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

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.

Answer: False

The song was from the Presley feature film "G.I. Blues" (1960). It was released in the U.K. and Europe, but not in the U.S. for some reason. The version that became a hit in the U.S. was by singer Joe Dowell released in 1961. The song shot to the top of the charts for one week in the summer that year. Dowell had limited future success and went on to work in radio advertising.

The Presley version of the song was released in the U.S. in 1964 as the B-side to his "Blue Christmas" single.

Answer: Breaking Up is Hard to Do

Although Sedaka had a hand in all the songs listed, "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" went to number one on the Billboard U.S. Hot 100 charts in 1962 and remained there for two weeks during that summer. It was Sedaka's second top 10 hit of that year, following "Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen".

In 1975, Sedaka re-recorded the song with a slower arrangement and the revamped song went as high as number eight on the Billboard charts that year.

Answer: So Much In Love

The Tymes recorded all four of these songs during their musical careers, but it was "So Much In Love" which became a million seller and took The Tymes to number one on their first try for a one week stay in the summer of 1963. The group has the distinction of being the only group to have only one number one hit in both the U.S. and U.K. that were not the same song. Ms. Grace topped the U.K. charts in 1975, but could barely dent the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, coming in at number 91.

Answer: Where Did Our Love Go

It was "Where Did Our Love Go" that propelled the Supremes to the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts for the first time in 1964. The song became the first of five straight number one tunes for the group. This song, written by immortal songwriting team of Holland-Dozier-Holland, was first offered to The Marvelettes who rejected it, claiming the song was too childish. Big mistake.

The Supremes picked it up and ended up at the top of the U.S. charts as well as number three in the U.K., finally sending the group on a road to success that would last throughout the rest of the decade.

The song ended up on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" at number 472.

Answer: Back In My Arms Again

"Back In My Arms Again", reaching the top of the charts for a one week stay in the summer of 1965, was the last of the five straight number one hits for the group, which began with the 1964 hit "Where Did Our Love Go" and continued with the hits "Baby Love", "Come See About Me", "Stop! In the Name of Love",(which also reached the top in 1965, but was not listed as one of the choices) and finally this 1965 song.

The string was broken by "Nothing But Heartaches" which only climbed as high as number 11.

Answer: Strangers in the Night

"Strangers in the Night" is one of Sinatra's signature songs, and it reached the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts in the summer of 1966, as well as number one on the U.S. Easy Listening charts, and the top spot in the U.K. The song was good enough to earn Sinatra two Grammys in 1967 for both Best Male Pop Vocal Recording, and Record of the Year. Sinatra. Nuff said!

Answer: Ode To Billie Joe

Singer/songwriter Bobbie Gentry, from Chickasaw County in Mississippi, wrote and recorded this 1967 hit which spent four weeks at number one on the Billboard U.S. Hot 100 charts in the late summer. The song describes the suicide of one Billie Joe McAllister, by jumping off the Tallahatchie Bridge, and the events leading up to it.

The alleged reasons for this suicide have been the subject of speculation over the years, but there has been no definitive answer as to the actual meaning of the lyrics. No speculation about the song though.

It was nominated for eight Grammy Awards in 1968 with Gentry winning three of them. It is also ranked on Billboard Magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" at number 412.

Answer: Hey Jude

"Hey Jude" was a 1968 song written by Paul McCartney and recorded by the group which was originally titled "Hey Jules" as a reference to Julian Lennon, the son of John, who was having a hard time dealing with his parent's divorce. The song spent an amazing nine weeks at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts.

In also reached number one in the U.K. of course, as well as Austria, Norway, and Switzerland. This song was also the first Beatles tune released on their own Apple Records label. It has sold over eight million copies worldwide and on Rolling Stone Magazine's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" at number eight.

Answer: Wedding Bell Blues

Nyro wrote all the tunes listed, but it was "Wedding Bell Blues" which made the top of the Billboard Hot 100 charts for The Fifth Dimension in the fall of 1969 for a three week stay. Born in The Bronx, New York, Nyro's talent was quite evident as she wrote major hits for such artists as Barbra Streisand, Blood Sweat and Tears, Three Dog Night, and Peter Paul and Mary, among others. Unfortunately her talent was silenced by her death due to ovarian cancer in 1997.