Name That Tune, Game One

UPDATE: Longer clips have been added for songs 1, 3, 9, and 13.

Hey folks. This is the first of a planned series of games of Name That Tune. Each of them is also a puzzle. Here’s how this one works:

I have uploaded twenty-one very brief song clips. Most of the songs are famous; none of them are obscure. They are drawn from a variety of styles and decades, from the 1950s to the present. It’s likely that you’ll find a few of them instantly recognizable, while a few others you won’t know at all (but other people will).

There are two parts to this game. The first is guessing the songs themselves. The second part is guessing the puzzle song (clip 21). The first letters of the names of the musicians for songs one through twenty spell a clue to the identity of song 21. (And if song 21 is guessed early, that ought to help nail down the rest of the songs.)

Some songs may go unguessed the first time round. If songs remain unguessed after a day, I’ll upload longer clips.

The Rules (subject to modification in future games):

  • Maximum 3 guesses between updates of the list, to give everyone a chance to play. (Updates will be made in the comments, filling in the spaces with the correct guesses so people can see the puzzle coming together.)
  • Clip 21 may only be guessed once between updates.
  • While I’m not going to be a stickler for spelling and punctuation, you must guess the correct musician and song title to a close approximation.

And here are the song clips:

  1. Clip 1
  2. Clip 2
  3. Clip 3
  4. Clip 4
  5. Clip 5
  6. Clip 6
  7. Clip 7
  8. Clip 8
  9. Clip 9
  10. Clip 10
  11. Clip 11
  12. Clip 12
  13. Clip 13
  14. Clip 14
  15. Clip 15
  16. Clip 16
  17. Clip 17
  18. Clip 18
  19. Clip 19
  20. Clip 20

And the Big Puzzle Clip:
Clip 21

If you’d prefer to download all the clips at once, we have a zip file and an rar file.

I suggest subscribing to the comments on the post (click on “Track Comments”) to more easily follow the progress of the game. Have fun!

Tags:

  • My knowledge of Willa Ford and NSync got you a prize, Gary - at least I'm happy the sh*t in my brain is being put to some good use! :)
  • Thank you. I'd like to thank Sergey Brin and Larry Page for Google, the AllMusic guide for their David Bowie and John Cale discographies, and all the other fine players who knew songs I would have never gotten in eleventy kajillion years. And most of all, thanks to Scraps, for all the effort in putting together such a fun game.
  • Way to go, Gary! Head to our Contact Page and drop me a line with your address -- we've got a prize for you.
  • Ding ding ding!

    Gary has it: "The Red Telephone" from the great FOREVER CHANGES by Love. "We're All Normal and We Want Our Freedom" was used as the title for the tribute album to Love in 1995.

    the final results:

    1. 'N Sync, This I Promise You
    2. Ollie & Jerry, Breakin' (There's No Stopping Us)
    3. Roger Miller, England Swings
    4. Mr. Mister, Broken Wings
    5. Alice in Chains, Angry Chair
    6. Linda Ronstadt, You're No Good
    7. Four Seasons, Sherry
    8. Robyn, Show Me Love
    9. Ernie K-Doe, Mother-in-Law
    10. Elton John, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
    11. Dazz Band, Let It Whip
    12. Orleans, Dance With Me
    13. Modern Lovers, Pablo Picasso
    14. Willa Ford, I Wanna Be Bad
    15. Animotion, Obsession
    16. Naughty by Nature, Feel Me Flow
    17. Temptations, Ball of Confusion
    18. Exciters, Tell Him
    19. Rickie Lee Jones, Chuck E's In Love
    20. Scissor Sisters, Take Your Mama Out

    and the puzzle song:
    21. Love, The Red Telephone

    Congratulations, Gary, and thank you for playing, everybody! The game will be back with a new puzzle next Friday at 12:30 PM.
  • #21 - "The Red Telephone" by Love
  • Just looked up the lyrics. "We are normal and we want our freedom." Boom shacka lacka lacka lacka. There's your winner.

    Is this on Forever Changes? I need to get that record.
  • I had never heard this song, but upon digging up the lyrics and a sample at AllMusic, I think Gary has nailed it. Along with half the list. Great work.
  • Gavin
    #21--The Eagles, "Take It to the Limit"?
  • Gavin
    1. General Public, Tenderness
    13. Modern Lovers, Pablo Picasso
  • Not Slave.
  • Well, I'll be hornswaggled.

    The clue looks like it'll read "Normal Freedom Wanters", but the only song that makes me think of is "We Are Normal" by the Bonzo Dog Band, and Clip 21 certainly doesn't sound like that.

    I be stumped, yo.
  • Ach.

    The clue is a reference to a lyric within the song, well known to fans.

    If the clip reminds unguessed by 12:30 PM tomorrow -- 48 hours after the game started -- I'll post a considerably longer clip and a more explicit clue.

    I'm not sure how many people are following at this point, but I remain -- perhaps misguidedly -- confident that there are people reading this site who know the song.
  • Even with the longer clip and the clue - the puzzle clip is ridiculously difficult. Still have no clue.
  • A longer clip for the Puzzle Song:

    Puzzle Song

    The clue is NORMAL FREEDOM WANTERS.
  • "Pablo Picasso" it is.

    Looks like I'm going to have to make a longer clip of the puzzle song. Hang on--
  • #13 - "Pablo Picasso" by the Modern Lovers

    no frickin' clue on #21
  • "Mother-in-Law" is correct (and the songwriter/pianist is Allen Toussaint).

    One to go -- plus the puzzle song.
  • #9 - "Mother-in-Law" by Ernie K-Doe
  • Song 9 was a number one pop and r&b hit, by far the biggest hit of its performer's career. The song was written, though, by a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, responsible for many hits, who can be heard playing piano on this clip.

    Song 13 was not a hit single, but is a well known song from a famous album often cited as a proto-punk album. It has been covered by David Bowie, John Cale, and Television Personalities, and features prominently in a cult movie.
  • NORMAL FREEDOM WANTERS is indeed the clue for clip 21.
  • Normal Freedom Wanters?
  • I like "NORMAL FRIED ON WANTERS", but no, that is not the clue.
  • NORMAL FRIED ON WANTERS?
  • Indeed it is "This I Promise You".
  • God, I hate you for this. And by "Hate" I mean LOVE!!! This is awesome. But I swear that song #1 has been on the tip of my tongue for hours now - I kept going back to Richard Marx and well, Richard Marx wrote #1 for *NSync - "This I Promise You"

    Don't even ask how a grown man knows this, or how a grown man without children pulled this off his CD rack to listen to it. I won't tell ya.
  • I'm going to be gone for a couple hours. Here's how it looks:

    1.
    2. Ollie & Jerry, Breakin' (There's No Stopping Us)
    3. Roger Miller, England Swings
    4. Mr. Mister, Broken Wings
    5. Alice in Chains, Angry Chair
    6. Linda Ronstadt, You're No Good
    7. Four Seasons, Sherry
    8. Robyn, Show Me Love
    9.
    10. Elton John, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
    11. Dazz Band, Let It Whip
    12. Orleans, Dance With Me
    13.
    14. Willa Ford, I Wanna Be Bad
    15. Animotion, Obsession
    16. Naughty by Nature, Feel Me Flow
    17. Temptations, Ball of Confusion
    18. Exciters, Tell Him
    19. Rickie Lee Jones, Chuck E's In Love
    20. Scissor Sisters, Take Your Mama Out

    plus the puzzle song still remains.
  • ripper
    I have no idea what the remaining songs are. However, the clue will read, "normal freedom wanters". Is the mystery song by Slave?
  • ripper
    I have no Idea what the remaining songs are. However the clue should read, "normal freedom wanters". So I'm wondering, is the mystery song by Slave?
  • "England Swings" is correct.

    "Brand New Key" is not.
  • Longer clips have been uploaded for the four remaining songs:

    1 - longer clip 1

    3 - longer clip 3

    9 - longer clip 9

    13 - longer clip 13
  • #3 - "England Swings" by Roger Miller
  • MichaelFortes
    OK, #3 sounds like "Brand New Key" by Melanie.
  • "Feel Me Flow" and "I Wanna Be Bad" are correct! Only four songs left (plus the puzzle song):

    1.
    2. Ollie & Jerry, Breakin' (There's No Stopping Us)
    3.
    4. Mr. Mister, Broken Wings
    5. Alice in Chains, Angry Chair
    6. Linda Ronstadt, You're No Good
    7. Four Seasons, Sherry
    8. Robyn, Show Me Love
    9.
    10. Elton John, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
    11. Dazz Band, Let It Whip
    12. Orleans, Dance With Me
    13.
    14. Willa Ford, I Wanna Be Bad
    15. Animotion, Obsession
    16. Naughty by Nature, Feel Me Flow
    17. Temptations, Ball of Confusion
    18. Exciters, Tell Him
    19. Rickie Lee Jones, Chuck E's In Love
    20. Scissor Sisters, Take Your Mama Out

    I'm going to make longer clips for the remaining four.
  • The last poster must be right - #5 is Angry Chair by Alice in Chains.
    I didn't see #14 as gotten yet - so my guess is "I Wanna Be Bad" by Willa Ford.
  • #16: Naughty by Nature, "Feel Me Flow"
  • "Angry Chair" is correct (so not "Cryin'").

    "Show Me Love" is correct (so not "Creep")/

    Not "Bye Bye Bye".

    Six songs left (plus the puzzle song):

    1.
    2. Ollie & Jerry, Breakin' (There's No Stopping Us)
    3.
    4. Mr. Mister, Broken Wings
    5. Alice in Chains, Angry Chair
    6. Linda Ronstadt, You're No Good
    7. Four Seasons, Sherry
    8. Robyn, Show Me Love
    9.
    10. Elton John, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
    11. Dazz Band, Let It Whip
    12. Orleans, Dance With Me
    13.
    14.
    15. Animotion, Obsession
    16.
    17. Temptations, Ball of Confusion
    18. Exciters, Tell Him
    19. Rickie Lee Jones, Chuck E's In Love
    20. Scissor Sisters, Take Your Mama Out
  • 14 is definitely "Bye Bye Bye", N'Sync.

    Um, almost definitely?

    (It was my girlfriend who knew it! I swear!)
  • MichaelFortes
    #5 sounds like "Angry Chair" by Alice In Chains.
    #8 sounds like "Creep" by TLC.
  • I'm convinced that #5 is an Aerosmith song. You can hear it in the drums. Is it "Cryin'"?

    All I know is the word "Freedom" is staring me dead in the face when I look at the letters of the artists. In fact, the clue looks like "Formal Freedom" something or other. And I swear #14 is an *NSync song. I've searched up and down but I haven't found it yet. But it's some boy pop song, that I know. Curse you, Scraps.
  • Not "Crush", "If You Leave", or "Hip Hip Hooray", but one of those guesses is close.
  • Jeremy1Esq
    2 is Crush on You by the Jets?
  • Jeremy1Esq
    5 is If you leave by OMD?
  • Jeremy1Esq
    16 is Hip Hop Hooray by Naughty by Nature?
  • MC_Snocap
    Samplers Delight!

    #9 = Lesley Gore, "It's My Party"?
  • MC_Snocap
    Aw, if #8 is Robyn, "L" can't be next. Sorry.
  • You're right: It's not Leslie Gore ( or any version of "It's My Party").
  • Well, "Show Me Love" is right!
  • Sorry, meant #8. This way I can be twice as wrong.
  • #4 sounds like both...

    Cruisin' by Smokey Robinson AND
    Show Me Love by Robyn

    ... but is probably neither.
  • First attempt before reading any updates:

    1. "Key Largo," Bertie Higgins
    2. Something by the Jets
    3. no idea
    4. "Broken Wings," Mr. Mister
    5. no idea
    6. "You're No Good," Carly Simon
    7. no idea
    8. no idea
    9. "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," James Brown
    10. "Everything I Do, I Do It For You," Bryan Adams
    11. "Cruel to be Kind," Nick Lowe
    12. no idea
    13. no idea
    14. are you kidding me?
    15. "Stand Back," Stevie Nicks
    16. what?
    17. The People's Court
    18. that song in all the ads
    19. "Let's Get It On," Marvin Gaye
    20. no idea
    21. huh?
  • Oh dear -- I misunderstood the instructions. Sorry about that.

    I was only sure of #4 and #6 (though I see I got confused on the artist name for #6). The other guesses are basically jokes. At most, one of those is correct.
  • So now that I've read everything, I'll submit two actual guesses. And I'll emphasize that they're GUESSES.

    1. "Key Largo," Bertie Higgins
    9. "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," James Brown

    Can't believe I missed Animotion and the Dazz Band.

    Is it possible to delete my two previous comments?
  • I'll be away from my computer for a few hours, so here's another update.

    1.
    2. Ollie & Jerry, Breakin' (There's No Stopping Us)
    3.
    4. Mr. Mister, Broken Wings
    5.
    6. Linda Ronstadt, You're No Good
    7. Four Seasons, Sherry
    8.
    9.
    10. Elton John, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
    11. Dazz Band, Let It Whip
    12. Orleans, Dance With Me
    13.
    14.
    15. Animotion, Obsession
    16.
    17. Temptations, Ball of Confusion
    18. Exciters, Tell Him
    19. Rickie Lee Jones, Chuck E's In Love
    20. Scissor Sisters, Take Your Mama Out

    I'll check in before going to sleep. If there are songs remaining unguessed by morning, I'll post longer clips (probably by noon).
  • Not "Waterfalls".

    Not "I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying".
  • Melz
    #8 is Waterfalls by TLC
  • 1. I'm So Happy That I Can't Stop Crying - Sting
  • "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is correct! Gary Oxford's guess was close.

    Not "I Could Fall In Love"
  • Melz
    #10 is Goodbye Yellowbrick Road by Elton John

    #1 is I Could Fall In Love by Selena
  • Not "Shine a Light".
  • swede
    shine a light, rolling stones for #10?
  • Apparently #10 sounds a good deal like "Easy", but it is not.
  • Doug
    The only other one I know is #10: Easy by The Commodores
  • "Ball of Confusion" is correct.

    "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" is not.
  • First, great idea. Thank you for the hard work necessary in setting this up.

    Secondly, anyone who knew any of these other than 12, 15 and 18. You all scare me. A LOT.



    That would be excellent.
  • 10. "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" - Elton John
    17. "Ball of Confusion" - The Temptations
  • Not "Easy".
  • Let's try that again, without HTML:

    1.
    2. Ollie & Jerry, Breakin' (There's No Stopping Us)
    3.
    4. Mr. Mister, Broken Wings
    5.
    6. Linda Ronstadt, You're No Good
    7. Four Seasons, Sherry
    8.
    9.
    10.
    11. Dazz Band, Let It Whip
    12. Orleans, Dance With Me
    13.
    14.
    15. Animotion, Obsession
    16.
    17.
    18. Exciters, Tell Him
    19. Rickie Lee Jones, Chuck E's In Love
    20. Scissor Sisters, Take Your Mama Out
  • Here's the update:
    <ol>
    <li> </li>
    <li>Ollie & Jerry, Breakin' (There's No Stopping Us) </li>
    <li> </li>
    <li>Mr. Mister, Broken Wings </li>
    <li> </li>
    <li>Linda Ronstadt, You're No Good </li>
    <li>Four Seasons, Sherry </li>
    <li> </li>
    <li> </li>
    <li> </li>
    <li>Dazz Band, Let It Whip </li>
    <li>Orleans, Dance With Me </li>
    <li> </li>
    <li> </li>
    <li>Animotion, Obsession </li>
    <li> </li>
    <li> </li>
    <li>Exciters, Tell Him </li>
    <li>Rickie Lee Jones, Chuck E's In Love </li>
    <li>Scissor Sisters, Take Your Mama Out </li>
    </ol>

    Everyone may make up to three guesses again (and one guess at the puzzle clip).
  • chmied01
    I thought for sure that #12 was Mamaloi by the Doobie Brothers, though that would have been a bit obscure. But when I cued up "Dance with me" by the Orleans it definitely has that riff in it about 12 seconds from the end.

    #10 sounds like Easy, by Lionel Ritchie

    Good Luck
  • "Let It Whip" and "Sherry" are correct as well. Update to follow.
  • My second guess is: #11 - Dazz Band "Let it Whip" ?
  • Doug
    This is way fun.
    #7 is Sherry by The Four Seasons.
  • Doug
    This is way fun.
    #7 is Sherry by The Four Seasons.
  • suretytek
    #11 is Let it Whip by Dazz Band.

    This is pretty fun, thanks Scraps!

    Edit - drat, Jason beat me to it.
  • Is #11 "Let It Whip" by Dazz Band?
  • [This comment was a lengthy mistake.]
  • #2: "Breakin'" Ollie & Jerry
    #15: "Obsession," Animotion

    That big drum bit on #5 is killing me...
  • Those are both correct.
  • WHarrisBullzEye
    6 - 19 are, for whatever reason, hung up in "buffering" mode, but I think #2 might be "Sweet Freedom," by Michael McDonald.
  • Not "Sweet Freedom".
  • All guesses so far are correct except "Hang On Sloopy".

    Gary, there's a maximum of three guesses allowed between updates of the list.
  • Sorry about my overzealousness. I'll calm it down next time.
  • No problem.
  • #6 - "You're No Good" - Linda Rondstat
    #7 - "Hang on Sloopy" - The McCoys
    #12 - "Dance With Me" - Orleans
    #18 - "Tell Him" - The Exciters
    #19 - "Chuck E's in Love" - Rickie Lee Jones
    #20 - "Take Your Mama" - Scissor Sisters
  • Wow, this is WAY harder than I thought. I'm gonna guess #4 is Broken Wings by Mr. Mister.
  • Definitely "Broken Wings." 110% sure. I only got this and #15. I suck. (and I hope this doesn't double-post.)
  • I concur, with 110% surety. I must suck at music, because I only got this one and #15.
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