Right Royal Songs Trivia Quiz

Answer: King of the Road

"King of the Road" is the 1964 song written and performed by the American singer / songwriter Roger Miller. Miller has given various explanations of where he was when he was inspired to write the song, but has confirmed that the idea began when he saw a sign which said "Trailers for Sale or Rent".

The song is about the so-called "knights of the road", a term used to describe hoboes and tramps. The song was released in 1965 and topped the charts in the UK while reaching number four on the Billboard Hot 100, although it did reach number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.

At the 1966 Grammy Awards ceremony, "King of the Road" won five awards including Best Contemporary Rock and Roll Single. Miller's original writing of the song now hangs in the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Answer: Royals

"Royals" is the hit single released and performed by the New Zealand artist Lorde (real name Ella Yellich-O'Connor) in 2013. The song features both on her debut album "The Love Club EP" (2012) and her studion album "Pure Heroine" (2013). Written by Lorde and record producer Joel Little, the song is an expression of disapproval at the lavish lifestyle led by many artists.

The song not only garnered critical acclaim, but was also a major commercial success. It spent nine weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 charts, making Lorde the first solo New Zealand artist to achieve this feat.

It topped charts around the world and has sold over ten million copies. The song won Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance at the 2014 ceremony.

Answer: The Acid Queen

"The Acid Queen" was written by Pete Townshend as part of The Who's rock opera album "Tommy", with Townshend performing the vocals on this album. The song tells of Tommy's time with the "Acid Queen", a gypsy with whom Tommy is left in an attempt to cure him and who plies him with hallucinogenic drugs.

The song has been covered a number of times by various artists with the most notable version being that of Tina Turner. "Acid Queen" was the third song to be released from her 1975 album of the same name.

However, this single is a different version to the one that appeared on the soundtrack of the 1975 film "Tommy" in which Turner took on the role of the Acid Queen.

Answer: King of Pain

"King of Pain" is a song by the English band The Police. It was released as a single from their final album "Synchronicity" (1983), their final album which also included the hit single "Every Breath You Take". Written by Sting in response to his separation from his first wife, Frances Tomeltry, the song received critical acclaim for the lyrics in which Sting stated that he "conjured up symbols of pain and related them to his soul". Again according to Sting, the title of the song came from a comment made by Trudi Styler who would go on to be his second wife.

The song was also a commercial success reaching the number three spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1983. The song has been covered by a number of artists including Alanis Morisette in 1999.

Answer: We Three Kings

One of the best known and most popular Christmas carols, "We Three Kings" was written by the American clergyman and hymn writer, John Henry Hopkins Jr in 1857. "We Three Kings" which is also known as "We Three Kings of Orient Are" and "The Quest for the Magi", has become the best known of Hopkins's songs.

He wrote the song to be included in a Christmas pageant being presented by the General Theological Seminary where he was a music teacher. After establishing that the song was popular among his circle of family and friends, Hopkins published it in 1862 in his book "Carols, Hymns and Songs".

Answer: Killer Queen

"Killer Queen" was the breakthrough song for the English rock band, Queen and was the song that led them towards super stardom. Written by Freddy Mercury, the song was released in 1974 from the album "Sheer Heart Attack" (1974). The song was a worldwide hit and was the first of Queen's songs to successfully "cross the pond" to the United States where it reached number twelve on the Billboard Hot 100 while it reached number two in the UK charts. Freddy Mercury confirmed that the song was about a high class call girl stating "that classy people can be whores too".

Answer: Her Majesty

"Her Majesty" is a song by The Beatles that features right at the end of their 1969 album "Abbey Road". In fact the song is considered to be one of the first examples of a "hidden track" as it only appears a few seconds after the final listed track on the album "The End".

It is a music hall ditty type song written and sung by Paul McCartney and is accompanied by acoustic guitar work from McCartney. All this in 23 seconds! This makes it the shortest Beatles song and is one of only three Beatles songs to make reference to Queen Elizabeth II.

The other two are "Penny Lane" and "Mean Mr Mustard".

Answer: King Nothing

"King Nothing" is a song by the American heavy metal band Metallica and featured on their 1996 album "Load". Written by James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich and Kirk Hammett, it was released as a single in 1997 and reached number 90 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song explores the theme of the idiom "be careful what you wish for" as the lyrics describe someone who doesn't care about anything, except gaining the fame and fortune they crave.

However, after gaining it, they come to realise that those things were not worth much after all and that they are "just nothing, absolutely nothing".

The song was one of the band's favourite songs to play at live concerts.

Answer: Goodbye Earl

Dubbed a "murder ballad" by Rolling Stone magazine, "Goodbye Earl" is the Dennis Linde written song which found fame when it was recorded by and included on the 1999 album "Fly" by the American country group the Dixie Chicks. In response to the reaction to the song, it was released as a single in 2000.

The song deals with spousal abuse and caused controversy in its handling of this sensitive subject. This led to the song being banned from the airwaves by a number of radio stations. Although it was not the highest ranked song by the Dixie Chicks, topping out at number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100, it went on to become one of the most popular and well known of the group's songs.

Answer: Dancing Queen

Released as a single in 1976, "Dancing Queen" is the song which became the Swedish group ABBA's only number one hit in the United States. The song, written by Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson, was included on ABBA's 1976 album "Arrival".

The song, originally titled "Boogaloo", was a smash hit topping charts around the world including the Billboard Hot 100. It is considered by many to be the world's first "europop" hit. "Dancing Queen" has set more records and garnered more awards than there is space here to describe.

In 2015 "Dancing Queen" was inducted into the Recording Academy's Grammy Hall of Fame.