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Quiz about Songs and Singers of the 1950s UK Charts

Songs and Singers of the 1950s UK Charts Quiz

It was in the 1950s that record charts began to take over from the music sheet sales as the indicator of the top selling singles. Can you remember any of these songs and artists?

A multiple-choice quiz by Big-Al1st. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
Big-Al1st

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
254,817

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
15

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
7 / 15

Plays
1192

Awards
Top 20% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Guest 148 (5/15), Guest 62 (13/15), Guest 90 (0/15).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 15

1. Who was the first British female star to have a Number One hit? Hint

Vera Lynn

Anne Shelton

Lita Rosa

Alma Cogan

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Question 2 of 15

2. Which Northern Irish female star had her only Number One hit in 1955? Hint

Alma Cogan

Ruby Murray

Jo Stafford

Teresa Brewer

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Question 3 of 15

3. What was Elvis Presley's first British Number One hit? Hint

Jailhouse Rock

Blue Suede Shoes

All Shook Up

Hound Dog

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Question 4 of 15

4. Which American Singer, who was partly deaf, had his first Number One hit in 1954? Hint

Johnnie Ray

Bill Haley

Tennessee Ernie Ford

Frank Sinatra

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Question 5 of 15

5. Which Number One hit in 1955 came from the musical, "Kismet"? Hint

Three Coins in a Fountain

A Woman In Love

Hernado's Hideaway

Stranger in Paradise

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Question 6 of 15

6. Which American star, who had two Number One hits in the 1950s, had an Iroquis Indian father and an Irish mother? Hint

Connie Francis

Jo Stafford.

Brenda Lee

Kay Starr

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Question 7 of 15

7. What Doris Day Number One came from the film "The Man Who Knew Too Much"? Hint

Secret Love

Tea For Two

Pillow Talk

Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera Sera)

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Question 8 of 15

8. What was Lonnie Donegan's Skiffle Group's first Number One hit? Hint

Rock Island Line

Cumberland Gap

Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavour

My Old Man's a Dustman

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Question 9 of 15

9. What was the first Number One Christmas hit in the UK Record Charts? Hint

Answer Me

Christmas Alphabet

Let's Have A Party

Here In My Heart

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Question 10 of 15

10. Which top charting piano player had a finger tip missing? Hint

Russ Conway

Winifred Atwell

Joe Piano Henderson

Don Cornell

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Question 11 of 15

11. Who had a Number One hit in 1958 and committed suicide five years later? Hint

Tab Hunter

Tommy Edwards

Michael Holiday

Lord Rockingham

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Question 12 of 15

12. How old was Frankie Lymon when Frankie Lyman and The Teeagers had the Number One hit "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" in 1956? Hint

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Question 13 of 15

13. Which female star, who had 21 UK hits including a Number One in 1955, was known as "The girl with a laugh in her voice"? Hint

Lita Rosa

Alma Cogan

Ruby Murray

Anne Shelton

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Question 14 of 15

14. Which Rock and Roll Star, who had a Number One in 1955, was blind in his left eye? Hint

Little Richard

Fats Domino

Gene Vincent

Bill Haley

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Question 15 of 15

15. "On The Street Where You Live" came from which musical? Hint

Annie Get Your Gun

The Pyjama Game

Oklahoma

My Fair Lady

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Most Recent Scores

Dec 23 2024 : Guest 148: 5/15
Dec 20 2024 : Guest 62: 13/15
Dec 05 2024 : Guest 90: 0/15
Nov 23 2024 : Guest 174: 5/15
Nov 17 2024 : Guest 77: 6/15
Nov 09 2024 : Guest 213: 4/15
Nov 06 2024 : Guest 62: 0/15
Nov 01 2024 : Guest 88: 6/15
Oct 31 2024 : Guest 5: 7/15

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Who was the first British female star to have a Number One hit?

Answer: Lita Rosa

Lita Rosa (Roza) was the first British female to have a Number One hit with "How Much Is That Doggie In The Window" in 1953.Formerly a singer with the Ted Heath Band this was the only Number One hit Lita enjoyed.

2. Which Northern Irish female star had her only Number One hit in 1955?

Answer: Ruby Murray

Ruby Murray, born in Belfast, had her only Number One hit in 1955 with "Softly, Softly". Although this was her only Number One she had the distinction of having 5 records in the British Charts during 1955.
Another claim to fame is that her name has entered into the Cockney Rhyming slang Dictionary for Curry.

3. What was Elvis Presley's first British Number One hit?

Answer: All Shook Up

Elvis Presley's first Number One hit was "All Shook Up" in 1957. Prior to that he had 9 Top Ten hits before achieving the Number One spot. Such classics as "Hound Dog" and "Heartbreak Hotel" reached Number two whilst "Don't Be Cruel" failed to hit the British Charts altogether.

4. Which American Singer, who was partly deaf, had his first Number One hit in 1954?

Answer: Johnnie Ray

Johnnie Ray's first hit in 1954 was "Such a Night". He went on to have two more Number One spots. After an accident when he was twelve, he became deaf in one ear. Following an unsuccessful operation he became partly deaf in the other ear and had to wear a hearing aid.

5. Which Number One hit in 1955 came from the musical, "Kismet"?

Answer: Stranger in Paradise

"Stranger In Paradise" came from the musical "Kismet". Recorded in 1955 by Tony Bennet it was his only Number One Hit. "Kismet" is a musical based on Alexander Borodin's "Prince Igor" with "Stranger in Paradise" coming from the scene featuring the Polovetsian Dancers.

6. Which American star, who had two Number One hits in the 1950s, had an Iroquis Indian father and an Irish mother?

Answer: Kay Starr

Kay Starr, real name Katherine Laverne Starks, was born on a reservation in Oklahoma in 1922. Her second hit was "Rock And Roll Waltz" released in 1956.

7. What Doris Day Number One came from the film "The Man Who Knew Too Much"?

Answer: Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera Sera)

"Whatever Will Be,Will Be (Que Sera Sera)" was the theme tune from Alfred Hitchcock's thriller "The Man Who Knew Too Much". Doris Day did not like the song and told everyone that the song would just die. However it won an Oscar and became one of her best known songs.

8. What was Lonnie Donegan's Skiffle Group's first Number One hit?

Answer: Cumberland Gap

Although Lonnie hit the charts in 1954 with the "Rock Island Line" this was with the Chris Barber Jazz Band. After splitting with Chris Barber, it was not until 1957 when Lonnie got to Number One with his own skiffle group singing "Cumberland Gap".

9. What was the first Number One Christmas hit in the UK Record Charts?

Answer: Here In My Heart

The singles chart started in November 1952 whilst Al Martino was Number One with "Here In My Heart". This song stayed number one until after Christmas and thereby became the first UK's Number One Christmas Hit on the singles chart.
Frankie Lane took the next Christmas slot with "Answer Me" followed by Winifred Atwell's "Let Have A Party" and Dickie Valentine's "Christmas Alphabet"

10. Which top charting piano player had a finger tip missing?

Answer: Russ Conway

Russ Conway, who had hits with "Side Saddle" and "Roulette", cut the top of his finger off with a bread slicer when he was younger. Because of this,his style of piano playing changed into the distinctive sound that made him a star.

11. Who had a Number One hit in 1958 and committed suicide five years later?

Answer: Michael Holiday

Michael Holliday had a Number One hit with a 1958 song, ironically called, "The Story Of My Life". He suffered from severe stage fright and in 1961 had a nervous breakdown. Two years later he was dead. He also had a Number One hit with "Starry Eyed".

12. How old was Frankie Lymon when Frankie Lyman and The Teeagers had the Number One hit "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" in 1956?

Answer: 13

At the age of 13, Frankie held the record for the youngest person to have a Number One hit in the UK Charts until 1972, when eleven year old Jimmy Osmond went to Number One with "Long Haired Lover From Liverpool".

13. Which female star, who had 21 UK hits including a Number One in 1955, was known as "The girl with a laugh in her voice"?

Answer: Alma Cogan

Alma Cogan had a distinctive sound that earned her the nickname "The girl with a laugh in her voice". Although she only had the one chart topper, she had 21 UK hits. Known for her fantastic ballroom dresses she tragically died of ovarian cancer at the young age of 34.

14. Which Rock and Roll Star, who had a Number One in 1955, was blind in his left eye?

Answer: Bill Haley

Bill Haley was blinded in his left eye after an operation on his eye went wrong. He went to Number One in 1955 with "Rock Around The Clock". Although this song was originally released about a year earlier it went to Number One after being featured on the soundtrack of the film "The Blackboard Jungle".

15. "On The Street Where You Live" came from which musical?

Answer: My Fair Lady

The song was taken from the musical "My Fair Lady". Recorded by Vic Damone it went to Number One in 1958.

Source: Author Big-Al1st

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Dalgleish before going online.
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