austin Powers along with Madonna, was also very successful winning an MTV award.

Answer: Ice Ice Baby

'Ice Ice Baby' was a hit for Vanilla Ice in 1990 and is on his album 'To The Extreme'. The record made number one in the UK, the USA, Australia and New Zealand.

Answer: The Joker

'The Joker' was a number one hit in 1990. It is a song by The Steve Miller Band which was originally released in the 70's but became a success again after being used to advertise Levis jeans.

Answer: Alright

'Alright' released in 1995 was the second single for Cast. It came from the album 'All Change' and reached number thirteen in the UK charts, but the album reached number seven in the UK album charts.
The singer of The Cast is John Power who had formerly been in The La's. The last line of The La's final album is 'The change is cast', this is where Cast took their name from.

Answer: Don't Look Back In Anger

'Don't Look Back In Anger' by Oasis was released in 1996. It was their second single to top the charts, the first was 'Some Might Say'.
Noel Gallagher was Oasis' lead guitarist, song writer and occasional lead singer.

Answer: Stay

'Stay', a hit single for Shakespear's Sister, stayed at number one in the UK singles charts for eight consecutive weeks in 1992. The group had other hits but none as successful as this one.
In 1988 Shakespear's Sister started out as just Siobhan Fahey (originally a member of Bananarama). Then in 1989 it was Siobhan and Marcella Detroit, and in the song 'Stay' it is Marcella on vocals (although there is a small part of the song that is sung by Fahey). The video depicts a girlfriend and an angel fighting for a dying man, the lover wins and the angel leaves unhappy (it is slightly weird).

Answer: Things Can Only Get Better

'Things Can Only Get Better' is a hit for Northern Irish band D:ream. The song was released three times but it was a number one hit in the UK in 1993 (the middle release). The frontman and singer for the band was Peter Cunnah who wrote this song. The song was used by The Labour Party in the 1997 General Election and then later it was used to head the title of a book by John O'Farrell about his views of politics.

Answer: Missing

'Missing (Todd Terry Remix)' was a hit in 1995. It was Everything But The Girl's remix of 'Missing'. "Missing" had been previously released in 1994 and charted at number 69. The Terry remix was a top ten hit worldwide.

Everything But The Girl are a duo (and also a married couple) Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt. They got their name from a furniture shop window sign ... which advertised 'we sell everything but the girl'.
Todd Terry is an American DJ, producer and remixer. He has also done remixes of other artists work including Annie Lennox and The Corrs.

Answer: Joyride

'Joyride' was a number four hit for Roxette, and it was a number one hit for them in their native Sweden. The song comes from the album with the same title which reached two in the UK and one in Sweden.
Roxette consist of Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson, they got their name from one of Dr Feelgood's records called Roxette.

Answer: Sit Down

1989 saw the release of the song 'Sit Down' by the group James. It charted at number two in the Indie chart but only number 77 in the UK singles chart. It was released later in 1992 with shorter and slightly adapted lyrics and it reached number two in the UK singles chart.
This has become their most famous track.