Top of the UK Pops: 1981 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Joe Dolce

Gotcha! An earworm in the first question!

Joe Dolce was born in Ohio and played in several bands in the USA before moving to Australia aged 30. This early career was a serious one and included writing songs about the plight of the Vietnamese boat people.

Then in 1980 wrote the comedic "Shaddup You Face", which he based on the kind of things his Italian grandparents would say. He sang this in a mock Italian/English accent and it became a huge hit. The song went to number one in 21 countries. Several more releases in a similar vein followed, and he was later to say he regretted these "bad photocopies of the first one". Later, Dolce began to carve out a career as a serious poet and looks more to classical and choral music.

Answer: John Lennon

John Lennon wrote "Woman" for his wife, Yoko Ono, and it was released a month after his death. In the UK the single reached number one on the Official Charts Company listing, replacing "Imagine". That meant he became the first artist to have a song at number one replace another of his songs at number one since The Beatles had done the same in 1963.

As well as being a UK chart-topper, the song went number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and was also a number one in Canada and New Zealand.

Answer: Smokey Robinson

Smokey Robinson wrote "Being With You" for Kim Carnes, who had recorded "More Love", but was persuaded to sing it himself. It was to be his biggest solo hit reaching number two on the Hot 100 and topping the UK charts..

Answer: The Tweets

So, another earworm. Also known as "The Chicken Song", this UK number two was an instrumental played over a group of dancers dressed as chickens. The 'song' had its origins in continental Europe, but when performed by The Tweets in the UK it became a massive hit. Thirty-five million record buyers cannot be wrong, can they?

Answer: Shakin' Stevens

"Green Door" was one of four UK number ones for Shakin' Stevens. 'Shaky' became an "overnight success" after ten years of hard graft in the music business. Shakin' Stevens and the Sunsets had backed other acts, including the Rolling Stones and David Bowie. He eventually got his break playing on kids' TV shows. The fact that he could sing passably like Elvis Presley did not hinder his carer.

"Green Door" was a cover of the US number one by Jim Lowe in 1956.

Answer: Dave Stewart with Barbara Gaskin

"It's My Party" was originally a US hit for Lesley Gore. It topped the Hot 100 in 1963. Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin took it to the top of the UK charts.

Both Stewart and Gaskin had long catalogues of work in the music business. Gaskin sang backing vocals in Stewart's band band Hatfield and the North.

Answer: Ultravox

Ultravox came into the music scene in 1974 but it was not until Midge Ure joined as lead singer in 1979 that success came their way. "Vienna" was their highest chart entry in the UK, reaching number two. (It reached number 11 in Austria.). In all they had 17 top 40 singles.

The Ultravox number is not to be confused by the similarly titled song by Billy Joel.

Answer: Michael Jackson

"One Day In Your Life" was the first of seven number one singles in the UK for Michael Jackson as a solo artist among 44 that reached the top 10. In all, he sold 27 million singles in the UK. (Thirteen of 30 Billboard Hot 100 top tens reached number one). In 2020, a list by "Business Insider" put Jackson at number seven among "The 50 best-selling music artists of all time".

Answer: Bucks Fizz

"Making Your Mind Up" will be forever associated with the audacious act during the final of the Eurovision Song Contest of 1981 when the two male singers in Bucks Fizz whipped off the short skirts of the two female singers. (Their modesty was not compromised.) That may, or may not have contributed to the foursome winning the contest.

The song was also a top ten hit across Europe and reached number six in Australia. The group of Bobby G, Cheryl Baker, Mike Nolan and Jay Aston was put together especially for the contest. They were to have two more number ones in the UK. Aston walked out in 1985 and was replaced. Several more line-up changes followed. Several bouts of legal action followed and by the end of the 20th Century two groups laying claim to the legacy were performing, each with former members.

Answer: John Lennon

In 2017 the US National Music Publishers Association named "Imagine" as the "song of the century". Sales topped more than 20 million. In 2001, a poll in "The Observer" newspaper named it "the greatest number one single of all time".

Answer: Adam & The Ants

"Prince Charming" was the second number one single by Adam & The Ants from their album of the same name. Adam Ant, birth name Stuart Leslie Goddard, co-wrote the song with guitarist Marco Pirroni and claimed his portrayal in a lavish music video was based on the idea of the British 18th Century dandy Beau Brummell.

Answer: Soft Cell

Soft Cell were the British duo of Marc Almond and David Ball. They got together in 1978 and were to have 12 songs enter the top 40. "Tainted Love" was their sole number one. It was a new arrangement of a song released by Gloria Jones in the USA in 1964.

Answer: The Specials

"Ghost Town" was written just as The Specials were about to break up. While that was in the mind of songwriter Jerry Dammers, it was a microcosm of what he saw more widely in a fragmenting society. It spent three weeks at the top of the charts.

In June 2020, the "Guardian" newspaper placed "Ghost Town" at number two on a list of "The 100 greatest UK No 1s".

Answer: Adam & The Ants

"Stand And Deliver" was the first of two number one singles for Adam & And The Ants in 1981. The band did not last long to enjoy their time at the top, folding in 1982. As a solo artist, Adam Ant had a number one with "Goody Two Shoes" in 1982.

Answer: Shakin' Stevens

"This Ole House" was yet another old song brought back to the top of the charts by Shakin' Stevens. In 1954 Rosemary Clooney had it at number one in the US Best Sellers in Stores chart. A short time earlier, Stuart Hamblen, who wrote it, had a number two on the Billboard Country and Western Records Charts.

"This Ole House" was the first of four UK number ones for the Cardiff-born Michael Barrett. He became the biggest-selling UK singles artist of the 1980s, His brand of feel-good music harked back to an earlier time and was to remain popular among later audiences, too; in 2008 he performed at the annual Glastonbury Festival. 'Shaky' was also famous for attacking the television presenter Richard Madeley (playfully) on the TV set of "Calendar Goes Pop".