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Quiz about UK Number Ones 1961
Quiz about UK Number Ones 1961

UK Number Ones 1961 Trivia Quiz


A follow on from my US number one hits. What do you know about the UK number ones in 1961?

A multiple-choice quiz by DaveH1960. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
DaveH1960
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
333,757
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
519
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
Last 3 plays: gogetem (8/10), Guest 110 (7/10), FromHellBG (2/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. Johnny Tillotson was the first person to reach the UK number one spot in 1961 with '... in Motion'.
What is the missing word?
Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Elvis Presley had no less than four number ones in the UK 1961 charts. Which one was first? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. The third UK number one for 1961 was entitled 'Sailor'. Which 'Downtown' girl, who was later told 'Don't Sleep in the Subway', recorded this song?

Answer: (Two Words - First AND last name please.)
Question 4 of 10
4. One of the best selling number one singles of the year, in the UK, was 'Runaway'. Who recorded this single which reached number one in June 1961? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Helen Shapiro reached the top spot in the UK twice in 1961. Her second hit was the very well known 'Walking Back To Happiness' which was number one in October. What record was number one in August? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Apologies to everyone but I have to put this song in a quiz. This is one of my favourite songs from the 1961 UK charts although not a very well known track.
Sung by Johnny Leyton, which 'death song' was this?
Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. How many times did the Everly Brothers reach number one in the 1961 UK singles charts? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. 'Wooden Heart' was one of four Elvis songs which reached number one in the UK in 1961. Which Elvis film featured this song? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. A record from 1961 that reached number one in the UK and in the US.
The Highwaymen reached the top spot on both sides of the Atlantic with a song called 'Michael'. Was this a version of an old spiritual song originally sung by slaves during the American civil war?


Question 10 of 10
10. Danny Williams' version of 'Blue Moon' was the Christmas number one in the UK in 1961.



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 02 2024 : gogetem: 8/10
Feb 21 2024 : Guest 110: 7/10
Feb 04 2024 : FromHellBG: 2/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Johnny Tillotson was the first person to reach the UK number one spot in 1961 with '... in Motion'. What is the missing word?

Answer: Poetry

Reaching the number one spot in the UK on the 12th January 1961, 'Poetry in Motion' stayed at the top of the charts for two weeks.

*Useless information* It is claimed that the song was inspired by the writers, Mike Anthony and Paul Kaufman, seeing a group of girls from a nearby school walking past their work place every day.
A Czechoslovakian version of the song was released by Marie Pojkarová called 'Pejskové se kousou' which translates to 'Dogs Bite Each Other'.
2. Elvis Presley had no less than four number ones in the UK 1961 charts. Which one was first?

Answer: Are You Lonesome Tonight?

'Are You Lonesome Tonight?' is a song that was first released in 1926. Recorded by many artists, including Al Jolson, Elvis' is the best known version.

*Useless information* In 1980 RCA released a version of this song in the UK. This reached the UK top 30 in 1982. In this version Elvis seems to have a 'Giggle-Fit' after changing the lyrics slightly. Instead of singing 'Do you gaze at your doorstep and picture me there' he sings 'Do you gaze at your bald head and wish you had hair'. He follows this with further fits of laughter and comments to his backing singers.
I remember owning this record, it really is funny.
3. The third UK number one for 1961 was entitled 'Sailor'. Which 'Downtown' girl, who was later told 'Don't Sleep in the Subway', recorded this song?

Answer: Petula Clark

'Sailor' was a hit in Australia, Germany and the US in 1960 when sung in the original German by Lolita - In America this was interspersed by a spoken English translation.
'Downtown' and Don't Sleep in the Subway' were both hits for Petula Clark in the 1960s.

*Useless information* 'Sailor' was released at the same time in the UK, by two separate artists, Petula Clark and Anne Shelton. It marked a milestone for both singers, Anne Shelton's final chart appearance and Petula Clark's first number one.
Petula Clark released a number of recordings in various European languages, including, German, French, Italian and Spanish.
4. One of the best selling number one singles of the year, in the UK, was 'Runaway'. Who recorded this single which reached number one in June 1961?

Answer: Del Shannon

A 'give away' question. Of course it was Del Shannon. This was number one in the UK for three weeks from 29th June.

*Useless information* 'Runaway' is listed at number 466 according to Rolling Stone's '500 Greatest Songs of All Time' (2004 listing)
5. Helen Shapiro reached the top spot in the UK twice in 1961. Her second hit was the very well known 'Walking Back To Happiness' which was number one in October. What record was number one in August?

Answer: You Don't Know

'You Don't Know' was number one for three weeks beginning August 10th 1961 and was Helen Shapiro's first number one single.

*Useless information* Helen Shapiro was only 14 years and 316 days old when 'You Don't Know Me' reached number one making her the youngest female chart topper in the UK.
In 1963 The Beatles' first ever national tour of the UK was as a support act to Helen Shapiro.
At an early age Helen was singing in a school band, Susie and the Hula Hoops (or Susie and the Hoops); the guitarist in the band was one Mr Marc Feld, better known as Marc Bolan.
6. Apologies to everyone but I have to put this song in a quiz. This is one of my favourite songs from the 1961 UK charts although not a very well known track. Sung by Johnny Leyton, which 'death song' was this?

Answer: Johnny Remember Me

'Johnny Remember Me' was a song about a man who could hear the voice of his dead sweetheart in the sound of the wind across the moors.
John Leyton was an actor turned singer; his first major role was starring as Ginger in a British TV version of 'Biggles'. He recorded 'Johnny Remember Me' after appearing in another British TV programme, 'Harpers West One'.

*Useless information* John Leyton has appeared in a number of top films including 'The Great Escape' and 'Von Ryan's Express'.
7. How many times did the Everly Brothers reach number one in the 1961 UK singles charts?

Answer: 2

'Walk Right Back' / 'Ebony Eyes' reached number one in March and 'Temptation' in July.

*Useless information* 'Ebony Eyes' is a song about a boy waiting at the airport for his girl; inevitably the aeroplane crashes just leaving him the memory of her 'Ebony Eyes'. 'Walk Right Back' was originally the 'B' side of the single but after the BBC banned the playing of 'Ebony Eyes' (it was too depressing) 'Walk Right Back' was changed to become the 'A' side.
8. 'Wooden Heart' was one of four Elvis songs which reached number one in the UK in 1961. Which Elvis film featured this song?

Answer: GI Blues

'GI Blues' was released in 1960. Unfortunately there is not much that can be said about the film, the record or Elvis that hasn't been said many times before.
9. A record from 1961 that reached number one in the UK and in the US. The Highwaymen reached the top spot on both sides of the Atlantic with a song called 'Michael'. Was this a version of an old spiritual song originally sung by slaves during the American civil war?

Answer: Yes

'Michael' was released in the UK in 1961 and spent one week in the top spot in October.
'Michael' was an updated version of 'Michael Row the Boat Ashore' a song that was first noted on the slave plantations of St Helena, part of an island group off of the coast of South Carolina.

*Useless information* 'Michael Row the Boat Ashore' was first written down in a book called 'Slave Songs of the United States', published in 1867.
10. Danny Williams' version of 'Blue Moon' was the Christmas number one in the UK in 1961.

Answer: False

Danny Williams sang 'Moon River'; this was the Christmas number one in the UK in 1961. 'Blue Moon' was released by The Marcels and reached number one in the UK in May 1961.

*Useless information* 'Moon River' was Andy Williams' theme song although this version never charted.
Originally written for Audrey Hepburn to perform in the movie 'Breakfast at Tiffany's', 'Moon River' won the 1961 Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Source: Author DaveH1960

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