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Quiz about Billboard Number Ones 1961
Quiz about Billboard Number Ones 1961

Billboard Number Ones 1961 Trivia Quiz


I present for your edification and delight, a quiz on US number one hits for the year 1961.

A multiple-choice quiz by DaveH1960. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
DaveH1960
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
333,645
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
794
Last 3 plays: KrisInPA (6/10), Guest 110 (7/10), Guest 172 (9/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. January 30th and the Shirelles are in the number one spot for two weeks, we all know the lyrics, but what is the correct title?
"Tonight you're mine, completely
You give your love so sweetly
Tonight the light of love is in your eyes..."
Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. From April 1961 and it's the Marcels with a very well known song. What colour moon were they crooning over? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. May 22nd now and Ernie K-Doe is at the number one spot in the US singing about which (dis-liked) member of the family?
No Hyphens.

Answer: (Three Words - Your wife's sister's father's wife.)
Question 4 of 10
4. Gary U.S. Bonds had a hit in 1961. From June 26th for two weeks he was at number one with a song the title of which was a time. What was the title? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. The most successful record (as measured by weeks at number one) was 'Tossin' and Turnin'' recorded by Bobby Lewis. For how many weeks was this record at the top of the charts? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. It's August 28th 1961 and showing for one week only at number one, in the US, is 'Wooden Heart (Muss I Denn)' who is singing this? (Remember the year) Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Del Shannon sang one of my favourite songs of 1961 reaching number one in the US in April and staying there for 4 weeks. The name of the song was 'Runaway' but what was the name of the girl who was running away? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Three weeks at number one for Bobby Vee starting on September 18th. A song about a lost love, it was called 'Take Good Care of My...' what? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Jimmy Dean (not James Dean) sang a ballad about a miner known as 'Big Bad John'. it was said that 'He stood six foot six and weighed two forty-five'. is that True or False?


Question 10 of 10
10. The Christmas number one in the US for 1961 was a song called 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight'. Who sang this version? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Feb 23 2024 : KrisInPA: 6/10
Feb 21 2024 : Guest 110: 7/10
Feb 03 2024 : Guest 172: 9/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. January 30th and the Shirelles are in the number one spot for two weeks, we all know the lyrics, but what is the correct title? "Tonight you're mine, completely You give your love so sweetly Tonight the light of love is in your eyes..."

Answer: Will You Love Me Tomorrow

Now I might be the only one, but I have always thought that this song was called 'Will You STILL Love Me Tomorrow' but I was wrong... The cover of the record definitely states that the title is 'Will You Love Me Tomorrow'.

*Useless information* This record was the first chart topping single, by an all girl band, in the US.
2. From April 1961 and it's the Marcels with a very well known song. What colour moon were they crooning over?

Answer: Blue

'Blue Moon' by the Marcels reached number one on April 3rd 1961, remaining in the top spot for 3 weeks.

*Useless information* 'Blue Moon' was written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart in 1934. It is presumed that the lyrics refer both to the English expression 'Once in a blue moon' meaning extremely rarely and as a play on words where 'blue' means sad and lonely.
3. May 22nd now and Ernie K-Doe is at the number one spot in the US singing about which (dis-liked) member of the family? No Hyphens.

Answer: Mother in law

Your wife's sister is your sister in law - her father is your father in law - his wife is your mother in law...

Ernie K-Doe's 'Mother in Law' was his first and only Billboard top 40 hit. Including the lyrics 'The worst person I know', 'Sent from Down Below' and 'Satan should be her name' you would think that Ernie didn't get on with the wife's mother. Actually he was married twice (two Mothers in law !Yikes!) and was buried in the same tomb as his second mother in law.

*Useless information* Ernie K-Doe was the owner of the famous 'Ernie K-Doe's Mother In Law Lounge' situated in New Orleans. The 'club' was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 but was re-opened on 29th August 2006 - the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
4. Gary U.S. Bonds had a hit in 1961. From June 26th for two weeks he was at number one with a song the title of which was a time. What was the title?

Answer: Quarter to Three

Gary US Bonds first major hit was 'New Orleans' which reached number six in 1960. 'Quarter to Three' was his first, and only, number one hit.

*Useless information* Gary US Bonds was born as Gary Levone Anderson. It is alleged that a record producer, Frank Guida, changed Gary's name to 'US Bonds' in the hope of 'cashing in' on public service announcements which advertised the sale of government bonds and Gary's first three singles and his first album 'Dance 'til Quarter to Three' were credited to 'US Bonds'. The public thought that 'US Bonds' was the name of a group so Gary's name was again changed to 'Gary (US) Bonds' a name he recorded under until the 1980s when the brackets (Parentheses) were discarded.
5. The most successful record (as measured by weeks at number one) was 'Tossin' and Turnin'' recorded by Bobby Lewis. For how many weeks was this record at the top of the charts?

Answer: Seven Weeks

'Tossin' and Turnin' spent seven weeks at number one and was named as 'Billboards top single for 1961'.

*Useless information* 'Tossin' and Turnin' was named as the 27th biggest song of all time, that charted on the Billboard charts, according to 'Billboard Magazine' in 2008.
6. It's August 28th 1961 and showing for one week only at number one, in the US, is 'Wooden Heart (Muss I Denn)' who is singing this? (Remember the year)

Answer: Joe Dowell

Of course we all know that Elvis sang 'Wooden Heart' in the film 'GI Blues'. That version reached the UK charts in 1960 but was not released in the US until 1964 as the 'B' side to 'Blue Christmas'.
Joe Dowell sold over one million copies of his version of 'Wooden Heart' earning himself a gold disc.
*Useless information* Joe Dowell's version of 'Wooden Heart' was the first record released on the 'Smash Records' label, part of the 'Mercury' records group.
7. Del Shannon sang one of my favourite songs of 1961 reaching number one in the US in April and staying there for 4 weeks. The name of the song was 'Runaway' but what was the name of the girl who was running away?

Answer: It's never mentioned

'I Wonder I wah-wah-wah-wah-wonder' Who could forget 'Runaway' with it's screaming organ and Del Shannon's vocals. But the name of the girl is never mentioned in the song.

*Useless information* Del Shannon was the first American to sucessfully record a cover of a Beatles song when, in 1963, his version of 'From Me to You' charted in the US before the Beatles own recording.
8. Three weeks at number one for Bobby Vee starting on September 18th. A song about a lost love, it was called 'Take Good Care of My...' what?

Answer: Baby

Bobby Vee is probably best known for his rendition of 'Rubber Ball' which was released in 1960 and reached number six on the Billboard charts. 'Take Good Care of my Baby' was his first number one hit in the US and reached number three in the UK.

*Useless information* on February 3rd 1959 an aeroplane carrying Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Richie Valance crashed at Clear Lake, Iowa while they were travelling to their next show at Moorhead, Minnesota. Robert Thomas Velline (better known now as Bobby Vee) was then a 15 year old student who had recently formed a band (The Shadows). They volunteered to 'fill in' for the deceased Buddy Holly and thus began a long and prosperous career for Bobby Vee
9. Jimmy Dean (not James Dean) sang a ballad about a miner known as 'Big Bad John'. it was said that 'He stood six foot six and weighed two forty-five'. is that True or False?

Answer: True

The story of 'Big Bad John' is well known, a miner, who killed a man, is working in a mine when a timber support cracks, John holds the timber in place while his colleagues escape and is killed when the support collapses.

*Useless information* Jimmy Dean's recording of 'Big Bad John' won the 'Grammy Award' for Best Country & Western Recording in 1962.
Jimmy Dean went on to become an actor playing 'Willard Whyte' in the 1971 James Bond film 'Diamonds are Forever'.
Today (so they say) he is probably best known as the creator of the 'Jimmy Dean sausage brand'
10. The Christmas number one in the US for 1961 was a song called 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight'. Who sang this version?

Answer: The Tokens

Also known as 'Wimoweh', 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' has been covered by many, many artists but was first recorded in 1939 by Solomon Linda an African of Zulu descent.

*Useless information* 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' was originally written in 1929 under he name 'Mbube', meaning 'Lion' in the Zulu language, by Solomon Linda, a cleaner and packer for the 'Gallo Record Company'.
Source: Author DaveH1960

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Dalgleish before going online.
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