The Rubettes career was short lived to say the least and just two years after hitting number one with "Sugar Baby Love", this 50s sounding doo-wop band scraped to number 40 in 1976 with "Under One Roof", a song that shocked many people as it was about Billy and Johnny, two men living together before Billy's father killed him for being gay. Heady stuff for mid 70s suburbia in the UK.
2. Wings
Answer: I've Had Enough
The second single from the 1978 album "London Town", the track "I've Had Enough" didn't fare as well as its predecessor "With A Little Luck". While that track reached number five, "I've Had Enough" only got to number 42, which was still better than the album's title track which only reached number 60.
3. Middle of the Road
Answer: Sacramento (A Wonderful Town)
Scottish band Middle of the Road released "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" in 1971, a record that for all it's banality has sold 10 million physical units. That puts it on a par with "Hound Dog" by Elvis Presley, Procol Harum's "Whiter Shade of Pale" and "I'm A Believer" by The Monkees. Just one year after "Cheep Cheep" though, they had their last UK hit with "Sacramento" which peaked at number 26.
4. Free
Answer: Little Bit Of Love
In 1972, sandwiched nicely between "My Brother Jake" and "Wishing Well", two of Free's biggest hits was "Little Bit Of Love", which was still a success, managing to hit number 13 in UK, but is often forgotten alongside the other two tracks and the monster "All Right Now".
5. Peters and Lee
Answer: By Your Side
Peters and Lee, consisting of Dianne Lee and Lennie Peters, who is the uncle of Rolling Stones drummer, Charlie Watts, hit UK number one spot in May 1973 with "Welcome Home". They followed it up six months later with "By Your Side" which scraped to number 39. They managed a couple more top twenty hits but by 1980 these had dried up and they split to pursue unsuccessful solo careers.
6. David Essex
Answer: Imperial Wizard
Between 1973 and 1978, Essex had two UK number ones and five top tens, including "Oh What A Circus" from the original version of "Evita" in which he played Che. "Imperial Wizard was a 1979 release which reached number 32, which was still better than the track he followed "Oh What A Circus" with as that song, "Brave New World" only reached number 55. Sure signs that the singing career is over.
7. Slade
Answer: Gypsy Roadhog
I was seven years old in 1971 when Slade released "Coz I Luv You" and this was like nothing I had heard before. Over the next four years, they had hit after hit, six number ones and seven top tens, and then suddenly in 1976, they weren't popular anymore. "Nobody's Fool" peaked at number 53 and "Gypsy Roadhog" got to number 48 and I was a sad disillusioned child on the brink of my teens.
8. Sweet
Answer: Action
"Ballroom Blitz" in 1973 and "Fox On The Run" in 1975 both hit number two in UK as well as both reaching number five in USA, but just as it seemed Sweet would be a major force, their career started to die with this follow up to "Fox On The Run". "Action" peaked at 15 in UK and an even poorer 20 in USA and apart from a brief return to the limelight with 1978s "Love Is Like Oxygen", it was the last time Sweet would trouble the charts.
9. Bay City Rollers
Answer: It's A Game
Termed at the time, the "biggest band since the Beatles" and inspiring the madness that was Rollermania, the Bay City Rollers had five years of top ten success between 1971 and 1976 before this release in 1977 which only got to number 16. It was followed by "You Made Me Believe In Magic" which did even worse, managing number 34 and that was it.
As quick as they burst on the charts, they disappeared, ending the phenomenon of screaming teenage girls.
10. T.Rex
Answer: Light Of Love
Many a star is lamented as having being taken from us too soon, but that is surely the case with Marc Bolan of T.Rex. His star may have been on the wane slightly by the time this number 22 1974 single came out but he had ten consecutive top ten singles in the years 1970-73 and surely he would shine again? Yeah, of course he would, after all between this track and his death in 1977 he released "New York City" and "I Love To Boogie", both of which cracked the top 15.
Interesting bonus trivia question. Which band in 1970, dropped 12 letters from their name and replaced them with a full stop (period). Yep full marks if you said Tyrannosaurus Rex.
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor 1nn1 before going online.
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