The Top Hits of 1961 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Tossin' And Turnin'

Lewis was 28 years old when this song became a hit. For 14 long years he traveled the R&B circuit before getting his big break. While in New York City appearing at the Apollo Theater, he happened to drop into the studio of a small independent record company, Beltone. By chance, they were looking for a vocalist to record this song and a recording session ensued. Within six months, "Tossin' And Turnin'" topped the charts. Success for Lewis and Beltone records was short lived.

His follow-up, "One Track Mind" did quite well charting at Number Nine, but by 1963, Beltone was bankrupt and Lewis was back on the "seedy club" circuit. From all accounts, he left the music industry some years ago.

Answer: Are You Lonesome Tonight?

A condensed Presley timeline:

First Number One - "Heartbreak Hotel" - April 1956. Records a total of 11 Number One hits between then and his induction into the army in March 1958. Has one Number One hit while in the military, "A Big Hunk O' Love", recorded in 1959 while on furlough. Discharged in March 1960 and has five more Number One hits between then and 1962. Has one more Number One hit before his death in 1977, "Suspicious Minds" in 1969. Altogether, 18 Number Ones, one remarkable career!

Answer: Big Bad John

"Big Bad John" spent 16 weeks in the Hot Hundred and five weeks at Number One finishing its run on the charts with 1371 points.

Jimmy Dean recorded a number of pop hits in the early 1960s using primarily a talking, narrative approach to his craft. Among those hits were "Dear Ivan", his Number 24 follow-up song early in 1962, and "P.T. 109", a Number Eight hit also in 1962, recounting President Kennedy's brave heroism during WWII. Most of his other recording efforts were moderate hits at best on the pop charts but he did achieve greater success on the C&W charts.

During the late 1960s, he essentially gave up music, briefly turning to acting. He had a recurring role in the TV show "Daniel Boone" and had a significant role in the James Bond movie "Diamonds Are Forever". At the same time, he founded The Jimmy Dean Meat Company and by the mid-1970s, he was almost exclusively engaged in running the business. When he sold the company to Sara Lee Foods, he remained as the firm's Chairman and media pitchman. Now in his seventies, he continues in that capacity.

Incidently, "Small Sad Sam" was a comic parody of Dean's hit recorded by DJ Phil McLean at the height of "Big Bad John"'s popularity. It peaked at Number 21 on the Hot Hundred.

Answer: Exodus

Ferrante and Teicher adapted Ernest Gold's movie theme and scored their biggest hit ever with that arrangement. It only peaked at Number Two for one week but did hover in the top 10 for 11 of its 21 weeks in the Hot Hundred.

Arthur Ferrante and Louis Teicher met when they were students at the Julliard School of Music in the early 1940s. They immediately began working together and by the late 1940s were playing supper clubs and concerts. Initially, they were pretty experimental in their work but that changed when they signed a recording contract with United Artists. Thereafter, they produced a steady stream of singles and albums that were decidedly geared to the easy listening, quasi-classical audience that embraced them. They continued to perform and record until finally retiring to Sarasota, Florida in 1989.

Answer: Wonderland By Night

"Wonderland By Night" was a wonderfully beautiful song. All the other songs listed were the remainder of the hits Kaempfert recorded that made Billboard top 40 chart appearances. "Tenderly" - number 31 in 1961; "Red Roses For A Blue Lady" - number 11 in 1965; "Three O'Clock In The Morning - number 33, also in 1965.

This, however, doesn't tell the real Kaempfert story. He sold millions upon millions of records around the world, enjoying particular popularity in Europe and Japan. It's been reported that his big band sold as many records during its existence as did Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey did during their heyday. That may be hyperbole and, to my knowledge, there is no way to confirm that observation, but it does give us the depth of this man's impact on the world of music.

He was still at the top of his game when he died suddenly of a heart seizure in 1980 at the age of 56.

Answer: Runaway

"Runaway" had a few hooks that I think made it such a big hit. Certainly Del Shannon sang with such emotion you could feel his pain and sense of loss. Then there were his tremendous falsetto lines as he sang "And I wah-wah-wah-wah-wonder why... why-why-why-why-why she ran away" - classic, and who can't help but try to sing along! And finally, there was the unique musitron solo half way through the song played by Shannon's keyboardist and neighborhood buddy, Max Crook.

"Runaway" spent 17 weeks in the Hot Hundred, nine weeks in the top 10 and those four weeks starting April 24, 1961 at Number One. It ended its chart run with 1247 points.

Answer: Will you still love me tomorrow?

The Shirelles were the first all-girl group of the 1960s to have a Number One hit and the first to do so since The McGuire Sisters topped the charts in 1958 with "Sugartime". Precedent being set, a number of all-girl groups followed: The Crystals, The Marvellettes, The Angels, The Chiffons, Martha and The Vandellas and, of course, the most famous of all, The Supremes!

The Shirelles did pretty well for themselves recording 12 top 40 hits between 1960 and 1963. A wrangle with their recording company, Scepter, derailed the group's momentum in 1964 to the extent that they would only have a few more singles chart in the nether regions of the Hot Hundred and none after 1967. Still, they continued to perform on the concert circuit until finally disbanding in 1982. Different Shirelles groups resurfaced in the early 1990s until original member, Beverly Lee, secured the official trademark to the group's name. She assembled a group that still performs a few concerts a year as of 2005.

Altogether, this record gathered 1189 points based on a 19 week run on the Hot Hundred with seven weeks in the top 10, including those two weeks at the top.

Answer: a pony

Chubby Checker's recording of "Pony Time" earned 1178 points during its chart tenure. He did indeed record a song entitled "The Fly" later in 1961 that peaked at Number Seven, finishing the year ranked at 57. "The Duck" was a Number 14 hit for Jackie Lee in 1966 and the "Funky Chicken"? Well, it was a brief dance craze concocted by Rufus Thomas in 1970. Here's a sample of Checker's lyric for "Pony Time". See if it inspires you to boogie!

"Now ya turn to the left when I say gee
You turn to the right when I say haw
Now gee, ya ya baby
Now haw, ya oh baby, oh baby, pretty baby
Do it baby, oh baby, oh baby
Boogety, boogety, boogety, boogety shoo"

Answer: Calcutta

Welk was born in 1903 in the predominantly German town of Strasburg, N.D. He labored on his father's farm until he was 21 but in his spare time, learned to play the accordion and was proficient enough to lead an orchestra that played local dances, weddings and the like when he was just in his mid-teens. From 1927 to the early 1950s, he conducted a series of big bands that performed at ballrooms in places as diverse as Yankton, S.D., Chicago, Omaha and Los Angeles. It was in L.A. that he first developed his TV show that ran originally from 1955 to 1971, then in syndication until his retirement in 1982. Maybe he was just a little "square" and his mannerisms quaint but no one could deny his success. Clearly, he filled a niche!

"Calcutta" charted in the Hot Hundred for 17 weeks and was Number One for two of those. It earned 1158 points.

Answer: Please Mr. Postman

This record was also the first Motown release to reach Number One and surely one would have anticipated that The Marvelettes, with the ample resources of the Motown label such as Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson and Holland-Dozier-Holland, would follow up with many more. For some reason, such was not the case.

Although they would have a further 23 releases chart in the Hot Hundred, most made only mid-range appearances on the chart and only two, "Playboy" in 1962 and "Don't Mess With Bill" in 1966 cracked the top 10, both at Number Seven.

When the hit well finally dried up for good in 1969, the group quietly disbanded.

Answer: Runaround Sue

"Runaround Sue" managed 1099 points for the year, losing ground to the hits ranked above it by only charting in the Hot Hundred for a relatively brief 14 weeks.

This was Dion's biggest hit of all time. He left The Belmonts to go solo a few months earlier and with that, he also eschewed the doo-wop group style for a more "rocking" orientation. Both proved to be wise career moves as he was a steady chart contributor until 1963 when his addiction to heroin curtailed his career for many years. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1989.

Answer: Travelin' Man

"Travelin' Man" charted in the Hot Hundred for 16 weeks, two of which as Number One, garnering 1083 points in the process.

Throughout the 1950s, Ricky Nelson grew up as a TV star. His father, Ozzie, was an erstwhile big band leader from the 1930s and 1940s. As the big band era was waning, Ozzie initiated an alternative career, creating a radio series about the adventures of his family. His wife, Harriet, was formerly a big band vocalist and Ricky and his elder brother David were naturally included in the action. With the advent of TV, Ozzie turned to the new medium to continue the show - "The Adventures Of Ozzie And Harriet".

When the rock era began in 1956, Ricky was 16 years old and like most kids of the era, yearned to be a rock & roll star to impress the girls. Of course, with his father's connections, he did have an advantage of sorts and Ozzie helped him along. When Ricky cut a record, Ozzie would promote the song by somehow managing to have Ricky sing it on the TV series. It helped Ricky sell records and the popularity of the show was never greater! Plot devices to include "Travelin' Man" were obviously limited. Ozzie decided to film Ricky singing the song and superimposed travelogue footage appropriate to the lyrics. In some respects, this was the prototype rock video!

Answer: Michael

This song was adapted by The Highwaymen from a 19th century folk song "Michael Row The Boat Ashore".

The group formed at Wesleyan University in Connecticut where the members were completing their undergraduate studies. Their repertoire was primarily comprised of traditional English folk songs, many of which were drawn from the collection of "Child Ballads". Like the Brothers Four, they didn't have professional music aspirations at the time, but their regional popularity and the sudden upswing of folk music popularity in general induced them to give it a go, at least for a while.

"Michael" was among their initial recordings and it seemed to be going nowhere when it was first released in 1960. Due to the unwavering efforts of their manager, the record slowly started getting some attention in New England then gradually caught on nationally, topping the charts in September 1961. They would only have one more top 40 hit, "Cottonfields" later in the year, but produced several albums that fared reasonably well. The group folded in 1964 when most of the members went on to graduate studies but they would get together for a few weeks each year to perform at folkfests and other concerts and continue to do so with the new millennium. Now, just as it was in the early 1960s when they formed, their desire to perpetuate this musical form is their driving motive.

Answer: The Bristol Stomp

"The kids in Bristol are sharp as a pistol
When they do the Bristol Stomp
Really somethin' when they join in jumpin'
When they do the Bristol Stomp"

Bristol is a small community just outside of Philadelphia where the band resided. The locals were doing a dance step that was simply called "the stomp" and Dave Appell and Barry Mann wrote this song to "formalize" the dance step.

The Dovells had a few other charting dance song hits over the next couple of years, most notably "You Can't Sit Down" which peaked at Number Three in 1963. Shortly after that recording, personal turmoil amongst the members resulted in lead singer, Len Barry, breaking out on his own. He would have a big hit in 1965, "1-2-3", before fading into obscurity. Without Barry, the remaining three members of the group soldiered on for several years without chart success. At last report, two members of the group, Jerry Summers and Mark Stevens, continue to perform on the nightclub circuit with a type of "Dean Martin-Jerry Lewis" comedy act.

Answer: Hit The Road Jack

This was Ray Charles' second Number One hit, his first being "Georgia On My Mind" a year earlier. What range he had in musical styles! If you haven't yet, try to see the movie "Ray" just for the music alone.

The remake by Calgary's own The Stampeders didn't quite have the sensual energy apparent in Charles' version but how could country boys compete with Charles and his Raelettes? Nevertheless, their humerous bantering over the phone with Wolfman Jack lent a cachet to the song that likely enabled it to chart as high as it did - Number 40.