Billboard Number One Hits of 1986 Quiz

Answer: Night Shift

"That's What Friends Are For" was written in 1982 by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager and sung by Rod Stewart on the soundtrack of the film "Night Shift". Dionne Warwick and Friends recorded a collaboration featuring Gladys Knight, Elton John and Stevie Wonder.

It was released as a charity single to benefit the American Foundation for AIDS Research and raised over three million dollars. The tune peaked at number one for four weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in January, 1986, and became Billboard's number one single of 1986.

The Dionne and Friends version won the performers a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal as well as Song of the Year for Bacharach and Bayer Sager. Bill Conti did the soundtrack for "The Karate Kid Part II". "Stand by Me" is a 1986 film directed by Rob Reiner based on a Stephen King book.

The title comes from a song by the same name by Ben E. King. The song plays during the closing credits. "If You Leave" by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark is a single released from the "Pretty in Pink" soundtrack.

Answer: Kyrie

"Kyrie" was number one for the band in 1986, following their 1985 number one hit "Broken Wings". It was also their last US Billboard number one hit. The song had been written the previous year while the band was touring with Adam Ant. Richard Page thought the name Kyrie was Latin.

He learned it was really Greek and dates back to the Sanskrit language. Although religion and music were strong influences on Richard Page, he insisted the song was not a Christian song. His mother directed the Phoenix Boys Choir and both Page and Steve George were members.

His father was a Presbyterian choirmaster. After singing in the choir the boys went to LA and started writing songs and doing session work for a number of artists. In 1982 they decided to form Mr. Mister. Survivor had a top five with "Burning Heart" in February, 1986. Klymaxx did "I Miss You" and had a top five hit with the song in January, 1986. Atlantic Starr took "Secret Lovers" to number three in March, 1986.

Answer: Falco

Austrian rock singer Falco wrote his tribute to Mozart with Bob and Ferdi Bolland. It reached number one in Germany before it topped the US charts. He related that he was inspired by the film "Amadeus". Falco was born Johann Holzel in Vienna. Even though his parents didn't encourage his musical ambitions he spent a year in the Vienna Conservatory then moved to Germany and worked in some jazz and rock bands.

He assumed the name Falco while watching skier Falco Weisspflog performing in a jump competition.

In 1978 he returned to Austria and recorded some local hits. Falco eventually connected with producers Bob and Ferdi Bolland and "Rock Me Amadeus" took him to the top. He followed with the number 18 "Vienna Calling". Taco Ockerse recorded the 1929 Irving Berlin song "Puttin" on the Ritz" in 1982, reaching number four. Jan Hammer had a number one hit in 1985 with the theme to "Miami Vice". Parr's 1985 number one hit was "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)".

Answer: Robert Palmer

"Addicted to Love" was Palmer's first number one hit. He originally wanted to do the song as a duet with Chaka Khan. Although Kahn was receptive to the idea, her management thought she would be competing with herself because she already had three songs on the charts.

In an interview with "People" magazine Palmer related that the song came to him in his sleep. He then woke up and hummed it into a tape recorder. Palmer had enjoyed chart success with Power Station before doing "Addicted to Love" as a solo artist. Power Station wanted to tour but Palmer wanted to focus on his "Riptide" album.

The band recruited singer Michael Des Barres to sing on the tour. Palmer followed "Addicted to Love" with the number two "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On". Van Halen was number four behind Palmer with "Why Can't This be Love?". Mike and the Mechanics had a top five in June, 1986, with "All I Need is a Miracle". Peter Gabriel had a number one hit in July, 1986, with "Sledgehammer".

Answer: West End Girls

Pet Shop Boys are the third British male duo to have a US number one in 18 months. They met by chance in a stereo store. Neil Tennant needed a plug to adapt his synthesizer into his stereo system. While he was waiting for the part to be soldered he met Chris Lowe who was buying a stylus for his stereo.

After starting up a conversation about synthesizers they got together and started writing songs. Tennant's job brought him to New York in late 1983 and he recorded "West End Girls". After contractual disputes prevented them from releasing it for a year the boys re-recorded the song and released it in the UK in 1985.

It hit number one in Britain and soon followed in the US. In an effort to clear up the origin of the name of the band, the boys related in an interview with "Melody Maker" that they simply named themselves Pet Shop Boys because they had some friends who owned a pet shop in Ealing.

They were not aware of any other connotation for the name. "I Can't Wait" was done by Nu Shooz and went to number four in June, 1986.

The Jets did the number five "Crush on You" in June, 1986. "Who's Johnny" was a number four by El DeBarge in July, 1986.

Answer: Patti LaBelle

Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager wrote and produced the song for Micheal and Patti LaBelle. Patti originally sang it as a solo, but when Burt and Carole heard their final mix they agreed something was missing. When Carole called Michael McDonald to see if he would be interested in singing on the track he was concerned that his label wouldn't consent because he had already done some projects outside Warner.

He eventually was allowed to do the song. He recorded his vocals in Los Angeles and never worked in the studio with LaBelle.

She had returned home to Philadelphia after cutting her tracks. When the song became a hit it was necessary to do a video. Once again Michael and Patti did their parts separately. The first time they ever met and performed the song together was on the "Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" after it reached number one. Whitney Houston counts the February, 1986, "How Will I Know" as one of her many number one hits. Gloria Loring and Carl Anderson took "Friends and Lovers" to the number four spot in September, 1986. Amy Grant had a number one duet in December, 1986, when she sang "The Next Time I Fall" with Chicago's Peter Cetera. Peter also hit number one on August 2nd as a solo artist with "Glory of Love".

Answer: Boston

"Amanda" was the first song written for Boston's "Third Stage" album. Tom Sholz started writing the song in 1980 and in a "Musician" magazine interview he admitted the song defined the standard for the "Third Stage" project. Boston was mired in legal issues before the album came out, and to make matters worse a bootleg copy had been circulating radio stations for two years before the finished album came out. Guitarist Tom Sholz first met vocalist Brad Delp in Revere Beach in 1970.

They started working together but Brad initially balked at signing a contract and took a break.

A year later they reunited and the "Boston" album was released. Berlin hit number one on September 12, 1986, with "Take My Breath Away". The Rolling Stones had a top five with "The Harlem Shuffle" in May, 1986. Starship's 1986 number one was "Sara", on March 15th.

Answer: Walk Like an Egyptian

Liam Sternberg thought of the title "Walk Like an Egyptian" while on a ferry boat crossing the English Channel. When he was in LA he made a four-track demo of the song. He played it for Toni Basil and she turned it down. The Bangles were recording their "Second Light" album and had solicited the demo of a song called "Rock and Roll Vertigo". Someone had put "Walk Like an Egyptian" ahead of it and the Bangles liked the feel of the song. Vicki and Debbi Peterson formed The Bangles. Vicki had been influenced by the sound of the Hollies and Beatles.

Their band was originally called Supersonic Bangs and shortened to The Bangs. They landed a tour gig with English Beat and learned that the name The Bangs was already in use. Over dinner in a Mexican restaurant the girls decided on Bangless and finally Bangles. Bananarama had a number one in 1986 when they took a cover of "Venus" to the top spot in September. "These Dreams" went to number one on March 22, 1986 for Heart. "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)" went to number two for Glass Tiger in October, 1986.

Answer: Steve Winwood

Steve Winwood first impacted the charts in 1966 with "Keep on Runnin'" when he was with the Spencer Davis Group. When he was fourteen he joined his older brother's band, The Muff Woody Jazz Band. Before long he was introduced to Spencer Davis at The University of Birmingham. Muff and Steve formed a band with Davis and Peter York and The Spencer Davis Group soon had hits coming with "Gimme Some Lovin'" and "I'm a Man". Steve eventually left to help form Traffic and Blind Faith.

His first solo effort was the "Steve Winwood" LP in 1977 followed by "Arc of a Diver" in 1980. Robbie Nevil had a top five in 1987 with "C'est la Vie". Gregory Abbott's 1986 top five was the number five "Shake You Down" behind "Walk Like an Egyptian" in December, 1986. Eddie Money took "Take Me Home Tonight" to number five in November, 1986.

Answer: Genesis

By June, 1986, past and current members of Genesis held down seven positions on the Billboard Hot 100. Along with the members of Genesis at the time "Invisible Touch" was released Peter Gabriel had his hit, "Sledgehammer". Mike Rutherford and the Mechanics charted "All I Need is a Miracle". Steve Hackett with GTR went to number 21 with "When the Heart Rules the Mind". Phil Collins produced Howard Jones' hit "No One is to Blame" and had a solo effort with "Take Me Home". "Invisible Touch" was the 13th chart single for Genesis but only the second to make the Top Ten.

The "Invisible Touch" album produced five Top Ten Singles. Simply Red took "Holding Back the Years" to number one in July, 1986. Huey Lewis and the News had a number one with "Stuck with You" in September, 1986, and Bon Jovi had their number one in 1986 with December's "You Give Love a Bad Name".