My Favorite Songs of the 1960- Part 11 Quiz

Answer: Barry Sadler

"The Ballad of the Green Berets" was written by Robin Moore and Barry Sadler. Sadler was a staff sergeant in the United States Army. Before that, he also briefly served in the United States Air Force. The song reached number one on the charts.

The song was written in honor of James Gabriel Jr, who was part of the special forces and the first native Hawaiian to die in Vietnam. The song refers to "silver wings upon their chest" as the narrator describes the Green Berets. Then he says that a "young wife waits/ her Green Beret has met his fate." This is followed by the final verse, where he tells the wife, "Put silver wings on my son's chest."

At the time, any song about Vietnam was a war protest song. "The Ballad of the Green Berets" was different in that it didn't focus on the war itself but acknowledged that those fighting were human beings. Human beings who were being killed.

Answer: Sweet Charity

Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields wrote the song "Big Spender" for their 1966 Broadway musical, "Sweet Charity." It was first sung by Helen Gallagher (who played Nickie), Thelma Oliver (who played Helene), and the Fan-Dango Girls. Peggy Lee was the first to record the song outside of the show.

The song has been covered by performers such as Shirley Bassey, Queen, and the Pussycat Dolls.

Answer: Los Bravos

Michelle Grainger, Tony Hayes, and Steve Wadey wrote, "Black Is Black." Los Bravos recorded it in 1966 as their debut single with Decca. It reached number four in the United States and number two in the United Kingdom. In Canada, the song reached number one.

After 9/11, Clear Channel Communications, a media conglomerate company in America, sent out a list of songs with questionable lyrics that radio stations should not play. One of the songs listed was "Black is Black."

The song has been covered by artists such as Del Shannon, Johnny Hallyday (who recorded the song in French - "Noir c'est noir"), and La Belle Epoque.

Answer: Academy Award

John Barry and Don Black wrote the song "Born Free" for the 1966 movie with the same title. Matt Monro recorded the song for the movie. The song was cut from the movie when it was first shown at the Royal Command premiere in London, England. Monro was at that premiere and let Black know what happened. They had the producers put it back in, albeit in a shortened version over the credits. However, the full version was included in the movie's soundtrack.

While Monro's version did not chart, it became his signature song. Later that year, Roger Williams covered the song, and his version reached number seven on the charts.

Artists such as Connie Francis, The Hesitations, Vic Reeves, and Andy Williams have covered the song.

Answer: Jill Haworth

Kander and Ebb wrote "Cabaret" for their 1966 Broadway musical of the same name. Jill Haworth originated the role of Sally Bowles on Broadway and was the first to perform the song. In the 1972 movie version, Liza Minnelli sang the song when she played Sally.

The song has also been covered by many artists, including Louis Armstrong, Ray Conniff, Brenda Lee, and Ashleigh Murray.

Answer: Lonely people

John Lennon and Paul McCartney have disputed over who actually wrote "Eleanor Rigby," but the song is credited to the Lennon-McCartney partnership. Others, such as producer George Martin, have supported McCartney's claim that he wrote the song. The song reached number one in Australia, Belgium, Canada, and New Zealand.

Eleanor Rigby was not a real person; in fact, originally, McCartney came up with the name Daisy Hawkins. He then got the idea for Eleanor from actress Eleanor Bron, who starred in the 1965 Beatles movie "Help!" Rigby came from a store called Rigby & Events Ltd. While she was not a real person, she was inspired by a real person. McCartney got to know an elderly lady who lived alone. However, this was also questioned when a gravestone of a woman named Eleanor Rigby was found in 1980.

The song was also used in the 1968 Beatles movie "Yellow Submarine." The song has been covered by artists such as Ray Charles, ZOOT, VoicePlay, and Aretha Franklin.

Answer: Buffalo Springfield

Stephen Sills wrote the song "For What It's Worth (Stop, Hey What's That Sound)" in 1966. The song is more commonly known as "For What It's Worth." Buffalo Springfield was the first group to record the song, which reached number seven on the charts.

The song is often considered an anti-war song. However, Stills has stated he wrote it because of the Sunset Strip curfew riots in LA in 1966.

The song has been covered by performers like Billy Porter, The Staple Singers, King Curtis, and Queensryche.

Answer: Foxy

Jimi Hendrix wrote and recorded "Foxy Lady" in 1966. It was not released until 1967, when it was released as a single and recorded on the "Are You Experienced" album. It reached number 67 on the charts."Rolling Stone Magazine" ranked it 153 on their "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list.

The song has been covered by ZZ Top, Jeff Beck Band & Billy Gibbons, and Paul McCartney, among others.

Answer: The Seekers

Tom Springfield and Jim Dale wrote the song "Georgy Girl." The Seekers recorded it that same year, and it was used for the title song in the 1966 movie of the same name. The lyrics in the beginning and end of the movie are different from each other. Also, these lyrics are different from the single the group released. The song was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song, but lost to "Born Free." The song reached number two on the charts.

"Georgy Girl" has been covered by artists such as The Lennon Sisters, the Baja Marimba Band, Saori Minami, and Mitzi Gaynor.

Answer: The Beach Boys

Brian Wilson and Tony Asher wrote "God Only Knows," and the Beach Boys recorded the song in 1966 on their "Pet Sounds" album. "Rolling Stone Magazine" ranked the song number 11 in their "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll" list.

The song has been covered by artists such as Pentatonix, Libera, MKTO, and the MonaLisa Twins.

Answer: The Beach Boys

Brian Wilson and Mike Love wrote "Good Vibrations." Some books also list Tony Asher as helping to write the song. The song topped the charts. Wilson was inspired by multiple factors: his interest in ESP, the song "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'," and his use of marijuana. The term "good vibrations" or "good vibes" was a slang term from drugs.

The song has been covered by artists such as Todd Rundgren, the Troggs, the Cowsills, and Nina Hagen.

Answer: How good it can be

Paul McCartney wrote the love ballad "Here, There, and Everywhere." The Beatles first recorded the song in 1966. One of the lines of the song says, "both of us thinking how good it can be." "Mojo" magazine ranked the song the fourth greatest song of all time in 2000.

Artists such as The Fourmost, Emmylou Harris, Sean Lennon, and Elvis Costello have covered the song.

Answer: The Doors

The Doors wrote the song "Break on Through (To the Other Side)" in 1966. It was released on their self-titled album the following year. While it only reached 126 on the charts, it became a staple song for the group. Originally, the song contained the repeated line "She gets high," but it was cut out as producer Paul A. Rothchild did not want the song to appear to be a drug song. Since then, both versions have been released, however.

Travis Meeks is among those who have covered the song.

Answer: Paul Simon

Paul Simon wrote the song "Homeward Bound" in December 1965. The pop duo Simon and Garfunkel recorded it the following month, January 1966. Simon wrote the song at a train station in England while waiting for a train at Widnes railway station. A plaque at the station reads, "At Widnes Station in 1965, Paul Simon wrote the song Homeward Bound." The song reached number five on the charts in America and number two in Canada.

In 1976, Simon performed "Homeward Bound" with former-Beatles member, George Harrison, on an episode of "Saturday Night Live." In 2025, he performed the song on "SNL" again for the show's 50th anniversary special, but with Sabrina Carpenter.

Answer: Holdin' onto one another's hand

Ritchie Cordell wrote the song "I Think We're Alone Now." Tommy James and the Shondells recorded it in 1966, and it was released in 1967. The song reached number four on the charts.

Artists such as Lene Lovich, Tiffany, Girls Aloud, and Billie Joe Armstrong have covered the song.