A Yearful Of Month Songs Trivia Quiz

Answer: Pilot

"January, sick and tired, you've been hanging on me
You make me sad with your eyes
You're telling me lies
Don't go, don't go..."
The song spent three weeks at the top of the charts in 1975. Pilot were formed by the ex-Bay City Rollers bandsmen David Paton and Billy Lyall. A year earlier "Magic" had been a Number 11, but the band were never to trouble the top of the charts again, and folded in 1978.

Answer: Lou Reed

"Sam was lyin' in the jungle
Agent orange spread against the sky like marmalade
Hendrix played on some foreign jukebox
They were praying to be saved
Those gooks were fierce and fearless
That's the price you pay when you invade
Xmas in February"

The song appeared on Reed's 1990 album "New York".
"Walk on the Wild Side" was Reed's best-known single, hitting Number 16 in the USA and Number 10 in the UK in 1972.

Answer: Iron Maiden

The track was on their 1981 album 'Killers". Iron Maiden had three Number One UK albums between 1980 and 2009 but their best showing in the USA was "A Matter of Life and Death", which was a Number 9 in 2006.

Answer: Wonderwall

"Wonderwall" was a Number Two hit in the UK and a Number Eight in the USA for Oasis in 1995. Led by the Gallagher brothers Noel and Liam, Oasis were the British pop sensation of the latter part of the 20th Century. They saw themselves as the heirs to The Beatles. Although they enjoyed a great deal of chart success and almost Beatle-like adulation from their fans, the band struggled with internal rifts, notably between the Gallagher brothers.
"In April" was the third single off the album "Witchcraft" by Wonderwall - though it's Splash's favourite track from the album. It reached Number 33 in the German charts.
The three wrong answers were all Beatles songs, and of course The Beatles hailed from Liverpool.

Answer: Al Stewart

"Night Of The 4th Of May " was from Al Stewart's fourth album "Orange", which was released in 1972.
"Year Of The Cat" (from the album of the same name), was a US Number 8 hit in 1976 - much higher than its Number 31 in the UK.

Answer: Dean Martin

Despite his popularity as a singer, comedian and actor, Dean Martin only ever had two Number One singles, "Memories Are Made of This" (1955) and "Everybody Loves Somebody" (1963. 'The Rat Pack', was a bunch of wild and glamorous young early 60s stars. Martin maintained his popularity in a 40-year movie career.

Answer: Dixie Chicks

The Dixie Chicks came together in Dallas in 1989, but it was not until 1998 that they shed their bluegrass roots and attracted attention with a wider range.
They courted controversy, and something of a boycott when Natalie Maines, the lead vocalist, said prior to the invasion of Iraq: "We don't want this war, this violence, and we're ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas".
Before that, they had a string to top 10 country singles, six Number Ones. They also won a host of awards, including 13 Grammys.

Answer: Van Morrison

Van Morrison was born in Belfast in 1945 and had early success with the band "Them". He went solo in 1967 and earned a reputation as being a fine songwriter, even if he was known for a less than sparkling personality on stage. Morrison, despite the adulation of fans and critics alike, was a stranger to the upper reaches of the charts, though "Brown Eyed Girl" was a US Number 10 in 1967 and "Domino" climbed one place higher in 1970. "Days Like This", from the 1995 album of the same name, was used by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board in a promotional video.

Answer: Carole King

Carole King and Gerry Goffin wrote the song for Bobby Vee, but his management did not want to release it as single. A demo version sung by King was released instead and reached Number 22.
In a 40-year career, King showed her songwriting versatility in such Number One albums as "Tapestry" (1971); "Music" (also 1971); and "Wrap Around Joy" (1974).

Answer: James Taylor

Taylor broke into the big time with his 1971 US Number Three hit "Fire And Rain" and followed that a year later when he took Carole King's "You've Got A Friend" to the top of the charts. As well as those five Grammy Awards, he had 11 top 10 albums and five top 10 singles.
"October Road" was the title track of an album that went platinum in 2002.

Answer: Harry Chapin

Harry Chapin was born in new York City on December 7th 1942 and died in a freeway crash on July 16th 1981. It's difficult to pigeonhole Chapin's music, he referred to his "story songs", probably the most famous of which were "Taxi" and his solitary US Number One single "Cat's in the Cradle".
Chapin was a co-founder of 'World Hunger Year', and played many benefits to raise funds for that cause. He was posthumously awarded a Congressional Gold Medal for his championing of social issues and his drive to raise awareness of world hunger.

Answer: Willie Nelson

Nelson was famous for a near-outlaw image that included wearing his long hair in braids for many years (OK, I know maybe not strictly speaking pigtails, but allow me some artistic licence). In the 1960s he wrote "Crazy", which was smash hit for Patsy Cline. "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" was a 1975 US Number One single.

He also topped the charts with, among others, "If You've Got the Money I've Got the Time" (1976) and ""Georgia on My Mind" (1978). Movies included "The Electric Horseman" (1979); "Outlaw Justice" (1999) and "The Dukes of Hazzard (2005). Nelson was an environmental activist and also campaigned for the legalisation of marijuana.

Answer: Al Jolson

"April Showers" was written by Louis Silvers, and B. G. De Sylva and was first performed by Al Jolson in the 1921 Broadway musical "Bombo", Jolson (May 26th 1886 to October 23rd 1950) was one of the most adored singers of his day. He released numerous songs and appeared in large number of movies, including "The Jazz Singer" - claimed as being the world's first talking picture. It was released in 1927. Among those who have cited Jolson as an influence were Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, Tony Bennett, and Jerry Lewis.
Jolson was given the sobriquet "the world's greatest entertainer"

Answer: Goo Goo Dolls

The Goo Goo Dolls emerged onto the music scene in 1986 and had five top singles from their 1998 album "Dizzy Up the Girl." One of those songs, "Iris" picked up three Grammy Awards in 1998. Songwriter and founder John Rzeznik was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2008.

Answer: Wyclef Jean

Wyclef Jean was born in Haiti in October 1972, but his family moved to the USA when he was nine. He first shot to musical fame as a member of the "Fugees". As a solo artist, he had a busy recording career and was a frequent guest artist and presenter in many TV shows. In August 2010, he announced he would be a candidate in that year's Presidential elections in his native land.