The Songs of 'Dirty Dancing' Quiz


By: Staff

5 Min Quiz

Image: Great American Films / Limited Partnership

About This Quiz

"Dirty Dancing" gets to the heart of our dreams; someone sees our potential (even when we don't) and helps us refine it into a true talent. 

Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey star in this romantic drama about the goings-on at a Catskills vacation resort in the 1960s. From the iconic dance moves to the relatable family dynamics, the film captures a certain 60s zeitgeist with 80s flair and an awesome soundtrack.

The soundtrack of the film is particularly powerful. Who doesn't know the chorus to "(I've Had) the Time of My Life?" Not only did it bring culturally significant original songs to the charts, but it managed to resurrect hits from two decades prior, like "Do You Love Me" by The Contours and "Be My Baby" by the Ronettes.

If you're a "Dirty Dancing" super-fan who knows all the moves (including from Lisa's stupendously silly version of "Hula Hana") and you know which song Patrick Swayze wrote and performed, then this quiz is definitely for you.  All it requires is that you know the soundtrack inside and out.

When was "Dirty Dancing" released?

"Dirty Dancing" premiered in August 1987. The film was actually based on the childhood experiences of screenwriter, Eleanor Bergstein.


When did it take place?

The Housemans visited Kellerman's in the summer of 1963. The soundtrack includes both original tracks and songs from the early 60s.


How many copies of the "Dirty Dancing" soundtrack were sold?

The "Dirty Dancing" soundtrack is one of the best-selling of all time, with 32 million copies sold as of 2016.


How many weeks did it spend at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 100?

The soundtrack sat on top of the charts for 18 weeks in 1987-88.


For how many weeks was it on the charts?

The soundtrack was on the Billboard Top 200 for 94 weeks, which works out to almost two years.


What's the opening song in "Dirty Dancing?"

As the opening credits roll, we hear the Ronettes' "Be My Baby." The song was produced by Phil Spector, using what would come to be known as his "wall of sound" editing technique.


Which other movie has "Be My Baby" as the opening song?

It's the same song by the Ronettes, but just a slightly different film. Martin Scorsese's "Mean Streets," an American crime film, also opens with "Be My Baby."


What's the only song on the soundtrack performed by a member of the cast?

Patrick Swayze croons "She's Like the Wind." Not only that, but Swayze actually co-wrote the song a few years earlier with the intention of using it in a different film.


How many top-10 hits did the "Dirty Dancing" soundtrack spawn?

The three biggest hits on the soundtrack were "Hungry Eyes," "She's Like the Wind" and "(I've Had) The Time of My Life."


Which of those songs was a No. 1 hit on the album?

"(I've Had) The Time of My Life" was the only No. 1 hit on the soundtrack. It also won the Academy Award for Best Original Song that year. "Hungry Eyes" made it to No. 4, and "She's Like the Wind" peaked at No. 3.


Which song was left off the original soundtrack album, but was quickly added to "More Dirty Dancing" when it became a radio hit?

The Contours' "Do You Love Me" charted in 1963 and again in 1988 with the second "Dirty Dancing" soundtrack release.


In July 1988, "Do You Love Me" peaked at this position on the Billboard 200.

"Do You Love Me" made it to No. 11 in 1988. The first time around, in 1962, the song peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.


What's happening in the movie as "Do You Love Me" plays?

The staff is dirty dancing to "Do You Love Me" when Baby walks in with the watermelon.


What song comes next, when Johnny gets Baby out on the dance floor for the first time?

Otis Redding wails "Love Man" as Baby does some extremely awkward pelvic thrusts. The song was released two years after Redding died in a plane crash.


What song is playing when Baby walks into another staff party, this time to hand the abortion money to Penny?

Baby must weave her way through a sea of couples dancing to "Stay" so she can find Penny. The song has been covered by numerous artists since it was first released in 1960, including The Four Seasons and Jackson Browne.


Merry Clayton, who sings, "Yes," also appeared on this huge hit in 1969.

Clayton sings the instantly recognizable backup track on the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter." The song is the first track on the album, "Let it Bleed."


What is Baby doing as she lip-syncs part of "Love is Strange?"

Baby and Johnny very seductively crawl across the practice floor to each other as "Love is Strange" plays. The song came out in 1956.


"Hungry Eyes" singer, Eric Carmen, was the lead singer of this group in the 60s and 70s:

Carmen was the front-man for The Raspberries, whose biggest hit was "Go All the Way" in 1972.


What was Eric Carmen's biggest solo hit?

"All by Myself" hit No. 2 in 1976. Celine Dion's version (from "Falling Into You") was certified gold in the United States.


This song, which hit No. 1 in 1961, plays as Baby and Johnny practice in the woods.

Baby and Johnny dance across a log, and practice their lift, as "Hey! Baby" plays. The song originally spent three weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962.


What's happening in the movie when "You Don't Own Me" plays?

"You Don't Own Me" is on in the background of Penny's cabin when Baby comes to see her. The song was originally performed by Lesley Gore.


What song plays as Johnny leaves Kellerman's?

Patrick Swayze's "She's Like the Wind" provides the soundtrack to his character's exit.


Which song was the B side of "(I've Had) The Time of My Life?"

"Love is Strange," by Mickey and Sylvia, got a huge boost from being attached to the Bill Medley/Jennifer Warnes hit.


In what year did "Love is Strange" hit No. 1 on the R&B charts?

The Mickey & Sylvia duet is from 1957. The first version of the song was written and recorded by Bo Diddley.


What song plays as Baby and Johnny first spend the night together?

Solomon Burke's, "Cry to Me," plays as Baby and Johnny dance in his cabin, and things get intimate. Both The Rolling Stones and Tom Petty covered the song.


A study commissioned by Spotify found that the "Dirty Dancing" soundtrack has the best songs to play during this activity.

Apparently, Spotify listeners enjoy having sex to the "Dirty Dancing" soundtrack. Data journalism has found a new use.


This instrumental tune plays over a montage of Baby and Johnny's first dance lesson.

The Surfaris' signature hit that uses the twelve-bar blues provides the soundtrack to the first practice montage. The song was released in 1963.


This is the song that's playing during the montage when Baby finally gets it right.

"Hungry Eyes" accompanies the montage. The song is considered a power ballad.


Which soundtrack song was the first No. 1 hit by a black all-girl group?

"Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" by The Shirelles made it to No. 1 in 1960. The song was first called "Tomorrow" when it was initially released. It was co-written by Carole King.


To which song do Baby and Johnny dance at their performance at The Sheldrake?

Baby and Johnny dance the mambo to "De Todo un Poco," by Michael Lloyd and Le Disc.


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