The Pop Music Trivia Puzzle

by Russ Lindway

©2011 Rubato, Vivace & Lindway, Inc.

Happy new year, music trivia fans.  Just stopping in to give you the solution to CHAIN OF HITS #63, as well as last week’s Beatles Brain-Buster, below.  The Chains will be back at some point, just don’t know when.  Maybe I’ll read you on Facebook in the meantime.  Otherwise, have a great 2011!

Chain of Hits #63 solution

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Answer to last week’s Bonus Beatles Brain-Buster:

Who is REALLY the “Fifth Beatle?”

ANSWER: This is a subjective question, of course.  Some say Stuart Sutcliffe, or Billy Preston, or Brian Epstein, or Mal Evans.  But really, when it comes to the Beatles’ music, sound and aural legacy, there is only one answer: GEORGE MARTIN.

The Pop Music Trivia Puzzle

by Russ Lindway

©2010 Rubato, Vivace & Lindway, Inc.

Happy Boxing Day, and welcome to the season finale of CHAIN OF HITS!  This “Chart Catch-All” Chain of seven hit singles will be the last for a while.  I need to rest (read: do other stuff) and come back with a whole new batch of puzzles at some future date.  The last 13 months of bringing you these Chains have been a lot of fun, and I could make these puzzles all the live-long day.  Perhaps one day I’ll be able to.  In the meantime, enjoy this last Chain and feel free to go back and enjoy the other 62.  Better yet, introduce a music-obsessed acquaintance to them.  (There’s one final Bonus Beatles Brain-Buster, too.)

Be sure to check out my weekday morning music feature on my Facebook wall.  If you wanna be my pal on FB for that reason, just let me know you’re a music fan and I’ll Friend you up.  The solution to this week’s puzzle and BBB-B will be appear here on January 2^nd.  So have a great rest of ‘Ten and an even better ‘Eleven.

Chain of Hits #63 (12-26-10)

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Answer to last week’s Bonus Beatles Brain-Buster:

What actual Beatles core-catalog recording is heard on the 1969 Beatles Fan Club Christmas Record?

ANSWER: “THE END.”

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This week’s Bonus Beatles Brain-Buster:

Who is REALLY the “Fifth Beatle?”

Answer on January 2^nd.

The Pop Music Trivia Puzzle

by Russ Lindway

©2010 Rubato, Vivace & Lindway, Inc.

Everywhere it’s Christmas/Kwanzaa/Hanukkah/Festivus, everywhere it’s fun!  And for no particular reason, my gift to you is a 1980s CHAIN OF HITS puzzle (#62 in a series of 63) and another holiday-themed Bonus Beatles Brain-Buster.  Next week’s Boxing Day Chain will be the final one for this here blog before it goes on hiatus.  So link now while you still can!  And have a Merry Whatever all this week, and next week, too.

Chain of Hits #62 (12-19-10)

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Answer to last week’s Bonus Beatles Brain-Buster:

Tiny Tim (“Tip-Toe Thru’ the Tulips With Me”) sings what song on the 1968 Beatles Fan Club Christmas Record?

ANSWER: “NOWHERE MAN.”

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This week’s Bonus Beatles Brain-Buster:

What actual Beatles core-catalog recording is heard on the 1969 Beatles Fan Club Christmas Record?

Answer on December 26^th.

The Pop Music Trivia Puzzle

by Russ Lindway

©2010 Rubato, Vivace & Lindway, Inc.

Here we are at the very end of the holiday season.  (Well, it IS the very end, if you factor in when radio stations started playing Christmas music – was it August this year?)  Anyhoo, it’s a Very Special CHAIN OF HITS #61 … only because there will never be another 61^st Chain of Hits.  This one reverts back to the Chart Catch-All genre.  Shot like an arrow from me to you.  And there’s also a Very Very Special yuletide-themed Beatles Brain-Buster.  So, holly jolly, and all that.  And like the slave-driving farmer said to his lazy farm hand … “Hoe! Hoe! Hoe!”

Chain of Hits #61 (12-12-10)

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Answer to last week’s Bonus Beatles Brain-Buster:

Quite recently, the ABBEY ROAD album and the song “Here Comes the Sun” achieved a certain distinction.  What were those respective distinctions?

ANSWER: They were biggest selling Beatles album and track on iTunes after the first month of official digital release (finally!).

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This week’s Bonus Beatles Brain-Buster:

Tiny Tim (“Tip-Toe Thru’ the Tulips With Me”) sings what song on the 1968 Beatles Fan Club Christmas Record?

Answer on December 19^th.

The Pop Music Trivia Puzzle

by Russ Lindway

©2010 Rubato, Vivace & Lindway, Inc.

Hi folks.  As we near the close of Season 1 of CHAIN OF HITS – the season finale will be the week of December 26^th – this week we’re trying a Chain theme that’s a little bit different from the usual.  It’s only four titles long, and it features artists that begin with the letter ‘M.” So along with the looming Yuletide (if you’re into that kind of thing), enjoy Chain of Hits #60 while you can.  Oh, and the new Bonus Beatles Brain-Buster, too.

Chain of Hits #60 (12-5-10)

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Answer to last week’s Bonus Beatles Brain-Buster:

In the Beatles’ entire catalog of commercially-released studio recordings, which track begins with George Harrison speaking the words, “Hi, Ringo” …?

ANSWER: “FLY ON THE WALL,” from the LET IT BE…NAKED album/bonus disc. (The question refers to a TRACK, not a song.)

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This week’s Bonus Beatles Brain-Buster:

Quite recently, the ABBEY ROAD album and the song “Here Comes the Sun” achieved a certain distinction.  What were those respective distinctions?

Answer on December 12^th.

The Pop Music Trivia Puzzle

by Russ Lindway

©2010 Rubato, Vivace & Lindway, Inc.

Greetings. I hope all you colonists had a lovely Thanksgiving. And I hope all you rabid U.S. consumers had a successful, injury-free Black Friday. (Everyone else everywhere else, I hope you had a lovely late November weekend.) To reward you en masse for getting through another holiday kickoff weekend, here’s CHAIN OF HITS #59 (category: “Chart Catch-All”) featuring seven eclectic artists and corresponding titles. Plus a tricky Bonus Beatles Brain-Buster question that DOESN’T have erroneous information in it (reference last week’s question for some erroneousnessnessness). Write to you in December…

Chain of Hits #59 (11-28-10)

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Answer to last week’s Bonus Beatles Brain-Buster:

Name the only two Beatles albums that won Grammy awards in their time (i.e.: not “Hall of Fame” recognition years later), and how many total Grammys they won between them (in their time).

ANSWER: OKAY, I LIED … THERE WERE FOUR GRAMMY-WINNING BEATLES ALBUMS IN THEIR TIME (SGT. PEPPER, ABBEY ROAD, LET IT BE AND LOVE), WITH SEVEN GRAMMYS BETWEEN THEM:

• Album Of The Year: SGT. PEPPER’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND
• Best Contemporary Album: SGT. PEPPER’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND
• Best Engineered Recording (Non-Classical): SGT. PEPPER’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND
• Best Engineered Recording (Non-Classical): ABBEY ROAD
• Best Original Score Written For A Motion Picture Or TV Special: LET IT BE
• Best Surround Sound Album: LOVE
• Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: LOVE

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This week’s Bonus Beatles Brain-Buster:

In the Beatles’ entire catalog of commercially-released studio recordings, which track begins with George Harrison speaking the words, “Hi, Ringo” …?

Answer on December 5^th.

The Pop Music Trivia Puzzle

by Russ Lindway

©2010 Rubato, Vivace & Lindway, Inc.

Yo yo, CHAIN OF HITS #58 is all about rap. The new Bonus Beatles Brain-Buster question has nothing to do with rap.  Yep, something for everyone.  Happy Thanksgiving.

Chain of Hits #58 (11-21-10)

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Answer to last week’s Bonus Beatles Brain-Buster:

What did “Michelle” – a non-single release – accomplish that no other Beatles single ever did?

ANSWER: IT WON THE GRAMMY AWARD FOR “SONG OF THE YEAR.”

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This week’s Bonus Beatles Brain-Buster:

On the subject of Grammys, name the only two Beatles albums that won Grammys in their time (i.e.: not “Hall of Fame” recognition years later), and how many total Grammys they won between them (in their time).

Answer on November 28^th.

The Pop Music Trivia Puzzle

by Russ Lindway

©2010 Rubato, Vivace & Lindway, Inc.

Another crafty CHAIN OF HITS music trivia puzzle awaits you at the link below.  This week’s category: “Chart Catch-All (1955-2010).”  Five titles.  What could go wrong?  There’s also a tantalizing new Bonus Beatles Brain-Buster on this page that’s not as easy as it first appears.  Thanks for visiting.

Chain of Hits #57 (11-14-10)

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Answer to last week’s Bonus Beatles Brain-Buster:

What was the last piece of music producer George Martin personally worked on for a Beatles song before he retired – specifically in terms of the actual recording of new material?

ANSWER: THE NEW STRING ARRANGEMENT FOR THE ACOUSTIC DEMO VERSION OF “WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS” … INCLUDED ON THE “LOVE” ALBUM IN 2006.

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This week’s Bonus Beatles Brain-Buster:

What did “Michelle” – a non-single release – accomplish that no other Beatles single ever did?

Answer on November 21st.

The Pop Music Trivia Puzzle

by Russ Lindway

©2010 Rubato, Vivace & Lindway, Inc.

“The gales of November came early” in these parts. So we’re hunkerin’ down with some cider (my honey makes a great recipe, with oranges), diggin’ on some great 2010 music (B. Folds, C. Gainsbourg for starters) and puttin’ together a sparse, minimalist, five-song CHAIN OF HITS (#56) for ya that’s all about the glorious 1990s. Work on it, and the new Bonus Beatles Brain-Buster question, during some of that November Rain you might be getting this week.

Chain of Hits #56 (11-7-10)

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Answer to last week’s Bonus Beatles Brain-Buster:

Who appears immediately before, and immediately after, the Beatles on the list of artists who have charted on Billboard’s HOT 100 singles charts since the Rock Era began in 1955?

ANSWER: BEASTIE BOYS — (THE BEATLES) — THE BEATNUTS

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This week’s Bonus Beatles Brain-Buster:

What was the last piece of music producer George Martin personally worked on for a Beatles song before he retired – specifically in terms of the actual recording of new material?

Answer on November 14^th.

The Pop Music Trivia Puzzle

by Russ Lindway

©2010 Rubato, Vivace & Lindway, Inc.

Happy Halloweenie, music trivia fans.  This week’s CHAIN OF HITS (#55) is of the “Catch-All” variety, but it begins and ends with titles that are distinctly Halloween-centric.  One is a cover by CCR, and the other is a classic by BOC (more cowbell!).  You can work on it this week (along with the new Bonus Beatles Brain-Buster) while you’re horking down all the candy you scored on Sunday 10/31.  Boo-yah.

Chain of Hits #55 (10-31-10)

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Answer to last week’s Bonus Beatles Brain-Buster:

As of October 24^th, of all the Beatles U.S. charted singles, and of all the George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Wings and Ringo Starr U.S. charted singles, only George’s “Got My Mind Set on You” did this particular thing.  What is it?

ANSWER: IT DEBUTED ON THE BILLBOARD HOT 100 ON THAT DATE: OCTOBER 24^TH (1987).

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This week’s Bonus Beatles Brain-Buster:

Who appears immediately before, and immediately after, the Beatles on the list of artists who have charted on Billboard’s HOT 100 singles charts since the Rock Era began in 1955?

Answer on November 7^th.