Who Originally Recorded It? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Neil Diamond

Neil Diamond's version is quite different from the Monkees' version, a little faster, different instrumentation altogether, and a little different lyrically. Definitely more upbeat.

Answer: Bruce Springsteen

This is one example of a song that was completely reinvented by the band that covered it, with outstanding results. The original song does not fit the Boss's style, and it seems strange that Springsteen wrote and sang it. Perhaps if I had never heard the remake, I could get into the original, but unfortunately, I have, and so I can't. Manfred Mann adds a great dance beat, rearranges the lyrics, puts a great deal more vocal expression into the song, and comes up with a masterpiece.

Answer: Iggy Pop

David Bowie and Iggy Pop co-wrote the song for Iggy Pop's 1977 album "The Idiot". The original is much more raw, and given his style in general and the way he sings it, the unusual lyrics in the song make more sense than when Bowie sings it. None of the stereotypical Chinese beat or "oh-oh-oh" background is present.

Answer: Falco

This is the same Falco later known for "Rock Me Amadeus". The original, like many other Falco songs, was a mix of German and English. After The Fire made it almost purely English (though the translation is very close, from what I understand, not speaking German), and made the song much more accessible.

Not only was it their only hit, it was their only thing close to a hit, the consummate one-hit wonder.

Answer: Neil Diamond

Without the reggae beat, Diamond croons this song, and in my opinion, it doesn't really stand out. UB40, by adding the beat and the spoken interlude, completely reinvented the song, making it a monster hit for them. Strangely enough, a friend of mine played it at his wedding--did he ever listen to the lyrics?

Answer: Joni Mitchell

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's version, off the "Deja Vu" album, is much more poppy and accessible than Joni Mitchell's ethereal version. In fact, when listening to the Joni Mitchell album for the first time, I was two-thirds of the way through the song before I realized it was the same song.

Answer: Bob Dylan

The Grateful Dead, U2, The Indigo Girls, and even Dolly Parton and Pat Boone have performed "All Along the Watchtower", plus Bob Dylan performs it as often or more often than any other song in his vast repertoire. The original version appeared on Dylan's 1967 "John Wesley Harding" album, and is based on a passage from the Bible, Isaiah 21:5-9.

Answer: Marvin Gaye

Such a cheerful song, wrapping a love ballad around the decay of the earth. It has to rate as one of the strangest hit singles of all time, and was a hit for both Gaye and Palmer.

Answer: Jennifer Rush

Jennifer Rush wrote the song, which was a major hit in Europe and the U.K., but did little in the U.S. Her only other minor U.S. chart appearance was a duet with Elton John called "Flames of Paradise". However, both Air Supply and Laura Branigan covered "The Power of Love" before Celine Dion turned it into a major hit.

Answer: Roger Whittaker

B.J. Thomas, Perry Como, and Patti LaBelle have all covered the song, as did Bette Midler, Sheena Easton, and Nana Mouskouri (best known for her songs in French). Roger Whittaker, best known for his ballad "The Last Farewell" and other saccharine English fare, recorded the original in 1982.