"Sleepwalk" or "Sleep Walk" was a number one hit for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 for brothers Santo and Johnny Farina. These New York born Italian Americans charted again in 1959 with "Tear Drop". "Sleep Walk" hit number two in Australia and number 21 in the UK charts.
2. "The Three Bells"
Answer: The Browns
"The Three Bells" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for The Browns in mid 1959. The Browns comprised sisters Bonnie and Maxine with their brother Jim Ed Brown. The song reached number one on the Australian charts and made it to number six in the UK. The Browns charted on the US country charts from 1954 through 1968, with many of their hits crossing over to the pop charts.
Between 1965 and 1981 Jim Ed Brown charted 51 tunes on the Billboard Country Music chart.
3. "I'm Gonna Get Married"
Answer: Lloyd Price
"Stagger Lee" reached number one on the Billboard chart in February 1959, staying at the top of the charts for four weeks. This was the first and only number one for Lloyd Price. Price had two other top ten hits in 1959 "Personality" and "I'm Gonna Get Married". "I'm Gonna Get Married" was a top ten hit in Australia and features on this top ten chart at its peak of number three. "I'm Gonna Get Married" was Lloyd Price's last top ten hit; whilst he kept on recording he never reached the heights of the 1957-1959 period.
Note: "Personality" was a number one in Australia for Lloyd and was kept out of the the top position on the Hot 100 by Johnny Horton's big crossover hit "The Battle of New Orleans". Lloyd managed twenty two hits on Billboard R&B chart with seventeen top tens including four number ones. He had a big hit in 1952 with "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" which he wrote. The recording is of interest as it features, in the backup band, Fats Domino on piano and the great Earl Palmer on drums.
4. "('Til) I Kissed You"
Answer: The Everly Brothers
"('Til) I Kissed You" was written by Don Everly and became the Everly Brothers' eighth top ten hit. The song peaked on the Billboard hot 100 at number three, in this week's chart is at four. The record was a top ten in Australia and the UK, getting as high as number two in both countries.
The Everly Brothers had a string of hits starting in 1957 through to 1977. One of my favourite records is their 1969 recording of "Bowling Green".
5. "Sea Of Love"
Answer: Phil Phillips
What has since become a Rock 'n' Roll classic, "Sea of Love" by Phil Phillips is at number five on this chart. Recorded early in 1959, the song topped the Billboard R & B chart and reached number three on the Hot 100. The record was a top thirty hit in Australia.
The record did not chart in the UK; however, a good cover version by Marty Wilde of "Sea of Love" made it to number three on the UK chart in late 1959. Sadly Phil Phillips did not chart another song and can truly be called a 'one hit wonder'.
6. "Red River Rock"
Answer: Johnny and the Hurricanes
Johnny and The Hurricanes' second chart hit of 1959, "Red River Rock" reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100. The group's success continued overseas making number five on the British charts and number four on the Australian charts.
Johnny and the Hurricanes' success was cemented in Australia in 1960 when they toured with Tommy Sands, Neil Sedaka, Dion and the Belmonts, Dick Caruso, Jerry Lee Lewis, Rod Lauren, Freddy Cannon, Marv Johnson, Mark Dinning, Chan Romero and Johnny Preston. Together with Australian acts Johnny O'Keefe and The Dee Jays, Col Joye and The Joy Boys, Johnny Rebb and the Rebels, Dig Richards and the RJ's and The Deltones.
As a thirteen year old I remember the show well; each act came on and sang or played two or three songs. Johnny and the Hurricanes stood out for me as I had visions of being a rock 'n roll guitarist and I liked their guitarist Dave Yorko. I remember them playing "Crossfire", "Red River Rock" and their current top ten hit in Australia (at that time) "Beatnik Fly". The group continued to have some chart success in the early sixties then hit the oldies circuit.
7. "Mack The Knife"
Answer: Bobby Darin
From the German musical "The Threepenny Opera", the song "Mack The Knife" first came to the attention of pop music charts in 1956 with a version by Louis Armstrong. In 1959, reluctantly as the story goes, Bobby Darin recorded a big band version of the song which went to the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
The song was the best seller and best chart performer of 1959. "Mack The Knife" by Bobby Darin reached number one in the UK chart and number two in Australia. The recording by Bobby Darin received a Grammy for "Record of the Year" at the award ceremony in 1960.
Bobby Darin charted frequently between 1958 and 1964. Bobby also acted in many movies during this period and was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in "Captain Newman M.D.".
8. "Broken-Hearted Melody"
Answer: Sarah Vaughan
"Broken Hearted Melody" is one of the finest pop songs of the 1950s. The song became Sarah Vaughan's biggest hit, selling over a million copies. Sarah was primarily a jazz singer but placed more than thirty songs on the pop charts beginning in 1941. "Broken Hearted Melody" placed at number eight on this week's chart. Its highest position was number seven which it held for two weeks on The Billboard Hot 100. The song was a top ten hit in Australia and the UK.
"Broken Hearted Melody" was written by Hal David and Sherman Edwards. This pair also wrote "Johnny Get Angry" a 1962 hit for Joannie Sommers. Hal David formed a famous partnership with Burt Bacharach while Sherman Edwards wrote the music for such pop songs as "Dungaree Doll", "Wonderful, Wonderful" and "Flaming Star". Sherman also composed and wrote the musical "1776".
9. "I Want To Walk You Home"
Answer: Fats Domino
Top ten hit number nine on the pop charts for Fats Domino, who eventually had fourteen top tens on the Billboard and Cashbox charts. "I Want To Walk You Home" became the ninth number one hit on the Billboard Rhythm and Blues chart for Fats Domino. He had 61 hits on that with 42 of them cracking the top ten, between 1950 and 1964. On the Billboard Hot 100 top ten chart for this week "I Want To Walk You Home" is placed at number nine.
The record had reached its peak of number eight the previous week.
10. "Put Your Head On My Shoulder"
Answer: Paul Anka
Coming in at number ten, "Put Your Head On My Shoulder" was heading towards being Paul Anka's third number one hit, after "Diana" and Lonely Boy. Unfortunately the song made the charts along with Bobby Darin's monster hit "Mack The Knife" so had to settle for eleven weeks in the top ten, including three weeks at number two and three weeks at number three. Paul had a chart career from 1957 - 1980 where he made the charts 60 times. As a songwriter he wrote "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" for Buddy Holly which was a posthumous number one hit the UK, "She's a Lady" for Tom Jones and the English lyrics for Frank Sinatra's signature song, "My Way"
The top ten chart for this week was;
1. "Sleep Walk" - Santo and Johnny
2. "The Three Bells" - The Browns
3. "I'm Gonna Get Married" - Lloyd Price
4. "('Til) I Kissed You" - The Everly Brothers
5. "Sea Of Love" - Phil Phillips
6. "Red River Rock" - Johnny and The Hurricanes
7. "Mack The Knife" - Bobby Darin
8. "Broken-Hearted Melody" - Sarah Vaughan
9. "I Want To Walk You Home" - Fats Domino
10. "Put Your Head On My Shoulder" - Paul Anka
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
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