Whose Line Was It Anyway? US Number One Hits 1959 Quiz

Answer: Smoke

The first number one of 1959 was The Platters 4th and last number one hit, "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes". It was number one for three weeks on the US pop chart. It reached number one for one week on the UK chart the same year. It was their only UK number one hit.

Answer: Lloyd Price

Lloyd Price had a number one for four weeks on the US pop chart with "Stagger Lee" in 1959. It reached number seven on the UK chart the same year.

Little Richard had a number 95 hit on the US pop chart with "Kansas City" in 1959. It reached number 26 on the UK chart the same year. Chuck Berry had a number 37 hit on the US pop chart with "Back In The U.S.A". It did not chart in the UK. Hank Ballad and The Midnighters had a number 87 hit on the US pop chart with "Teardrops On Your Letter" in 1959. It failed to chart in the UK. The B-side of this single was "The Twist". The single was re-released in 1960 with "The Twist as the A-side and it reached number 28 on the US pop chart. It failed to chart in the UK. The story goes that when Hank Ballad heard "The Twist" on the radio he thought it was his version. Unfortunately for him it was the Chubby Checker version. That version went on to top the US pop chart twice, once for one week in 1960 and again for three weeks in 1961.

Answer: Frankie Avalon

Frankie Avalon had a number one for five weeks on the US pop chart with "Venus" in 1959. It reached number 16 on the UK chart the same year.

In the era of the Teen Idol, looks sometimes played a bigger part than talent in a singers career. Fabian had a number three hit on the US pop chart with "Tiger" in 1959. It failed to chart in the UK. Tommy Sands (future son-in-law of Frank Sinatra) had a number 51 hit on the US pop chart with "I'll Be Seeing You" in 1959. It failed to chart in the UK. James Darren (Vic Fontaine the holographic night club singer in Star Trek-Deep Space 9) had a number 41 hit on the US pop chart with "Gidget" in 1959. It failed to chart in the UK.

Answer: The Fleetwoods

The Fleetwoods had a number one hit for four weeks on the US pop chart with "Come Softly To me" in 1959. It reached number six on the UK chart the same year.

The Teddy Bears had a number 98 hit on the US pop chart with "I Don't Need You Anymore" in 1959. It failed to chart in the UK even with Phil Spector in the group. The McGuire Sisters had a number 11 hit on the US pop chart with "May You Always". It reached number 15 on the UK chart the same year. The Browns had a number one hit for four weeks on the US pop chart with "The Three Bells" in 1959. It reached number six on the UK chart the same year.

Answer: Organ

"The Happy Organ" gave Dave 'Baby' Cortez a number one for one week on the US pop chart in 1959. It never charted in the UK. This was the first instrumental number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart. Cortez had previously been in groups The Pearls and The Valentines.

Answer: Kansas City

Wilbert Harrison was going to "Kansas City" and spent two weeks at number one on the US pop chart in 1959. It never charted in the UK. He never had another US pop chart entry for ten years until "Let's Work Together (Part 1)" entered the US pop chart in 1969.

Answer: Johnny Horton

Johnny Horton had a number one hit for six weeks on the US pop chart with "The Battle Of New Orleans" in 1959. It reached number 16 on the UK chart the same year.

Weird coincidences:Johnny Horton was killed on his way home from the Skyline club in Austin Texas. This was the place that Hank Williams had played his last show. Johnny Horton was married at the time, to the widow of Hank Williams. He had earlier had a premonition that he would be killed by a drunk. While driving near Milano Texas his car was hit by a drunken driver. This was the same place he had heard of the death of Hank Williams on the car radio when driving back from a show.

Answer: A Big Hunk O'Love

"A Big Hunk O'Love" gave Elvis a number one for two weeks on the US pop chart. It reached number four on the UK chart the same year. The B-side "My Wish Came True" reached number 12 on the US pop chart but failed to chart in the UK.

"(Now And Then There's) A Fool Such As I" reached number two on the US pop chart in 1959, the B-side "I Need Your Love Tonight" reached number four. "(Now And Then There's) A Fool Such As I" reached number one for five weeks on the UK chart as a double A-side with "I Need Your Love Tonight".

Answer: Mack The Knife

Bobby Darin had a number one for nine weeks on the US pop chart with "Mack The Knife" in 1959. It reached number one for two weeks on the UK chart the same year. It was his only US number one hit.

"Splish Splash" was his first chart hit and it reached number three on the US pop chart in 1958. It reached number 18 on the UK chart the same year. "Queen Of The Hop" was his third hit and reached number nine on the US pop chart in 1958. It reached number 24 on the UK chart in 1959. "Dream Lover" was his fifth and biggest hit at the time, it reached number two on the US pop chart in 1959. It reached number one for four weeks on the UK chart the same year.

Answer: Guy Mitchell

Guy Mitchell had a number one hit for two weeks on the US pop chart with "Heartaches By The Number" in 1959. It reached number five on the UK chart the same year. It was his second and last number one in the US. He had four number one hits in the UK in the '50s and this record was his last chart hit of all in the UK.

Steve Lawrence had a number 62 hit on the US pop chart with "(I Don't Care) Only Love Me" in 1959. It did not chart in the UK. Andy Williams had a number five hit on the US pop chart with "Lonely Street" in 1959. It did not chart in the UK. Paul Anka had a number one hit for four weeks on the US pop chart with "Lonely Boy" in 1959. It reached number three on the UK chart the same year.