Whose Line Was It Anyway? US Number One Hits 1976 Quiz

Answer: Saturday Night

"Saturday Night" was written by Bill Martin/Phil Coulter. It was number one for one week on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Bay City Rollers in 1976. It did not chart in the UK.

The Bay City Rollers' most familiar line-up was Eric Faulkner (guitar), Alan Longmuir (bass), Derek Longmuir (drums), Les McKeown (vocals) and Stuart Wood (guitar). The group selected their name by throwing a dart at a map of the USA, it landed near Bay City, Michigan, USA. Hailed by some as the biggest (not the best) group since The Beatles, Rollermania was rife throughout the land and The Rollers had tartan clad fans in both the UK and US.

They scored ten consecutive Top Ten hits on the UK singles chart between 1971 and 1976. This included the two number one hits "Bye Bye Baby" (1975) and "Give A Little Love" (1975). Who could have guessed that by 1977 they would have their last chart entries on both the UK and US charts. The Bay City Rollers would be no more and their fickle fans "The Tartan Horde" had moved on.

Answer: Bruce Johnston

"I Write The Songs" was written by Bruce Johnston. It was number one for one week on the Billboard Hot 100 for Barry Manilow in 1976. It did not chart in the UK.

Bruce Johnston was born Benjamin Baldwin (adopted) in Peoria, Illinois, USA, in 1942. After production work at Del-Fi records and Columbia Records where he had a hit record with "Hey Little Cobra" by The Rip Chords he joined The Beach Boys in 1965. The original version of "I Write The Songs" which Bruce Johnston wrote in 1975 was recorded by The Captain & Tennille for their 1975 album, "Love Will Keep Us Together".

The first version released as a single was by David Cassidy, It peaked at number 11 on the UK singles chart in 1975. It was from his 1975 solo album "The Higher They Climb" produced by Bruce Johnston. Barry Manilow did not want to record the song at first because he thought people would think it sounded like an ego trip. It won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year 1976. Bruce Johnston has stated that the I in "I Write The Songs" is God.

Answer: Get a new job Bob

"50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" was written by Paul Simon. It was number one for three weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 for Paul Simon in 1976. It peaked at number 23 on the UK singles chart the same year.

The five ways to leave your lover mentioned in the song are as follows; "Slip out the back Jack", "Make a new plan Stan", "Don't need to be coy Roy", "Hop on the bus Gus" and "Drop off the key Lee". "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" is from the Paul Simon 1975 album "Still Crazy After All These Years". Backing vocals on the single were performed by Patti Austin, Valerie Simpson and Phoebe Snow.

In the USA as of the date of this quiz, Paul Simon has had one solo US number one hit. His ex-singing partner Art Garfunkel has not had any but as a duo they had three number one hits. In the UK as of the date of this quiz, Paul Simon has not had a solo number one hit. Art Garfunkel has had two and as a duo they had one number one hit.

Answer: Let Your Love Flow

"Let Your Love Flow" was written by Larry E. Williams. It was number one for one week on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Bellamy Brothers in 1976. It peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hot Country singles chart and number seven on the UK singles chart the same year.

Homer Howard Bellamy was born in Darby, Florida, USA, in 1946 and his brother David Milton Bellamy was born in Darby, Florida, USA, in 1950. Both brothers play banjo, guitar and mandolin, in addition David plays accordion, fiddle, organ and piano. David Bellamy wrote Jim Stafford's 1974 hit "Spiders And Snakes". It peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned a Gold Disc for sales of more than 2,000,000.

The writer of "Let Your Love Flow" Larry E. Williams, was the roadie for Neil Diamond who declined the offer to record the song first. The song was then suggested to The Bellamy Brothers by Neil Diamond's drummer Dennis St. John. It would have been nice to hear what Neil Diamond thought, when the song became a number one hit?

Answer: The Lovin' Spoonful

"Welcome Back" was written by John Sebastian. It was number one for one week on the Billboard Hot 100 for John Sebastian in 1976. It did not chart in the UK.

John Sebastian was born John Benson Sebastian in Greenwich Village, New York City, New York, USA, in 1944. He was in the group The Mugwumps formed in 1964 with Denny Doherty, Cass Elliot and Zal Yanovsky. Doherty and Elliot left in 1965 to form The Mamas and The Papas with John Phillips and Michelle Phillips. Sebastian and Yanovsky left in 1965 to form The Lovin' Spoonful with Steve Boone and Joe Butler.

After seven Top Ten hits including the number one hit "Summer In The City" John Sebastian left The Lovin' Spoonful in 1968 to pursue a solo career. He had little success chart-wise and "Welcome Back" was his only Billboard Top 40 hit. It was written as the theme tune for a new ABC TV sitcom, "Welcome Back, Kotter" (1975-1979). It starred Gabe Kaplan and featured a young John Travolta playing the character Vincent "Vinnie" Barbarino.

Answer: Love Hangover

"Love Hangover" was written by Pamela Sawyer/Marilyn McLeod. It was number one for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 for Diana Ross in 1976. It peaked at number ten on the UK singles chart the same year.

Diana Ross was born Diana Ernestine Earle Ross in Detroit, Michigan, USA, in 1944. She was a founding member of Motown's most successful group during the '60s, The Supremes. They had 12 number on hits on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1964 and 1969. Unbelievably only one of their songs reached number one on the UK singles chart, that was "Baby Love" in 1964.

Written as a disco song, Diana Ross was not immediately enthusiastic about recording "Love Hangover". She recorded it for her 1976 album "Diana Ross". It was released as a single and entered the Billboard Hot 100 on the same day as a version by The 5th Dimension. Diana Ross's version went on to be her fourth number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and the version by The 5th Dimension peaked at number 80.

Answer: 5th

"A 5th Of Beethoven" was written by Ludwig van Beethoven/Walter Murphy. It was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band for one week in 1976. It peaked at number 28 on the UK singles chart the same year.

Arranger/composer/musician/pianist/songwriter Walter Murphy was born Walter Anthony Murphy Jr. in New York City, New York, USA, in 1952. He got the idea of updating classical music from the producer of a commercial he was writing a song for in 1974. Private Stock Records became interested in the idea and asked Murphy to record and produce "A 5th Of Beethoven".

Although the record was credited to Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band, they never existed. Murphy played most of the instruments on the record but the record company felt it would have more success credited to a group. There was an unconnected group named The Big Apple Band but they changed their name to Chic. They went on to hit the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978, with the disco hit "Le Freak".

Answer: Duck

"Disco Duck" was written by Rick Dees. It was number one for one week on the Billboard Hot 100 for Rick Dees and His Cast Of Idiots in 1976. It peaked at number six on the UK singles chart the same year.

Rick Dees was Rigdon Osmond Dees III and was a DJ at WMPS-Memphis when he had the idea for "Disco Duck". The radio station that he worked for banned him from playing the record and other Memphis radio stations refused to play it because they didn't want to promote the opposition. One morning Dees only mentioned the song on his show but didn't play it, he was fired because of a conflict of interest.

It was thought that the voice of the duck was performed by Clarence Nash, the original voice of Donald Duck in the Disney cartoons. In fact the voice of the duck on the record was performed by Ken Pruitt who was a friend of Rick Dees. Rick Dees and His Cast Of Idiots had two more minor hits on the Billboard Hot 100, "Dis-Gorilla" number 56 in 1977 and "Eat My Shorts" number 75 in 1984.

Answer: Chicago

"If You Leave Me Now" was written by Peter Cetera. It was number one for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 for Chicago in 1976. It was number one for three weeks on the UK singles chart the same year.

Original members of Chicago were Peter Cetera (vocals, bass), Robert Lamm (vocals, keyboards), Lee Loughnane (trumpet), Terry Kath (vocals, guitar), James Pankow (trombone), Walt Parazaider (sax) and Danny Seraphine (drums). In 1969 they changed their name from The Big Thing to The Chicago Transit Authority, then dropped Transit Authority from their name to become Chicago.

Chicago had ten Top Ten hits since entering the Billboard Hot 100 in 1969. "If You Leave Me Now" was their first US number one hit, their only transatlantic US - UK number one hit and their only UK number one hit. They had two more number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100. "Hard To Say I'm Sorry" was number one for two weeks in 1982 and "Look Away" was number one for two weeks in 1988.

Answer: Rod Stewart

"Tonight's The Night (Gonna Be Alright)" was written by Rod Stewart. It was number one for eight weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 for Rod Stewart in 1976. It peaked at number five on the UK singles chart the same year.

Rod Stewart's most successful chart period before his solo career was on joining The Faces in 1969. Previously known as The Small Faces with Steve Marriott as the lead singer, he left in 1969. Rod Stewart and future Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood joined after leaving The Jeff Beck Group. They had three UK Top Ten hits between 1971 and 1973, "Stay With Me" (1971), "Cindy Incidentally" (1973) and "Pool Hall Richard"/"I Wish It Would Rain" (1973).

"Tonight's The Night (Gonna Be Alright)" was the second of Rod Stewart's three solo number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1971 and 1979. A fourth number one in 1994 "All For Love" with Bryan Adams and Sting, was from the 1993 movie "The Three Musketeers" starring Charlie Sheen and Kiefer Sutherland.