NMLQOTM Rules

Rules

You asked for it, and here it is, the NMLQOTM. It's a very simple game, and at least for now, there are no prizes whatsoever - only the recognition that comes from correctly identifying more of these songs than anyone else in the competition.

This game is based on the format popularized by another well-known internet-based lyrics quiz - the only real difference is that this quiz covers a wider time frame. With rare exception, the NMLQOTM focuses on the rock and roll era. Most songs will have been released between 1955 and the present.

All of the songs in each individual quiz are linked by a common theme. Once you have identified that theme, it may prove useful in recognizing the songs. It will also help you to note that the lyrics are presented in alphabetical order BY THE NAME OF THE ARTIST. Many songs have been recorded by multiple artists. For the purposes of scoring the results of this quiz, only the artist who satisfies the alphabetical rule will be scored as a correct response.

When an artist is a person's name, the last name will be the basis of alphabetical arrangement. Jones, Howard comes before Preston, Billy. If an artist is identified on this particular recording by a single name, such as Melanie or Donovan, that will be the name used in the quiz, rather than "Kafka, Melanie" or "Leitch, Donovan". If two artists share the same last name, the first name becomes the determinant of alphabetical order. Boone, Daniel appears before Boone, Debby which in turn appears before Boone, Pat.

When an artist is listed as a group, the first word in the group's name is the basis of the alphabetical ordering, unless the first word is "The", which is ignored. However, if the group's name is Someone and/with the Somebodies, it is alphabetized according to the name rule above.

Beach Boys, The
Grand Funk Railroad
Kramer, Billy J. with the Dakotas
Kravitz, Lenny
Motels, The
Revere, Paul and the Raiders

A correct response to each lyric includes the correct title as identified on the original recording and the correct identification of the artist, again, as identified on the original recording. Keep in mind the alphabetical rule described above. Both The Beach Boys and Leif Garrett recorded "Surfin' USA", but only the answer "Garrett, Leif" would be correct if the lyric was slotted between songs by Duran Duran and Whitney Houston (Houston, Whitney) in the quiz.

Each player will receive 20 points for each lyric completely identified - ten points for the correct title and ten points for the correct artist. Partial credit will be awarded for any incomplete answers. Points will be deducted for missing or incorrect information. Remember - the fully correct response is the title and artist that appeared on the original recording. Check your sources! The insipid 1978 #1 hit "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" was credited to "Barbra and Neil", so it would be listed as a "B" alphabetically, and only the "Barbra and Neil" response would receive full credit. Players who credited the song to Streisand, Barbra and Diamond, Neil, would receive partial points for that response. Be sure to include parenthetical title elements. The complete title of Aerosmith's 1987 hit was "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)".

Because so many songs are reproduced somewhere on the world-wide web, many of the players are able to identify all of the lyrics contained in each quiz. All players are invited to approach these quizzes using any strategy with which they feel comfortable. Some players challenge themselves to recognize the lyrics from memory, others resort to the resources of the internet. The theme of each quiz is used as the ultimate tiebreaker to determine the overall winner when 2 or more players submit entries with the same point total.

One excellent reference for this quiz would be "The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits" by Joel Whitburn. However - please note that some of the recordings included in the quiz may NOT have charted in the Top 40.

Another excellent reference is the NMLQOTM Library. Once a specific recording has been used in a quiz, it will not appear again for at least the next 20 editions. However, please note; a particular song may reappear sooner if it was recorded by a different artist. For example, "Stagger Lee" was recorded by Lloyd Price, and subsequently recorded by Wilson Pickett and also Tommy Rowe. If the Price version was used in Quiz #4, the Pickett version could show up in the very next quiz. The NMLQOTM Library contains an alphabetical listing of every song and artist that has been used since the first quiz, and indicates the quiz number in which it appeared. For your research convenience, the Library also includes each and every past quiz and the subsequent results and commentary. You may find this information useful when trying to track down elusive lyrics.

Each quiz will indicate the deadline date for entry submissions.

Good luck! If you have any questions, e-mail FunkyPhD@prodigy.net.