1969 AM Radio Gold Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ron Dante

"Tracy" reached number nine and "Sugar, Sugar" went all the way to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 from 1969. Dante had experienced some previous success as a member of the group The Detergents, whose novelty song "Leader of the Laundromat", hit number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1965.

The song was a parody of the Shangri-Las' 1965 chart topper "Leader of the Pack". After his success in 1969 he went on to Co-Produce Barry Manilow's first nine albums.

Answer: Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In

With music by Gait McDermot and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado, "Hair" was responsible for some of 1969's best loved tunes. This is where each song peaked on the Billboard's Hot 100. "Easy to Be Hard", by Three Dog Night, at number four, "Good Morning Starshine", by Oliver, at number three, "Hair", by The Cowsills, at number two and "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In", by The Fifth Dimension, went all the way to number one. I'd say a pretty good year for McDermot, Ragni and Rado.

Answer: Laura Nyro

Laura Nyro was a songwriter, singer and pianist. In the late '60s and early '70s Nyro wrote and recorded some of the greatest songs of this time period. She achieved some critical acclaim for her recordings, but had more commercial success with the recording of her songs by other artists. Versions of her songs, including, Barbra Streisand's "Stoney End", Three Dog Night's "Eli's Coming" and Blood, Sweat and Tears' "And When I Die" were all top ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Ironically, Nyro's biggest selling song that she recorded was the Carole King and Gerry Goffin composition, "Up on the Roof".

The song reached number 92 on Billboard's Hot 100 in October of 1970. Laura Nyro died of ovarian cancer in 1997, at the age of 49.

Answer: Grazing in the Grass

Harry Elston, a founding member of The Friends of Distinction, added lyrics to the instrumental and their version hit the airwaves in May of 1969. Masekela's version, which has sold over four million copies, ranked number 18 on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1968.

Answer: Ruby

The song was written by country superstar Mel Tillis and tells the story of a paralyzed veteran who believes his wife is cheating on him. According to John Morthland, a former writer and editor of "Rolling Stone" and "Creem" magazines, the song is based on a couple that lived near Tillis in his Florida hometown.

The man was wounded in Germany during World War II and was sent to England to recover. During his recovery he fell in love with his nurse and the two married and moved to Florida, but due to recurring problems from his wounds, the man spent long periods of time in the hospital.

It was during these times that he believed his wife had strayed. Tillis reset the story in the Vietnam years and changed the ending. In real life the vet killed his wife and himself.

Despite the depressing subject matter, Kenny Rogers and the First Edition took the song to number six on the Billboard Hot 100.

Answer: The Temptations

The joint effort by the two Motown groups peaked at number two on Billboard's Hot 100 in early 1969. Later in the year Diana Ross and the Supremes had their last number one hit with "Someday We'll Be Together". Soon after Ross left the group to embark on a solo career.

Despite multiple line-up changes, The Temptations had a string of top ten hits starting in 1965 and continuing into the early '70s. They are still performing today.

Answer: Mercy

Mercy was an American pop group from Florida. "Love (Can Make You Happy)" was released in the US in April 1969 and by the middle of July the single already had over one million in sales. The song reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100. Mercy did have another tune chart in 1969, a song called "Forever", but it only managed to get as high as number 79.

Answer: None of these

It's hard to believe CCR never had a number one hit, but seven of their recordings from 1969 and 1970 were top five hits on Billboard's Hot 100. In 1969 "Proud Mary", "Green River" and "Bad Moon Rising" all reached number two, while "Down on the Corner" peaked at number three.

Answer: Suspicious Minds

What else can be said about Elvis. He had 17 number one hits on the various Billboard charts from 1956 to 1969. "Burning Love" only reached number two on Billboard's Hot 100, although it did go to number one on the Cash Box Top 100 in 1972.

Answer: Sugar, Sugar

Believe or not, "Sugar, Sugar", by the fictional band the Archies, is the winner. The pop song, written by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim, reached number one on Billboard's Hot 100 and stayed there for four weeks. It was also number one on the UK Singles charts for eight weeks.