1960s Number Ones Trivia

1. In 1960, Percy Faith and Orchestra had their only Billboard Top 40 Pop Singles Number One hit. Which song was it?

From Quiz Number One Hits, 1960-1969

Answer: Theme From 'A Summer Place'

"Theme For Young Lovers" was their only other Top 40 song, checking in at Number 35 in 1960. "Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White" (1955) and "Patricia" (1958) were Number One hits for Perez Prado and Orchestra (curiously, their only Top 40 songs).

From Quiz More Popular Than The Beatles:Vol.1 USA

Answer: She Loves You

"She Loves You" by The Beatles replaced "I Want To Hold Your Hand" at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on the 1st February 1964. It was number one for two weeks. It was number one for six non consecutive weeks on the UK singles chart in 1963. The Beatles replaced themselves at number one with "She Loves You", written by Lennon/McCartney. They started to write it after appearing with Roy Orbison and fellow Liverpudlians Gerry & The Pacemakers in Newcastle, UK, in 1963. According to various things individual Beatles have said over the years their songs have been influenced by other songs and "She Loves You" was no exception. Both John Lennon and Paul McCartney have stated that it was influenced by "Forget Him" (Bobby Rydell), "Stuck On You" (Elvis Presley) and "Twist And Shout" (The Isley Brothers). "She Loves You" was originally released in the USA in September 1963 on the Swan record label but failed to chart having sold approximately 1,000 copies. "I Want To Hold Your Hand" gave The Beatles a number one hit for seven weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964. It was number one for five weeks on the UK singles chart in 1963.

From Quiz Women On Top: '60s Number One Hits USA

Answer: Everybody's Somebody's Fool

"Everybody's Somebody's Fool" written by Howard Greenfield/Jack Keller, gave Connie Francis a number one hit for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960. It reached number five on the UK singles chart the same year. Connie Francis was born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero in Newark, New Jersey, USA, in 1938. She had released nine singles in the '50s which had all flopped. A duet with Marvin Rainwater "The Majesty Of Love" reached number 93 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1957. MGM were not going to renew her recording contract after what was going to be her last recording for them. That recording turned out to be a song written by Bert Kalmar/Harry Ruby in 1923, "Who's Sorry Now". It reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and was number one for six weeks on the UK singles chart in 1958. When "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" hit the top on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960 it became the first number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 by a solo female singer since "Tammy" by actress Debbie Reynolds in 1957. Between 1957 and 1963 Connie Francis had 22 Billboard Top 20 hits which included 16 Top Ten hits and three number one hits. She was the number one female Pop music vocalist from the late '50s to the mid-'60s. After 1963 she did not have any more Top 20 hits but continued to have hits on the Billboard Hot 100 until 1969. Her recording contract with MGM ran out in 1969 but she did not renew it or sign with another label and lived in semi-retirement for the next few years. In 1973 she recorded an answer song to "Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree" by Dawn, "(Should I) Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree?" which "bubbled under" at 104. She began performing again but while appearing at the Westbury Music Fair in New York in 1974 and staying at the Jericho Turnpike Howard Johnson's Lodge she was raped and nearly suffocated. She later sued the motel chain for failing to provide adequate security and reportedly won a $2.5 million judgment. Her rapist was never found.

From Quiz More Popular Than The Beatles:Vol.1 UK

Answer: Gerry and the Pacemakers

"I Like It" by Gerry and The Pacemakers replaced "From Me To You" at number one on the UK singles chart on the 20th June 1963. It was number one for four weeks. It reached number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964. "I Like It" was written by UK songwriter Mitch Murray who also wrote their first number one hit "How Do You Do It". Gerry and the Pacemakers turned the tables on The Beatles with "I Like It" after The Beatles had replaced their "How Do You Do It" at number one with "From Me To You". Gerry & the Pacemakers hold a unique place in pop music history. "How Do You Do It" was the first number one by a Liverpool group on the UK singles chart. They were the first act from the Brian Epstein stable to have a number one hit on the UK singles chart. They were the first act to be replaced at the top of the UK singles chart by The Beatles. They were the first act to replace The Beatles at the top of the UK singles chart. They were the first act to reach the top of the UK singles chart with their first two and their first three single releases. "From Me To You" was number one for seven weeks on the UK singles chart in 1963 and was the first of 11 consecutive UK number one hits by The Beatles. It reached number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100 as the B-Side of "Please Please Me" on the Vee-Jay record label in 1964. It was the first Lennon/McCartney song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 when it was a number 77 hit for Del Shannon in 1963.

From Quiz No.1 Hits of the 60s Vol.22

Answer: Running Scared

"Running Scared" became Orbison's first number one hit when it reached the top of the Billboard U.S. Hot 100 charts in the summer of 1961 for a one week stay. It was co-written by Orbison along with Joe Melson.

From Quiz No.1 Hits of the 60s Vol.20

Answer: Are You Lonesome Tonight?

All the songs listed are Presley cuts, but it was "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" which topped the Billboard Hot 100 charts for the last five weeks of 1960 and the first week of 1961. "All the world's a stage...." This song was actually written in the late 1920s and was recorded as far back as 1927. Presley had the most successful version and his rendition is listed on Billboard Magazine's "Greatest Hits of All Time" at number 81.

From Quiz No.1 Hits of the 60s Vol.19

Answer: Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs

"Stay' was actually written by Maurice Williams in 1953 as a 15 year old. He hit paydirt with his group the Zodiacs in 1960 and took the song to the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 charts for one week in the fall that year. The recording is generally recognized as the shortest single ever to reach number one on the Billboard charts at a time of 1 minute, 37 seconds. A notable cover of the song was by The Four Seasons in 1964.

From Quiz No.1 Hits of the 60s Vol.18

Answer: Georgia

"Georgia On My Mind" was written way back in 1930 by Hoagy Carmichael. The song has been covered by many, many artists but the most well known version was recorded by Ray Charles and the song reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for one week in the fall of 1960. Rolling Stone Magazine listed the song at number 44 on their "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" and the song was named as the official state song of Georgia in 1979.

From Quiz No.1 Hits of the 60s Vol.17

Answer: I Want to Be Wanted

The 4' 9" singer known affectionately as Little Miss Dynamite took this song to the top of the charts for a one week stay in October of 1960. The song was a translated version of an Italian song that was part of the film "Never on Sunday" (1960). This was the second number one hit for Brenda's during her career. "I'm Sorry" reached the top earlier that same year.

From Quiz No.1 Hits of the 60s Vol.16

Answer: Save The Last Dance For Me

It was "Save The Last Dance For Me" that made it to number one for the Drifters that year. The Doc Pomus-Mort Shuman composition featured lead singer Ben E. King and was a number one song on the Billboard U.S. Hot 100 charts for three non-consecutive weeks in the fall of 1960. It was ousted for one week by Brenda Lee's "I Want to Be Wanted" but regained the top spot one week later. The other song listed were "This Magic Moment" which got as high as number 16, "I Count the Tears" which was a number 17 charting hit, and "Lonely Winds" which could only muster a number 54 Billboard placing. It also appears on Rolling Stone Magazine's lst of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" at number 182.

From Quiz No.1 Hits of the 60s Vol.15

Answer: Mr. Custer

"Mr. Custer" was considered a novelty song, and made it to the top of the charts for one week in the fall of 1960. It is a song about a soldier's plea to Custer at the climatic Battle of Little Bighorn against the Sioux Indians that he did not want to fight and surprisingly, sold over one million copies. Larry Verne had one other song called "Mr. Livingston" before quitting the music industry.

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

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.

From Quiz No.1 Hits of the 60s Vol.13

Answer: The Twist

The song was originally a Top 40 hit for Hank Ballard and the Midnighters in 1959, but it was Checker's cover version of "The Twist" in 1960 that gave rise to the dance craze. The song became a number one U.S. charting Billboard hit in 1960, and amazingly accomplished the same feat when re-released in 1962. As of 2009, this is still the only song in U.S. Billboard chart history to accomplish the feat of achieving the number one position on the charts during two different releases. Checker had a number of other songs pertaining to dances that made the charts, including "Let's Twist Again", a follow up to this song, and others such as "The Fly" and "Pony Time".

From Quiz No.1 Hits of the 60s Vol.12

Answer: O Sole Mio

The lyrics of the song were based on a song called "There's No Tomorrow" which was recorded by Toni Martin in the late 1940s. Presley heard this song while in the Army in the late 1950s and when he was released from the service, went about recording the song with modified lyrics written for him. The melody was taken from "O Sole Mio", an Italian melody written in the late 1800s. The result was a number one hit in the summer of 1960 which spent five weeks at the top spot in the U.S., as well as hitting number one in the U.K.

From Quiz No.1 Hits of the 60s Vol.11

Answer: Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini

Brian Hyland was only 16 years old when he took this song which told of a young lady who was afraid to come out of the water because of a very skimpy bikini she was wearing, to the top of the charts in August 1960 for a one week stay, as well as a number eight placing in the U.K. selling over two million copies in the process. The song was written by Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss of Brill Building fame.

From Quiz No.1 Hits Of the 60s Vol.10

Answer: Brenda Lee

Brenda Lee was a country singer who popped onto the Billboard U.S. Hot 100 charts in 1960 with "I'm Sorry" and went to the top of the charts and spent three weeks in the top spot. The song spurred some controversy in that some executives in the record company she worked for were hesitant to release a song with lyrics about love and heartache from a 15 year old girl. Eventually the song was released and is now considered her signature hit. The song was not accepted in country music circles at first but over time, it has become part of the fabric of country music of that time period.

From Quiz No.1 Hits Of the 60s Vol 9

Answer: Alley Oop

"Alley Oop" was a one hit wonder from The Hollywood Argyles which hit number one for one week in the summer of 1960. The group itself was a fictional group made up by Dallas Frazier and Kim Fowley. The name came from an intersection in Hollywood where the two were renting a room. The song was recorded by a bunch of studio musicians. As for the comic strip, Alley Oop was a syndicated strip, first seen in 1932, which was set in a pre-historic time, but in actually was a satire of modern times. As for those of you who might have selected "Peanuts" as the answer, that was a song from The Four Seasons and while it was also a comic strip, the song was far from a one hit wonder.

From Quiz No. 1 Hits Of the 60s Vol. 8

Answer: Everybody's Somebody's Fool

All the others listed were hits for Connie in the late 1950, but it was "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" which yielded her first number one Billboard charting hit. The song hit number one in June of 1960 and stayed there for two weeks. Francis, who had the ability to record in several languages, also recorded this song in German and it became the biggest selling song in Germany in 1960 as well.

From Quiz No. 1 Hits Of the 60s Vol. 7

Answer: Cathy's Clown

"Cathy's Clown" hit the top of the charts in the spring of 1960 and it was The Everly Brothers first release after changing record labels. What a release it was. It proved to be their biggest single ever, spending five weeks at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts. It also spent seven weeks at number one in the U.K. The song made the list of Rolling Stone Magazine's "500 Greatest Songs Of All Time" at number 149.

From Quiz No. 1 Hits of The 60s Vol. 6

Answer: Stuck On You

"Stuck On You" was Presley's first single released after his two years in the U.S. Army and spent four weeks at the top of the charts in the spring of 1960. Although it was his first number one hit of the 1960s, it was the thirteenth number one of his career. All the other songs listed were from the 1950s, and were charted prior to Presley's military service.

From Quiz No. 1 Hits Of The 60s Vol. 5

Answer: Percy Faith

This song was written as the theme song for the 1959 movie "Summer Place" which starred Troy Donahue and Sandra Dee. The interesting fact about this song was that Faith's version was not the one used in the movie. The movie version was by an artist named Hugo Winterhalter. Faith's version, however, was the most popular version, and was the best selling single in the U.S. in 1960 staying at number one for nine consecutive weeks. The Lettermen covered the song in 1965, with lyrics, and reached number 15 on the U.S. charts.

From Quiz No. 1 Hits Of The 60s Vol. 4

Answer: Mark Dinning

All four artists sang songs about tragedies and death, but it was Dinning who recorded this song, written by his sister and her husband. The song was about a couple on a drive, whose vehicle gets stuck at a railroad crossing. The couple is initially safe, but the girl runs back to the car to get what is later revealed to be the singer's high school ring, (a sign of "going steady" in those days) and of course, the train comes. Although morbid, it didn't stop the song from getting to the number one position on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. The song stayed in that position for two weeks during the winter of 1960.

From Quiz No. 1 Hits Of The 60s Vol. 3

Answer: Johnny Preston

The song was a hit for Johnny Preston, a guy from Port Arthur, Texas. The song spent three weeks at number one during the winter of 1960 and was considered part of the "teenage tragedy song" genre. It told the story of a young Indian brave's love for an Indian maid and the subsequent tragedy of the both of them drowning in a river. The big surprise here might be that the song was written by J.P. Richardson, (a.k.a. The Big Bopper) and was released about seven months after his tragic death (along with Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens).

From Quiz No. 1 Hits Of The 60s Vol. 2

Answer: Marty Robbins

Robbins came to us from Glendale, Arizona. Born in 1925, he grew up in a family of ten children, and joined the U.S. Navy at age 17. After leaving the military in the mid 1940s, he began his singing career. His first single called "I'll Go on Alone" reached the top of the Country charts in 1952. He crossed over into Pop in 1957 with "A White Sport Coat" which made it all the way to number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts, and was a number one country hit. By the time "El Paso" hit the charts in late 1959, he had already become something of a country legend, with five prior number one songs. "El Paso" went to number one on both the Country and Hot 100 charts in late 1959 and early 1960. Robbins never reached the top of the Hot 100 charts again, but he had an astounding ten more number one country hits, and was still recording all the way till the time he passed away in late 1982.

From Quiz No.1 Hits Of The 60's Vol. 1

Answer: The Beatles

It was The Beatles who had an amazing 18 number one songs during the decade, beginning with "I Want To Hold Your Hand" in 1964. During that first wave, they spent 14 straight weeks at the number one position with different songs. After "I Want To Hold Your Hand" came two weeks at number one for "She Loves You", followed by five weeks at number one for "Can't Buy Me Love". They also had a week at number one later in the year with "Love Me Do", two weeks at number one with "A Hard Day's Night", and closed out the year at number one with "I Feel Fine". Their final number one of the decade was "Come Together" which spent a week at number one in the fall of 1969. The Supremes were second most with nine number one placings, followed by Presley with six, and The Rolling Stones with two.

From Quiz Number One Hits From The 1960s

Answer: 1967

All of these songs topped the chart in 1967: "Light My Fire" by The Doors, "Happy Together" by The Turtles, "Kind Of A Drag" by the Buckinghams, "Daydream Believer" by The Monkees, and "To Sir With Love" by Lulu.

From Quiz Number One Hits, 1960-1969

Answer: Bobby Lewis

The only other Top 40 song by Bobby Lewis was "One Track Mind," Number Nine in 1961. Jerry Lee Lewis had five Top 40 hits, including "Great Balls Of Fire" (1957). Of the four Ramsey Lewis Trio Top 40 songs, "The 'In' Crowd" charted highest at Number Five in 1965. "Hello Stranger" (Number Three in 1963) was the top song for Barbara Lewis out of her five Top 40 hits.

From Quiz Transatlantic Number One Hits Vol. II

Answer: Runaway

"Runaway" written by Del Shannon/Max Crook was number one for four weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one for three weeks on the UK singles chart in 1961. Co-writer Max Crook also played the musitron on the record. The musitron was a monophonic synthesizer which he built himself from other patented components. "Hats Off To Larry" written by Del Shannon peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 and number six on the UK singles chart in 1961. "Hey! Little Girl" written by Del Shannon peaked at number 38 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the UK singles chart in 1962. "Little Town Flirt" written by Del Shannon/Maron McKenzie peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number four on the UK singles chart in 1963.

From Quiz More Popular Than The Beatles:Vol.2 USA

Answer: Strangers In The Night

"Strangers In The Night" by Frank Sinatra replaced "Paperback Writer" at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on the 2nd July 1966. It was number one for one week. It was number one for three weeks on the UK singles chart the same year. "Strangers In The Night" was written by Lebanese jazz pianist and cigar manufacturer Avo Uvezian. It was originally called "Broken Guitar" but renamed by German orchestra leader/songwriter Bert Kaempfert with lyrics by Charles Singleton/Eddie Snyder. Among the disputes over the songs authorship are the claim that it was composed by Croatian singer Ivo Robic and sold to Bert Kaempfert. French composer Michel Philippe-Gerard claimed that the melody of "Strangers In The Night" was based on his composition "Magic Tango", which was published in 1953. The melody became part of Bert Kaempfert's musical score for the 1966 movie "A Man Could Get Killed" starring James Garner and Melina Mercouri. It was recorded first by Connie Francis a few days before the Frank Sinatra version but never released. After all these trials and tribulations Frank Sinatra hated the song but it gave him his first US number one hit since "Learnin' The Blues" in 1955. "Paperback Writer" written by Lennon/McCartney gave The Beatles a number one hit for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1966. It was also number one for two weeks on the UK singles chart the same year.

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