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Quiz about Who Wrote That Eighties Number One

Who Wrote That 'Eighties Number One? Quiz

The third decade in my series; once again I have tried to find a mix of the easy and the more obscure. All songs made the top spot in the British charts in the 'eighties.

A multiple-choice quiz by Mutchisman. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
Mutchisman

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
251,639

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
1464

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Don McLean had previously hit number one with one of his own compositions, but "Crying" was a top-rated cover in 1980. It was co-written by Joe Melson and which singer? Hint

Elvis Presley

Roy Orbison

Buddy Holly

Del Shannon

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Question 2 of 10

2. Staying in 1980, Barbra Streisand hit the top slot with "Woman in Love". Which song-writing brothers had the credit for this? Hint

Barry and Robin Gibb

Ray and Dave Davies

Paul and Barry Ryan

Don and Phil Everly

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Question 3 of 10

3. This was a strange one! Captain Sensible, from punk act, The Damned, covered the song "Happy Talk". Happy for him anyway; it got to number one in 1982. Do you know who wrote it? Hint

Paul and Barry Ryan

Gilbert and Sullivan

Rodgers and Hammerstein

George and Ira Gershwin

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Question 4 of 10

4. "The Tide is High" was a number one success for Blondie in 1980. Do you know which reggae singer penned this one? Hint

Desmond Dekker

Gregory Isaacs

Bob Marley

John Holt

5. In 1989, Marc Almond got together with the original singer of "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart", Gene Pitney, and the duo went to number one. Which 'sixties song-writing team wrote this song? Hint

Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller

Burt Bacharach and Hal David

Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway

Jackie Trent and Tony Hatch

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Question 6 of 10

6. Kelly Marie had a number one with a 'syn-drum' laden number, "It Feels Like I'm in Love", in 1980. Now who wrote this one? (Clue: do this question "In the Summertime".) Hint

Marc Bolan

Ray Dorset

Roy Wood

Noddy Holder

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Question 7 of 10

7. Back in 1983, UB40 took "Red Red Wine" to the top spot. Which of these guys wrote the song? Hint

Neil Diamond

Randy Newman

Billy Joel

Paul Simon

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Question 8 of 10

8. This song had already been taken to top spot by another artist but Boy George took it back there in 1987. Who wrote "Everything I Own"? Hint

Neil Young

Paul Simon

Graham Nash

David Gates

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Question 9 of 10

9. Chaka Khan reached the top in 1984 with "I Feel for You". Who wrote it? Hint

Prince

Luther Vandross

Stevie Wonder

Lionel Ritchie

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Question 10 of 10

10. What a boon to music-lovers were Stock, Aitken and Waterman! Complex musical compositions coupled with deep and meaningful lyrics; what's not to like? Which of these 'classic' 'eighties number ones were they not responsible for? Hint

"I Owe You Nothing" by Bros

"Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley

"I Should Be So Lucky" by Kylie Minogue

"Respectable" by Mel and Kim

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Don McLean had previously hit number one with one of his own compositions, but "Crying" was a top-rated cover in 1980. It was co-written by Joe Melson and which singer?

Answer: Roy Orbison

Don McLean got to number one in 1972 with "Vincent"; surprisingly, "American Pie" didn't quite make it, reaching number two in the same year.
Roy Orbison's original version of "Crying" had peaked at number 25 when first released in 1961.

2. Staying in 1980, Barbra Streisand hit the top slot with "Woman in Love". Which song-writing brothers had the credit for this?

Answer: Barry and Robin Gibb

"Woman in Love" was Barbra's only number one in Britain; she did have five other top-ten hits including duets with Neil Diamond and Donna Summer.
In addition to writing many, many hits for other acts, Barry and Robin Gibb helped The Bee Gees to eighteen top-ten singles including five number ones.

3. This was a strange one! Captain Sensible, from punk act, The Damned, covered the song "Happy Talk". Happy for him anyway; it got to number one in 1982. Do you know who wrote it?

Answer: Rodgers and Hammerstein

"Happy Talk" was a song from Rodgers and Hammerstein's successful musical "South Pacific".
Captain Sensible's band The Damned scored their biggest hit with a cover of "Eloise" which got to number three in 1986. The original, written by Paul Ryan for his brother Barry, got to number two in 1968.

4. "The Tide is High" was a number one success for Blondie in 1980. Do you know which reggae singer penned this one?

Answer: John Holt

Deborah Harry had a hand in writing many of Blondie's hits but this was a cover of a Paragons song written by John Holt.
John's only UK chart success was with a cover of Kris Kristofferson's "Help Me Make It Through the Night", a number six hit in 1974.

Answer: Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway

Gene Pitney had posted ten top-ten singles in the 'sixties but never quite made number one.
Marc Almond had been to the top before as a duo, performing a cover of "Tainted Love" with David Ball under the name Soft Cell in 1981.

6. Kelly Marie had a number one with a 'syn-drum' laden number, "It Feels Like I'm in Love", in 1980. Now who wrote this one? (Clue: do this question "In the Summertime".)

Answer: Ray Dorset

After the success of her first single, Kellie Marie had three more minor hits before fading from the scene.
Ray Dorset also wrote "In the Summertime" for his band Mungo Jerry; it was a number one in 1970.

7. Back in 1983, UB40 took "Red Red Wine" to the top spot. Which of these guys wrote the song?

Answer: Neil Diamond

UB40 had seventeen top-ten hits in Britain including three number ones, "Red Red Wine" was their first song to hit the top.
Neil Diamond never got to number one as a singer in the UK but had previously written The Monkee's number one, "I'm a Believer".

8. This song had already been taken to top spot by another artist but Boy George took it back there in 1987. Who wrote "Everything I Own"?

Answer: David Gates

David Gates' band Bread originally released this song in 1972 when it reached number 32. Two years later Ken Boothe took a reggae version of the song to number one.
Boy George's band Culture Club had eight top-ten singles including two number ones earlier in the 'eighties.

9. Chaka Khan reached the top in 1984 with "I Feel for You". Who wrote it?

Answer: Prince

Not a bad line-up; Chaka Khan on vocals, Stevie Wonder on harmonica and Prince on writing credits! Chaka had three other top-ten hits but no more number ones. Prince had sixteen top-ten hits in Britain and had another writing credit when Sinead O'Connor took "Nothing compares To You" to the top in 1990.

Answer: "I Owe You Nothing" by Bros

"The day the music died"; no not Buddy Holly's tragic plane crash but the day S,A & W started putting out their mindless pap. Not that Bros were much better! For the record "I Owe You Nothing" was written by Nicky Graham and Tom Watkins.

All stats for this quiz courtesy of "The Guinness Book of Hit Singles" 2001 edition

Source: Author Mutchisman

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