ROCK BY THE NUMBERS

Even if you’re not a math whiz, you shouldn’t have any problems with the quiz this time.   It’s all about Top Ten hits that have a number (or numbers) in their title.  For example:  Dolly Parton’s 1981 # 1 hit, “9 To 5” or Elvis Presley’s # 4 hit, “One Night” from ’58 or even The Grass Roots, “Two Divided By Love” in 1971.  See how this works?  Not much else to say, except our quiz starts in 3...2...1.   

QUESTIONS

1.  This Canadian group sings the opening theme to “The Big Bang Theory”.  The ‘number’ song we’re looking for was their first and so far, only # 1 on Billboards’ Hot 100 singles chart.  Their latest album is called “Grinning Streak” and they’ll be starting a U.S. tour in October.  What’s the name of the group and their ‘number’ # 1 hit?       

      

2.  Think of what you normally put on the top of a birthday cake.  Then turn your mind back to 1959 when this song, featuring lead singer Johnny Maestro, was a # 2 hit.  Maestro later went on to sing lead with Brooklyn Bridge, but this was his first taste of success.  Can you come up with the name of the song and the name of the group?           

                

3.  Most office workers leave for home at this time.  It’s also the original name of the Motown group The Jacksons.  Now that you’ve got that answer, think about the planet where we all live and other names for it.  This hit went Top Five (HINT ALERT) in 1966 for this Pennsylvania group.  Can you name them along with their ‘number’ song?             

                   

4.  Tuskegee, Alabama is the original home to this Motown group, whose lead singer eventually went on to have a hugely successful solo career with hits like “Brick House” and “Still”.  This 1978 # 1 is a love ballad to a very special ‘lady’ (HINT ALERT).  What’s the name of the group and their # 1 hit?

    

5.  This song has a year in its title.  It was the year The Beatles released their second movie, “Help!” (and received MBE medals from Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace).  It was also the year former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill died, Canada got its new ‘Maple Leaf’ flag, the Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup (yeah, that really helped, didn’t it?), the Los Angeles Dodgers won the 62^nd World Series.  OK, so that’s the year in the title – the rest is about a man/woman relationship.  This song was one of only two that made the Top Ten, although this singer did chart 15 songs on Billboards’ Hot100.  Who is he and what’s the name of this song?                       

     

ANSWERS

1.  In 1998, Toronto’s Barenaked Ladies had the # 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with their hit, “One Week”.      

2.  “16 Candles” by The Crests was the song we were looking for.  While it didn’t make it to the top of the singles chart, it did climb all the way to # 2 for two weeks in February of 1959.  The song that kept The Crests out of the # 1 spot?  “Stagger Lee” by Lloyd Price, which also held Ritchie Valens’ “Donna” to the # 2 position the following two weeks.     

    

3.  That would be The Vogues “Five O’Clock World”, a # 4 song in 1966.  Although they charted 14 songs on Billboards’ Hot 100 chart, only four made Top Ten.  “You’re The One” was first, making it to # 4 in 1965, followed the next year by “Five O’Clock World”.  Then in 1968, they charted two # 7, “Turn Around, Look At Me” and “My Special Angel”.             

4.  The Commodores got their name by opening a dictionary to a random page and picking a random word.  That word was ‘Commode’ (also known as toilet).  Their ’78      # 1, “Three Times A Lady”, stayed at the top of Billboards’ Hot 100 chart for 2 weeks in August of 1978.        

    

5.  Remember “65 Love Affair” from Paul Davis?  No?  It was a # 6 song in May of 1982.  During that same time period, another ‘number’ song was in the Top Ten.  That was “867-5309/Jenny” by Tommy Tutone, which climbed as high as # 4 that same month (May) in ’82.  Paul Davis previously cracked the Top Ten in 1978 with his # 7 hit, “I Go Crazy”.