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The Instrumental Pop Song Trivia Quiz

There was a time when instrumentals were chart toppers. Can you remember them? Be forewarned. By the nature of the genre, most of these questions will focus on the 1950s and 1960s! Hope it brings back memories!

A multiple-choice quiz by maddogrick16. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
maddogrick16

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
169,629

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
15

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
8 / 15

Plays
1062

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page

Question 1 of 15

1. As noted in the preamble, instrumentals haven't been a major force on the music charts for several years. Considering the 1980-1999 period, in what year did an instrumental last hit the top of the Billboard charts? Hint

1982

1994

1985

1990

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Question 2 of 15

2. In 1955, three recordings charted at Billboard #1. Which of these did not? Hint

"Autumn Leaves" by Roger Williams

"Sleep Walk" by Santo and Johnny

"Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" by Perez Prado

"Unchained Melody" by Les Baxter

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Question 3 of 15

3. In 1956, three recordings also charted at #1. Which of these was not such a Billboard success? Hint

"Lisbon Antigua" by Nelson Riddle

"The Happy Organ" by Dave Cortez

"Poor People of Paris" by Les Baxter

"Moonglow and Theme From Picnic" by Morris Stoloff

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Question 4 of 15

4. Which of these hits was a Billboard #1 during the 1950's? Hint

"Red River Rock" - Johnny and the Hurricanes

"Canadian Sunset" - Hugo Winterhalter

"Honky Tonk" - Bill Doggett

"Tequila" - The Champs

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Question 5 of 15

5. Sandy Nelson had a couple of top ten hits in the late 50's and early 60's. What instrument did he play? Hint

piano

guitar

drums

saxophone

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Question 6 of 15

6. Duane Eddy had a total of 15 Top Forty songs from 1958 to 1963. Most of his recordings were billed as "Duane Eddy and his _______ Guitar". Hint

Raunchy

Twangy

Rockin'

12 String

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Question 7 of 15

7. Based on the number of weeks at #1 on the Billboard Charts, which of these songs was the biggest instrumental hit of the 1960's? Hint

"Love Is Blue" - Paul Mauriat

"Theme From a Summer Place" - Percy Faith

"Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet" - Mancini

"Telstar" - The Tornadoes

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Question 8 of 15

8. All of these songs were #1's in the early 60's except for _______. Hint

"Wonderland By Night" - Bert Kaempfert

"Pipeline" - The Chantays

"Stranger On The Shore" - Mr. Acker Bilk

"The Stripper" - David Rose

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Question 9 of 15

9. Only one of these songs from the early 60's rose to the top of the charts. It was? Hint

"Wipe Out" - Surfaris

"Calcutta" - Lawrence Welk

"Apache" - Jorgen Ingmann

"Last Date" - Floyd Cramer

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Question 10 of 15

10. With the British Invasion of 1964 and the immense popularity of Motown acts then as well, instrumental hits were becoming more and more rare. "Love Is Blue" was a #1 in 1968 and Henry Mancini took "Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet" to the top in 1969. Only one other instrumental hit achieved #1 status in the late 60's. It was? Hint

"Classical Gas" - Mason Williams

"Music To Watch Girls By" - Bob Crewe

"The Horse" - Cliff Nobles

"Grazing In The Grass" - Hugh Masekela

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Question 11 of 15

11. Which of the following was NOT an instrumental hit for Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass? Hint

"The Lonely Bull"

"Zorba The Greek"

"Taste Of Honey"

"Java"

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Question 12 of 15

12. Booker T & The MG's had three top ten hits. Which of the following was NOT a hit for this group? Hint

"Green Onions"

"Time Is Tight"

"Hang 'Em High"

"Alley Cat"

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Question 13 of 15

13. Is it true that Billy Preston, the noted keyboardist who backed up The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Sly and the Family Stone among others, had two instrumental #1 hits himself?

True

False

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Question 14 of 15

14. By the 1970s, instrumental hits became rarer and rarer. Of the choices given, which instrumental hit reached Number One on the Billboard charts first? Hint

"Love's Theme" - Love Unlimited Orchestra

"A Fifth of Beethoven" - Walter Murphy

"The Hustle" - Van McCoy

"Gonna Fly Now" - Bill Conti

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Question 15 of 15

15. Mike Post crafted a nice career composing music for TV shows. He had big instrumental hits in this capacity for the shows "The Rockford Files", "Magnum P.I." and "Hill Street Blues".

True

False

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: 1985

The song was "Miami Vice Theme" by Jan Hammer and it was #1 for the week of Nov. 9, 1985. As of Feb. 2004, there have been no #1 instrumentals in the 21st century.

2. In 1955, three recordings charted at Billboard #1. Which of these did not?

Answer: "Sleep Walk" by Santo and Johnny

"Sleep Walk" was a #1 in 1959. The piano playing Williams had several hits, Prado capitalized on the Latin music craze of the era and Baxter was the music director for Capitol Records for many years.

3. In 1956, three recordings also charted at #1. Which of these was not such a Billboard success?

Answer: "The Happy Organ" by Dave Cortez

Cortez' song peaked at #1 in 1959. Riddle was most famous for his work as a music arranger for Frank Sinatra during the 50's and Stoloff was the musical director of Columbia Pictures beginning in 1936.

4. Which of these hits was a Billboard #1 during the 1950's?

Answer: "Tequila" - The Champs

"Red River Rock" peaked at #5 in 1959. The other two songs were #2 hits in 1956. Shortly after "Tequila" was recorded, Jim Seals and Dash Crofts replaced two other members of the group. Later, they would have several hits in the 1970's as a duo, "Summer Breeze" for example. Glen Campbell was also a member of The Champs for a brief period in 1960.

5. Sandy Nelson had a couple of top ten hits in the late 50's and early 60's. What instrument did he play?

Answer: drums

His biggest hits were "Teen Beat", a #4 in 1959 and "Let There Be Drums", a #7 in 1961. He later became a studio musician.

6. Duane Eddy had a total of 15 Top Forty songs from 1958 to 1963. Most of his recordings were billed as "Duane Eddy and his _______ Guitar".

Answer: Twangy

His songs always had a trademark "twangy" sound. His biggest hits were "Rebel Rouser", a #6 in 1958 and "Because They're Young", a #4 in 1960.

7. Based on the number of weeks at #1 on the Billboard Charts, which of these songs was the biggest instrumental hit of the 1960's?

Answer: "Theme From a Summer Place" - Percy Faith

"Theme From a Summer Place" topped the charts for 9 weeks in 1960. "Love Is Blue" was #1 for 5 weeks in 1968,"Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet" for 2 weeks in 1969 and "Telstar" for 3 weeks in 1962. The top instrumental hit of all time, based on this criteria, was Perez Prado's "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White". It was a #1 for 10 weeks in 1955.

8. All of these songs were #1's in the early 60's except for _______.

Answer: "Pipeline" - The Chantays

"Pipeline" could only make it to #4 in 1963.

9. Only one of these songs from the early 60's rose to the top of the charts. It was?

Answer: "Calcutta" - Lawrence Welk

Welk's song hit #1 in February, 1961. All the others came close but stalled at #2; "Last Date" in 1960, "Apache" in 1961 and "Wipe Out" in 1963. Arguably, they were better songs than "Calcutta"!

Answer: "Grazing In The Grass" - Hugh Masekela

Masekela's hit was from 1968 as were "The Horse" (#2) and "Classical Gas" (#2). Crewe's song was from 1967 but only reached #15 that year. However, it gained worldwide recognition later when it was used in Pepsi Lite commercials! Masekela was also married briefly to fellow South African Miriam Makeba who had an international hit in 1967 -"Pata Pata".

11. Which of the following was NOT an instrumental hit for Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass?

Answer: "Java"

"Java" was a #4 song for the great New Orleans jazzman Al Hirt in 1964.

12. Booker T & The MG's had three top ten hits. Which of the following was NOT a hit for this group?

Answer: "Alley Cat"

"Alley Cat" was a #7 song for the Danish pianist Bent Fabric in 1963. "Green Onions" was Booker T's first hit, a #2 in 1962. The other two were hits in 1969, "Hang 'Em High" reaching #9 and "Time Is Tight" #6.

13. Is it true that Billy Preston, the noted keyboardist who backed up The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Sly and the Family Stone among others, had two instrumental #1 hits himself?

Answer: False

He had two top 10 instrumental hits, "Outta Space" which was a #2 song in 1972 and "Space Race" which charted #4 in 1974. He did, however, have two #1 songs - "Will It Go Round In Circles" in 1973 and "Nothing From Nothing" in 1974. He sang on those songs - hence they were not instrumentals!

14. By the 1970s, instrumental hits became rarer and rarer. Of the choices given, which instrumental hit reached Number One on the Billboard charts first?

Answer: "Love's Theme" - Love Unlimited Orchestra

"Love's Theme" was a number one song in February 1974. It nosed out "TSOP" by MFSB which topped the charts in April of that year. The Love Unlimited Orchestra was led by Barry White who also had several solo million sellers as a deep-voiced R&B crooner of "bedroom ballads". McCoy's hit was number one in 1975, Murphy's in 1976 and Conti's in 1977.

Actually, the very first instrumental hit to top the charts in the 1970s was "Frankenstein" by The Edgar Winter Group in May 1973, a weird guitar-based concoction that was quite unlike any other top charting hit of the era. Maybe it was that uniqueness that made it popular at the time although it is long forgotten today.

15. Mike Post crafted a nice career composing music for TV shows. He had big instrumental hits in this capacity for the shows "The Rockford Files", "Magnum P.I." and "Hill Street Blues".

Answer: True

Somehow, "Miami Vice" eluded him!

Source: Author maddogrick16

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