Top 15 Hits from 1976 Trivia Quiz

Answer:

FYI - All incorrect songs were from 1966.

1. "Silly Love Songs" (Wings) was written by Paul and Linda McCartney. The song was McCartney's 27th number-one as a songwriter; the record for the most number-one hits by a songwriter. McCartney also became the first to have a year-end number-one song as a member of two distinct bands. He reached number one with the Beatles on "I Want to Hold Your Hand" in 1964 and "Hey Jude" in 1968.

2. "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Elton John and Kiki Dee) was written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin under the pseudonyms "Ann Orson" and "Carte Blanche", respectively. John and Taupin originally intended to record the song with Dusty Springfield but withdrew the offer due to Springfield being ill at the time.

3. "Disco Lady" (Johnnie Taylor) was written by Harvey Scales, Albert Vance and Don Davis. It went on to become Johnnie Taylor's biggest hit. It also earned Taylor his second Grammy Award nomination for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance (after "Who's Making Love" in 1969).

4. "December 1963" (The Four Seasons) was written by original Four Seasons keyboard player Bob Gaudio and his future wife Judy Parker. It hit number one on the UK Singles Chart on February 21, 1976, and repeated the feat on the US Billboard Hot 100 on March 13, 1976, remaining in the top spot for three weeks.

5. "Play That Funky Music" (Wild Cherry) was written by Rob Parissi. It was the group's only US Top 40 song. The single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of over 2 million records and eventually sold 2.5 million in the US alone.

6. "Kiss and Say Goodbye" (The Manhattans) was written by group member Winfred Lovett, the bass singer and songwriter of the group, who did the song's spoken intro. It reached number one in the US, Belgium, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Europe (European Hot 100 Singles).

7. "Love Machine" (The Miracles) was written by William Griffin and Warren Moore. The seven-minute song was split into two parts for its release as a single, with "Part 1" receiving the most success. Griffin had replaced Miracles founder Smokey Robinson as the lead singer in 1972.

8. "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" (Paul Simon) was written by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It became Simon's sole number-one hit as a solo artist on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. Lynda Carter performed this song televised from a Navy Carrier. As she passed each member of the honor guard, they did an about-face and the TV camera picked up their name tags showing the first names used in the song.

9. "Love Is Alive" (Gary Wright) was written by Gary Wright. In the US, "Love Is Alive" peaked at number two on the Hot 100 and spent 27 weeks on the charts. The song reached number six on the Canadian charts.

10. "A Fifth of Beethoven" (Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band) is a disco instrumental recorded by Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band, adapted from the first movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5". Murphy's interests included rock music, particularly that adapted from classical music, such as "Joy" by Apollo 100 and "A Lover's Concerto" by The Toys which led to his "A Fifth of Beethoven".

11. "Sara Smile" (Hall & Oates) was written and recorded by the American musical duo of Daryl Hall and John Oates. The song was the group's first Top Ten hit in the US, reaching number four on the Billboard Hot 100. It was written about Hall's then-girlfriend, Sara Allen. The couple were together for almost 30 years before breaking up in 2001.

12. "Afternoon Delight" (Starland Vocal Band) was written by Bill Danoff, one of the members of the band. The title came from the menu at Clyde's restaurant in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. It won the Grammy Award for Best Arrangement for Voices.

13. "I Write the Songs" (Barry Manilow) was written by Bruce Johnston. It won a Grammy Award for Song of the Year and was nominated for Record of the Year. After his version reached number one, Manilow himself composed a novelty song which he recorded under the title "I Really Do Write the Songs".

14. "Fly, Robin, Fly" (Silver Convention) was written by Sylvester Levay and Stephan Prager. Silver Convention became the first German act to have a number-one song on the American music charts. The song received a Grammy Award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance in 1976.

15. "Love Hangover" (Diana Ross) was written by Marilyn McLeod and Pamela Sawyer. "Love Hangover" reached number one on May 29, 1976, and was the fourth of Diana Ross' six number-one hits.