Music of the ’90s was the topic of discussion – and trivia – Monday night. Three of us played a virtual Sporcle Live game presented via a Zoom conference call – we missed only one regular round question, but floundered more toward the end by missing three mystery round questions and the final question. Several of the players said they felt the mystery round questions were confusing – though that wasn’t our excuse for not getting them right!

This question set was pretty much mostly Kim’s wheelhouse, but I stepped in for a couple (including the only mystery round question we got correct…that was a rough round) – and even my husband Mike got to be a superstar on a question about alcohol!

1. Greatest Hits – What pop star released a 1990 greatest hits album titled “The Immaculate Collection?”

2. On the Charts – What 1996 song by Ginuwine was his first charting single on the Billboard Hot 100? Very, very strange reason I knew the answer (though Kim also knew it). This song was playing during a trivia game at Johnny’s Grill maybe three years ago or so and I’d never heard it before, but I got curious enough about it to google the lyrics later on. And I would also even reference this song in a blog I would later write about the blue-ringed octopus (specifically the way octopuses have sex). Uh, all right then!

3. Albums – What is the title of the 1995 album that includes the songs “Champagne Supernova,” “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” and “Wonderwall?” Glad Kim remembered this – when she said the name, I knew it was correct, but would not have come up with this on my own. 

4. Alcohol – In the lyrics to “Tumthumping” by Chumbawumba, “he drinks” what four types of alcoholic beverages? And here’s where Mike got to be a superstar!

5. Second Hits – What band has had two top ten hits on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1997, the second of which was “The Rascal King?” Miss.

6. Award Winning Songs – For his contribution on the Philadelphia soundtrack, what artist won the Oscar for Best Original Song in 1994 for a track titled “Streets of Philadelphia?”

7. Covers – On two occasions, once in 1994 and once in 1995, All-4-One had a top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with a song that had been previously a #1 hit on the Country charts by John Michael Montgomery. Name both of those songs. Again, glad Kim was all over this…I would’ve had no effing clue.

8. Soundtracks – The songs “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me,” “Kiss From a Rose,” and “Smash it Up” all appear on the soundtrack to what 1995 film? Yay a question Kim needed me for!

Joe on “Family Guy” doing his impression of a music artist we would talk about in the game…

9. Lyrics – In the lyrics of a 1998 single, what singer-songwriter thanks India, terror, frailty and silence among other things? We wound up discussing another artist (who would not have been the correct answer) more than the correct answer, though we still got it correct. We also got to hear Mike’s imitation of the incorrect person singing!!!

10 Long Songs – The longest song to ever reach the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 is what 1992 song by Guns ‘N Roses?

Mystery – Best New Artist

Name the person who won the Grammy for Best New Artist in the 1990s based on the list of musicians who were also nominated.

M1 – 1992 – A solo artist – Boyz II Men, C+C Music Factory, Color Me Badd and Seal

M2 – 1996 – A band – Brandy, Alanis Morrissette, Joan Osborne, Shania Twainvirtual

M3 – 1993 – A hip-hop group – Billy Ray Cyrus, Sophie B. Hawkins, Kriss Kross and John Secada

M4 – A solo artist – Backstreet Boys, Andrea Bocelli, Dixie Chicks, and Natalie Imbruglia

Missed all of these except #3. We were tied with one other team for third with 54 points going into the final (the top team had 56 points).

Final Category – Sales

In the 1990s, not counting soundtrack albums, two of the best selling albums of the year in the U.S. were by foreign artists. One of those was Alanis Morrissette in 1996. What foreign artist had the best selling album in the U.S. in the following year?

We picked a different foreign artist who also released an album in 1997…

As always, Go Pods, and stay classy, Scary Spice!