Mods, Rockers, and Chart-Toppers Quiz

Answer: The Beatles

"And don't you know that it's just you, hey Jude, you'll do,
The movement you need is on your shoulder."

--The Beatles, "Hey Jude"

"Hey Jude," written by Paul McCartney as for a young Julian Lennon during his parents' separation, hit the world in August 1968 as The Beatles' very first release on their Apple label. Not only did "Hey Jude" climb the charts, spending nine weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and two weeks at the top in the UK, but it also set a record as the longest single (over seven minutes) ever to top the UK charts at that time.

And if you've ever found yourself humming "na na na na" for an absurdly long time, you're in some good company. The Beatles did it for more than four minutes during the legendary outro.

Answer: The Beatles

"Baby's good to me
You know, she's happy as can be
You know, she said so
I'm in love with her and I feel fine"

--The Beatles, "I Feel Fine"

An upbeat and catchy love song filled with pure happiness, "I Feel Fine" was released by The Beatles in November 1964, paired with "She's a Woman" on the flip side. Notably, it was one of the first pop hits to feature intentional audio feedback. Even though it wasn't on any studio album, the song has shown up on plenty of Beatles compilations, ensuring those fine vibes keep spinning 'round (or whatever MP3s do).

Paul McCartney, never at a loss for words, described the addition of feedback to the track with the following quote:

"John had a semi-acoustic Gibson guitar. It had a pickup on it so it could be amplified ... We were just about to walk away to listen to a take when John leaned his guitar against the amp. I can still see him doing it ... it went, 'Nnnnnnwahhhhh!' And we went, 'What's that? Voodoo!' 'No, it's feedback.' 'Wow, it's a great sound!' George Martin was there so we said, 'Can we have that on the record?' 'Well, I suppose we could, we could edit it on the front.' It was a found object, an accident caused by leaning the guitar against the amp."

As far its chart reach goes, "I Feel Fine" made it to number one in both the UK (for five weeks) and the US (for three weeks).

Answer: The Beatles

"He blew his mind out in a car
He didn't notice that the lights had changed
A crowd of people stood and stared
They'd seen his face before
Nobody was really sure
If he was from the House of Lords"

--The Beatles, "A Day in the Life"

"A Day in the Life," closing out The Beatles' legendary "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," is as much an experience as a song. Released on May 26, 1967, it famously features a 40-piece orchestra asked to improvise within an increasing range and volume resulting in a wild crescendo that can still wake the dead (and the living, I suppose).

The final chord reportedly required three pianos and one harmonium, with the band members and their producer George Martin all playing the E-Major together to get that big sound. Though now a classic, the BBC originally banned the track because of the lyric, "I'd love to turn you on", which was believed to be about drug use.

Answer: The Beatles

"She was a day tripper
Sunday driver, yeah
It took me so long to find out
And I found out"

--The Beatles, "Day Tripper"

"Day Tripper" came onto the scene as half of a double A-side single with "We Can Work It Out," released by The Beatles in December 1965. The single topped the UK charts for five weeks and made a respectable showing at number five in the US... clearly, the US was a little sleepy that week. While "Day Tripper" was recorded during the "Rubber Soul" sessions, it didn't actually appear on that album; instead, it eventually turned up on the US release "Yesterday and Today."

Both Lennon and McCartney admitted separately that the song was pretty much about taking a day trip, in a less literal and more... chemical sort of way.

Answer: The Beatles

"Somewhere in her smile, she knows
That I don't need no other lover"

--The Beatles, "Something"

A dash of George Harrison's magic, "Something" stands out as a quiet Beatles love song by the quiet one himself. Released on October 6, 1969, in both the UK and US as a double A-side single with "Come Together," it marked the first time a Harrison track got top billing on a Beatles single. The song graced their "Abbey Road" album, which was the last the band recorded together.

"Something" climbed the charts, hitting number one in the US and number four in the UK, which just demonstrates once again that the nation that brought us stargazy pie and black pudding doesn't ALWAYS have the greatest taste.

Random trivia: Frank Sinatra famously called it "the greatest love song of the past fifty years".

Answer: The Kinks

"Girl, you really got me goin'
You got me so I don't know what I'm doin'
Yeah, you really got me now
You got me so I can't sleep at night"

--The Kinks, "You Really Got Me"

"You Really Got Me" by The Kinks was released in the UK on August 4, 1964 and in the US on September 2, 1964 as a standalone single, later appearing on their debut album entitled, appropriately enough, "Kinks" in both countries.

It was the band's breakthrough hit, reaching number one in the UK and number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100. Its power chords and distorted guitar riff, famously created by Dave Davies slashing a guitar amp with a razor blade, helped shape the sound of hard rock, and some have even quixotically claimed it to be the first heavy metal song.

Answer: The Kinks

"I'm not content to be with you in the daytime
Girl, I want to be with you all of the time
The only time I feel alright is by your side"

--The Kinds, "All Day and All of the Night"

"All Day and All of the Night" by The Kinks became a part of the UK music scene on October 23, 1964, with its great guitar riff and raw energy, making it almost impossible not to bounce along with the music. Although it didn't grace a full studio album at the time, fans could find it on the UK EP "Kinksize Hits" and the US album "Kinks-Size" (1965).

The song soared to number two on the UK charts and climbed to number seven in the US, creating a place for The Kinks as masters of catchy and somewhat rebellious rock. It wasn't until later that Ray Davies steered the group to the catchy-and-somewhat-cheeky side of rock.

Answer: The Kinks

"'Cause he's better than the rest
And his own sweat smells the best"

--The Kinks, "A Well Respected Man"

A wee slice of British wit, "A Well Respected Man" showcases Ray Davies at the height of his cheeky songwriting. Released in the UK on September 17, 1965 as part of the "Kwyet Kinks" EP, and arriving as a single in the US on November 4, 1965, the track didn't land on a UK studio album at first, but did make it onto the US release "Kinkdom." Known for its biting lyrics poking fun at the upper crust, the song climbed to number 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Answer: The Kinks

"But I don't need no friends
As long as I gaze on Waterloo sunset
I am in paradise"

--The Kinks, "Waterloo Sunset"

Considered by many Kinks fans as their best song, "Waterloo Sunset" made its catchy UK debut as a single on May 5, 1967 and crossed the Atlantic later that year, though, strangely, it never made much of a splash there. The track found a home on the album "Something Else by The Kinks," which arrived in September 1967 in the UK and December 1967 stateside.

"Waterloo Sunset" soared to number two on the UK Singles Chart, just shy of the top spot, kept at bay only by Procol Harum's psychedelic "A Whiter Shade of Pale", a fine song in itself. Legend goes that Ray Davies first thought of calling the song "Liverpool Sunset," but made the switch after the release of "Penny Lane" by the Beatles.

Despite going under the radar at the time, it was rated number 14 on the 2021 edition of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Answer: The Kinks

"Now I'm sittin' here
Sippin' at my ice cold beer
Lazin' on a sunny afternoon"

--The Kinks, "Sunny Afternoon"

"Sunny Afternoon" by The Kinks lazily strolled into the world as a single on June 3, 1966 in the UK, bringing with it a catchy, laid-back summer vibe. It later made its way to the US for release that summer. The song can be found on their album "Face to Face", also released in 1966. "Sunny Afternoon" didn't just soak up the sun while complaining about the taxman, it made it to number one on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks, becoming the band's third UK chart-topper. Here on left side of the Atlantic, it reached a respectable number 14 on the US charts.

Answer: The Who

"I know you've deceived me
Now here's a surprise
I know that you have
'Cause there's magic in my eyes"

--The Who, "I Can See For Miles"

"I Can See for Miles" by The Who was released as a single on September 18, 1967 in the US a month later in the UK. It appeared on their third studio album "The Who Sell Out", released later that year. The song became their highest-charting US single of the time, peaking at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100, while in the UK it reached number ten, a turn of events that Pete Townshend famously found disappointing to say the very least.

He described his disappointment with his usual subtlety and tact: "To me it was the ultimate Who record, yet it didn't sell. I spat on the British record buyer." Interestingly, a review about this song pushed Paul McCartney of the Beatles to transform the meandering psychedelic version of "Helter Skelter" into the thunderous song we know and love today.

Answer: The Who

"There were always pictures of Lily to help me sleep at night
Pictures of Lily to help me feel alright"

--The Who, "Pictures of Lily"

Cheeky, a little naughty, and completely irresistible, "Pictures of Lily" by The Who hit the scene as a single on April 21, 1967 in the UK and soon after in the US. While it didn't find a home on a studio album, it landed safely on the 1971 compilation "Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy," solidifying its place in mod and rock history. The track peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart and made it to number 51 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Answer: The Who

"I hope I die before I get old"

--The Who, "My Generation"

"My Generation" by The Who hit the UK music scene as a single on October 29, 1965, and made its way to the US on November 20, 1965. It found its home on the band's debut album "My Generation," released December 3, 1965 in the UK and April 25, 1966 in the US (where it was called "The Who Sings My Generation," with a few tweaks to the tracklist). The single climbed all the way to number two on the UK Singles Chart, but only reached number 74 in the US, an absolute crime.

Answer: The Who

"Plays by intuition, the digit counters fall
That deaf, dumb, and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball"

--The Who, "Pinball Wizard"

We got flippers. We got feedback. We got Rock Opera flair. What else do you need? In March 1969, The Who released "Pinball Wizard" in both the UK and US, impressing listeners with its guitar lines and strange storyline. As a musical highlight from the rock opera "Tommy" (released May 1969), this single bounced (get it?) to number four on the UK Singles Chart and made it up to number 19 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Pete Townshend is said to have written the song in just 15 minutes after music critic Nick Cohn--famously obsessed with pinball--visited the studio and said "Tommy" needed a smash hit. The rest is rock history, with "Pinball Wizard" quickly becoming a fan favorite and a staple in The Who's legendary live shows.

Answer: The Who

"Dizzy in the head and I'm feeling bad
The things you've said have got me real mad"

--The Who, "I Can't Explain"

Before the smashed guitars and rock operas, there was "I Can't Explain." Released as their very first single under the name The Who (US: December 19, 1964; UK: January 15, 1965), the song is a brisk and bright song that drew heavy inspiration from The Kinks (so much so that you can almost hear the creeeeeeeaaaaak of Ray Davies slowly raising an eyebrow). Although it didn't land on a studio album at the time, American fans eventually found it on "The Who Sings My Generation" (1966) and plenty of greatest hits collections.

On the charts, "I Can't Explain" gave The Who their first taste of UK success, peaking at number eight, though it barely made a blip in the US at number 93.

Answer: The Rolling Stones

"I see a line of cars
And they're all painted black
With flowers and my love
Both never to come back"

--The Rolling Stones, "Paint it Black"

If you thought rock music couldn't get any more colorful, "Paint It, Black" proved you right, by going pitch black. Released as a single in May 1966, this Rolling Stones classic made instant waves, thanks in part to Brian Jones's iconic sitar riff, a bit of Eastern flair which somehow just made the song darker. "Paint It, Black" opened the US version of the "Aftermath" album but was nowhere to be found on the UK release. The song blackened the charts, grabbing number one on both the US Billboard Hot 100 (sticking around for two weeks) and the UK Singles Chart (for one week).

Answer: The Rolling Stones

"On our first trip I tried so hard to rearrange your mind
But after a while I realized you were disarranging mine"

--The Rolling Stones, "19th Nervous Breakdown"

"19th Nervous Breakdown" rolled out in February 1966, catching fans delightfully off guard with its witty lyrics and pulsing rhythm. Even though it didn't make it onto a studio album at the time, you can track it down on compilations like "Big Hits (High Tide and Green Grass)". Stones fans are nothing if not determined collectors. The song moved up the charts to number two in both the US and UK, and even snagged the top spot on the Cash Box and NME charts.

Answer: The Rolling Stones

"When I'm watchin' my TV
And a man comes on to tell me
How white my shirts should be
But he can't be a man 'cause he doesn't smoke
The same cigarettes as me"

--The Rolling Stones, "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"

The Rolling Stone released "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" in the US on June 4, 1965, while making the Brits wait until August. While American fans could groove to it on the album "Out of Our Heads" that July, their British counterparts had to wait, as it didn't make the UK version. The song's unforgettable fuzz-guitar riff was famously crafted by Keith Richards in the middle of the night and captured on a portable cassette recorder. "Satisfaction" became the Stones' first US number one, camping out for four weeks at the summit of the Billboard Hot 100 starting July 10, 1965, and eventually ruling the charts in the UK as well.

Answer: The Rolling Stones

"She was practiced at the art of deception
Well, I could tell by her blood-stained hands"

--The Rolling Stones, "You Can't Always Get What You Want"

"You Can't Always Get What You Want" by The Rolling Stones made its debut as the B-side to "Honky Tonk Women" on July 4, 1969, in the US and came out in the UK later that same month. The song stretches out in its full-length glory on the "Let It Bleed" album, released in late 1969. While it didn't hit the top of the charts, the edited single still managed to reach number 42 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Answer: The Rolling Stones

"Kids are different today, I hear every mother say
Mother needs something today to calm her down
And though she's not really ill, there's a little yellow pill
She goes running for the shelter of her mother's little helper"

--The Rolling Stones, "Mother's Little Helper"

"Mother's Little Helper" by The Rolling Stones popped onto the US music scene as a single in July 1966, climbing its way up to number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. Across the pond, British fans didn't get the single treatment; instead, the song kicked off the UK version of the "Aftermath" album, which came out in April 1966. With satirical lyrics poking fun at the rise of prescription pill use among housewives, the song marked a turn toward social commentary for the Stones.