“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.”

These lines were lines in William Shakespeare’s tragic love story, Romeo and Juliet, and the quote has been said countless times in so many forums, genres, stories, television shows, and movies.

After hearing it recently, at the same time a song featuring a girl’s name was playing, the VFTB began to think about all the songs that have entertained us that have featured girls’ names, and who it was that performed them. If you smell a little test of memory coming, then you smell great. Oh wait, that didn’t come out right. What I meant was that the girls’ names are very important because the name in the song was important as to how we remembered the song, and if you tried to substitute another name, it just wouldn’t be the same. Example, if you changed the title of Shakespeare’s tragic love story to Romeo and Alice (no disrespect to the name Alice), it would lose much of the flair and panache that rolls off the tongue when you say Romeo and Juliet. I would guess it would be the same for the songs with girls’ names.

So, this test will involve songs with girls’ names and who made them famous. It sounds pretty simple, so let’s give it a go. I’ll give you the title with the girl’s name, and you guess the artist.

Answers will be given, but probably won’t be needed. Good Luck, all!

Wake Up Little Susie

Valerie

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

Lucille

Delilah

Diana

Maggie May

Layla

Auntie Grizelda

Come on Eileen

Proud Mary

Walk Away Renee

Mandy

Angie

Annie’s Song

Billie Jean

Cecelia

Eleanor Rigby

Gloria

Delaney Talks to Statues

Jolene

Iris

Lola

My Sharona

Rhiannon

Rosanna

Roxanne

Sara Smile

Sweet Caroline

Sylvia’s Mother

Barbara Ann

Cathy’s Clown

For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her

Good Golly, Miss Molly

Hey There Delilah

Joanna

Michelle

Peggy Sue

Elvira

Brandy

Bette Davis Eyes

Sherry

Ruby Tuesday

Runaround Sue

Along Comes Mary

Amie

Denise

Lovely Rita (The Meter Maid)

Oh Donna

Rikki, Don’t Lose That Number

Okay, there they are, fifty song titles with girls’ names. I probably could have doubled the list, but space would not allow it. Her are the answers, if you need them. Score two points per correct answer. This one should really boost those VFTB quiz averages. Okay, start scoring!

Answers:

The Everly Brothers

The Monkees

The Beatles (before Elton John)

Little Richard

Tom Jones

Paul Anka

Rod Stewart

Derek and the Dominoes

The Monkees

Dexys Midnight Runners

Ike and Tina Turner

The Left Banke

Barry Manilow

The Rolling Stones

John Denver

Michael Jackson

Simon and Garfunkel

The Beatles

Laura Branigan

Jimmy Buffett

Dolly Parton

Goo Goo Dolls

The Kinks

The Knack

Fleetwood Mac

Toto

The Police

Hall and Oates

Neil Diamond

Dr. Hook and The Medicine Show

The Beach Boys

The Everly Brothers

Simon and Garfunkel

Little Richard

Plain White T’s

Kool and the Gang

The Beatles

Buddy Holly and the Crickets

The Oak Ridge Boys

Looking Glass

Kim Carnes

Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons

The Rolling Stones

Dion and the Belmonts

The Association

The Pure Prairie League

Randy and The Rainbows

The Beatles

Ritchie Valens

Steely Dan

There you go! I’m sure you all did a great job. Hope it got you whistling, humming or singing as you were taking the quiz. Remember, music sooths the savage breast, or beast, or both. Hope this one was fun!