Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The Beatles hit that started The "British Invasion" Of The United States was not prompted by any particular inspiration, as was the case for so many of the group's compositions. In the early days of the band's emergence, in mid 1963, they were not able to get a major label to distribute their singles in America. Hits such as "She Loves You" and "From Me To You", were already number one hits in the U.K., top ten in Australia, and very popular in Europe, but were released on small labels in the States and subsequently flopped. Beatles' manager Brian Epstein could only suggest that the group write a song with the American market in mind, and this message was deciphered perfectly by Lennon and McCartney who came up with the giant hit that went to number one on the Billboard charts one week before the Beatles' first tour of the U.S. in February 1964. It stayed at the top of the Billboard charts for seven weeks and was the forerunner of nineteen other hits that would reach the top in America for the boys from Liverpool. The song was also recorded in German for the European market and reached number one for five weeks in both the U.K. and Australia.
2. By early April 1964, the second of these Super Hits was leading the Billboard charts and the Moptops held all top five positions simultaneously on the Hot 100. It stayed top in America for five weeks, the U.K. for three, and for one week in Australia. With the Beatles' fame now assured, many people started reading things into their lyrics, and when quizzed by journalists about this song's content, Paul denied that it had anything to do with prostitution.
3. The third of the Beatles' trifecta records was taken from the soundtrack of the group's first feature film, and spent five weeks on top of the Australian top 40, was number one in the U.K. for three and in the U.S. for two. The song's title was adopted from a saying attributed to Ringo. This track is featured during the opening credits of the movie where the boys are being chased by a mob of fans.
4. The 1964 U.K Christmas Number One Single was one of the first songs in recording history to feature guitar feedback, which can be heard at the intro of the tune. The record company Parlophone's policies did not permit this action, but the Beatles claimed it was an accident during the recording and it was allowed to stay. With an excellent "B" side backing it up, this song topped the charts in the U.K. for five weeks, in Australia for six, and headed Billboard for three.
5. A song taken off the "Help" album was another where the title led to some scepticism about its proper meaning. A perfectly straight-forward name led people to theorise, among other things, about a town on the Isle Of Wight, and Paul said later that he could see a connection, but the spelling was different. The song, nonetheless, spent three weeks on top of the U.K. charts, two weeks there in Australia and one week on Billboard.
6. A strong collaboration between John and Paul on these compositions was rare since the very early days. But on this double-A-sided single which reigned supreme over the Christmas period in 1965 it showed that the great partnership was as good as ever. One of the titles suggests that if any rift had occurred within the group, then things were right back on track. This disc spent five weeks on top of the U.K. charts, a fortnight on Billboard, and eight weeks heading the Australian Top Forty.
7. A track from the Beatles' fifth album and included in the band's second feature movie managed the trifecta by topping all three charts for three weeks apiece. A song written by John to express the amount of stress he experienced when hit by so much fame after years of living in musical obscurity. Along with "Strawberry Fields Forever" he regarded this song, at that time, the most genuine he had written.
8. In 1967 the British Broadcasting Corporation commissioned the Beatles to write a song as the U.K.'s contribution to the first global television link "Our World". The song was beamed live via satellite to twenty six countries in June of that year, and naturally became a big hit immediately. It opened up with the French anthem "La Marseillaise" and endorsed John's everlasting hope for world peace to an estimated 350 million strong audience.
9. The Christmas song of 1967 in the U.K. spent seven weeks on top of these charts, and was very popular on Billboard where it stayed for three weeks. It topped the Australian list for just one week, but stayed in the Top Forty for fifteen weeks. The Coca-Cola corporation used a different rendition of the same song in it's advertising.
10. The tenth huge hit was the closing track of the band's last original album - an album which was to produce three number one hits on the Billboard charts. The label of the single was very unique in that it credited another artist as well. It held top position in the U.K. for six weeks, and five weeks in both Australia and the United States.
Source: Author
muffin1708
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agony before going online.
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