Music Quiz: Where Were You In '62?: 15 Questions | 1960s Music

Answer: Soldier Boy

This song by the Shirelles topped the charts for three weeks in May 1962, their only #1 hit. With some personnel changes, the group plugged along until 1975, despite having no chart success after 1967. They were inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame in 1996.

Answer: Earl

"The Duke of Earl" was a #1 song for Gene Chandler in February 1962 for three weeks. Originally, the song was recorded by The Dukays in 1961 on the NAT label. Chandler was the lead singer of the group. When the Vee-Jay label bought the rights to the song, they re-released it under Chandler's name alone.

The words "Duke, Duke, Duke of Earl" are repeated by the backup chorus what seems a thousand times and I've never had the patience to get the exact count. Duchess is a small town in my home province of Alberta... no royalty there I surmise but lotsa cowgirls!

Answer: The Wanderer

This was Dion's follow up to "Runaround Sue". I guess he figured that if Sue could, so could he! It was a #2 song in early 1962. Dion was inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame in 1989 along with The Rolling Stones, Otis Redding, The Temptations and Stevie Wonder. Classy group!

Answer: Sheila

"Sheila" was Tommy Roe's debut hit and a #1 for two weeks in September. It took seven years, but "Sheila" was certified a gold record in 1969. Roe was famous for re-introducing the "Holly hic-cup" to singing!

Answer: I Can't Stop Loving You

One of the classic asides in pop/rock music was toward the end of the song when Ray calls out to the chorus backing him up to "sing the song, children". At 4:02, it was one of the longest songs of the era. Charles had three #1 pop songs in his 40+ year career and was an icon of rock, blues, R&B and country music. He passed away of liver disease during the summer of 2004.

Answer: Crying In The Rain

"Crying In The Rain" was a #6 song for the Everly Brothers that year. "Raindrops" was a #2 hit for Dee Clark in 1961, "Rhythm Of The Rain" a #3 for the Cascades in 1963 and "Raining In My Heart" just a blip at #88 for Buddy Holly in 1959.

Answer: Can't Help Falling In love

A #2 hit for Presley in 1962, it was reprised by UB40 in a reggae version that hit #1 in 1993. In between was (sorry) a purely ghastly cover by Corey Hart that actually charted at #24 in 1987!

Answer: Things

This was a #3 hit for Bobby Darin. Let's carry on with the lyric just for fun... these are the "things" Darin sings about.
"(Things) Like a walk in the park;
(Things) Like a kiss in the dark;
(Things) Like a sailboat ride;
(Yeah-yeah) What about the night we cried?
Things like a lover's vow;
Things that we don't do now;
Thinkin' 'bout the things we used to do."

Answer: Gene Pitney

"Only Love Can Break A Heart", a Hal David/Burt Bacharach composition, was Gene Pitney's biggest hit. He had a total of ten top 20 songs during a recording career that spanned the entire decade. He was a songwriter of some repute and wrote "Hello Mary Lou" for Ricky Nelson, "He's A Rebel" for the Crystals and "Rubber Ball" for Bobby Vee.

Answer: Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen

This was another perky Sedaka/Greenfield composition that Neil took to #6 on the charts. Within a year, the steady stream of hits would slow to a trickle and then totally dry up. It would be twelve long years before The Captain and Tennille could announce... "Sedaka's back!"

Answer: The Locomotion

Little Eva debuted at #1 with this song written for her by Carole King and Gerry Goffen, Carole also providing a backing vocal on the recording. Little Eva (Eva Boyd) was the Goffen's babysitter at the time. Unfortunately, Little Eva started at the top and worked backwards; her next hit was a #12 on the charts, the next #20, the next #38 and her last, in 1963, did no better than #48.

Answer: I Remember You

This was a #5 hit for Frank Ifield. It was a cover version of a song that originally appeared in the 1942 movie "The Fleet's In" starring
Dorothy Lamour and Bob Eberly and was composed by Victor Schertzinger and Johnny Mercer. Jimmy Dorsey and Harry James recorded charting versions of the song in that year. Ifield was British by birth and he specialized in covering old standards. This was his only top 40 hit.

Answer: Roses Are Red

This song topped the charts for four weeks during the summer of 1962. Vinton's long career extended into the 1980's. He would have four #1 songs and 47 entries on Billboard's Hot Hundred charts altogether.

Answer: Johnny Angel

This was Shelley Fabares' contribution to the charts in 1962 and "Jonny Angel" was #1 for two weeks that spring. Shelley was Nanette Fabray's niece and was more noted for her acting than singing. She starred on "The Donna Reed Show" and co-starred with Elvis in "Spinout", "Girl Happy" and "Clambake". She continued to appear occasionally on T.V. well into the late 1990's.

Answer: Tony Bennett

"I Left My Heart In San Francisco", of course, has become Tony Bennett's signature song. Surprisingly, it only peaked at #19 on the charts and in the course of his career beginning in 1951, he's had a total of 17 songs that have had better chart success. None have been more enduring than this song, however.