Country Crossover Hits Trivia Quiz

Answer: Back Home Again

"Back Home Again" was 1974 crossover hit for John Denver that topped the Country Charts and reached Number Five on the US Billboard Hot 100. Glen Campbell began releasing singles in 1968 with "Dreams for Sale". The song failed to chart, but after a few more releases he hit Number 62 in 1961 with "Turn Around, Look at Me".

It wasn't until "Gentle on my Mind" was released in mid-1967 and went on to be the theme for his show did Glen have his first crossover hit. "Gentle on My Mind" earned two Grammy Awards in 1968. One for the composer, John Hartford, and one for Glen as singer. "Galveston" hit Number Four on the Billboard Hot 100 and went all the way to Number One on the Country charts in 1969. "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" reached Number Two on the Country Charts and 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967 and the following year "Wichita Lineman" topped the Country Charts and came close to the top on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at Number Three.

Answer: Dang Me

"Dang Me" brought Roger Miller to the attention of a diverse national audience in 1964. It also earned Miller a Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Song. "Chug-a-Lug" came out later the same year and also made the Top Ten on both charts. The song addressed drinking moonshine in a humorous manner. "Do-Wacka-Do" followed the next year, but fared better on the Country charts, reaching the Top Twenty.

It made it to 31 on the Hot 100. He had better luck in 1964 with "Engine Engine No. 9", reaching the Top Ten on both charts. Miller also had a big crossover hit the same year with "King of the Road". Country singer Jody Miller released "Queen of the House", putting different lyrics to the same song.

Although it is well known that Miller took home several Grammy Awards, he also won a Tony Award for composing the music and lyrics for the play, "Big River".

Answer: Lynn Anderson

Joe South composed "(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden" and included the song on his 1969 "Introspect" album. Dobie Gray also released a single version of the song the same year. Lynn Anderson's label tried to discourage her from recording the song but her determination won out and she recorded the song with only a short amount of studio time left during the session. Upon hearing the final mix Columbia Records execs promptly decided to release the song as a single as well as name her next album "Rose Garden". Crystal Gayle's 1970 single was "I've Cried the Blue Right Out of My Eyes".

Her sister, Loretta Lynn, charted "I Know How" and "Wings Upon Your Horns" in 1970 and Skeeter Davis' 1970 Country single was "I'm a Lover (Not a Fighter)".

Answer: El Paso

"El Paso" was written and recorded by Marty Robbins on his "Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs" LP in 1959. The song kicked off the sixties as the Number One song on both charts. His label was reluctant to release the song as a single because it ran over four minutes. Executives believed it would not get substantial airplay.

The song did go on to become a classic and garnered Robbins a Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording in 1961. "A White Sport Coat" made it to the top of the Country Charts and Number Two on the Hot 100 in 1957. "The Story of My Life" was a Country Chart-topper and a Billboard Hot 100 Top Ten in 1957. "Devil Woman" came out in 1962 and reached the Top Ten on the Billboard Hot 100 and Number One on the Country Charts.

Answer: The Turnabouts

The Turnabouts was Merrilee Rush's backing band when she recorded "Angel of the Morning" in 1968. "Lucille" was also Kenny's first single to reach Number one in the UK in June, 1977. Roger Bowling and Hal Bynum wrote the song which was inspired by actual events. Rogers began his singing career in the mid-fifties with a Doo-wop group calling themselves The Scholars.

After their lead singer went solo he tried his hand at Jazz with The Bobby Doyle Trio. They broke up in 1965 and Kenny became one of the New Christy Minstrels. Kenny and other members of the group formed The First Edition in 1967 and they had hits including "Somethings Burning" and "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" before Kenny went solo in 1976.

He has charted over a dozen Number One Country songs and has realized Number One success on the Pop charts with "Lady" and "Islands in the Stream", a duet with with Dolly Parton.

Answer: Dolly Parton

"Here You Come Again" was not only the name of a Dolly Parton hit but also the title of a 1977 album. The song was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. The duo is known primarily for composing pop songs such as "Uptown", "We Gotta Get Out of This Place", "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" and "On Broadway". "Two Doors Down" was a Dolly Parton original tune that was also included on the album.

The song also became a hit for Dolly. In 1980 "9 to 5" was Dolly's first song to go to Number One on both charts.

In 1977 Crystal Gayle had a hit with "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" on both charts. "It's a Heartache" was a cross-over done by Bonnie Tyler in 1977. "Stand By Your Man' was a Number One Country song by Tammy Wynette that also made the Top Twenty on the Pop Charts in 1968.

Answer: Eddie Rabbitt

Edward Thomas Rabbitt took 26 singles to the top of the Billboard Country charts. In the late sixties he migrated to Nashville from his native New York and first began his career in music as a songwriter. He gained respect in the composing field when Elvis recorded his composition, "Kentucky Rain".

In 1974 he signed with Elektra Records and released a Top Forty Country song titled "You Get To Me". Two years later he released his first Country Number One, "Drinkin' My Baby (Off My Mind)", and later recorded the theme to the 1978 Clint Eastwood movie, "Every Which Way But Loose".

In 1982 he recorded "You and I" with Crystal Gayle. In addition to his Country Music success he placed eight Top Forty songs on the Pop Charts. He passed away in 1998 of lung cancer at age 56. "Longer" and "Leader of the Band" were Billboard Pop Number One hits for Dan Fogelberg. "Sundown" was a crossover hit for Gordon Lightfoot in 1974. Ronnie Milsap recorded several Number One Country singles.

In 1981 "(There's) No Gettin' Over Me" became his biggest crossover hit.

Answer: Jim Reeves

"He'll Have to Go" reached Number Two on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960 and hit the top spot on the Billboard Country charts and remained there for 14 weeks. Before "He'll Have to Go hit the charts, Reeves had an earlier crossover hit with "Four Walls".

It made it to Number 11 on the US Pop Charts. Reeves began his career as a disc jockey and announcer for various radio stations. He charted his first Number One Country hit in 1953 with "Mexican Joe". In 1964 Reeves died at age 40 in a crash while piloting his plane over Brentwood, Tennessee. Sonny James had 16 consecutive Number One Country hits but his first and biggest crossover hit was in 1957 with "Young Love".

In 1963 Bill Anderson had his first significant crossover hit when "Still" went Number One on the Country Charts and Number Eight on the Pop Charts. Eddie Arnold has a legacy of Country hits including the 1965 crossover hit, "Make the World Go Away".

Answer: I've Got a Tiger By the Tail

"I've Got a Tiger By the Tail" made it to Number 25 on the Pop charts in 1964. County Music Hall of Fame member Harlan Howard wrote the song with Buck Owens. It was one of 21 Number One Country songs that Buck Owens recorded. He pioneered a Country sound that originated in Bakersfield, California, rather that the traditional Nashville style. Buck's style incorporated elements of Rock and Roll Music.

In 1969 he began co-hosting "Hee-Haw" and remained with the show until 1986. He passed away at age 76 in his sleep in 2006 after performing at the Crystal Palace in Bakersfield. "Together Again", "Act Naturally" and "Love's Gonna Live Here" all went Number One on the US Billboard Country charts, but failed to dent the Pop Charts. "Act Naturally" became popular when The Beatles recorded a version.

Answer: Alan Jackson

When Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett took "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" to the top spot for eight weeks it became the first Country song to stay at the top for eight weeks since Lonestar's 1999 hit, "Amazed". It was Buffett's first Top Forty Country song since he released "If the Phone Doesn't Ring, It's Me" in 1985. Jackson's first Number One Country hit was "I'd Love You All Over Again" in 1991.

As of 2008 he had placed 26 songs at the top of the Country Charts and 55 of his 56 single Country releases have hit the Top Forty. Toby Keith recorded "Beer for My Horses" with Willie Nelson in 2003.

The song made Willie the oldest Country singer at the time to have a Number One song on the Billboard Country Charts. Kenny Chesney had his own Number One Country song in 2003 with "There Goes My Life" and Tim McGraw had a Number One the same year with "Real Good Man".