Top of the UK Pops: 1980 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Lipps Inc

The Minneapolis, Minnesota, disco/funk group Lipps Inc took "Funky Town" to the top of the charts in 28 countries. On the Official Charts Company listings, it was a number two in the UK. Few hits were to follow, though - a number one on the US dance charts for "All Night Dancing" and a couple of number fours on the same charts.

Answer: Fern Kinney

Fern Kinney hailed from Jackson, Mississippi, and "Together We Are Beautiful" was one of her biggest hits. It topped the charts in the UK and was a number two in Ireland, but failed to chart on the US Hot 100. Ten years earlier, her cover of "Groove Me" was a Hot 100 number six.

Answer: Olivia Newton-John & Electric Light Orchestra

In 1980, "Xanadu" was a song from the soundtrack of a movie of the same name. The writing credits went to Jeff Lynne of ELO, the band that joined Newton-John on the single.

This was one of three UK number ones for the England born but Australia raised Newton-John. The other two were "You're The One That I Want" and "Summer Nights": both duets with John Travolta from their 1979 smash movie "Grease".

The Electric Light Orchestra meanwhile were a well respected bunch of rockers that had 15 UK top tens, though only this one chart topper.

Answer: Ottawan

Ottawan were the French duo of Patrick Jean-Baptiste and Annette Eltice. (Pedantically, he was born on the island of Guadeloupe, which is an overseas Department of France.)

In 1981 they had another hit with "Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart)".

Answer: Blondie

Blondie were built around the sound of lead singer Debbie Harry and her songwriting partner (and for a while life partner) Chris Stein. "The Tide Is High" was one of six UK chart toppers.

Blondie were in the forefront of the US punk revolution, although their sound was to be honed by the Australian Mike Chapman when he was called in to produce their third album "Parallel Lines". Blondie sold some 40 million records, adding four US number ones to their UK tally.

Answer: Kenny Rogers

"Coward Of The County" spent two weeks at the top and 12 weeks on the charts in all. It was also number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, number one on the Cash Box singles chart, and reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Rogers earlier had a UK number one with "Lucille". On the Billboard Hot 100, Rogers had two number ones, "Island In The Stream", with Dolly Parton, and "Lady". He was to top the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts on 21 occasions.

Answer: The Detroit Spinners

In the United Kingdom, the group of Americans called The Spinners were billed as The Detroit Spinners to avoid confusion with an English group from Liverpool also called The Spinners.

The double A side "Working My Way Back To You/Forgive Me Girl" was to be the US R&B group's sole UK number one. Founded in 1954, The Spinners (aka The Detroit Spinners, aka The Motown Spinners) went through a number of personnel changes in their long history of performances. Amazingly, Henry Fambrough became the last of the original line up still singing - at the age of 82.

Answer: Odyssey

"Use It Up And Wear It Out" was another of those B sides of singles that were 'flipped' to become a hit. Originally it had backed "Don't Tell Me, Tell Her" and was to be their sole chart topper anywhere. Odyssey were a disco outfit founded in New York City in 1977 that remained active more than 40 years later.

Answer: Kelly Marie

In August 1980, "Feels Like I'm In Love" spent two weeks at the top of the UK singles charts. It was to be the only top ten from Kelly Marie. Ray Dorset, of Mungo Jerry fame, had written the song for Elvis Presley, who died before it was presented to his record company.

The Scottish singer won the TV talent show "Opportunity Knocks" four times. She was aged just 16 when she first appeared.

Answer: The Police

Between 1977 and 1985, The Police had five chart toppers among 18 songs that reached the UK top 40. They also had six long players at number one on the albums charts (including compilations).

In all, the band chalked up 75 million record sales and won six Grammys.

Answer: Dexys Midnight Runners

Dexys Midnight Runners formed in Birmingham in 1978, apparently without an apostrophe, and went on to have nine singles in the UK top 40, two of them at number one. "Geno" was their first chart topper and they followed up with the very catchy "Come On Eileen" in 1982. It also topped the Billboard Hot 100.

The band was active between 1978 and 1986 and reformed in 2003. Lead singer Ken Rowland was the constant though all those years.

The burning question, of course, is who was Dexy and why did he/she need midnight runners?

Answer: MASH

"Suicide Is Painless" was written for the soundtrack of the 1970 movie "M*A*S*H", which focussed on a team of US Army medics at a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War. The song was written for one specific scene and was to be sung by actor Ken Prymus playing one of the unit's privates. Director Robert Altman then decided to make it the theme song for the soundtrack.

Years later, it became the theme for the television spin off, this time in an instrumental arrangement. In 1983, the final episode of "M*A*S*H" became the most watched single episode of a show on US television. More than 50 million viewers tuned in.

In the UK, "M*A*S*H" became a ratings winner on BBC2. The theme topped the charts for three weeks in May 1980.

Answer: ABBA

The super Swedes were rarely sick and tired of everything, at least early on, enjoying 26 hits in the UK top 40; nine at number one. "Super Trouper" was their final chart topper.

While the band was hugely successful across Europe and in Australia, they did not enjoy the same huge success in North America. In the USA, their sole numbering on the Billboard Hot 100 was "Dancing Queen" in 1977. (Incidentally, if you are ever asked to act as DJ at a wedding reception, put on "Dancing Queen" as a sure fire way of getting people up on dance floor).

Answer: Barbra Streisand

In October 1989, "Woman In Love" became Barbra Streisand's first UK chart topper, 14 years after she first made the list. The song was a number one in more than 20 countries. It was one of five for Streisand on the Billboard Hot 100.

Answer: Don McLean

It seems incredible looking back that Don McLean was rejected 72 times by record labels before signing to United Artists in 1972. Eight years after he took "Vincent" to the top of the UK charts, Don McClean repeated the feat with "Crying".

Incidentally, McLean's "American Pie" was placed at number five on one list of the best songs of the 20th Century. At more than eight minutes, it became the longest song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 - even if it did require 24 takes in the studio to get his vocals right.