Whose First US Chart Hit Am I? Quiz

Answer: Little Richard

"Tutti Frutti" was written by Richard Penniman/Dorothy LaBostrie. It peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Top 100 for Little Richard in 1956. It peaked at number 29 on the UK singles chart in 1957.

The song "Tutti Frutti" has had many accolades over the years. In 2007 it was voted number one on Mojo magazine's, "The Top 100 Records That Changed The World". In 2010 the US Library of Congress National Recording Registry added "Tutti Frutti" to its registry. In 2012 Rolling Stone magazine eulogised that the song contains what has to be considered the most inspired rock lyric ever recorded.

Little Richard was more concerned that middle of the road singer Pat Boone's version of "Tutti Frutti" peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1956, five places higher than his original version.

Answer: Ricky Nelson

"I'm Walking" was written by Antoine Domino/Dave Bartholomew. It peaked at number four on the Billboard Top 100 for Ricky Nelson in 1957. It did not chart in the UK.

The version of the song by Ricky Nelson did surprisingly well, as the original by Fats Domino had also peaked at number four on the Billboard Top 100 nearly three months earlier. It peaked at number 19 on the UK singles chart the same year.

Ricky Nelson was 17 years old at the time of his first hit and was one of the best selling artists of the '50s. He dropped the "y" from his name after the double sided US hit "Travelin' Man"/"Hello Mary Lou" in 1961 but restored it in 1985. In 1963 he married Sharon Kristin Harmon, the older sister of NCIS actor Mark Harmon. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

Answer: Cliff Richard and The Drifters

"Living Doll" was written by Lionel Bart. It peaked at number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 for Cliff Richard and The Drifters in 1959. It was number one for six weeks on the UK singles chart the same year.

"Living Doll" was Cliff Richard's only hit in the US for nearly four years and none of his six Billboard chart hits in the '60s made the Top 20. He had to wait until 1976 when he had his biggest US hit with "Devil Woman" which peaked at number six. By this time in the UK, he had achieved 41 Top Ten hits of which nine were number one hits. He went on to be the only singer to have had UK number one hits in five decades from the '50s to the '90s. His hits were either solo or with The Shadows, with a couple of duets thrown in.

The Shadows have long since changed their name from The Drifters after legal action was threatened by the American group of the same name. They achieved five UK number one hits in their own right. They continued to have UK hits into the '80s.

Answer: Dion

"Lonely Teenager" was written by Alfred DiPaola/Silvio Faraci/Salvatore Pippa. It peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 for Dion in 1960. It peaked at number 47 on the UK singles chart in 1961.

Dion DiMucci was the lead singer of Dion and The Belmonts. They had three Top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1958 and 1960. Their biggest hit was "Where Or When" which peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960.

Dion went solo in 1960 and had ten Top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1960 and 1968. This included the 1961 number one hit "Runaround Sue", the 1962 number two hit "The Wanderer" and the 1963 number two hit "Ruby Baby".

Answer: Dionne Warwick

"Don't Make Me Over" was written by Burt Bacharach/Hal David. It peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 for Dionne Warwick in 1963. It did not chart in the UK.

According to music mythology the song title "Don't Make Me Over" was what Dionne Warwick shouted at Bacharach and David when she stormed out of a studio after an argument about songs that she thought that she should have recorded. Bacharach and David then went to work and came up with her first US hit.

In the UK Louise Cordet was the first to record the song in 1964 but it did not chart. Then there was a Joe Meek produced version by The Dowlands in 1965 but that missed out too. The song finally made the UK singles chart when recorded by The Swinging Blue Jeans but it only reached number 31 in 1966.

Answer: The Rolling Stones

"Not Fade Away" was written by Charles Hardin/Norman Petty. It peaked at number 48 on the Billboard Hot 100 for The rolling Stones in 1964. It peaked at number three on the UK singles chart the same year.

Charles Hardin are Buddy Holly's first and second Christian names. Norman Petty who was Holly's manager at the time had his name added to many songs to be able to collect songwriting royalties so it is likely that he did not write any of the song. The Crickets recorded "Not Fade Away" in Clovis, New Mexico, USA, on May 27 1957. This was the same day that another one of their famous songs "Everyday" was recorded. It became the B-Side of the single "Oh, Boy!" and was also included on The Crickets' 1958 album "The "Chirping" Crickets".

The Rolling Stones at the time of the recording of "Not Fade Away" were Mick Jagger (vocals, tambourine), Brian Jones (harmonica, acoustic guitar, maracas), Keith Richards (electric guitar), Charlie Watts (drums) and Bill Wyman (bass guitar). Absolutely the best line up ever, in my estimation.

Answer: The Plastic Ono Band

"Give Peace A Chance" was written by John Lennon but credited to Lennon/McCartney. It peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Plastic Ono Band in 1969. It peaked at number two on the UK singles chart the same year.

"Give Peace A Chance" was recorded in Room 1742 at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Canada, on 1 June 1969. Among the people present were Petula Clark, Allen Ginsberg, Dick Gregory, Timothy Leary, Murray the K, Yoko Ono, Andre Perry and Tommy Smothers. John Lennon sang vocals and played acoustic guitar. Tommy Smothers also played acoustic guitar, Petula Clark and Timothy Leary sang backing vocals and Yoko Ono and others supplied handclaps, backing vocals and tambourine.

Lennon later stated that he had regrets about being guilty enough to give McCartney a songwriting credit on his first single independent of The Beatles, instead of giving it to Yoko Ono, who did actually write the song with him. Alternatively, it has been suggested that the credit for McCartney was a way of thanking him for helping Lennon to record "The Ballad of John and Yoko" at short notice. Although the record was released as by The Beatles, George and Ringo never played on it.

Answer: Elton John

"Border Song" was written by Elton John/Bernie Taupin. It peaked at number 92 on the Billboard Hot 100 for Elton John in 1970. It did not chart in the UK.

"Border Song" was track two on side two of Elton John's first album "Elton John" which peaked at number five on the UK album chart in 1970. The song did better in Canada where it peaked at number 34, becoming Elton John's first chart appearance anywhere in the world.

Between 1973 and 1997 Elton John has had eight number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100. In the UK between 1976 and 1997 he had four number one hits on the singles chart.

Answer: The Average White Band

"Pick Up The Pieces" was written by Roger Ball/Hamish Stewart. It was number one for one week on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Average White Band in 1975. It peaked at number six on the UK singles chart the same year.

The Average White Band were formed in 1972 in Scotland, UK. They were Roger Ball (sax, keyboards), Malcolm Duncan (sax), Alan Gorrie (vocals, bass), Robbie McIntosh (drums), Onnie McIntyre (guitar, vocals) and Michael Rosen (trumpet), replaced by Hamish Stuart (guitar, vocals).

Before "Pick Up The Pieces" had entered the Billboard Hot 100, the group's drummer Robbie McIntosh had died of a heroin overdose. At the same party in Los Angeles on the 23 September 1974, bass player Alan Gorrie also overdosed but remained conscious with the help of singer Cher, until medical help arrived at the scene. The only other Top Ten hit they had in the US or the UK was "Cut The Cake" which peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975.

Answer: Boston

"More Than A Feeling" was written by Tom Scholz. It peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 for Boston in 1976. It peaked at number 22 on the UK singles chart the same year.

Boston was formed in Massachusetts in the mid '70s by Tom Scholz (guitars, keyboards) and Brad Delp (vocals) who recruited Barry Goudreau (guitar), Sib Hasian (drums) and Fran Sheehan (bass). Between 1976 and 1979 they had two Billboard Top Ten hits.

Seven years after their last chart hit the single "Amanda" from Boston's third album "Third Stage" was released and spent two weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1986. By then only Tom Scholz and Bras Delp were left of the original group. Scholz is also an inventor and has a number of patented inventions to his name.