Singer In a Song Trivia Quiz

Answer: T. Rex

Originally meant for David Bowie's album "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars", he offered the song to Mott the Hoople upon hearing of their impending break up. Bowie even went as far as to arrange studio time for the band, produce the song, play guitar and sing backing vocals. The song went to third place on the UK Singles charts, but was not as successful in the US, although it did break into the top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

T. Rex, led by Marc Bolan, were an English glam rock band active from 1967 to 1977. From 1970 to 1977, the band managed twenty top fifty singles with four number one singles and ten top ten singles on the UK Singles chart. Some of these spectacular songs are "20th Century Boy", "Get It On" and "Children of the Revolution".

Answer: The Seeker

The Who recorded and released "The Seeker" as a single in 1970. It reached nineteenth position on the UK Singles chart and forty-fourth position on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and was then included a year later on their 1971 album "Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy".

Despite Pete Townshend, who wrote the lyrics, saying, "I suppose I like this least of all the stuff", it still is one of my favourite songs recorded by The Who.

Answer: Was (Not Was)

"I Feel Better Than James Brown" is from the 1990 album "Are You Okay?" and managed only one chart position at position ninety-one on the UK Singles chart. I love these lyrics:

"I was attending Mardi Gras with Fidel Castro
Buxom cross dressers threw fake gold coins at our feet
As we discussed the fate of the revolution
Suddenly, CIA men dressed in bikinis
Tried to stab us with fountain pens
Fidel blew mustard gas from his cigar
And immobilized the lot of them
19 tequilas later we had a deal
Havana goes back to the mob
And Fidel and I open a chain of Kentucky Fried Chicken shops"

Was (Not Was) have been associated with a number of influential musicians throughout their career. Elvis Costello has a writing credit for the song "Shadow and Jimmy" featured on the album "What Up, Dog?"(1988), Ozzy Osborne and Kim Basinger provide guest vocals for the song "Shake Your Head(Let's Go to Bed)" found on the album "Born to Laugh at Tornadoes"(1983). Iggy Pop and Leonard Cohen feature on the 1990 album "Are You Okay?" and Kris Kristofferson and Booker T. Jones can be heard on their 2008 album "Boo!". "Walk the Dinosaur", released in 1987 on the album "What Up, Dog?" was their most popular single from 1980 - 1992 charting highly on the US Hot 100, UK, Australia and South African charts. "Spy in the House of Love"(1987) was their second single from the same album and the only single in this time period to go to number one on any chart.

Answer: Club At the End of the Street

"Club at the End of the Street" was recorded by Elton John for his 1990 album "Sleeping With the Past". The song did fairly well on the charts, achieving a second position on the US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary chart and a top spot on the Danish charts where the album was recorded.

Its worst position was on the UK charts, reaching position forty-seven. The album itself did far better, actually reaching number one on the UK, Swiss and New Zealand Album charts.

Answer: Iron Maiden

"Teenage Dirtbag" was recorded for the band's eponymous début album "Wheatus"(2000). The song reached number one in Australia, Belgium and Austria. It reached position two on the UK Singles chart, but only position seven on US "Billboard Alternative Songs" chart.

"I've got two tickets to Iron Maiden, baby
Come with me Friday, don't say "maybe"
I'm just a teenage dirtbag, baby, like you".

The music video features Jason Biggs and Mena Suvari and clips from the 2000 film "Loser"(2000).

Answer: Public Image Ltd

"Hey, Hey, My My (Into the Black)" and "Hey , Hey, My My (Out of the Blue)" were both recorded by Neil Young for his 1979 album "Rust Never Sleeps". Essentially the same song, albeit with slightly different lyrics, one is acoustic and the other a rock version. Both of these songs mention Johnny Rotten.

John Lydon initially fronted the Sex Pistols from 1975 to 1978. He then went on to form Public Image Ltd in 1978 and fronted them until they went on hiatus in 1993. From 1993 to 2006 he went on to become somewhat of a celebrity, appearing on various television shows and even presenting a documentary on the Discovery Channel. Between 1977 and 2015 together with his various groups a staggering twenty-nine studio, live and compilation albums were released. Lydon claimed in an interview with the "Daily Telegraph", that he was given his stage name due to terrible dental hygiene which caused his teeth to turn green.

Answer: Doris Day

"Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" was written by George Michael and recorded by Wham! For their 1984 album "Make It Big". It turned out to be an enormous hit for the duo, reaching top position on sixteen international music charts, including the UK Singles, US Billboard Hot 100 and US Cash Box charts. Considering the song's upbeat tempo and pop flair, it was quite strange that its worst chart position was on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, only reaching position twenty-seven. The music video however, was listed as as one of the top 50 worst music videos by the "New Musical Express" magazine.

Doris Day was one of the greatest film stars of her time, earning herself an Academy Award, numerous Golden Globe and Laurel awards, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association's Career Achievement Award. She also happened to be an amazing singer too. She recorded twenty-nine studio albums from 1949 to 2011. She won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and had three of her vocal performances inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, including the ever popular "Que Será, Será (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)".

Answer: In Utero

"Pennyroyal Tea" was released on "In Utero"(1994), but was written in 1990 already by Kurt Cobain. The Leonard Cohen reference was explained by Cobain in a 1993 interview with "Impact" magazine, "'That was my therapy, when I was depressed and sick. I'd read things like Malloy Dies by Beckett, or listen to Leonard Cohen, which would actually make it worse,' he laughs." Despite being a relatively sombre song, "Pennyroyal Tea" went to first place on the US Billboard Hot Singles Sales chart. "In Utero" was Nirvana's third and final album and it charted at number one on the US Billboard Hot 200 album chart upon its release.

It also took top position on the UK and Swedish album charts. The album was released a few months after the death of lead singer Kurt Cobain.

Answer: Liberace

"Mr. Sandman" was written by Pat Ballard in 1954 and proved to be a very popular song. It was not only recorded by Vaughn Monroe, The Four Aces and the Chordettes, it was also recorded by Emmylou Harris, The Fleetwoods, Chet Atkins, Dickie Valentine and Bette Midler. Almost everyone that recorded the song managed to have it chart, but the Chordettes had the most initial success. They managed to have the song chart in first place on the US Billboard Best Sellers in Stores, US Billboard Most Played by Jockeys and US Billboard Most Played in Juke Boxes charts.

"Mr. Sandman (Yes?) bring us a dream
Give him a pair of eyes with a come-hither gleam
Give him a lonely heart like Pagliacci
And lots of wavy hair like Liberace"

Liberace was a gifted pianist and in every way a showman, hence the nickname "Mr Showmanship". Known for his flamboyance and ever present candelabra, Liberace was the highest paid entertainer in the world at the peak of his career.

Answer: Poker

"We're an American Band" was recorded for the album of the same name in 1973. It was the band's first number on hit single, going to top position on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album itself was equally successful, reaching second place on the US Billboard 200 chart. VH1 had the song at position ninety-nine on their "100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs" list.

"Out on the road for forty days
Last night in Little Rock put me in a haze
Sweet, sweet Connie, doin' her act
She had the whole show and that's a natural fact
Up all night with Freddie King
I got to tell you, poker's his thing
Booze and ladies, keep me right
As long as we can make it to the show tonight"

Freddie King was a prolific blues guitarist, a contemporary of B.B. King and Albert King. He toured with acts like Grand Funk Railroad and Eric Clapton and it was his enormous touring schedule that lead to his untimely demise. His touring schedule had him on the road for 300 days a year and this caused a significant deterioration in his health. "Rolling Stone" magazine has King at position fifteen on their "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" list.