1965 Pop Music Hits Trivia Quiz

Answer: Get her out of my heart

The Beach Boys, led by Al Jardine's vocals, sang, "Help me Rhonda, yeah/Get her out of my heart." This song went to the top of the U.S. Billboard singles charts in the spring of 1965. "Help Me, Rhonda" is listed in some charts as being the sixteenth most popular single in the U.S. for the entire year of '65.

Answer: The Pharaohs

Sam the Sham (aka Domingo "Sam" Samudio) grew up in Dallas, Texas, and formed the nucleus of the Pharaohs in the early 1960s. "Wooly Bully" turned out to be the Pharaohs' biggest U.S. hit, rising to the number two position on the Billboard charts in June 1965. Band member Butch Gibson played the hard-driving saxophone solo on this record which featured the following opening lyrics: "Matty told Hatty about a thing she saw / Had two big horns and a wooly jaw/Wooly bully..." The song's lyrics didn't make such sense, but the music was fun to dance to.

In 1965, Junior Walker and the All Stars had a hit with "Shotgun"; The McCoys sang "Hang On Sloopy"; and the Searchers performed "Love Potion Number Nine."

Answer: Selma

"Eve of Destruction" was a popular protest song in the USA- it reached the number one spot on the Billboard singles charts in September 1965. An angry singer named Barry McGuire sharply criticized the world as he saw it in '65. He sang, "Think of all the hate there is in Red China/Then take a look around to Selma, Alabama." McGuire was no doubt referring to the violent civil rights protest marches which had taken place in the city of Selma during March of 1965.

Answer: Thrill

Mel Carter, from Cincinnati, had a big hit with his version of the song "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me." The tune reached the number eight position on the U.S. singles charts. Carter passionately sang, "But they never stood in the dark with you love/When you take me in your arms and drive me slowly out of my mind/Hold me, thrill me..."

Answer: Shirley Bassey

The James Bond movie "Goldfinger" was released in 1964, and the single by Shirley Bassey appeared in the UK in the same year. However, in the States, the song "Goldfinger" wasn't released until January 1965. The song rose to the number eight position in the U.S. Billboard charts. Bassey, born in Wales, added fire and passion to the song's lyrics written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley.

In 1965, Barbara Mason had a hit with "Yes I'm Ready"; Shirley Ellis' song "The Name Game" was popular; and Jackie DeShannon performed the song "Love Will Find a Way."

Answer: Shirts and cigarettes

Quite simply one of the best rock songs ever recorded. A driving beat and Mick Jagger's outstanding vocals propelled "Satisfaction" to the number one spot in the U.S. singles charts in the summer of 1965. First, Jagger sang about shirts: "When I'm watching my TV/And that man comes on to tell me/How white my shirts can be..." Jagger then adds, "Well, he can't be a man 'cause he doesn't smoke the same cigarettes as me..."

Answer: Sam Cooke

The Manchester (England) band Herman's Hermits achieved considerable success in the U.S. in 1965. The Hermits, led by Peter Noone, reached the number four spot in the Billboard charts with their version of Sam Cooke's classic song "Wonderful World." Cooke (and Noone) sang, " Now I don't claim to be an 'A' student, but I'm trying to be / For maybe by being an 'A' student, baby, I can win your love for me..." The Sam Cooke rendition had already reached the 12 position in the Billboard charts in 1960.

Herman's Hermits ended 1965 by having six singles in the Billboard Top 100 songs of the year. This song shouldn't be confused with Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World", which reached number one in the UK in 1968.

Answer: Billy Joe Royal

A Georgian country singer named Billy Joe Royal hit the mainstream U.S. pop singles charts in 1965 with his song "Down In the Boondocks"- a classic case of a poor boy falling in love with a wealthy young lady. The word "boondocks" is an American slang word which means a low-class area, far from the big city. Billy Joe Royal sings, "Down in the boondocks, down in the boondocks/People put me down 'cause that's the side of town I was born in..." Royal took the song to the number nine position in the U.S. Billboard charts. Country singer Roger Miller, from Texas, had a hit single with "King of the Road", and Dell Shannon, born in Michigan, hit the charts with "Keep Searchin". Gene Pitney, from Connecticut, did not have any hit songs in 1965.

Answer: Must we say good-bye

"Cara mia, why must we say good-bye?" This passionate question was the basis for a top five U.S. hit in 1965. David ("Jay") Black gave a stirring rendition to a song which had already been a hit for David Whitfield during the 1950s. Black continued with his plea: "Each time we part, my heart wants to die/Darling, hear my prayer, cara mia fair..."

Answer: Wales

Sir Thomas Jones Woodward was born near Cardiff, Wales, in 1940. In 1965, he burst onto the American pop music scene in spectacular fashion with his show-stopping song "It's Not Unusual." The Welsh superstar belted out these lyrics: "It's not unusual to go out at any time/But when I see you out and about, it's such a crime!" This song climbed to the number ten spot on the U.S. charts in May 1965. Jones also had a 1965 hit with "What's New Pussycat."