U S Billboard Hits From European Artists. Quiz

Answer: Seville

Antonio Romero Monge and Rafael Ruíz were from an area of Seville, Spain, known as Dos Hermanas. While "Macarena" seemed to be an overnight sensation, the pair had actually been performing since the sixties. The title of the song was originally going to be "Magdalena" but there had been a successful song released by the same name so the duo changed it to "Macarena", a popular name in the area.

It was also the name of one of Romero Monge's daughters. The popularity of the song led to a South American tour for the duo and it also became a hit in many other countries.

In 2002 cable network "VH1" (1985) ranked the song "The Greatest One-Hit Wonder". In 1997 a follow up titled "Macarena Christmas" only reached Number 57 on the US charts.

Answer: Black is Black

Los Bravos called Madrid, Spain, home base even though their singer, Mike Kogel, was from Germany. The group was only together for less than three years and "Black is Black" was their only significant hit in the US. Their 1968 follow up, "Bring A Little Lovin'", only reached Number 51.

A 1977 disco remake of the hit done by French based Belle Epoque made it to the Number Two spot in the UK but failed to make any progress in the US. "Paint it Black" was a Rolling Stones hit from 1966. "Back in Black" was an AC/DC song released in 1980 and "Black Magic Woman" was originally done by Fleetwood Mac in 1968 and remade by Santana two years later.

Answer: Wonderland by Night

"Are You Lonesome Tonight" was toppled from the US Billboard charts and "Wonderland by Night" reigned for three weeks. Bandleader Bert Kaempfert also wrote the music to several other US hits including "Strangers in the Night" and Spanish Eyes". He was able to play several instruments and while acting in the capacity of a producer for Polydor Records he hired an unknown group called The Beatles to back a singer named Tony Sheridan on some sessions, making him the first producer to commercially record the band. Bert's 1962 instrumental, "A Swinging Safarai", became the theme song for "The Match Game". "Theme from A Summer Place" was a Number One instrumental for Canadian Percy Faith in 1960. Several vocalists have recorded a version of "More (Theme from Mondo Cane)" but the instrumental by Danish trombonist Kai Winding reached the number eight slot on the US charts in the early sixties. "The Stripper" was a number one hit for British born David Rose in July, 1962.

Answer: Austria

Johann (Hans) Hölzel was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1957 and studied in the Vienna Conservatory. He later migrated to Berlin to perform in a jazz oriented rock band. When he returned to Vienna he adopted the stage name Falco and played with the Austrian bands Hallucination Company and Spinning Wheel.

In 1978 he became the bass player for the Austrian rock-punk rock band Drahdiwaberl for five years. In 1982 his album, "Einzelhaft" was released and contained his first hit, "Der Kommissar". Falco's recording was successful in several countries but the song wasn't a hit in the US until the British band After the Fire recorded a cover version. Falco then recorded "Rock Me Amadeus" after being inspired by the 1984 film, "Amadeus".

The song stayed at Number One on the US Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks.

His album, "Falco 3", hit the Number Three position on the album charts in the US. Falco died near Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic in 1998 after his vehicle collided with a bus. He was only 40 years old.

Answer: Domenico Modugno

In his youth Domenico Modugno aspired to be an actor. He attended acting school and segued into a singing career. He performed some of his songs in contests and steadily began gaining recognition as a singer. When he wrote and recorded "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare)" he never imagined the song would earn a Grammy and become Billboard's Number One single in 1958 in the US. Over 100 artists have recorded instrumental and vocal renditions of the song since it was first released. Domenico Modugno became active in the political arena in Italy, serving in the Italian Parliament before his death at age 66 in 1994. Sergio Franchi sang the song in a television commercial for the Plymouth Volare in the seventies.

Italian singer Emilio Pericoli had a Number Six song in the US in 1962 with "Al di la". Al Martino had several hits in the US and was born in Pennsylvania.

Answer: a-ha

Oslo, Norway, was the home base of a-ha. In 1985 their "Hunting High and Low" album was released and contained the US Number One hit, "Take on Me". In the early eighties the band migrated to London to begin a recording career. Originally the name a-ha was the name of a song but the trio eventually realized that it could also be a catchy name for the band.

In 1985 the rotation of the video for "Take on Me" was likely a factor in a-ha becoming the first Norwegian band to have a Number One US hit. "Take on Me" topped the charts for one week. Ace of Base is from Gothenburg, Sweden.

In March, 1994, their hit song, "The Sign", topped the US charts for six weeks. ABBA is a well-known Swedish band but their only US Number One was in 1977 with "Dancing Queen". Roxette formed in Halmstad, Sweden, and have taken four of their songs to the top of the US charts. Blue Swede is another Swedish act who put "Hooked on a Feeling" at Number One in the US in 1974.

Answer: Silver Convention

Silver Convention was formed in Munich and was originally a concept using session singers. They charted an early UK hit with "Save Me" in 1975. They recorded "Fly, Robin, Fly" using only six words in the lyrics. The song became a US Number One hit and their follow up, "Get up and Boogie", peaked at Number Two.

It also only had six words in the lyrics. "Fly, Robin, Fly" had the working title of "Run, Rabbit, Run" and was changed shortly before the recording session started. The band entered the 1977 "Eurovision Song Contest" and placed eighth with a song called "Telegram".

After the disco craze faded members of the band explored solo singing careers. Hues Corporation was from California, Love Unlimited Orchestra was formed by Barry White and Chic was a disco band that formed in New York City in 1976.

Answer: Double

Double's song made it to Number Eight in the UK and Number 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Double was formed in 1983 in Zurich by Felix Haug and Kurt Malo, two former members of a band called Ping Pong. The duo became successful when entering various European music festivals and released a few singles before releasing their "Blue" album. "The Captain of Her Heart" was a song on the album about a lonely girl waiting for her lost lover.

It became a hit single release from the "Blue" album. The pair released follow up singles but none achieved the chart status of "The Captain of Her Heart". Felix Haug passed away in 2004. Undertones are from Northern Ireland. Simple Minds and the Waterboys hail from Scotland.

Answer: Chariots of Fire

Vangelis was born in Volos, Greece. He received an Academy Award for the theme to "Chariots of Fire". He also scored "Blade Runner" (1982) and "1492: Conquest of Paradise" (1992). Vangelis cut his teeth performing with Greek psychedelic bands and eventually formed a musical alliance with Jon Anderson of the British rock group, Yes. Vangelis' soundtracks for animal documentaries got him noticed by filmmakers.

His career has spanned close to 50 years and he has recorded over 40 solo albums and albums with various artists.

In 2008 he was given an honorary doctorate by the University of Athens. French composer Michel Legrand composed the score for "Never Say never Again" (1983). The "Ghostbusters" theme was done by Ray Parker, Jr. and German native Harold Faltermeyer composed "Axel F", the theme from the 1986 flick, "Beverly Hills Cop".

Answer: Miami Vice Theme

"Miami Vice Theme" was composed by multi-Grammy winner Jan Hammer. He is responsible for composing at least 14 motion picture soundtracks and several television theme songs. He was born in Prague to a musician father and a mother who was a renown singer in what was at the time Czechoslovakia.

He began studying at the Prague Academy of Musical Arts but his education was cut short when the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia. He migrated to the US, graduated from Boston's Berklee College of Music and eventually became a US citizen.

In the early seventies he became well known as one of the founder members of The Mahavishnu Orchestra. Police drummer Stewart Copeland did the music for "The Equalizer" (1985). "Knight Rider" (1982) producers Glen A. Larson and Stu Phillips also wrote the show's theme and the "Hill Street Blues" (1981) theme was written by Mike Post.