Number One Hits of 1964 Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Beatles

"A Hard Day's Night" backed with "Things We Said Today" was a number one hit in Australia, UK and the USA although it is only credited as a double sided number one in Australia for The Beatles. "A Hard Day's Night" was the title of the first film of the Beatles and the title track became one of their many million sellers.

In Australia "A Hard Days Night" was number one for five weeks, then knocked off by another British group, then reclaimed the pole position for another four weeks. The Beatles really were something special.

Answer: Cilla Black

"Anyone Who Had a Heart" was the second charted hit in the UK for Cilla Black and her first number one. The song was written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach and had been recorded by Dionne Warwick who took it to the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1964. Cilla Black's first recording had been "The Love of the Loved" written for her by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and it charted respectably in late 1963. Cilla's version of "Anyone Who Had A Heart" did not chart in the USA but was a minor hit in Australia as Dionne Warwick's version released at the same time became the top ten hit.

Answer: Roy Orbison

Roy Orbison, although popular and a hitmaker in his native USA, was far more popular in the UK and Australia. He had achieved five number ones in Australia and three in the UK compared to only one in the USA by 1964. "Oh Pretty Woman" changed that and the song made it to number one on The Billboard Hot 100 and the UK and Australian charts. Due to much airplay and a tour by Roy Orbison in 1967 the song reappeared on the Aussie charts and crept up to number fifteen.

Answer: The Beatles

"I Feel Fine" hit the top spot for the Beatles in The USA, UK and Australia in 1964. "She's A Woman" on the other hand did not chart in the UK but made it to Number four on the Billboard Hot 100. In Australia the record was a double sided hit where it stayed at number one for seven weeks. In 1964 the Beatles could do no wrong.

Answer: Mary Wells

Mary Wells achieved a worldwide smash hit with "My Guy" in 1964. Mary had a number of hits prior to "My Guy" but was relatively unknown outside the USA. "My Guy" was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks, and the song was popular in the UK making the top ten and peaking at number five. In Australia "My Guy" raced to the number one spot in three weeks and stayed around the top ten for ten weeks.

Mary continued to chart but never achieved the same success again, although her 1981 release, "Gigolo", did reach number two on the short lived Disco Charts.

Answer: The Supremes

"Where Did Our Love Go" was the first of five consecutive number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 for the Supremes. The Supremes would go on to hit the top spot twelve times in total with lead singer Diana Ross having six solo hits of her own. "Where Did Our Love Go" peaked at number three in the UK and made the top twenty in Australia rising to seventeen.

Answer: The Honeycombs

"Have I the Right?" by the Honeycombs charged up the UK charts in 1964 to the number one spot where it held for two weeks before being knocked off the top by the Kinks. In Australia it also occupied the top spot for two weeks. In the USA the record made the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 peaking at number four.

Although the Honeycombs had a few more minor chart hits they disbanded after the death of their producer Joe Meek in 1967. The Honeycombs were notable at the time for having a female in the group; Honey Lantree was the group's drummer.

Answer: Manfred Mann

Doo Wah Diddy" was released by the Exciters in early 1964 reaching number 78 on the Billboard Hot 100 but did not chart elsewhere. The Exciters had hits in 1962 and 1963 with "Tell Him" and "He's Got the Power" respectively. Later in 1964 Manfred Mann released their cover version of "Doo Wah Diddy" and it was an immediate success rising to number one in the UK and number two in Australia. The song hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100 mid October 1964 and stayed for two weeks. The record sold so fast in the USA it achieved million seller status.

Answer: Peter and Gordon

Written by Lennon/McCartney, "A World Without Love" was Peter and Gordon's first hit and first number one. The record topped the charts in the UK and Australia and also reached number one on The Billboard Hot 100. Peter Asher and Gordon Waller went on to have a number of hits throughout the 196's including, "Nobody I Know" top ten hit and also written by Lennon/McCartney, "True Love Ways" the Buddy Holly song, and "Lady Godiva".

At the end of the sixties they went their separate ways. Peter Asher ended up in Los Angeles as a producer and won a Grammy in 1978 for producing Linda Ronstadt's album "Simple Dreams".

Answer: The Animals

The Animals from the northern English city of Newcastle achieved a worldwide hit with their take on an old traditional folk song; by 1964 the song was called "House of the Rising Sun". The song has been recorded in many forms and by a wide variety of artists: Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Leadbelly, Thin LIzzy, Dolly Parton, Andy Griffith and even a version in French by Johnny Hallyday which topped the charts in France and Belgium.

The Animals went on to have many more hits and many personnel changes over the years, the one constant being lead singer Eric Burdon.

The original bass player, Chas Chandler, became the manager of Jimi Hendrix.