The song was written and sung by Neil Diamond. He got the inspiration for the number from the second movement of Mozart's "Piano Concerto #21". He recorded the song in 1972 and it reached number one for one week on July 1, 1972. It was his second number one hit after "Cracklin' Rosie" in 1970.
2. "Deep Purple"
Answer: Nino Tempo & April Stevens
Nino Tempo and April Stevens were a brother and sister singing duo from Niagara Falls, New York. They had a number of US Billboard hits but it was "Deep Purple" that reached number one on November 16, 1963. "Deep Purple" was written by pianist Peter DeRose in 1933.
The song was recorded by a number of artists including Guy Lombardo, Harry James, The Dominoes, and The Shadows recorded an instrumental version in 1965.
3. "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree"
Answer: Dawn featuring Tony Orlando
Dawn was made up of vocalists Telma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent Wilson. Together with Tony Orlando they reached number one for four weeks on April 21, 1973 with "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree". The song was written by Irwin Levine and L. Russell Brown. They first offered the song to Ringo Starr and Apple Records turned the song down saying it was ridiculous.
4. "Love is Blue"
Answer: Paul Mauriat
The song was first performed in French, "L'amour est bleu", and was the Luxembourg entry in the 1967 Eurovision Song Contest. French orchestra leader Paul Mauriat recorded it as an instrumental and it became the first number one hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 by a French artist. It stayed at number one for five weeks from February 10, 1968.
5. "Blue Moon"
Answer: The Marcels
The song was written in 1934 and became a standard ballad. It was recorded in 1949 by both Mel Torme and Billy Eckstine. However, it became popular internationally when recorded by The Marcels and reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 in April 3, 1961. It has also been recorded by Elvis Presley, Billie Holiday and Rod Stewart.
6. "Black and White"
Answer: Three Dog Night
"Black and White" was written in 1954 but the most successful recording of the song was by Three Dog Night which reached number one in September, 1972.
Three Dog Night was an American rock group made up of vocalists Danny Hutton, Cory Wells and Chuck Negron and formed in 1967. They later added a number of backing musicians to the group. The group also two other singles that reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 - "Mama Told Me Not to Come" (1970) and "Joy to the World" (1971).
7. "Roses Are Red (My Love)"
Answer: Bobby Vinton
"Roses Are Red (My Love)" was recorded by Bobby Vinton; he found the song in a reject pile at Epic Records. The song reached number one on July 14, 1962 and stayed there for four weeks. It also hit number one in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines and South Africa.
8. "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown"
Answer: Jim Croce
Jim Croce (1943-1973) was an American singer and songwriter. "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown reached number one in July 1973 and stayed there for two weeks. The inspiration of the song was of a friend he had met while spending time in the U.S. Army. Jim Croce died in a plane crash with a number of other musicians on September 30, 1973.
His only other number one hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 was "Time in a Bottle" which reached number one in December, 1973, just two months after his tragic death. His only child, a son Adrian, was born just two days before his untimely death.
9. "Green Tambourine"
Answer: The Lemon Pipers
"Green Tambourine" was recorded by the Ohio-based rock group The Lemon Pipers. The song is said to be the first of the bubble-gum pop chart toppers. Bubble-gum pop was marketed to appeal to pre-teens and teenagers. Tommy Roe is reputed to have had the most bubble-gum hits. "Green Tambourine" is the story of a street musician who pleads with people to pay him money and in return he offers to play his green tambourine.
10. "Black Water"
Answer: The Doobie Brothers
The Doobie Brothers are an American rock group and released "Black Water" in 1974. It peaked at number one in March, 1975 for one week. Patrick Simmons, one of the original members of the group, wrote the song and the lyrics came to him while in New Orleans riding on a streetcar. Their other number one hit single was "What a Fool Believes" (1979).
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