No.1 Hits of the 60s Vol.14 Trivia Quiz

Answer: My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own

Connie's version of "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" went to the top in the fall of 1960 for a two week stay. It was her follow-up hit to her first number one called "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" which had reached the top only a few months earlier. She had recorded a number of takes of the song, and the song was actually released and then changed for another version after only two weeks. No matter, the song went to the top of the charts as one of Ms. Francis' three number one hits.

The third number one hit she had was the aforementioned "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You" which went to number one in early 1962.

Answer: Tossin' and Turnin'

Bobby Lewis recorded this tune which went to the top of both the Billboard U.S. Hot 100 charts and the U.S. R&B charts as well. It stayed at the top of the Hot 100 for seven straight weeks and was named the number one song for the year on the Billboard charts.

The song has remained popular over the years and is listed on Billboard's All Time Top 100 at number 27. It was also featured in the film "Animal House" (1978). Lewis had only one other major hit, a song called "One Track Mind" which charted later in 1961.

Answer: Roses are Red (My Love)

Of the four songs listed, all were recorded by Vinton and made the Top 20 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, but it was "Roses are Red (My Love" which made it to the top and stayed in the number one position for four weeks in the summer of 1962 as his first released song. Vinton allegedly found the song in the reject pile at his record company, and recorded the song as an R&B tune.

He then had the musical arrangement changed and the rest, as they say, is music history.

Answer: Surf City

All the songs listed were big hits during the 1960s surf craze, but it was Jan and Dean's "Surf City" that spent two weeks at the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts in the summer of 1963. The song was actually written by Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys.

He gave the song to Jan Berry and Dean Torrence who were friends of his and they modified the lyrics and recorded it along with Wilson in 1963. This song is generally recognized as the first song of the "surf music" genre to make it to number one on the Billboard charts. "Two girls for every boy" indeed!

Answer: Everybody Loves Somebody

"Everybody Loves Somebody" was a song written back in 1947 by Irving Taylor and Ken Lane. The song was recorded a number of times by various artists including Frank Sinatra, but with virtually no success. Dean Martin heard this song in 1964 and decided to take a shot at recording it himself. Martin was major recording artist on the Pop charts, which evolved into Easy Listening after rock and roll took over the Hot 100, but had not had a major hit since 1958. That all changed with this song which went to the top of the charts for a week in the summer of 1964, knocking The Beatles "A Hard Day's Night" out of the top spot.

Answer: Help Me, Rhonda

Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, this song went to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 charts for a two week stay in the spring of 1965. It was the first Beach Boys song to feature lead vocals by band member Al Jardine, which was a departure for the group. The back-up musicians were an eclectic group which featured, among others, guitar by Glen Campbell and piano by Leon Russell.

Answer: Paperback Writer

"Paperback Writer" was the only song listed that made the top of the charts for the group. It was the second Beatles tune that year which was knocked out of the top spot on the charts and then regained the number one position the next week, being done previously by "We Can Work It Out".

This song was knocked out by Frank Sinatra's "Strangers In The Night" but went right back to number one the next week during the summer of 1966. The song was written and sung in the form of a letter from a writer to a publisher.

Interestingly, this was one of the few number one songs by the group never to have appeared on an original album.

Answer: All You Need Is Love

"All You Need Is Love" was first performed by The Beatles on June 25, 1967 for Our World, which was the first live global television hookup. The show was broadcast in 26 different countries and is estimated to have attracted over 400 million viewers. It was a simple song with a simple message that could be understood worldwide, regardless of the language.

The song spent one week at the number one spot in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in the summer of 1967, and is listed on Rolling Stone Magazine's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" at number 362.

Answer: Harper Valley PTA

Jeannie C. Riley took this song, penned by Tom. T. Hall to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 charts for a one week stay in September 1968. Riley was considered a country artist and this crossover hit made her the first woman ever to top the Hot 100 and Country charts with the same song.

The song recounted the goings on in a small town, and one mother's battle with the PTA to expose some of the indiscretions of the school board members. Subsequently, there was a 1978 film of the same name, and a 1980's TV series, both starring Barbara Eden, of "I Dream Of Jeannie" fame.

Answer: Suspicious Minds

"Suspicious Minds" was recorded during the so-called "Memphis sessions" of 1969. The song was a composition of Mark James, who recorded and released the song in 1968 with little success. Elvis picked up on it, and his release made it all the way to the top of the charts in November 1969 and became Presley's last number one hit before his death in 1977.

The song is also credited with rekindling Presley's career after his U.S. military services and subsequent doldrums in the mid 1960s. It is listed as the number 91 song on Rolling Stone Magazine's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".