We Love Trivia Games!
We Love Trivia Games!
If You Love Trivia Games Too, Take Our Fun Baby Boomer Trivia Test!
How well do you know your Baby Boom pop culture trivia? In our new game Boom Again, we revisit the fun, fads and good ol’ days of the Baby Boom era.
Unlike other trivia games, we’re not posing questions that’ll make you wish you had an Encyclopedia Britannica handy (or let’s face it, these days you’re more likely to consult the modern-day equivalent, Siri).
The questions in Boom Again focus on those pop culture moments that—if you grew up in the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s—you actually experienced. The music. The movies. Turning on the TV to catch a brand-new episode of “I Love Lucy” (because what was a rerun?). Or tuning into to see the first flight into space.
Let’s see how well you know your Baby Boom pop culture. Here, we’ve culled a few questions from the game to put you to the test (but don’t worry, we’re grading on a curve).
The good news, Boom Again is like all your favorite trivia games rolled into one, with a Baby Boom twist. There are plenty of fun-filled categories, so you’re bound to know some of the answers.
Let’s get started with a music question:
Q: “Blowin’ in the Wind” is in the Grammy Hall of Fame. Peter, Paul & Mary had the biggest hit recording of it. Who wrote it?
A: It was written by Bob Dylan, who at the time was a relatively unknown but up-and-coming folk singer.
Rumor has it he wrote the lyrics in just 10 minutes and set it to melody inspired by an anti-slavery spiritual from before the Civil War.
“Blowin’ in the Wind” jump-started his career, but it wasn’t until the folk group Peter, Paul and Mary released it as a single that it reached a massive audience.
Their version shot to the top of the Billboard Music Charts and peaked at No. 2. A week after that, the group performed “Blowin’ in the Wind” in front of a quarter-million people at the March on Washington—famous for being the site of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
Here’s another musical teaser for lovers of trivia games that include music…
Q: David Bowie wasn’t his real name. The problem was, another singer was already going by that name. What was it?
A: It was Davy Jones, the lead singer for the Monkees—the TV-based band described as playing characters that were “what the Beatles would be if they’d never hit it big.”
David Bowie started his musical career as a teen, but Davy Jones had already made their shared name famous.
So why Bowie? In 1967 a fan sent him a letter asking that very question. His answer:
“My real name is David Jones, and I don’t have to tell you why I changed it. ‘Nobody’s going to make a monkey out of you,’ said my manager.”
One more question for those who love music trivia games…
Q: Who knew Herb Alpert could sing? In 1968, he became the first artist to have both a #1 instrumental hit and a #1 hit as a singer. What was the title of this guy’s vocal hit?
A: There’s a hint in the question—and the song was, “This Guy’s in Love with You,” (written by famous songwriter Burt Bacharach).
However, when you think of Herb Alpert, you’re probably remembering him with his Tijuana Brass. And if you’re thinking about Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, no doubt the first image that will pop into your mind is THAT album cover.
We are, of course, referring to the cover for Whipped Cream & Other Delights, featuring a seemingly nude young woman sunk up to her cleavage in what appears to be a giant pile of whipped cream. For the times, it was positively scandalous!
It became the band’s breakout album (though the model on its cover was actually wearing a bikini with the straps rolled down, and she was sitting in shaving cream, since whipped cream would melt under the photo lights).
If TV trivia games are more your style, here are a couple “boob tube” related questions from the Boom Again game…
Q: What was Lawrence Welk’s signature way of saying he liked certain music? (It later became the title of his autobiography.)
A: He’d proclaim it, “wunnerful, wunnerful.”
Lawrence Welk was born in 1903 in Strasburg—no, not Strasburg, Germany, but a German-speaking hamlet in North Dakota, U.S.A. He didn’t learn English until he was 21.
He’d later become famous as a band leader for his bubbly brand of “champagne music.” The Lawrence Welk show ran from 1955 to 1971 featuring wholesome, nostalgic music and singing acts.
Though he learned English, he never lost his signature (and beloved) accent. And we think that’s just wunnerful.
Q: On “SNL,” Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin go back and forth in a segment of “Weekend Update.” After Jane disagrees with him, what famous line does Dan come back with?
A: He’d begin his rebuttal by saying,“Jane, you ignorant slut”—thus proving that the Not Ready for Primetime Players were, indeed, not primetime appropriate.
They were both part of the 1975 freshman class of “Saturday Night Live,” which also launched the careers of Jim Belushi and Gilda Radner, among others.
When Jane Curtin was later asked how she felt about the infamous line, she said she thought it was funny—particularly because the character she was playing was so “buttoned-up.”
Probably few trivia games feature questions about popular commercials and ad slogans from the Baby Boom, but ours does! Do you remember these…?
Q: After riding into space, which breakfast food took off using slogans like, “it’s energizing like rocket fuel?”
A: And the answer is… Tang.
Tang was invented in 1957 by the same food scientist who brought us Pop Rocks, quick-set JELL-O and Cool Whip. When Tang hit grocery shelves in 1959, it didn’t sell particularly well.
Then Tang went along with John Glenn into a space launch, and General Foods began marketing it as a “space drink.” Suddenly Tang sales took off, well, like a rocket.
Q: The makers of Nair chose a song from the ‘50s as a jingle. Which sone by the Royal Teens got another life thanks to smooth legs?
A: It’s “Who Wears Short Shorts?” The Royal Teens’ version reached #3 on the pop charts in 1958.
Then along came Nair, a hair removal product that in the 1970s marketed itself as essential for the smooth legs needed to go along with the hot pants fashion of the day.
Feel free to sing along: “If you dare wear short shorts, Nair for short shorts…”
Now a couple Boom Again question for fans of sports trivia games…
Q: Why are the Los Angeles Lakers called the “Lakers?”
A: In 1961 they moved to Los Angeles, CA from Minneapolis, MN – The Land of 10,000 Lakes.
They opted to keep the name Lakers after the move—maybe because it was catchier than the Los Angeles Ocean-ers.
Q: In 1973, the Super Bowl was won by a team that accomplished something never previously achieved. What was it?
A: The Miami Dolphins went undefeated for an entire season. The 1972 Dolphins are the only NFL team to win the Super Bowl with a perfect season.
They played under Coach Don Shula—and with player Larry Csonka who would parlay his football fame into iconic commercials for products including Schick deodorant (“get in Schick shape”) Old Spice and Miller Lite.
The Super Bowl game that made history was against the Washington Redskins, who were defeated 17-0.
There aren’t many (if any) trivia games that include questions about classic toys, but ours does. Let’s see if you know this one…
Q: Name the 1960s Mattel toy for boys that focused on American muscle cars.
A: It’s Mattel’s Hot Wheels. These tiny metal cars may have been inspired by the English Matchbox brand, but Hot Wheels weren’t just mini versions of the cars Mom & Dad drove. Rather, they were customized, souped up, muscle-car versions.
Kids clambered to collect cool miniature Barracudas, Camaros, Corvettes, Cougars, Firebirds and more.
Vrooooom.
And one last Baby Boom pop culture question—and this one takes a more literary turn.
Q: A children’s story sold over 19 million copies following its release in 1963. What was the title of the book about Max being sent to his room?
A: The book was the (still beloved) “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak.
It won a 1964 Caldecott Medal for Most Distinguished Picture Book. However, the book was also frequently banned for having scary or dark undertones (let’s face it, those “things” are pretty wild looking) and because it didn’t come with a positive moral lesson typical in children’s books at that time.
How did you do on our pop culture trivia quiz?
If you enjoy playing trivia games—and you’d like a fun trip down memory lane and the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s (or know someone who would)—you’ll find questions like these and about 2,400 more in Boom Again, available exclusively online at BoomAgain.com.
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