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Tearjerker Tunes III - Sad '60s Quiz

More sad songs. No crying into the keyboards please... All chart info is U.S. Billboard.

A multiple-choice quiz by JRooowe. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
JRooowe

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
342,184

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
493

One at a Time - Single Page

Question 1 of 10

1. One of Roy Orbison's saddest songs, this 1963 classic was used to nightmarish effect in the 1986 David Lynch film "Blue Velvet." Which tune was it? Hint

It's Over

Running Scared

In Dreams

Blue Angel

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Question 2 of 10

2. Few people could sing a sad song like Gene Pitney could. According to him "...only love can break a heart." What else could it do? Hint

mend it again

bring sunshine on a cloudy day

move a mountain

bring peace on earth

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Question 3 of 10

3. Back in 1961 country star Faron Young had a problem. Seems like his girl left him... left him doing this. Hint

talking to the walls

playing solitaire

counting flowers on the wall

twisting the night away

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Question 4 of 10

4. Which of these performers did NOT have a hit with the heart tugging "Abraham, Martin and John" back in 1969? Hint

Moms Mabley

Dion

Louis Armstrong

The Miracles

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Question 5 of 10

5. So sad. Here it was 1966 and nobody loved single girl Sandy Posey. But why didn't anybody love her? Hint

she couldn't do the boog-a-loo

she was society's child

because nobody knew her

she traveled to the beat of a different drum

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Question 6 of 10

6. Oh, the heartache!! What happened to Ebony Eyes back in 1961? Hint

she was killed in a plane crash

hit by a train while retreiving a high school ring

she found a new love... a true love

she was eaten by wolverines

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. A number of people made the charts with the sad and sentimental "Try To Remember." Ed Ames was first with a minor hit in 1965. What long running play was it from? Hint

The Fantasticks

Funny Girl

West Side Story

Guys and Dolls

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Question 8 of 10

8. All of these recorded "My Coloring Book" but only one had a Top 20 hit. Who was it? Hint

Barbra Streisand

Joni James

Brenda Lee

Kitty Kallen

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Question 9 of 10

9. Bobby Vinton had an impressive string of hits. Several of these were remakes of previous hits including "Blue Velvet" which was his second Number One record. Who had the original hit? Hint

Bobby Darin

Johnny Ace

Tony Bennett

Kyu Sakamoto

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Question 10 of 10

10. Country star Skeeter Davis had her biggest "cross-over" hit with the classic "The End of the World" back in '63. For years before that, she enjoyed success as part of what group? Hint

Skip and Skeeter

The Chordettes

The Davis Sisters

Spade Cooley and The Skeeters

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. One of Roy Orbison's saddest songs, this 1963 classic was used to nightmarish effect in the 1986 David Lynch film "Blue Velvet." Which tune was it?

Answer: In Dreams

Roy originally rejected use of the song in the film; Lynch found a legal way he could use it anyway... and did. Eventually Roy filmed a video using clips from the movie. The song is great but the movie is disturbing.

2. Few people could sing a sad song like Gene Pitney could. According to him "...only love can break a heart." What else could it do?

Answer: mend it again

"Only Love Can Break A Heart" was Gene's highest charting record in the U.S. It reached Number Two in late 1962. With almost two dozen chart hits, Gene never had a Number One record. As a song-writer he topped the charts with "He's A Rebel" as recorded by the Crystals in 1962. In fact, that's the song that kept "Only Love..." out of the top spot.

3. Back in 1961 country star Faron Young had a problem. Seems like his girl left him... left him doing this.

Answer: talking to the walls

"Hello Walls" was just his opening greeting; he also spoke to the window and the ceiling. Written by Willie Nelson, this was a nice cross-over hit which reached Number 12 on the Billboard Pop Charts.

4. Which of these performers did NOT have a hit with the heart tugging "Abraham, Martin and John" back in 1969?

Answer: Louis Armstrong

Dion's last Top Ten record made the Billboard charts in October 1968 and remained there for 14 weeks (peaking at Number Four). In the summer of '69 both The Miracles and Moms Mabley charted with it. The Miracles did a strange version... easy to dance to? Noted mainly for her off-color humor, Moms Mabley gave a remarkabley sensitive reading of this tribute song.

5. So sad. Here it was 1966 and nobody loved single girl Sandy Posey. But why didn't anybody love her?

Answer: because nobody knew her

To hear Sandy tell it in "Single Girl", "nobody loves me 'cause nobody knows me, nobody takes the time to go slowly..." All three of Sandy's Top 20 hits stalled at Number 12. Before finding recording fame of her own Sandy was a back up singer on the Percy Sledge classic "When A Man Loves A Woman."

6. Oh, the heartache!! What happened to Ebony Eyes back in 1961?

Answer: she was killed in a plane crash

Both sides of the Everly Brothers record made the Billboard Top Ten; "Ebony Eyes" reached number eight and the flip-side "Walk Right Back" reached number seven. Bob Welch had a hit with "Ebony Eyes" in 1978, but it was a totally different song.

7. A number of people made the charts with the sad and sentimental "Try To Remember." Ed Ames was first with a minor hit in 1965. What long running play was it from?

Answer: The Fantasticks

The Fantasticks opened on May 3, 1960 and ran until January 13, 2002 after 17,162 performances. Ed enjoyed major success singing with his brothers before going solo. He also had a successful acting career with his best known role being Mingo on the TV series "Daniel Boone."

8. All of these recorded "My Coloring Book" but only one had a Top 20 hit. Who was it?

Answer: Kitty Kallen

Former "big band singer" Kallen reached Number 18 in early 1963 with this tune. Many people recorded this sad song including Dusty Springfield, Skeeter Davis, and even Agnetha Faltskog (ABBA) in 2004. I liked Kitty the most.

9. Bobby Vinton had an impressive string of hits. Several of these were remakes of previous hits including "Blue Velvet" which was his second Number One record. Who had the original hit?

Answer: Tony Bennett

Tony had a Top 20 hit with the song in 1951. It was a very big year for Tony, with five Top 20 hits including "Because Of You" which spent ten weeks at Number One. It was at the suggestion of Bob Hope that Tony changed his name from Anthony Benedetto to Tony Bennett.

10. Country star Skeeter Davis had her biggest "cross-over" hit with the classic "The End of the World" back in '63. For years before that, she enjoyed success as part of what group?

Answer: The Davis Sisters

In the early '50s Mary Penick teamed up with Betty Jack Davis and took on the name Skeeter Davis; they became The Davis Sisters. They had a big country hit in 1953 with "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know." Betty Jack was killed and Skeeter was severely injured in a car accident that same year.

After finding no success as the Davis Sisters (with Betty Jack's sister), Skeeter went on to have a successful solo career.

Source: Author JRooowe

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor kyleisalive before going online.
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