Don't Forget the Lyrics! (U.S.)
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''Don't Forget the Lyrics!'' is an American television
game show A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or demonstrative and are typically directed by a host, ...
in which contestants compete to win $1 million by correctly recalling song lyrics from a variety of genres. The program originally aired on
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
from July 11, 2007 to June 19, 2009, hosted by
Wayne Brady Wayne Alphonso Brady (born June 2, 1972) is an American television personality, comedian, actor, and singer. He is a regular on the American version of the improvisational comedy television series ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' He was the host of ...
and produced by
RDF USA Zodiak Media was an independent French production company. In February 2016, Zodiak merged with Banijay. History In 2008, the group re-branded itself as Zodiak Entertainment after the acquisition of Zodiak TV (Nordics, Eastern Europe, Russia ...
, part of
RDF Media Banijay (formerly Banijay Entertainment and later Banijay Group) is a French television production and distribution company which is the world's largest international content producer and distributor with over 120 production companies across 22 ...
. The premiere of the show prompted
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
to move up the premiere of their similar game show, '' The Singing Bee''. On January 25, 2010,
20th Television 20th Television (formerly 20th Century Fox Television, 20th Century-Fox Television, and TCF Television Productions, Inc.) is an American television production company that is a division of Disney Television Studios, part of The Walt Disney Comp ...
announced the debut of a new syndicated version with
Sugar Ray Sugar Ray is an American rock band formed in Newport Beach, California, in 1986. Originally playing heavier funk metal and nu metal style music, the band achieved mainstream popularity in 1997 with their more pop-influenced single "Fly". The ...
lead singer
Mark McGrath Mark Sayers McGrath (born March 15, 1968) is an American singer who is the lead vocalist of the rock band Sugar Ray. McGrath is also known for his work as a co-host of '' Extra'', and he was the host of '' Don't Forget the Lyrics!'' in 2010. ...
as host. The show premiered in daytime syndication and in primetime on VH1 on Monday, September 20, 2010. It premiered in primetime on
MyNetworkTV MyNetworkTV (unofficially abbreviated MyTV, MyNet, MNT or MNTV, and sometimes referred to as My Network) is an American commercial broadcast television syndication service and former television network owned by Fox Corporation, operated by its ...
on October 5, 2010. On March 24, 2011, the show was canceled along with '' Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?'' due to low ratings. On April 28, 2021, Fox announced that it had ordered a revival of ''Don't Forget the Lyrics!'' with actress and comedian
Niecy Nash Carol Denise Betts (née Ensley; born February 23, 1970), known professionally as Niecy Nash-Betts (), is an American actress, comedian and television host, best known for her performances on television. Nash hosted the Style Network show '' C ...
as host. It premiered on May 23, 2022.


Gameplay

A contestant is presented with nine categories representing different
genres Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...
, time periods, artists, or themes. Each category contains two songs to choose from. In each round, the contestant selects a category and song, and then begins a
karaoke Karaoke (; ; , clipped compound of Japanese ''kara'' "empty" and ''ōkesutora'' "orchestra") is a type of interactive entertainment usually offered in clubs and bars, where people sing along to recorded music using a microphone. The music i ...
performance to a portion of the selected song. Eventually, the song will stop on a lyric displayed as a series of blanks on-screen. At this time, the contestant attempts to provide a guess as to what is the correct lyric. After the performance, the contestant may review, amend, and lock in their guess, or use one of their "backups" to assist them in figuring out the correct lyric: * Backup Singer: The contestant can bring a supporter on-stage to perform the song again or otherwise provide their own guess for consideration. * Two Words: The contestant can reveal two words of their choice from the correct line. ** On the 2022 revival, this backup is succeeded by Three Words, which allows the contestant to reveal up to three words throughout the game (rather than limiting it to two words on one song only). * Three Lines: Gives the contestant a choice of three possible answers, of which one is the correct line. This backup is not used on the 2022 revival. Contestants progress up a money ladder for each correct answer given, ranging from $2,500 to $500,000 ($250,000 on the 2022 revival). As long as the contestant has not locked in lyrics for the current song, they may choose to walk away with their winnings so far. If the contestant locks in with an incorrect answer, the game ends and they lose any winnings they have accrued. If the contestant makes it past the fourth song, they are guaranteed to leave with no less than $25,000. If the contestant makes it past all nine categories, they become eligible to play the final "Million-Dollar Song"; the song is always a number-one hit that falls within one of the nine categories, but is not revealed to the contestant in advance. The contestant may either end the game with their winnings up to that point, or risk it for a chance at the $1,000,000 top prize. Unlike the other rounds, the contestant is only allowed to use the Backup Singer, and cannot freely walk away: if they answer incorrectly or walk away, their winnings are reduced to the guaranteed $25,000. Later episodes of the original primetime run also added a $100,000 milestone.


Syndicated version

The syndicated version of the series uses a modified format: in each episode, a contestant plays four songs from four categories. Each correct answer progresses the contestant up a money ladder, ranging from $1,000 to $10,000; unlike the primetime version, answering incorrectly does not end the game, but does prevent the contestant from reaching the higher amounts. The contestant receives only one backup, Three Lines (referred to as the "Backup"). After four songs, the contestant is given the option to play a
double or nothing Double or nothing (UK often double or quits) is a gamble to decide whether a loss or debt should be doubled. The result of a "double or nothing" bet is either the subject doubled to twice the amount as the original ''or'' the doubling of a debt. It ...
"Encore" song: if the encore song is answered correctly, the contestant's winnings from the main game are doubled. If answered incorrectly, the contestant loses their winnings, and receives a
portable music player A portable audio player is a personal mobile device that allows the user to listen to recorded audio while mobile. Sometimes a distinction is made between a ''portable'' player, battery-powered and with one or more small loudspeakers, and a ''pers ...
as a consolation prize. If all four songs in the main game are answered correctly, the Encore is instead played for the top prize of $50,000, with a consolation prize of $1,000.


Money ladder

As contestants sing correct lyrics, contestants move up the progressive money ladder and their winnings increases; upon reaching a certain point in the game, their money is guaranteed and contestants keep their amount if they got any lyrics wrong, which indicated in bold. Fox version Syndicated version


Ratings

In its 2007 debut, ''Don't Forget the Lyrics!'' averaged a 3.4 rating in adults 18-49. The 2022 version premiered to 2.08 million viewers with a 0.4/3 rating/share.


Notable contestants

* On October 11, 2007, Tony Gubelman became the first contestant to walk away with no prize money after he did not get the lyrics to the song " Piano Man" at the $25,000 level. * Dottie Harris became the first contestant to win $500,000, but opt not to risk $400,000 to attempt the Million Dollar Song. * Shamari Berkley became the first contestant under the age of 18, as he was 11 years old when he played the game with the rules changed slightly, in that, an incorrect answer meant no lost money and the $2,500 level was simply given to him. Many of the songs dealt with something kids would know, such as ''
Take Me Out to the Ball Game "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a 1908 Tin Pan Alley song by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer which has become the unofficial anthem of North American baseball, although neither of its authors had attended a game prior to writing the song ...
'' and the '' Hokey Pokey''. He walked away with $350,000 (the largest prize ever won by a minor on a US game show). Shamari is also a
child actor The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage or in movies or television. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associated t ...
. * Boyz II Men appeared as celebrity contestants, playing for charity, on an episode aired on February 21, 2008. They won $500,000. * REO Speedwagon frontman
Kevin Cronin Kevin Patrick Cronin (born October 6, 1951) is an American singer and songwriter, who is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and pianist for the rock band REO Speedwagon. The band had several hits on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 throughout the ...
appeared as a contestant on the March 27, 2008 episode. Like Boyz II Men, he ended the show with a concert, singing ''Roll With the Changes''. * On April 17, 2008, season two ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
'' contestant
Kimberley Locke Kimberley Dawn Locke (born January 3, 1978) is an American singer-songwriter and television personality. She has recorded in the dance and pop genres, and has targeted the adult contemporary radio format. She was the cohost of the daytime talk s ...
became the first contestant in the show's history to attempt the Million Dollar Song. Locke sang Ringo Starr's "
You're Sixteen "You're Sixteen" is a song written by the Sherman Brothers (Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman). It was first performed by American rockabilly singer Johnny Burnette, whose version peaked at number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100, ''Bill ...
" as the final song, but chose to end the game without locking the lyrics and left with $100,000 that was raised for her charity, Camp Heartland. *On May 1, 2008, Poison frontman Bret Michaels won $200,000. He donated $100,000 each to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. * On November 7, 2008, all four original members of R&B girl group
En Vogue En Vogue is an American vocal girl group whose original lineup consisted of singers Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones. Formed in Oakland, California, in 1989, En Vogue reached No. 2 on the US Hot 100 with the single ...
appeared to compete for the charities of their choice, winning a total of $350,000 for the Cancer Centers of America, St. Jude's, and RBI International (the $50,000 went to taxes). * On December 12, 2008, three Miss Americas,
Kirsten Haglund Kirsten Iora Müller-Daubermann (née Haglund; born September 14, 1988) is a public speaker, eating disorder awareness activist, commentator, and president of the Kirsten Haglund Foundation. She served as Miss America 2008. Education At age 12, ...
( Miss America 2008),
Heather French Henry Heather Renee French Henry (born December 29, 1974) is a Miss America title holder, fashion designer, and veterans advocate. She is married to former Kentucky Lieutenant Governor Steve Henry. Biography Raised in Augusta, Kentucky, Heather Fre ...
(Miss America 2000), and Susan Powell (Miss America 1981) competed for the Miss America Scholarship Fund. * On January 16, 2009,
Penn & Teller Penn & Teller, Penn Jillette and Teller, are American magicians, entertainers, and scientific skeptics who have performed together since the late 1970s. They are noted for their ongoing act that combines elements of comedy with magic. The duo h ...
appeared on the show with Carrot Top as one of their helpers. * On May 22, 2009,
Meat Loaf Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday; September 27, 1947 – January 20, 2022), known professionally as Meat Loaf, was an American rock singer and actor. He was noted for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and theatrical live shows. He is on t ...
and his daughter Pearl appeared and got to $500,000 before opting to walk with the money and donating it to
The Painted Turtle The Painted Turtle is a Summer camp located near Lake Elizabeth in Lake Hughes, California. The camp is for children who are faced with life-threatening and chronic illnesses. Many of these children would not have the opportunity to have a cam ...
. They were the last players to win $500,000. * On October 5, 2010, four members of the
Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson. Lou Pearlman formed the group in 1993 in Orlando, Florida. The ...
appeared on the show. They won $5,000 for
UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to ...
after unsuccessful while attempting at the $50,000 encore song. Following the game, the group announced to donated an additional $5,000 to
UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to ...
. * On October 12, 2010, season four ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
'' runner-up
Bo Bice Harold Elwin "Bo" Bice Jr. (born November 1, 1975) is an American singer and musician who was the runner-up against Carrie Underwood in the fourth season of ''American Idol''. Prior to auditioning for ''American Idol'', Bice released a solo alb ...
won the grand prize of $50,000 for his charity, the
MusiCares MusiCares Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 1989 and incorporated in 1993 by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Meant for musicians to have a place to turn in times of financial, personal, or medical crisis, ...
Foundation. * On October 18, 2010, rap duo
Kid 'n Play Kid 'n Play is an American hip-hop duo from New York City that was most popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The duo was composed of Christopher Reid ("Kid") and Christopher Martin ("Play") working alongside their DJ, Mark "DJ Wiz" Eas ...
appeared on the show. They won $5,000 to donate to The Red Cross fund for Haiti. * On October 21, 2010, actress
Tia Carrere Althea Rae Duhinio Janairo (born January 2, 1967), known professionally as Tia Carrere (), is an American actress, singer and former model who got her first big break as a regular on the daytime soap opera '' General Hospital''. Carrere played C ...
appeared on the show. She won $5,000 for her charity, After-School All-Stars Hawaii. * On October 22, 2010, comedian
Margaret Cho Margaret Moran Cho (born December 5, 1968) is an American comedian, actress, LGBT social activist, and musician. She is known for her stand-up routines, through which she critiques social and political problems, especially regarding race and se ...
appeared on the show. She won $5,000 for her charity, The
Institute for Marine Mammal Studies The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies ("IMMS") is a research organization located in Gulfport, Mississippi and dedicated to education, conservation, and research on marine mammals in the wild and in captivity. It was founded in 1984 as a researc ...
. * On November 3, 2010, singer
Elliott Yamin Efraym Elliott Yamin ( he, אפרים אליוט ימין; born July 20, 1978) is an American singer known for his hit single " Wait for You" and for placing third on the fifth season of ''American Idol''. His self-titled album, released Marc ...
appeared on the show. He won $5,000 for his charities,
JDRF JDRF is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that funds type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, provides a broad array of community and activist services to the T1D population and actively advocates for regulation favorable to medical research and approval o ...
and
Malaria No More Malaria No More is a nonprofit organization that seeks to eradicate malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, a ...
. * On November 5, 2010, singer
Blake Lewis Blake Colin Lewis (born July 21, 1981) is an American musician, singer and actor who was the runner-up on the sixth season of ''American Idol''. His major label debut album '' A.D.D. (Audio Day Dream)'' was released on December 4, 2007, through ...
appeared on the show. He won $5,000 for his charity, The Seattle Children's Hospital. * Actor and composer
Alan Thicke Alan Thicke (born Alan Willis Jeffrey; March 1, 1947December 13, 2016) was a Canadian actor, songwriter, and game and talk show host. He is the father of singer Robin Thicke. In 2013, Thicke was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame. Thicke was be ...
appeared on the show. His appearance was notable as he did not know the tune to some of the songs and more or less quoted lyrics rather than sing. He was the first celebrity to miss a song but still won $5,000 for charity.


Guest appearances

* On April 11, 2008, Gloria Gaynor appeared and performed "
I Will Survive "I Will Survive" is a song by American singer Gloria Gaynor, released in October 1978 as the second single from her sixth album, '' Love Tracks'' (1978). It was written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris. A top-selling song, it is a popular di ...
". * On July 31, 2008,
Kenny Loggins Kenneth Clark Loggins (born January 7, 1948) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. His early songs were recorded with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1970, which led to seven albums recorded as Loggins and Messina from 1972 to 1977. His ...
appeared and performed "I'm Alright" and "
Footloose Footloose may refer to: * ''Footloose'' (1984 film), a musical film ** ''Footloose'' (1984 soundtrack) ** "Footloose" (song), performed by Kenny Loggins * ''Footloose'' (2011 film), a remake of the 1984 film ** ''Footloose'' (2011 soundtrack) ...
".


Winners and Losers


Penultimate song correct

* Dottie Harris (first civilian contestant to win $500,000) * Boyz II Men (February 21, 2008; first celebrity contestant and first team to win $500,000) * Asia Craft (October 10, 2008) * Mark Weiser and J'Nae Fincannon (December 19, 2008) *
Meat Loaf Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday; September 27, 1947 – January 20, 2022), known professionally as Meat Loaf, was an American rock singer and actor. He was noted for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and theatrical live shows. He is on t ...
and
Pearl Aday Pearl Aday (born 1975) is an American singer. She is the adopted daughter of vocalist Michael Lee Aday, better known as Meat Loaf, and was a member of his touring band Neverland Express for nine years starting in the mid-1990s. She has appeared ...
(May 22, 2009)


Final song incorrect

*
Kimberley Locke Kimberley Dawn Locke (born January 3, 1978) is an American singer-songwriter and television personality. She has recorded in the dance and pop genres, and has targeted the adult contemporary radio format. She was the cohost of the daytime talk s ...
(April 17, 2008) - You're Sixteen - Ringo Starr 1974 * Diana Drake (May 15, 2008) - Blame it on the Rain - Milli Vanilli 1989


Top prize winners

* Karina Buettgenbach (October 4, 2010) *
Bo Bice Harold Elwin "Bo" Bice Jr. (born November 1, 1975) is an American singer and musician who was the runner-up against Carrie Underwood in the fourth season of ''American Idol''. Prior to auditioning for ''American Idol'', Bice released a solo alb ...
(October 12, 2010) * Sandra Benton (October 26, 2010) * Regan Rothery (December 31, 2010) * Felice Schaeffer (January 11, 2011)


International versions

In addition to the basic show in the United States, there were many affiliated international versions of the show in many countries including Australia, Austria, Croatia, Denmark, Egypt, France, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Quebec (Canada), Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom and Vietnam.


See also

* ''
All Star K! ''All-Star K!'', formerly ''K! The 1 Million Peso Videoke Challenge'', is a Philippine television karaoke game show broadcast by GMA Network. Originally hosted by Arnell Ignacio, it premiered on January 13, 2002. The show concluded on October 18 ...
'' * ''
Beat Shazam ''Beat Shazam'' is an American television musical game show which premiered on Fox on May 25, 2017. The show is hosted by Jamie Foxx, who is also an executive producer on the show along with Jeff Apploff (who created the show with Wes Kauble). O ...
'' - another game show involve of use of music and Billboard hit songs playing for up to $1 million grand prize * ''
I Can See Your Voice ''I Can See Your Voice'' (abbreviated ''ICSYV'' and stylized as ''I Can See Your Voice — Mystery music game show'') () is an international television mystery music game show franchise that originated in South Korea. History In 2012, prod ...
'' - another game show involving guessing of music


References


External links

*
Don't Forget the Lyrics!
at
MyNetworkTV MyNetworkTV (unofficially abbreviated MyTV, MyNet, MNT or MNTV, and sometimes referred to as My Network) is an American commercial broadcast television syndication service and former television network owned by Fox Corporation, operated by its ...
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Don't Forget The Lyrics! 2000s American game shows 2007 American television series debuts 2009 American television series endings 2010s American game shows 2010 American television series debuts 2011 American television series endings 2020s American game shows 2022 American television series debuts American television series revived after cancellation Don't Forget the Lyrics! English-language television shows First-run syndicated television programs in the United States Fox Broadcasting Company original programming Musical game shows Television series by 20th Century Fox Television Television series by Banijay Television series by Bunim/Murray Productions