Music from 1955 Trivia

1. The first Number One Billboard Top 100 hit that could be considered "Rock & Roll" music was what classic that topped the charts on July 9, 1955?

From Quiz The Billboard Pop Hits of 1955

Answer: (We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock

"(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley and His Comets is considered to be the first Rock & Roll record to top the Billboard Top 100 but that was not the first recording of the song. The song was written in 1953 by Max Freedman and James Myers, (the actual contribution that each made to the piece is disputed), specifically for Haley following his Number 12 charting success that year with "Crazy, Man, Crazy". However, Haley's recording date had to be postponed and another band, Sonny Dae and His Knights, beat him to the punch by about a month. Haley and his band recorded it in April 1954 and it charted for one week at Number 29 the week of May 29, 1954. It might have slipped into oblivion except it was used as the theme for the movie "Blackboard Jungle" which was released on March 25, 1955 and interest in the song exploded, culminating in its eight week run at the top of the Billboard chart with similar charting results around the world. It would take a while, but eventually the MOR ballads and instrumentals popular in the early 1950s would be replaced by this new genre. In terms of its place in the chronology of Rock and Roll music, it was by no means the first song of that genre as witnessed by his earlier success with "Crazy, Man, Crazy". Many music historians credit the R&B hit "Rocket '88'" by Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats as the legitimate precursor to rock music while others insist that the doo-wop classic "Sh-Boom" by either the Chords or the Crew-Cuts deserves the honor. Whatever, the R&R cat was out of the bag!

From Quiz Whose Line Was It Anyway? UK Number One Hits 1955

Answer: Dickie Valentine

Dickie Valentine was singing "Finger Of Suspicion" and it spent three weeks at number one on the UK chart in 1955. It never charted in the US. It was the first UK number one hit to be knocked off the top twice, by the same record. Frankie Vaughan had a number 12 hit on the UK chart in 1955 with "Happy Days And Lonely Nights". It never charted in the US. Ronnie Hilton had a number ten hit on the UK chart in 1955 with "A Blossom Fell". It never charted in the US. David Whitfield had a number seven hit on the UK chart in 1955 with "When You Lose The One You Love". It reached number 62 on the US pop chart in 1956.

From Quiz Whose Line Was It Anyway? US Number One Hits 1955

Answer: Bill Hayes

Bill Hayes took "The Ballad Of Davy Crockett" to number one for five weeks on the US pop chart in 1955. It reached number two on the UK chart in 1956. Bill Hayes will be best known in the US for his long standing role as Doug Williams in NBC's "Days Of Our Lives". He first played the part in 1968. In the US Tennessee Ernie Ford reached number five with the song in 1955, Walter Schumann reached number 14 the same year. Fess Parker who played Davy Crockett in the movie "Davy Crockett, King Of The Wild Frontier" and the TV mini-series reached number five also in 1955. In the UK Tennessee Ernie Ford reached number three with the song in 1956, Dick James reached number 14 the same year and Max Bygraves reached number 20 also in 1956.

From Quiz Whose Line Was It Anyway? US Number One Hits 1955

Answer: Henry

"Dance With Me Henry (Wallflower)" was a number one for three weeks on the US pop chart in 1955 for Georgia Gibbs. It failed to chart in the UK. It was a revised cover version of the Etta James song "Roll With Me Henry (The Wallflower)" a number one hit on the R&B chart in 1955. The Etta James song was an answer song to "Work With Me Annie" (The FCC tried to ban this because of the sexual nature of the lyrics) by Hank Ballard & The Midnighters, a number one on the R&B chart in 1954. Born Fredda Lipschitz, Georgia Gibbs sang on radio from the '30s. In the '40s on the Jimmy Durante-Garry Moore's radio show she was dubbed "Her Nibbs, Miss Gibbs". She had her first hit as Fredda Gibson (singing with the Artie Shaw band) in 1942 with "Absent Minded Moon". Although other white singers covered black singers' songs and had big hits with them, such as Pat Boone, Gibbs had more flack than most, accused of exploiting black singers by recording their songs for the white market. Gibbs had recorded two LaVern Baker songs, "Tweedle Dee" a number two hit for Gibbs in 1955 and "Jim Dandy". She then received a life insurance policy from Baker making her the beneficiary should Baker's career end.

From Quiz Whose Line Was It Anyway? UK Number One Hits 1955

Answer: Ruby Murray

Ruby Murray sang "Softly Softly" and spent three weeks at number one on the UK chart in 1955. It never charted in the US. Ruby from Belfast N.Ireland, was the first singer to have five hits in the UK top 20 at the same time but never had a chart hit in the US. Anne Shelton had a number 17 hit on the UK chart in 1955 with "Arrivederci Darling", it never charted in the US. Lita Roza had a number 17 hit on the UK chart in 1955 with "Hey There", it did not chart in the US. Doris Day had a number 17 hit on the UK chart in 1955 with "I'll Never Stop Loving You", it reached number 13 on the US chart.

From Quiz Whose Line Was It Anyway? US Number One Hits 1955

Answer: (We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock

Go to the bottom of the class if you got it wrong. Bill Haley & His Comets took "(We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock" to number one for eight weeks on the US pop chart in 1955. It was back in the US pop chart at number 39 in 1974. It reached number 17 on the UK chart in early 1955 but re-entered later that year and went to number one for 5 weeks. It charted again in the UK reaching number five and later number 24 in 1956, number 25 and later number 22 in 1957, number 20 in 1968 and number 12 in 1974. A less likely Rock'n'Roll star would be hard to find. Bill Haley was an overweight 30 year old with thinning hair when "(We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock" hit the number one spot in the US in July and in November in the UK in 1955. The song had been released in 1954 but hit the big time when it was featured in the Glenn Ford movie "The Blackboard Jungle". An earlier version of the song in 1954 by Sonny Rae and His Knights was never a hit.

From Quiz Whose Line Was It Anyway? UK Number One Hits 1955

Answer: Tennessee Ernie Ford

Tennessee Ernie Ford sang "Give Me Your Word" and had a UK number one for seven weeks in 1955. It did not chart in the US. It was the B-side of "River Of No Return" a number nine US country chart hit in 1954. Frank Sinatra had a number two hit on the UK chart in 1955 with "Learnin' The Blues". It was number one for two weeks on the US pop chart. Al Martino had a number 19 hit on the UK chart in 1955 with "The Man From Laramie", it did not chart in the US. Veteran UK singer and radio broadcaster Jimmy Young had a number one for four weeks on the UK chart with a cover version in the same year. Dean Martin had a number three hit on the UK chart in 1955 with "Let Me Go Lover", it did not chart in the US.

From Quiz Whose Line Was It Anyway? US Number One Hits 1955

Answer: Learnin' The Blues

"Learnin' The Blues" was at number one for two weeks on the US pop chart for old blue eyes in 1955. It reached number two the same year on the UK chart. How ironic that he should have a number one hit in the same year as Bill Haley after his comment about Rock and Roll in "Western World" magazine in 1958, "Sung, played and written for the most part by cretinous goons. It manages to be the martial music of every sideburned delinquent on the face of the earth". That's what Frankie felt about Rock and Roll and in particular Elvis, of whom he said in another quote, circa 1956, "His kind of music is deplorable, a rancid smelling aphrodisiac. It fosters almost negative and destructive reactions in young people". It didn't stop old Frank inviting Elvis on to his TV show in 1960 to celebrate Elvis coming home from army service in Germany. Or maybe he just wanted to show the kids that he wasn't a square, daddy-o.

From Quiz The Billboard Pop Hits of 1955

Answer: The Singing Dogs

A Danish recording engineer, Carl Weismann, was working on a project which entailed making audio tapes of various endemic bird species. Unfortunately, some local dogs often barked during these taping sessions drowning out the bird calls. Then he was hit with a brain wave! Consulting with an English record producer named Don Charles who was working in Copenhagen at the time, he spliced all the various dog barks onto a reel-to-reel tape player according to the pitch of the bark then arranged them in sequence to re-create "Oh Susanna" with Charles also providing musical accompaniment. How could it miss? Despite its modest Billboard chart placement, it was sufficiently popular worldwide to sell a million copies. Dolly, Pearl, Pussy, Caesar, and King were recording stars! Another disc was recorded but as could be expected, the novelty had worn off and that release went nowhere. The story doesn't quite end there, though. On the flip side of "Oh Susanna" was a medley of songs including "Jingle Bells". It was pulled out of mothballs in 1971, redone as a single and became another charting success as a seasonal hit. A little ingenuity can go a long way!

From Quiz Whose Line Was It Anyway? US Number One Hits 1955

Answer: Mitch Miller

Mitch Miller took "The Yellow Rose Of Texas" to number one for six weeks on the US pop chart in 1955. It reached number two on the UK chart the same year and was his only UK hit. Despite being the great musical all rounder that he was, Mitch Miller was another person that didn't like Rock and Roll very much. He turned down both Elvis and Buddy Holly. Frank Sinatra was produced by Miller while at Columbia records and blamed him for his demise in the early '50s.

From Quiz Whose Line Was It Anyway? UK Number One Hits 1955

Answer: Jimmy Young

"Unchained Melody" by Jimmy Young was number one for three weeks in 1955 but it did not chart in the US. Now Sir Jimmy Young OBE CBE, he became a british institution after serving in the RAF during WWII. He had many hits on the UK chart from the early '50s to 1964, he became a DJ with BBC Radio 1 in 1967 to 1973. Then he had a music/chat/current affairs programme (The JY Prog) on BBC Radio 2 from 1973 to 2002 when he was retired by the BBC aged 80 and was not happy about it. He was the first UK singer to have consecutive number one hits on the UK chart. The Al Hibbler version reached number two on the UK chart and number three on the US pop chart in 1955. The Les Baxter instrumental version reached number ten on the UK chart and number one for two weeks on the US pop chart in 1955. The Liberace instrumental version reached number 20 on the UK chart but did not chart in the US.

From Quiz Whose Line Was It Anyway? US Number One Hits 1955

Answer: Pat Boone

All around nice guy Pat Boone hit number one with "Ain't That A Shame" for two weeks on the US pop chart in 1955. It reached number seven on the UK chart the same year and number 22 in 1957. His daughter Debby Boone had a number one hit for ten weeks with "You Light Up My Life" on the US pop chart in 1977. It didn't shed much light in the UK, it only reached number 48. Fats Domino who co-wrote "Ain't That A Shame" with Dave Bartholomew had a number ten hit with the song on the US chart also in 1955. It reached number 23 on the UK chart in 1957. Little Richard got fed up with Boone having big hits with R&B songs especially his own "Tutti Frutti" even though he earned royalties from it. Richard & Blackwell wrote "Long Tall Sally" which they thought too fast for Pat Boone to sing but he did and had a number eight hit with it on the US pop chart in 1956. It reached number 18 in the UK the same year. Little Richard's own version reached number six on the US pop chart in 1956 and number three in the UK in 1957.

From Quiz Whose Line Was It Anyway? UK Number One Hits 1955

Answer: Dreamboat

Alma Cogan (the girl with the laugh in her voice) was singing about her "Dreamboat" and had a UK number one for two weeks in 1955. It did not chart in the US. Alma Cogan was a big star on British TV in the '50s and '60s in the days when top singers did not need chart hits and they seemed to be only incidental to their showbiz careers. Her London house parties were famous and her guests included Noel Coward, Cary Grant, Sammy Davis Jr, Ethel Merman, Roger Moore, Michael Caine and The Beatles (John Lennon nicknamed her Sara Sequin because of the '50s style dresses she was famous for). John and his wife Cynthia thought she was an old fashioned '50s singer on stage but in the flesh she was a beautiful, intelligent and sexy lady to the point that John's wife thought he and Alma were intimately involved. Paul McCartney first played "Yesterday" to Alma on the piano in her flat (apartment) to see if she thought it was already a published song. Alma had her first UK chart hit in 1954 and she was only eight years older than John Lennon when she died from cancer aged 34 in 1966.

From Quiz Whose Line Was It Anyway? US Number One Hits 1955

Answer: Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing

The Four Aces had a number one for six weeks on the US pop chart with "Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing" in 1955. It was pretty splendid in the UK too; it reached number two on the chart. "Hearts Of Stone" was a number one for three weeks on the US pop chart for The Fontane Sisters in 1955. It failed to chart in the UK. "Sincerely" was a number one hit for ten weeks on the US pop chart for The McGuire Sisters in 1955. It reached number 14 on the UK chart the same year. "Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White" was a number one instrumental for ten weeks on the US pop chart for Perez 'Prez' Prado in 1955. It reached number one for two weeks on the UK chart the same year.

From Quiz Whose Line Was It Anyway? UK Number One Hits 1955

Answer: Slim Whitman

Slim Whitman took "Rose Marie" to the top of the UK chart for 11 weeks in 1955. It did not enter the US pop chart but reached number four on the US country chart in 1954. That record 11 weeks on top of the UK chart stood for 36 years until Canadian Bryan Adams topped the UK chart for 16 weeks with "(Everything I do) I do it for you" in 1991. Slim Pickens (real name Louis Burton Lindley Jr) was an American actor (the garbage truck driver Cowboy in "The Getaway" with Steve McQueen, the pilot Major 'King' Kong who rides the A-bomb down in "Dr.Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" with Peter Sellers and Taggart in "Blazing Saddles" with Mel Brooks). Slim Shady is a character in an Eminem song. Slim Dusty (real name David Gordon Kirkpatrick MBE) was a top Australian country singer who had a UK number three hit with "A Pub With No Beer" in 1959. It was the first Australian single to go gold and the first and only 78rpm single to be awarded a gold disc. He has also been awarded more gold and platinum albums than any other Australian artist.

From Quiz Whose Line Was It Anyway? US Number One Hits 1955

Answer: Leaves

Pianist Roger Williams had a number one hit for four weeks with "Autumn Leaves" on the US pop chart in 1955. It failed to chart in the UK, he has never had a single on the UK chart. Roger Williams has had over 20 Gold & Platinum albums and was the first pianist to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A re-recording of the song made number 92 on the US pop chart in 1965.

From Quiz Whose Line Was It Anyway? UK Number One Hits 1955

Answer: The Johnston Brothers

The Johnston Brothers took "Hernando's Hideaway" to number one on the UK chart for two weeks in 1955. It did not chart in the US. Johnny Johnston formed the Johnston Brothers in 1949 with Denny Vaughan and Alan Dean. They had three UK top ten hits and some minor hits till 1957. Johnny Johnston (born John Reine) later formed an advertising jingles company which came up with some well known TV jingles such as, "A million housewives every day pick up a can of beans and say, Beanz Meanz Heinz!" and "Keep going well, keep going Shell, you can be sure of Shell", sung by Bing Crosby no less. Johnnie Ray had a number 11 hit on the UK chart with "Hernando's Hideaway" in 1955. It reached number 14 on the US pop chart in 1954. Archie Bleyer's version of "Hernando's Hideway" never charted in the UK but reached number two on the US pop chart in 1954. Debelah Morgan sampled Archie Bleyer's version on her 2000 hit "Dance With Me"

From Quiz Whose Line Was It Anyway? US Number One Hits 1955

Answer: Coal

"Sixteen Tons" of #9 coal was being mined in this song. It gave Tennessee Ernie Ford a number one for eight weeks on the US pop chart in 1955 after having ten weeks at the top of the country chart. It reached number one for four weeks on the UK chart in 1956. The song was first recorded by Merle Travis in 1946. Johnny Desmond had a number 17 hit with the song on the US pop chart in 1955. It did not chart in the UK. Frankie Laine had a number ten hit with the song on the UK chart in 1956 but it was not released in the US. There have been quite a few later versions by such as The Platters, Bo Diddley, Stevie Wonder, Tom Jones and Johnny Cash to name but a few.

From Quiz Whose Line Was It Anyway? UK Number One Hits 1955

Answer: Bill Haley and His Comets

Bill Haley and His Comets took "Rock Around The Clock" (first released in 1954) to number one on the UK charts for three weeks in 1955 and two weeks in 1956. It was number one for eight weeks on the US pop chart in 1955. "Rock Around The Clock" entered the UK chart on eight separate occasions from 1954 to 1974 spending 57 weeks on the chart. It entered the US pop chart in 1954, 1955 and 1974 and spent a total of 39 weeks on the chart. Sales of 15 to 40 million worldwide have been quoted from various sources but it is certainly in the top five selling Rock'n'Roll records of all time.

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Last Updated Apr 22 2024 11:05 AM

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