In the time of the Internet and on-demand streaming services, it feels like every information is readily available. However, there is a rare entertainment and intellectual value in watching smart people answer smart people questions. It just might be the secret to the timelessness of America's beloved quiz show, "Jeopardy!"
Since it first aired on NBC on March 30, 1964, one of the most persistent categories on "Jeopardy!" has been music. It has caught unassuming contestants with questions we all thought we knew. Of course, there has only been one source of records for hit songs throughout the ages - The Billboard Hot 100.
The US' industry standard for chart records, the Billboard Hot 100 has started tracking the hit singles since 1958. To get your music trivia boost, here are some notable music questions, taken from the Jeopardy! Archive, answered by these Billboard Hot 100 compilations, available on Amazon:
Clue #1: "This 1961 Elvis movie soundtrack LP contained the hits "Can't Help Falling In Love" & "Rock-A-Hula Baby"
This was the clue posted under the category "No. 1 Albums of the '60s" for $800. It was aired during the Double Jeopardy! Round of the November 24, 2014 episode. The answer of course, is "Blue Hawaii," Elvis' 1961 hit romantic comedy film.
One of its most iconic tracks, "Can't Help Falling in Love," peaked at No. 2 on the singles charts. It is included in the compilation of the Billboard Hot 100 - The Sixties, an old reprint in limited stocks at Amazon. Look for the chart date February 3, 1962.
Clue #2: ""No Elvis, Beatles, or the Rolling Stones," sang The Clash in the song titled this year of Elvis's passing."
This question alone is worth $1600, twice the first one. It also appeared during the Double Jeopardy! Round of its July 14, 2017 episode. By the way, the very expensive answer to this one is "1977."
The question is easy for music fans by the time Elvis Presley passed away in August 1977. The same goes for those who have an access to the hits of the time with The Billboard Hot 100 - The Seventies, available on Amazon. In "1977", British rock royalties The Clash have claimed their era of rock and roll, saying that the old icons "Elvis, Beatles, or the Rolling Stones," are gone. Five months later, Elvis bit the dust.
Clue #3: "(Hi, I'm Jane Wiedlin) Among my credits is this song that starts, "Can you hear them? Talkin' about us, telling lies..."
Another easy money for the fans, this clue was posted under the category "That Old Time New Wave Music." It was aired on the January 11, 2000 episode for $1000. The answer to that question was "Our Lips Are Sealed," the title to The Go-Go's 1981 track.
It was the opening song for their debut album Beauty and the Beat. As their first single, it enjoyed commercial success and has helped transition the 70s to the rising 80s New Wave music. It managed to peak at the 20th spot in the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 - The Eighties. Get your copy now from Amazon and learn the music trends that swept the US, from the rise of the New Wave to the ushering of the 90s with grunge and indie rock.
Enjoy the nostalgic resurgence of 80s music with Top 5 samples of 80s music used in Netflix's "Stranger Things." Or better yet, further improve your trivia power with these pivotal moments in music history:
July 8, 1996: Spice Girls released "Wannabe" in UK
July 10, 1965: Rolling Stones score their first US #1 single
July 12, 1979: "Lovin' You" singer Minnie Ripperton dies at 31
