This week, in honour of a long time friend in Kingston, Ontario, John Hanlon, we’re asking trivia questions about the # 1 hits of the 1970’s, based on the Billboard Magazine Hot 100 singles chart. There’s one question for every year of the ‘70’s, so score yourself 10 points for each correct answer and see how close you can come to 100%. Answers, as always, are below the final question.
1. This song was # 1 for four weeks in January 1970. It was featured in a classic
movie starring two movie icons and written by two songwriting Hall of Famers.
The singers’ first name is Billy – he was born in Oklahoma and raised in
Texas. Although he’d had previous hits on the charts, this one was his biggest.
Can you name the movie, the song and the artist? (FULL POINTS FOR ANY
TWO)
2. In 1971, this former grave digger had his first solo number one, Although he
was born in London, England, he had a passion for all things Scottish. His early
groups include the Hoochie Coochie Men and Steampacket. Later, he became a big name in a ‘small’ group. So far in his career, he’s had three number one
singles, the last coming in 1979. Do you know this red headed stranger?
3. She is the daughter of one of the pioneers in pop music as well as a direct
descendant of a legendary frontiersman and explorer from America’s first
century. Her only number one was locked at the top of the singles chart for 10
weeks during the last 3 months of 1977 and was finally knocked from the top
spot by The Bee Gees “How Deep Is Your Love”. Can you name this female
singer as well as her # 1 song from 1977?
4. She was a regular on the Carol Burnett TV show and later went on to star in a
hit TV series of her own. In April of 1973, she made it to the top of the Billboard
Magazines’ singles chart for 2 weeks with her only number one hit. Who is the performer and what’s the title of the song?
5. In 1979, this performer hit the number spot 3 times. She was as hot as a
summer’s day in Mexico. It was all good for this artist, there was no 'Bad Stuff'
that year. Who is this singer and can you name any two of her three 1979
number ones?
6. For the week of November 2nd 1974, the number one song on Billboards’ Hot
100 chart was “You Haven’t Done Nothin’” by Stevie Wonder. The following
week that song was replaced at the top of the chart by a similar sounding title,
but it was a totally different song by a totally different group. Can you name
the song AND the group. (HINT: DON’T PUT YOUR BRIAN IN OVERDRIVE TO
ANSWER THIS ONE)
7. During the 1960’s, this performer had 6 Top Ten hits, which included one
number one. He returned to the charts in the 1970’s and scored two # 1’s – both
in 1975. Ironically, his second # 1 was knocked out of his two week run in the
top spot in ’75 by the owner of the record label he was signed to,although there
was no 'bad blood' between the two artists. Who is this singer/songwriter and
what was the title of his second 1975 # 1?
8. This performer was one of The Beatles favourite American singer/songwriters.
In 1972, he was at the top of the Billboard singles chart for 4 weeks with a song
written by two members of a group signed to The Beatles Apple Records label.
Who is this performer and what was his # 1 hit? (HINT: COME AND GET
THIS ANSWER. IT SHOULD BE EASY FOR YOU)
9. During 1976, two TV theme songs made it to number one. One came from a
show about a teacher. The other was the theme about an elite unit on the
police force. Can you name these 2 hits and who performed them?
10. This performer had some very successful brothers. In 1978, this younger
brother topped the Billboard singles chart for 7 weeks with a song he and
his brothers wrote. This was not his first # 1, in fact he’d had two previously.
Although initially, he lived in his brothers’ ‘shadow’, he became a major star
on his own, even to the point of hosting a TV show. Do you know who this little
brother is?
ANSWERS
1. The movie was “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” starring the late Paul
Newman and Robert Redford. “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ (On My Head)” was the
song. The singer was Billy Joe Thomas or B. J. Thomas as he was better
known. Legend has it that the Hall of Fame songwriters, Burt Bacharach and
Hal David had originally asked Bob Dylan to sing it, but fortunately for B. J.,
Bob took a pass.
2. Rod Stewart’s career as a grave digger ended when he ran into Long John
Baldry in 1964 who heard Rod singing while waiting for a train. Baldry asked
Rod to join The Hoochie Coochie Men and later Steampacket. In 1966, Rod
joined The Jeff Beck Group as their vocalist and in ’69, he joined future Rolling
Stone Ron Wood in The Faces”, who’d changed their name from the Small
Faces. Although Rod had had previous singles released in England, it wasn’t
until 1971 that he hit it big when “Maggie May” climbed to # 1 on Billboards’
Hot 100 chart. His other two number one hits are “Tonight’s The Night (Gonna
Be Alright)”, which stayed number one for 7 weeks in November and
December of 1976 and “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” which lasted 4 weeks at the top
of the singles chart in January and February, 1979.
3. Debbie Boone is the daughter of 1950’s/1960’s pop star/acto Pat Boone and is
a direct descendant of Daniel Boone, who fought in the Revolutionary War and
was a legendary frontiersman and later statesman. Debbie’s single, “You
Light Up My Life”, which sold over two million copies, was the theme song to a
movie with the same title. Debbie never again made it to the top of the singles
charts, although she did have other charted hits.
4. Vicki Lawrence, one of the stars of the Carol Burnett Show, made it to the top of
the charts with a song written by her then husband, Bert Russell. “The Night
The Lights Went Out In Georgia” was # 1 for two weeks in April of 1973. The
song that replaced it at the top was the mega smash by Tony Orlando & Dawn,
“Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree”.
5. Donna Summer had an incredible year in 1979 and she’d had a great ’78 with
“MacArthur Park”, which topped the singles chart for 3 weeks in November of
that year. But on to 1979’s feats – “Hot Stuff” was Donna’s first # 1 in ’79. It
first hit the top of the singles chart on June 2, but was replaced the following
week by The Bee Gees “Love You Inside Out”. “Hot Stuff” jumped back to # 1
the next week where it stayed for two more weeks and was finally knocked off
by Anita Wards’ “Ring My Bell”, which after two weeks on top, was itself
knocked off by Donna Summer’s “Bad Girls” which had a 5 week run at # 1 in
July and August of ‘79. Donna didn’t see the top of the singles chart again
until November 24th, when her duet with Barbra Streisand, ”Enough Is
Enough (No More Tears)” landed in the top spot for two weeks.
6. Stevie Wonder’s number one for the week of November 2nd 1974, “You Haven’t
Done Nothin’” was replaced at the top by “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” from
Canadian rockers Bachman-Turner Overdrive, which had a two week stay at
# 1.
7. OK, if you were paying attention, we gave you the title of this 1975 number one.
“Bad Blood” was 60’s hitmaker Neil Sedaka’s second # 1 in 1975 (his first was
“Laughter In The Rain” which landed atop the singles chart for one week on
February 1st). Neil had signed with Elton John’s Rocket Records label and hit
the top spot on the singles chart a second time with “Bad Blood” on October
11th of ’75 and hung there for two weeks. Neil’s record label boss, Elton John,
then replaced Neil at # 1 with “Island Girl” on November 1st, 1975.
Incidentally, Neil was responsible for a third # 1 in 1975, having written The
Captain & Tennille's hit “Love Will Keep Us Together”. If you listen closely
near the end, you’ll hear them sing, “Sedaka Is Back”.
8. Harry Nilsson was the performer we were looking for. His 1972 hit, “Without
You” was written by two members of Badfinger, Pete Ham and Tom Evans, both
of whom later committed suicide. Badfinger was signed to The Beatles Apple
label and had several hits, including “Come And Get It”, “No Matter What” and
“Day After Day”.
9. “Welcome Back”, written and sung by John Sebastian, was # 1 for the week of
May 8th, 1976. It was the theme song for the hit TV series “Welcome Back
Kotter” starring Gabe Kaplan and a young John Travolta. The “Theme From
SWAT”, a # 1 for the week of February 28th, 1976 was performed by Rhythm
Heritage, although in Canada, the song was covered by, and became a hit for
the THP Orchestra. The initials THP stand for Three Hats Productions.
10. Andy Gibb (born Andrew Roy Gibb in 1958) was the younger brother to
Maurice, Robin and Barry Gibb of The Bee Gees. Andy’s first hit, “I Just Want
To Be Your Everything” (written by brother Barry) was # 1 for 3 weeks in July
and August 1977. “(Love Is) Thicker Than Water” (written by Barry and
Andy). topped the singles chart for two weeks starting on March 4th, 1978. It
replaced the other Gibb brothers # 1, “Stayin’ Alive” and was replaced by The
Bee Gees yet again with their next hit from “Saturday Night Fever”, “Night
Fever”. “Shadow Dancing”, which was # 1 for 7 weeks throughout most of
June and all of July 1978, was co-written by all 4 Gibb brothers. Andy co-
hosted the “Solid Gold” TV show during the 1980 to ‘82 seasons. As well, he
appeared on TV sitcoms, “Punky Brewster” and “Gimme A Break!”. Five days
after celebrating his 30th birthday, Andy Gibb died on March 10, 1988.
No comments:
Post a Comment