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Quiz about The Story Behind the Song
Quiz about The Story Behind the Song

The Story Behind the Song Trivia Quiz


Here's a sampling of ten well-known songs with a story behind each. I'll name the songwriter and/or recording artist and you name the song.

A multiple-choice quiz by nmerr. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
nmerr
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
342,352
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
2277
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
Last 3 plays: SLAPSHOT4 (10/10), Guest 108 (10/10), Guest 90 (8/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. As one half of the successful recording duo, Hall and Oates, Daryl Hall has been a successful songwriter and vocalist for many years. He had lived with Sara Allen for decades until they broke up in 2001. He wrote which of the following songs as "a love postcard to Sara?" Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. This song was written in 1985 by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly. Cyndi Lauper recorded it, much to the delight of Steinberg and Kelly, and turned it into a hit. She used this song as the title of her second album. Name the song. Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. The 1960s produced many great bands and vocal groups. One female trio from Detroit, who called themselves "The Supremes," sang under the Motown label. One of their hits, written by Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland and Edward Holland Jr., appeared on their "The Supremes: Greatest Hits" album released in 1967. Name the song that talks about the heartache of infidelity. Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Imagine it is London, 1982, and a band named Culture Club is following the London underground sound. The music is a mixture of British New Wave and reggae. The band writes a catchy tune for their album "Kissing to be Clever" that soars to the top of the British charts and makes it to #2 in the U.S. Now name the song. Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Although he died prematurely in a plane crash, Jim Croce was a singer/songwriter best remembered for ballads such as "Time in a Bottle" and "I'll Have to Say I Love You In A Song." One of his hits about a bad guy named Leroy was based on a real person. What is the title of this song? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. In 1988, director Mike Nichols called singer/songwriter Carly Simon and asked her to write a song for a movie he was working on titled "Working Girl." The song Carly wrote can be heard during the opening and closing credits. The song won an Oscar, Golden Globe, and Grammy award. Name it. Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Singer/songwriter Paul Anka wrote the lyrics to a French song "Comme D'Habitude" that became forever linked with Frank Sinatra. In fact, it became Sinatra's signature song. Can you name it? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. The great songwriter, Diane Warren, composed a song for the 1996 movie "Up Close and Personal" which Celine Dion successfully recorded. The movie starred Robert Redford and Michelle Pfeiffer. What is the name of this song? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Bon Jovi is one of the most enduring and successful rock bands ever. One of the band's lead guitarists, Richie Sambora, co-wrote several hit songs for which the band is well-known. Which of the following songs did Sambora co-write? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. The rock band, Night Ranger, recorded a song in 1983 that made it to the number five spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1984. The songwriter was Kelly Keagy, the band's drummer. What is its title? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Nov 22 2024 : SLAPSHOT4: 10/10
Oct 20 2024 : Guest 108: 10/10
Oct 16 2024 : Guest 90: 8/10
Oct 10 2024 : Guest 71: 10/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. As one half of the successful recording duo, Hall and Oates, Daryl Hall has been a successful songwriter and vocalist for many years. He had lived with Sara Allen for decades until they broke up in 2001. He wrote which of the following songs as "a love postcard to Sara?"

Answer: Sara Smile

According to Hall, the song was a reflection of Sara and Daryl living together yet individually. This song was the third single from Hall and Oates' first album "Daryl Hall and John Oates." With "Sara Smile" they scored their first truly big hit in 1975.
2. This song was written in 1985 by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly. Cyndi Lauper recorded it, much to the delight of Steinberg and Kelly, and turned it into a hit. She used this song as the title of her second album. Name the song.

Answer: True Colors

Steinberg himself admitted that he had wanted Cyndi to record "True Colors" even over Madonna. His instincts were well-founded. Kodak had asked permission of the songwriters to use the song in one of their ads. They did and it introduced the song to a huge audience. Besides Cyndi Lauper, Phil Collins, Eva Cassidy, and Kasey Chambers have all covered the song.
3. The 1960s produced many great bands and vocal groups. One female trio from Detroit, who called themselves "The Supremes," sang under the Motown label. One of their hits, written by Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland and Edward Holland Jr., appeared on their "The Supremes: Greatest Hits" album released in 1967. Name the song that talks about the heartache of infidelity.

Answer: Stop! In The Name of Love

Lamont Dozier had nearly been caught cheating by his girlfriend when he was inspired to write the hit song. She found him at a motel in the wee hours of the morning and he was not alone. His girlfriend came after him with a bat,the other woman fled from a bathroom window down the fire escape, and Dozier answered the door, pretending to have been asleep the whole time. Trying to be funny, he asked his girlfriend to stop in the name of love.

She was not amused but Dozier had the title to his new song.
4. Imagine it is London, 1982, and a band named Culture Club is following the London underground sound. The music is a mixture of British New Wave and reggae. The band writes a catchy tune for their album "Kissing to be Clever" that soars to the top of the British charts and makes it to #2 in the U.S. Now name the song.

Answer: Do You Really Want To Hurt Me

Members of Culture Club, which included M. Craig, Jon Moss, Roy Hay, and George O'Dowd, better known as Boy George, wrote their own music and lyrics. According to Hay, all the songs from the band's first two albums were inspired by Boy George's affair with the band's drummer. He claims "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" took twenty minutes to write.
5. Although he died prematurely in a plane crash, Jim Croce was a singer/songwriter best remembered for ballads such as "Time in a Bottle" and "I'll Have to Say I Love You In A Song." One of his hits about a bad guy named Leroy was based on a real person. What is the title of this song?

Answer: Bad, Bad Leroy Brown

According to Jim's wife, Ingrid, the story goes like this: While Jim was stationed in the Army National Guard at Fort Dix he met a fellow named Leroy, who was also stationed there. While the two were talking, Leroy mentioned that he didn't like being there anymore and wanted to go home. Leroy went AWOL.

When he returned to pick up his check he was thrown into the stockade for desertion. Croce knew he would one day write a song about the exploits of Leroy.
6. In 1988, director Mike Nichols called singer/songwriter Carly Simon and asked her to write a song for a movie he was working on titled "Working Girl." The song Carly wrote can be heard during the opening and closing credits. The song won an Oscar, Golden Globe, and Grammy award. Name it.

Answer: Let The River Run

After Mike Nichols sent Carly the script, she read it several times to get a feel for the type of music she wanted to compose. Since the movie setting is New York City, Carly added a jungle beat to reflect the metaphoric jungle that is New York. She wrote the lyrics first, then the music.

Her husband at the time, Jim Hart, suggested that Carly turn to poets such as Robert Frost and Walt Whitman to get a feel for the lyrics. The result was what Carly refers to as a hymn. The song's "the New Jerusalem" is a reference to a poem written by William Blake.
7. Singer/songwriter Paul Anka wrote the lyrics to a French song "Comme D'Habitude" that became forever linked with Frank Sinatra. In fact, it became Sinatra's signature song. Can you name it?

Answer: My Way

Paul Anka heard the French version while on a trip to France in 1967. He bought the rights to the song and created his own lyrics. The original tune was composed by Claude François and Jacques Revaux and the lyrics by Claude François and Gilles Thibault. The result matched the right singer with the right song.
8. The great songwriter, Diane Warren, composed a song for the 1996 movie "Up Close and Personal" which Celine Dion successfully recorded. The movie starred Robert Redford and Michelle Pfeiffer. What is the name of this song?

Answer: Because You Loved Me

Diane Warren was very proud of this song. She felt that it took her to a new level and anticipated an Oscar win. She did not receive the Oscar. She did, however, win a Grammy, a Golden Globe, two Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards and two Satellite Awards. Miss Warren has also received the Hollywood Film Festival Outstanding Achievement in Songwriting and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001.
9. Bon Jovi is one of the most enduring and successful rock bands ever. One of the band's lead guitarists, Richie Sambora, co-wrote several hit songs for which the band is well-known. Which of the following songs did Sambora co-write?

Answer: It's My Life

"It's My Life" is one of my personal favorites and for the very reasons Richie Sambora has pointed out. He believes the song appeals to guys and girls, young and old, due to its empowering message. He claims the idea for the chorus came from the band identifying with the Rat Pack, thus the line that references Frank Sinatra..."like Frankie said, 'I did it my way'."
10. The rock band, Night Ranger, recorded a song in 1983 that made it to the number five spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1984. The songwriter was Kelly Keagy, the band's drummer. What is its title?

Answer: Sister Christian

Keagy wrote the song for his younger sister who was at the age where she was interested in boys and boys were interested in her. The song was meant to be brotherly advice. When Keagy presented his song to the band, they thought he had said Sister Christian instead of Sister Christy, which Keagy had originally intended.

The band unanimously voted to keep the song's title "Sister Christian."
Source: Author nmerr

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