Radio's Most Played Songs of All Time...Maybe Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. An especially gifted child prodigy overcame many obstacles including blindness to become a true music legend. A Ray Charles song holds the number ten spot on the list of radio's most played songs and it mentions his birth state, too. What song is it?

Answer: Georgia on My Mind

Ray Charles released "Georgia on My Mind" in 1960. It became a number one song for him on the U.S. Country charts. Although many versions have been recorded and released it is the Ray Charles version most people associate with the song. It became the official state song of Georgia in the late 1970s.

2. A true international favorite is in the number nine spot on the list of radio's most played songs. The Cascades are given the credit for the air play version but many may just as likely recall a version by Gary Lewis & the Playboys. What song?

Answer: Rhythm of the Rain

By far "Rhythm of the Rain", which was released in 1962, is the song for which The Cascades would be best remembered. The song never quite made it all the way to number one but its international allure was/is outstanding. It seems to be a favorite among cultures, countries and music genres. Gary Lewis & the Playboys released their version in 1969 to experience only moderate chart success.

3. The number eight song on the list of radio's most played songs had already been a hit for The Four Tops and covered by The Supremes before Johnny Rivers released it. Can you pick his hit with the soulful dilemma?

Answer: Baby, I Need Your Loving

What song would not get air time when a condition is so succinctly sung? Johnny Rivers had already scored a huge hit with his "Secret Agent Man" (in 1966) before he began to release a string of cover songs. Among those songs was "Baby, I Need Your Loving" in 1967.

It did not chart all the way to number one but did penetrate the top ten. His version of the song does seem to have had the most lasting power from among the artists who recorded and released it - many within just a few years of each other.

4. The movie "The Graduate" (1967) catapulted to iconic status almost immediately. What Simon & Garfunkel song, unmistakably identified with this movie is also the number seven song on the list of radio's most played songs?

Answer: Mrs. Robinson

Simon & Garfunkel have recorded and released several different versions of the song, "Mrs. Robinson". What we the listener hears of the song from the movie, "The Graduate" (1967), its soundtrack, Simon & Garfunkel's albums "The Sound of Silence" (released in 1966) and "Bookends" (released in 1968) are all four a bit different versions of their chart-topping song.

5. Perhaps of equal consideration to its place as the number six song on the list of radio's most played songs is the fact it was the first single to top the charts after the artist had died. What Otis Redding song did this?

Answer: (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay

"(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" is a song co-written by Otis Redding and is said to have been recorded by him only a few days before he died in a plane crash in December of 1967. "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" would not only become a number one single for Redding (on the U.S. Hot 100), it would go on to win numerous awards for him - among them two Grammys.

This was, unfortunately for all of us, posthumously.

6. The song that at number five on the list of radio's most played songs is by Frankie Valli. Its popularity may be further confirmed when we recall it was once used as a wake-up song for NASA Space Shuttle. What song features a spellbound Valli?

Answer: Can't Take My Eyes Off of You

Whether Frankie Valli has recorded alone or along with the group, The Four Seasons, his career has been a hallmark since it began in 1960. "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" was a gold record selling effort for Valli and became his best selling recording - at the time. Later recordings would surpass this record's sales but few songs have been covered by more performers, in greater variety of genres and/or in more music cultures than those of "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You".

7. It could be that Ben E. King has Levi Jeans to thank for a part of the amazing popularity of his song that is number four on the list of radio's most played songs. Which of his songs was in the top ten charts - twice - more than twenty years a part?

Answer: Stand By Me

Ben E. King put the rhythmic song from the song writing team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, "Stand By Me", inside the top ten of the (US Hot 100) charts in 1961; taking it all the way to number one on the R&B charts then. In 1986, when the film of the same name was released King re-released a version of his song to coincide with the release of the movie. Once again, record sales took it into the top ten of sales. Quite the popular song, one source (wikipedia.org) tells us "There have been over 400 recorded versions of the song". Levi Jeans put it to good use to sell their 501 jeans in 1988 with a catchy ad campaign.

8. The song at number three on the list of radio's most played songs is by The Beatles. Through the years it has been called "the song covered by the most artists or performers". Its first release was as a feature on the album "Help" (1965). Which song?

Answer: Yesterday

As for the song covered my more performers than any other it certainly stands a very good chance with well over two thousand cover versions recorded. "Yesterday" is credited to The Beatles remarkable team writing duo, Lennon-McCartney but creditable sources have mentioned it was the work only Paul McCartney. He is the only Beatle heard on their recording of the song.

9. It was just good timing that allowed The Association to have the number two song on the list of radio's most played songs. Their pop standard seem to epitomize the easy listening that was popular in 1967. What pensive song promised unending devotion?

Answer: Never My Love

With its initial release in late 1967, "Never My Love" did not chart as well for The Association as their previous two hits, "Cherish" (1966) and "Windy" (1967) but its timing was remarkable. The song gave the group the attention they needed to garner invitations to many venues that had previously been lacking for them. Of course, the exposure made the song only more recognized and admired though it pure record sales.

10. The song at number one on the list of radio's most played songs was recorded by "brothers" who are not related at all. What Righteous Brothers hit did Bill Medley admit that he initially said may be "too slow and too long" to be a hit record?

Answer: You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'

As of 2002, tabulators who can track these figures had told us "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" by the Righteous Brothers (who were Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield) had been played on the radio over eight million times. To achieve that same number, if the song had been played continuously it would have played - non-stop - for more than forty years.

The Righteous Brothers had been recording together less than one year when they released "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'". Talk about the Midas touch. Also, a then-unknown-who-would-become Cher is (one of the singers) singing the backup vocals.

Some songs are just meant to be better than all the rest, I guess.

Source: Author cowboybluedog

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor kyleisalive before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

The answers to the following questions will reveal - in reverse order - the songs that received the most radio air play of the 20th century - according to one source. List is only intended to be for my title and quiz - not an indisputable fact.

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