Kia ora koutou ē hoa mā
Welcome to a Friday afternoon of non-stop rain, and the answers many of you may not need - almost everyone who submitted this week knew all of the songs. Clearly my quizzes are getting to easy; next week will be harder I promise.
(do I need to the Hardest Quiz more than once in a year?)
Only two songs weren’t correctly identified by all who sent in an entry: “Stop! In The Name of Love” by The Supremes and “Stop Crying Your Heart Out” by Oasis.
1960s: “Stop! In The Name of Love”, The Supremes
1970s: “Don’t Stop Me Now”, Queen
1980s: “Don’t Stop Believin’”, Journey
1990s: “Stop”, The Spice Girls
2000s: “Stop Crying Your Heart Out”, Oasis
2010s: “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”, Justin Timberlake
Your leaderboard this week:
🥇 on 12/12: Lore in Order, Bex K, Vercisca, Ilona and Kimberley, BSA Team, Siobhan M, Megan and The Chamberlains, Henry IX, Team Impoverished, Flying Lizards, The Bögan Crüe, and All The World’s A Song
🥈 on 11/12: Quartz, and Rae Mac
Have a great weekend - hopefully the rain will stop…
Kirsti.
1960s: “Stop! In The Name of Love”, The Supremes
But this time before you run to her
Leaving me alone and hurt
(Think it over)
After I've been good to you
(Think it over)
After I've been sweet to you
Stop in the name of love
Before you break my heart
Hint: This song was inspired by the songwriter (not part of the band who recorded it) who said that he got the idea after he got cheated on by his girlfriend. In the heat of the argument, he said, “Baby, please stop. In the name of love- before you break my heart.” This seems too neat to be true, but it’s a good story. This Motown power girl trio were founded as the Primettes, but changed their name in the early 1960s to one meaning “the bests”. You may know them from such songs as “Baby Love”, “You Can’t Hurry Love”, “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” and “Stoned Love”. Song title in lyrics quoted.
1970s: “Don’t Stop Me Now”, Queen
I'm a shooting star, leaping through the sky like a tiger
Defying the laws of gravity
I'm a racing car, passing by like Lady Godiva
I'm gonna go, go, go, there's no stopping me
I'm burning through the sky, yeah
Two hundred degrees, that's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit
I'm travelling at the speed of light
I wanna make a supersonic man outta you
Hint: This song from this legendary British rock band has been voted Rolling Stone readers’ 3rd favourite song from this band, and reached a new audience when it was used in the 2004 cult classic zombie apocalypse film Shaun of the Dead. You will probably know this band from such songs as “Bicycle Race”, “I’m In Love With My Car”, and “Now I’m Here”. Song title not in lyrics quoted.
1980s: “Don’t Stop Believin’”, Journey
Just a small-town girl, livin' in a lonely world
She took the midnight train goin' anywhere
Just a city boy, born and raised in South Detroit
He took the midnight train goin' anywhere
Hint: A top-10 worldwide hit in 1981, this song became this group's signature song and has continued to endure over the years. Decades after its release, it became the best-selling digital track from the twentieth century, with over seven million downloads - it rerose to prominence in 2009 due to it’s inclusion in the show Glee (the Glee cover has since performed the original internationally). You may know this band from other songs such as “Any Way You Want It” and “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’”. Song title not in lyrics quoted.
1990s: “Stop”, The Spice Girls
Stop right now, thank you very much
I need somebody with a human touch
Hey you, always on the run
Gotta slow it down baby, gotta have some fun
Hint: I imagine a bunch of you IMMEDIATELY knew I’d include this song when you saw the theme, as it remains a banger and a song I still know the actions to (Spotify sometimes throws this song up and yes I DO do the actions at my desk in the middle of the work day). For some reason, this song wasn’t too commercially popular? It ended this group’s streak of consecutive number-one singles on the chart at six, and becoming the group's only single during their original tenure to not reach number one on said chart. A travesty. You may know this group from such songs as “Say You’ll Be There”, “2 Become 1”, and “Wannabe”. Song title in lyrics quoted.
2000s: “Stop Crying Your Heart Out”, Oasis
'Cause all of the stars
Are fading away
Just try not to worry
You'll see them someday
Take what you need
And be on your way
And stop crying your heart out
Hint: This band from Manchester is these days perhaps best known for the arugments between two brothers within the band…and for the immortal line said by many a terrible cover musician: “Anyway, here’s Wonderwall”. Song title not in lyrics quoted.
2010s: “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”, Justin Timberlake
Nothin' I can see but you
When you dance, dance, dance
A feelin' good, good, creepin' up on you
So just dance, dance, dance, come on
All those things I shouldn't do
But you dance, dance, dance
And ain't nobody leavin' soon, so keep dancin'
I can't stop the feelin'
So just dance, dance, dance
I can't stop the feelin'
So just dance, dance, dance, come on
Hint: This song, by Britney’s ex, was the lead single of the soundtrack to the film Trolls (2016), in which this artist voiced the character "Branch" and served as the executive music producer. You may know him from such songs as “Cry Me A River”, “SexyBack”, and “What Goes Around…Comes Around”. Song title in lyrics quoted.