The recent violent storms in Southeast Michigan knocked out power for thousands – maybe hundreds of thousands – of customers on a recent Thursday afternoon, and the “customers” living in our home were among them.

Which explains why this game recap is being posted three days after the fact!

Our power was just turned on within the past hour, so here I go sharing the story about how two gals from Ypsilanti – and Canton – ventured into Flint yet again for a musical trivia triumph!

I grew up in the area, so I always like going back to my sort-of “native soil” from time to time.

Kim played here solo on impulse for the first time a couple of years ago and decided to. invite her music trivia gal pals along occasionally for other games. I’ve even brought along old friends from high school to these games!

We won a $40/first place prize on that night. Yes you read that right, no typos. I don’t know if this was the first time I’d ever whisper-sung a song into a teammate’s ear during a trivia game (knowing me, probably not 🤣) to show that I knew at least part of what would make it the answer, but yes, I totally did that thing! And because Kim was wise enough to know the actual title of the song? We were able to hold onto our lead and win the game!

Here were our abbreviated game questions: 

Round One 

Category – 1982 – All questions will be about songs from this year

What title of a #1 song by the Steve Miller Band, can describe, per Merriam-Webster, a set of words believed to have magic power?”

What duo had two hits in this year with “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)” and “Maneater?”

Funny story, a few days ago, for some inexplicable reason and out of the blue, I was working and started having another song by this artist running through my head, with the lyrics “My bark is much worse than my bite” and “Leave Me Alone I’m a (two words)?” Later, I would use the bark/bite metaphor with my husband to describe rush hour traffic by a shopping mall!

What band had a hit this year with “Don’t You Want Me?”

Round Two

Category – Who Sang it Better?

In this round, we were asked to identify songs that were covered by multiple artists.

Lisa Stansfield did a 1997 cover of “Never Never Gonna Give You Up” which was originally recorded by what artist in 1973 (because I’m in a good mood now that my power is restored I’ll give the hint that this artist was known for his “baby making” songs)

We missed it. 😞

For the first question, they played a Patti Smith cover of a song, we had to identify the band that originally recorded it in 1991. I’ll just go ahead and say that the song was “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” You’re welcome!

A song originally recorded by what band featuring singer/guitarist Mark Knopfler in 1980 was also covered by the Indigo Girls in 1992 and The Killers in 2007? Kim played the IG cover in the car after the game on our way home. I’d only ever heard the song “Closer to Fine” by this group before and never got into their songs, but I did like hearing this! Sometimes I am a sucker for a great cover song! It’s always interesting to me to hear how a song can be interpreted more than one way.

On that note, The Black Crowes did a fantastic cover of The Temptations’ “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” quite recently. It’s definitely worth a listen if you love good blue-eyed soul!

Round Three

Category – Rain, Rain, Go Away

Prophetic, wasn’t it considering the million or so gallons of rain dumped on Michigan over the next 48 hours?

Bill Withers recorded what 1971 song that ends with the lyrics “Anytime she goes away?” This song was on a Spotify playlist I made in 2024 for the solar eclipse. Other songs on this list included “Steal My Sunshine,” “Sundown,” “Black Hole Sun” and basically the entire Dark Side of the Moon album by Pink Floyd. I should have included “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me” but I didn’t think of that at the time.

A 1971 Carpenters’ song was titled “Rainy Days and (blank, a day of the week)?”

What one-hit wonder singer had a 1981 hit with “I Love a Rainy Night?” I had this record single as a kid! It was when I was in my very brief country pop phase which also included being obsessed with Dolly Parton’s song “9 to 5” and maybe a Juice Newton song or two and to a lesser extend “Elvira” by the Oak Ridge Boys. That country pop phase did not last long, though I’ll never get tired of hearing “9 to 5” (rest in peace Dolly Parton).

Halftime Category – Thrash Metal

Name the four thrash metal bands – all American – who headlined “The Big Four – Live From Sofia, Bulgaria” at Sofia’s Stratosphere Stadium in June, 2010

I guess we should have been intimidated by this category being that it isn’t typically a really strong category for us (though I do like some metal songs and virtually nobody who was a teenager in the 1980s could avoid hearing metal and hair band songs frequently).

But we managed to name all four correct bands! Fist bump, teamwork made the dream work!

Halftime scores:

Tiny Dancers, 10; Team Three, Here for the Beer, 28; Classic Rockers, 29; Nobody Knows, 31; and 2 Legit 2 Quit (us), 36.

Round Four

Category – Heart On (songs about or mentioning hearts)

What artist duetted with Elton John on the 2021 single “Cold Heart? Kim was all over this, we had name the artist singing in the clip that they played.

In a 2019 single, country singer Luke Combs sang that what beverage never broke his heart? Another hit for Kim (thank the gods, recent music is usually a nope for me)

What About Love, originally recorded by the Canadian band Toronto in 1982 was later covered by what American band in 1985?

Round Five

Category – Check Yes or No

What country artist recorded a 1995 single called “Check Yes or No” about two school children with a crush on each other?

Kim really, really tried hard to come up with the correct answer here, and she was SO bummed that she didn’t know it. Don’t feel too bad, I didn’t know it either!😁 

Name the rock band who sang “Owner of a Lonely Heart” in 1983.

What “All About that Bass” singer had a song called “No” in 2016?

Round Six

Category – Complete the Lyrics

The Big Bopper’s song “Chantilly Lace” had the lyrics “Chantilly Lace and a Pretty Face and a Pony Tail” – what two words finish them?

Miss.

While we’re on the subject of singers who died in the same plane crash…

In the lyrics to Ritchie Valens’ song “Donna,” he sings “Since she left me, I’ve never (what three words)?

Wow, I guess this entire round is about three different people who died in the same plane crash. That being said…

In the Buddy Holly song “Every Day,” he sings “Every Day it’s a getting closer/Going faster than a roller coaster/Surely love will (what three words)?

Scores heading into the final:

Team 3, 56; Here for the Beer, 58; Classic Rockers, 63; Nobody Knows, 65; 2 Legit 2 Quit, (us), 68.

Final Category – Swallow it Down

The title of what Alanis Morrissette single from her 1995 “Jagged Little Pill” album includes the name of the lyrics in the opening verse?

Full disclosure, I’m not really a big fan of her music, though she has songs songs I like more than others that are not “You Oughta Know” which gets turned down the instant I hear it if I have the power to do so. But I did remember this song, I just didn’t know the title, so I sang the lyrics  (whispered them) into Kim’s ear and she thought a bit and yes, she knew the song title!

I remember when I heard this song a few years ago my ears pricked up and I thought “Well, I guess this is where the album title comes from.”

This concluded our trivial pursuits for the week. We’re unsure whether or not we’ll have anyone available to play our Sporcle Events music quiz game on Labor Day. As Doris Day sang, “Whatever will be, will be.”

As always, Go Pods, and stay classy, George Strait!

Answers:

R1 abracadabra, hall and oates, the human league

R2 nirvana, barry white, dire straits

R3 Ain’t no sunshine, mondays, Eddie rabbitt

HT metallica, anthrax, slayer, megadeth

r4 dua lipa, cold, cold beer, heart

R5 George strait, yes, Meghan Trainor

R6 hanging down, been the same, come my way

F you learn