The Drifters Quiz Questions and Answers
Q1. In what year was The Drifters originally formed as a backing group for Clyde McPhatter?
A. 1951
B. 1953
C. 1955
D. 1957
Answer: B. 1953
Q2. Who founded The Drifters by recruiting members from his previous group, Billy Ward and His Dominoes?
A. Ben E. King
B. Johnny Moore
C. Clyde McPhatter
D. Bill Pinkney
Answer: C. Clyde McPhatter
Q3. What was the first major hit single for The Drifters, topping the R&B charts for 11 weeks in 1953?
A. Such a Night
B. Honey Love
C. Money Honey
D. Adorable
Answer: C. Money Honey
Q4. Which record label signed The Drifters in 1953 and produced their early hits under Ahmet Ertegun?
A. Motown
B. Atlantic Records
C. RCA Victor
D. Capitol Records
Answer: B. Atlantic Records
Q5. Why did Clyde McPhatter leave The Drifters in 1955?
A. To pursue a solo career after being drafted
B. Due to a contract dispute with Atlantic
C. To join a rival group
D. Because of health issues
Answer: A. To pursue a solo career after being drafted
Q6. Who replaced Clyde McPhatter as lead singer in 1955, contributing to hits like “Adorable” and “Ruby Baby”?
A. Rudy Lewis
B. Ben E. King
C. Johnny Moore
D. David Baughan
Answer: C. Johnny Moore
Q7. In 1958, George Treadwell disbanded the original Drifters and hired which group, renaming them The Drifters?
A. The Harptones
B. The Five Crowns
C. The Dominoes
D. The Ravens
Answer: B. The Five Crowns
Q8. Which member of the 1958 lineup became famous for his solo hits “Stand by Me” and “Spanish Harlem” after leaving the group?
A. Charlie Thomas
B. Dock Green
C. Ben E. King
D. Elsbeary Hobbs
Answer: C. Ben E. King
Q9. What innovative feature marked The Drifters’ 1959 hit “There Goes My Baby,” produced by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller?
A. Heavy guitar solos
B. String orchestra accompaniment
C. Spoken-word verses
D. Backing horns only
Answer: B. String orchestra accompaniment
Q10. Which 1960 hit by The Drifters reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and featured Ben E. King on lead vocals?
A. This Magic Moment
B. Up on the Roof
C. Save the Last Dance for Me
D. On Broadway
Answer: C. Save the Last Dance for Me
Q11. After Ben E. King left in 1960, who took over as lead singer and voiced hits like “Up on the Roof” and “On Broadway”?
A. Johnny Moore
B. Rudy Lewis
C. Eugene Pearson
D. Clarence Tex Walker
Answer: B. Rudy Lewis
Q12. Tragically, Rudy Lewis passed away on the eve of recording which 1964 hit, leading Johnny Moore to sing lead?
A. Saturday Night at the Movies
B. Under the Boardwalk
C. Some Kind of Wonderful
D. Please Stay
Answer: B. Under the Boardwalk
Q13. How many R&B No. 1 hits did The Drifters achieve during the 1950s and 1960s?
A. Four
B. Six
C. Eight
D. Ten
Answer: B. Six
Q14. Which songwriting duo produced The Drifters’ string of hits in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including “There Goes My Baby”?
A. Holland-Dozier-Holland
B. Goffin and King
C. Leiber and Stoller
D. Pomus and Shuman
Answer: C. Leiber and Stoller
Q15. What was the last U.S. Top 40 hit for The Drifters in the 1960s?
A. Under the Boardwalk
B. On Broadway
C. Saturday Night at the Movies
D. Up on the Roof
Answer: C. Saturday Night at the Movies
Q16. Who owned the rights to The Drifters’ name and managed the group with a policy of low fixed salaries, leading to frequent lineup changes?
A. Ahmet Ertegun
B. Jerry Wexler
C. George Treadwell
D. Faye Treadwell
Answer: C. George Treadwell
Q17. After George Treadwell’s death in 1967, who took over management of The Drifters until her passing in 2011?
A. Tina Treadwell
B. Faye Treadwell
C. Carole King
D. Ruth Brown
Answer: B. Faye Treadwell
Q18. In which country did The Drifters experience a major revival in the 1970s, scoring hits like “Kissin’ in the Back Row of the Movies”?
A. United States
B. Jamaica
C. United Kingdom
D. Canada
Answer: C. United Kingdom
Q19. Which 1974 UK hit by The Drifters peaked at No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart?
A. You’re More Than a Number in My Little Red Book
B. Like Sister and Brother
C. Kissin’ in the Back Row of the Movies
D. There Goes My First Love
Answer: C. Kissin’ in the Back Row of the Movies
Q20. What was the final UK hit for The Drifters, reaching No. 5 in 1976?
A. Come On Over to My Place
B. At the Club
C. You’re More Than a Number in My Little Red Book
D. Down on the Beach Tonight
Answer: C. You’re More Than a Number in My Little Red Book
Q21. How many different musicians have performed with The Drifters over their history?
A. Over 30
B. Over 60
C. Over 90
D. Exactly 50
Answer: B. Over 60
Q22. In 1988, which hall of fame inducted The Drifters, honoring members like Clyde McPhatter and Ben E. King?
A. Grammy Hall of Fame
B. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
C. Country Music Hall of Fame
D. Songwriters Hall of Fame
Answer: B. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Q23. Which two separate inductions did The Drifters receive into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame?
A. Original Drifters in 1998 and Ben E. King and The Drifters in 2000
B. Classic Drifters in 1990 and UK Drifters in 2005
C. McPhatter Era in 1985 and Lewis Era in 1995
D. Treadwell Group in 2000 and Modern Lineup in 2010
Answer: A. Original Drifters in 1998 and Ben E. King and The Drifters in 2000
Q24. In 1999, which members received Pioneer Awards from the Rhythm & Blues Foundation?
A. Ben E. King, Rudy Lewis, and Dock Green
B. Bill Pinkney, Charlie Thomas, and Johnny Moore (posthumously)
C. Andrew Thrasher, Elsbeary Hobbs, and Eugene Pearson
D. Jimmy Oliver, Tommy Evans, and Clarence Tex Walker
Answer: B. Bill Pinkney, Charlie Thomas, and Johnny Moore (posthumously)
Q25. What ranking did The Drifters receive on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Artists of All Time list in 2004?
A. No. 50
B. No. 80
C. No. 100
D. No. 25
Answer: B. No. 80