Whose Line Was It Anyway? UK Number One Hits 1956 Quiz

Answer: Sixteen

"Sixteen Tons" (written by country singer Merle Travis in 1947) was the weight of No.9 coal Tennessee Ernie Ford was singing about. It was number one for four weeks on the UK chart in 1956. It was number one for eight weeks on the US pop chart in 1955. Born Ernest Jennings Ford, he charted over 25 hits on the US country chart between 1949 and 1976.

Answer: Dean Martin

Dean Martin sang "Memories Are Made Of This". It was number one for four weeks on the UK chart in 1956. It was number one for six weeks on the US pop chart in 1956. Dean Martin teamed up with comedian Jerry Lewis from 1946 to 1956. Later as part of Frank Sinatra's rat pack his career was arguably more successful after the split with Jerry Lewis, with records, movies and his own TV show in the '60s and '70s.

Frank Sinatra had a number two hit on the UK chart with "(Love Is) The Tender Trap" in 1956. It reached number seven on the US pop chart in 1956. Tony Bennett had a number 29 hit on the UK chart with "Come Next Spring" in 1956. It failed to chart in the US. Perry Como had a number four hit on the UK chart with "Hot Diggity (Dog Ziggity Boom)" in 1956. (Yes you are not seeing things, that is the title). It was number one for one week on the US pop chart in 1956.

Answer: The Dream Weavers

The Dream Weavers had a UK number one for three weeks with "It's Almost Tomorrow" in 1956, their one and only UK chart hit. It reached number seven on the US pop chart in 1956.

The Snooky Lanson version of the song reached number 20 on the US pop chart in 1955. The David Carroll version reached number 20 on the US pop chart in 1955. The Jo Stafford version reached number 14 on the US pop chart in 1956. All three alternative versions of "It's Almost Tomorrow failed to chart in the UK.

Answer: Rock And Roll Waltz

Kay Starr sang "Rock And Roll Waltz" and took it to number one for one week on the UK chart in 1956. It was number one for six weeks on the US pop chart in 1956. Kay Starr thought it was a joke when asked to record the song but was persuaded to record it against her better judgement by producer Joe Carlton at RCA.

Answer: Winifred Atwell

Winifred Atwell played "The Poor People Of Paris" and had a number one hit for three weeks on the UK chart. It failed to chart in the US. Winifred Atwell from Trinidad & Tobago was a trained pharmaceutical dispenser but became a very popular pianist in the '50s when she moved to the UK and later Australia. She had 11 top ten hits (piano instrumentals) including two number one hits on the UK chart between 1952 and 1959.

Les Baxter had a number one for six weeks on the US pop chart with his version of "The Poor People Of Paris" in 1956. Lawrence Welk had a number 17 hit on the US pop chart with his version in 1956. Russ Morgan had a number 19 hit on the US pop chart with his version in 1956. All of the three alternative versions of "The Poor People Of Paris" failed to chart in the UK. Multi chart entries of the same song were the norm in the '50s.

Answer: Love

"No Other Love" gave Ronnie Hilton his only UK number one for six weeks in 1956; it failed to chart in the US. Ronnie Hilton (real name Adrian Hill) born in Kingston upon Hull in Yorkshire UK, was a very popular singer in the '50s. Along with many other singers of the time his chart career waned in the late '50s after Rock'n'Roll appeared on the scene.

He remained popular on TV and did have two minor hits in 1964 and 1965; later he presented "Sounds of the Fifties" on BBC Radio 2.

Answer: Pat Boone

"I'll Be Home" sang Pat Boone and reached number four on the US pop chart in 1956. It was number one for five weeks on the UK chart in 1956. This was a cover of The Flamigos R&B hit. Many of his early hits were cover versions, such as "Tutti Frutti" and "Long Tall Sally" which Little Richard and his co-writers decided to write so up-tempo that Pat Boone would not be able to sing it. He did and had a number eight hit on the US pop chart in 1956, number 18 on the UK chart. Pat Boone has claimed to be a descendant of American pioneer Daniel Boone and is a cousin of actors Richard Boone and Randy Boone.

Nat 'King' Cole had a number 21 hit on the US pop chart with "Too Young To Go Steady" in 1956. It reached number eight on the UK chart in 1956. Elvis Presley had a number one for eight weeks on the US pop chart with "Heartbreak Hotel" in 1956. It reached number two on the UK chart in 1956. Vic Damone had a number four hit on the US pop chart with "On The Street Where You Live" in 1956. It reached number one for one week on the UK chart in 1958.

Answer: Anne Shelton

Anne Shelton sang "Lay Down Your Arms". It reached number one for four weeks on the UK chart in 1956. It reached number 59 on the US pop chart in 1956. The song was engineered by Joe Meek of later "Telstar" fame. Anne Shelton performed at UK military bases during WWII and had her own radio show "Calling Malta". She sang with the Glenn Miller orchestra and was invited to go to France with them but had prior engagements in the UK so didn't go. She acted in several films and performed in several Royal Variety Performances. She was awarded the OBE in 1990 for her services to the "Not Forgotten Association", a charitable organization for disabled service personnel from all wars.

Vera Lynn had a number 17 hit on the UK chart with "A House With Love In It" in 1956; it did not chart in the US. Alma Cogan had a number 13 hit on the UK chart with "Willie Can" in 1956, which did not chart in the US. Doris Day had a number one hit for six weeks on the UK chart with "Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)" in 1956. It reached number two for three weeks on the US pop chart in 1956.

Answer: Frankie Laine

Frankie Laine sang "A Woman In Love" and it spent four weeks at number one on the UK chart in 1956. It reached number 19 on the US pop chart in 1955. It was Frankie Laine's fourth and last UK number one hit. He spent 27 weeks at number one on the UK chart in 1953, 18 of them with "I Believe".

The Four Aces version of "Woman In Love" reached number 19 on the UK chart in 1956. It reached number 14 on the US pop chart in 1955, it entered the US chart a week before the Frankie Laine version. The Ronnie Hilton version reached number 30 on the UK chart in 1956 but did not chart in the US. Frankie Vaughan had a number two hit on the UK chart with "Green Door" in 1956, it did not chart in the US. This was a cover version of the US number one hit by Jim Lowe. It held the top spot on the US pop chart for three weeks and reached number eight on the UK chart in 1956.

Answer: Johnnie Ray

Johnnie Ray was "Just Walkin' In The Rain" all the way to number one on the UK chart for seven weeks at the end of 1956. It spent one week at number two on the US pop chart in 1956. Johnnie Ray had ten UK top ten hits between 1952 and 1957 including three number one hits.

Michael Holliday had a number 13 hit on the UK chart with "Gal With The Yaller Shoes" in 1956, which did not chart in the US. Tex Ritter had a number eight hit on the UK chart with "The Wayward Wind" in 1956; it reached number 28 on the US pop chart in 1956. Australian singer Jimmy Parkinson had a number nine hit on the UK chart with a cover version of The Platters "The Great Pretender" in 1956; it did not chart in the US.