Write Me the Right Tune Trivia Quiz

Answer: Maxine Nightengale

This song, an international hit for Ms. Nightengale, was written by Pierre Tubbs and Vincent Edwards. It was an homage to the Motown composers Holland/Dozier/Holland whom Edwards admired. Former ELO bassist Mike Albuquerque was in on the recording session, in England, which was only geared to produce a demo.

He claimed Nightengale was unhappy with the instrumentation and felt the key was wrong for her. All that changed when the record was released "as is" and became a multimillion dollar smash.

Answer: Billy Joel

The lyric is from "You May Be Right," a single and cut from Joel's "Glass Houses" LP, his answer to punk rock. It rose to number seven on the US charts but was not a hit in the UK. The song, as covered by Southside Johnny, was the theme song for the 1990s US television sitcom "Dave's World," and was also covered by Garth Brooks, Keith Urban and The Vindictives. Acker Bilk was an English clarinet player who had the top selling 1962 UK hit with the song "Stranger On the Shore." This instrumental also became the first song by a British artist to reach number one in the US on the modern Billboard top 100 pop chart.

Answer: Simon and Garfunkel

The song "Why Don't You Write Me" is from the phenomenally successful and critically acclaimed "Bridge Over Troubled Water" LP, which won multiple Grammy awards and was named number fifty one on Rolling Stone magazine's Top 500 Albums list. The song marked the beginning of Paul Simon's foray into reggae and other world music genres, a trend that continued as he and Art Garfunkel split to explore solo projects (including acting). One story says the duo turned down a chance to play at Woodstock because they were working so hard on the album.

Answer: J.J. Jackson

Jerome Louis Jackson came out with "But It's Alright" supposedly as the "B" side of "Boogaloo Baby," but which eventually became a popular dance anthem of the 1960s and his biggest hit. It was recorded in the UK with top flight jazz session men and has a dynamite horn section.

Answer: Gerry Rafferty

Rafferty was a talented Scottish singer/songwriter who produced some excellent folk/rock tunes in the 1970s and early 1980s as part of the band Stealers Wheel and later as a solo artist. These include "Stuck in the Middle with You," "Baker Street," and "Right Down the Line." Rafferty died in 2011 at age 64 after battling alcoholism most of his adult life.

Answer: Dr. John, not Fats Domino, was responsible for this song

In fact it was that coolest of cats, Dr. John, who wrote, sang and produced this 1972 hit. Born Malcolm John Rebennack on 11/21/1940, Dr. John was still actively cranking out New Orleans funk, zydeco and good old fashioned rock and roll as of 2014, and he loves Fats Domino.

Answer: letter

I had to slip in a real oldie here. This American pop classic, penned in 1935 by Fred Ahlert and Joe Young, has been covered by hundreds of artists from Fats Waller and Nat King Cole to Willie Nelson and Barry Manilow. It's a featured song in several Broadway musicals, most notably "Ain't Misbehavin'."

Answer: Have I the Right

"Have I the Right" was the 1964 debut single for the group. It features a driving rhythm section led by Ann "Honey" Lantree, one of the very few female drummers in early British (or any) rock and roll. The song was written by Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley. The other titles are fictitious.

Answer: Paperback Writer

The tune, written mostly by Paul McCartney, was a huge hit. It reached number one in the UK, the US, Ireland, Germany and Australia. Paul supposedly came up with the idea after his aunt questioned why all the Beatles songs had to be about love, and soon afterward he saw Ringo reading a book. Paul and John Lennon have both said the intricate harmonies in the song were inspired by the Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds" album.

Answer: (If Loving You is Wrong) I Don't Wanna Be Right

Did I confuse you yet? Darn, you're too smart for me if you picked out "I Don't Wanna Be Right." Homer Banks wrote this soulful ballad exploring mature themes of marital infidelity for Stax Records. "Mean Woman Blues" is the only other choice which is a real title, but it's WRONG because Roy Orbison sang it and it doesn't say "right" in the title!