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here: Billboard Best Sellers & Hot 100 Charts: 1950s | Joel Whitburn's
Record Research
One lucky Forgotten Hits Reader will win a free copy, delivered just in time for Christmas! All you've got to do is answer Joel's trivia questions below. (That's right ... 50 Questions About The '50's!!!)
Hey, we didn't say it was going to be easy!!! You're going to have to work a little bit to win this contest!
One lucky Forgotten Hits Reader will win a free copy, delivered just in time for Christmas! All you've got to do is answer Joel's trivia questions below. (That's right ... 50 Questions About The '50's!!!)
Hey, we didn't say it was going to be easy!!! You're going to have to work a little bit to win this contest!
We'll compile all of your answers ... and then the person with the most
correct answers will win a copy of Joel's new book. In the event of a tie,
we'll draw a winner from all of the eligible leaders.
So get crackin' ... the contest ends this Friday ... which is Friday the 13th, by the way!!! We'll announce the winner in next Sunday's Comments Page. (We've got to cut it tight in order to get the book delivered in time!)
Good Luck to All ... Have Fun With This ...
So get crackin' ... the contest ends this Friday ... which is Friday the 13th, by the way!!! We'll announce the winner in next Sunday's Comments Page. (We've got to cut it tight in order to get the book delivered in time!)
Good Luck to All ... Have Fun With This ...
(no small animals were harmed in the
creating of this quiz!)
Hi
Kent,
I really hope your readers have a lot of
fun with this contest. Good luck to all with this trivia adventure ... I hope it
brings enjoyment to all Forgotten Hits readers, even those who may know nothing
about one of the most revolutionary and exciting decades in music
history.
Joel
We'll run the answers ... along with the winner's name ... in next week's edition of The Sunday Comments. As always, thanks so much for your generosity, Joel ... it means a lot ... a what a GREAT Christmas gift this will make for somebody! (kk)
And now, get ready to dust off some of the cobwebs ... or hit the search engines ...
Forgotten Hits proudly presents ...
THE JOEL WHITBURN /
RECORD RESEARCH
1950’s TRIVIA CHALLENGE
(all questions are taken from data in my new book
RECORD RESEARCH
1950’s TRIVIA CHALLENGE
(all questions are taken from data in my new book
Billboard Best Sellers and Hot 100 Charts
1950s)
1. What movie theme had two versions holding down the #1 and #2 spots for seven consecutive weeks in 1950?
2. Matty Matlock’s All-Stars backed this duo on their 2-sided smash record – the two sides switched back and forth, holding down the #3 and #4 spots for ten consecutive weeks in 1950! Name the two titles.
3. “The Duckworth Chant” is the sub-title of this army marching cadence song that peaked at #4 in 1951. Name that tune.
4. In the summer of 1951 (June - August) six girl’s names were featured in titles on the charts. Name at least 4 of the 6.
5. Les Paul and Mary Ford said “The World Is Waiting For” what in September of 1951 hit?
6. This male vocalist held the #1 position for 14 consecutive weeks with back-to-back hits in 1951. Name the singer and the two titles.
7. On the January 12 & 19, 1952 charts, Johnnie Ray had the #1 and #2 songs with “Cry” and “The Little White Cloud That Cried”. What vocal group did the backing on both songs?
8. This male vocalist had a string of 40 Hot 100 & Bubbling Under hits from 1959 - 1978 ... however, his only #1 hit was back in 1952. Name the artist and the #1 hit.
9. The first issue of Billboard in 1950 featured a #1 Christmas song: “Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer” by Gene Autry. Name the other two Christmas songs that hit #1 during the '50s decade.
10. From 1948 - 1950, Jo Stafford had ten hits with her duo partner, Gordon MacRae. From 1951 - 52, she had five “Best Selling” hits with what other duo partner?
11. On the May 16, 1953 “Best Selling” chart, this famous actor / comedian had a two-sided hit, one at #10 and the other at #15. Name the actor and the two similar sounding song titles.
12. A cabaret in Paris and a European country were the subjects of the #1 and #2 songs for three consecutive weeks in 1953. Name these two song titles.
13. This #6 hit in 1953 was written by a legendary movie actor for a movie that he directed and starred in. Name this actor and the song title.
14. On consecutive weeks in 1952, foreign language words were used in these #1 hits: “Delicado” and “Auf Wiederseh’n Sweetheart”. Name four more #1 hits of the '50s that had foreign language words in the titles. Novelty titles such as “Hot Diggity”, “Hoop-Dee-Doo”, “Sh-Boom”, “Yakety Yak” and dances such as “Bolero” and “Tango” do not count.
15. What #1 novelty hit in 1953 was a parody of one of the year’s top rated TV shows?
16. Which two Canadian vocal groups had a combined total of thirteen top 20 “Best Sellers” hits in the '50s?
17. This 19-year-old singer had her only chart hit rocket up the charts to #1 after being featured six times on a CBS-TV production in 1954. Name the singer and the song title.
18. This TV series produced a song that had three versions within the top 10 for nine consecutive weeks in 1955. Name the song and the three artists.
19. What song released on May 10, 1954, finally debuted on the “Best Sellers” chart on May 14, 1955?
20. What ‘part of a flower’ word was used in two song titles that were together in the top 10 “Best Sellers” chart for twelve consecutive weeks during the summer of 1955?
21. On November 12, 1955 these song titles at #8 & #9 make up a perfectly logical sentence when read together. Name these two ‘cover’ songs (R&B songs covered by pop artists).
22. What song that hit #6 on January 14, 1956 would become the theme song for a TV series beginning in 1987?
23. Name the two blockbuster movies that both produced multiple hit versions of their theme songs during the Spring of 1956.
24. What do these three R&B groups have in common with their recordings in the Spring of 1955: The Jewels, Gene and Eunice, and The Moonglows?
25. What consecutive numbers (between 1 and 20) were in two song titles that were on the “Best Sellers” chart on November 12, 1955?
26. What artist captured the “Best Sellers in Stores” #1 spot for 16 consecutive weeks in 1956?
27. Name the only two songs with the word “Rain” in the title that made the top 10 of the “Best Sellers” charts from 1955 - 1959. [“Train” does not count]
28. What popular candy bar was a top 10 hit late in 1956?
29. In February of 1957 which two colors charted side-by-side? Actually, two of the same color peaked at # 9 & #10 and a different color at #11.
30. What folk song, featuring an original version and an alternate version, peaked side-by-side in 1957 at #6 and #7?
31. Name the black songwriter that wrote two of Elvis Presley’s biggest chart hits of the '50s.
32. In May of 1957 there were three songs that had multiple hit versions in the Top 25 “Best Sellers’ Chart: “Party Doll”, “Butterfly” and what other one?
33. Put these Rock And Roll Hall of Fame legends in chronological order by debut date on the “Best Sellers” chart: 1. Jerry Lee Lewis 2. Little Richard 3. Chuck Berry 4. Fats Domino
34. Put these #1 “Best Sellers” one-word titles from 1957 in chronological order by debut date: “Honeycomb” / “Diana” / “Tammy”
35. On the January 6, 1958 “Best Sellers” Top 50 chart, the #1 and the #50 hits had very similar titles with a theme that could read as a sentence when put together. Name these polar opposite titles.
36. In January of 1958, no less than eleven girls names were featured in “Best Sellers” titles. Not counting these five: “Bony Moronie”, “Ivy Rose”, “Little Sandy Sleighfoot”, “Honeycomb” or “Wake Up Little Susie”, name the other six.
37. “Silhouettes” was a popular word on the February 3, 1958 “Best Sellers” chart. In fact, it came up twice in the Top 20 at the same time. One was a title of a song and the other was the name of the group. Name both the artist and the title for the two entries.
38. The March 10, 1958 “Best Sellers” chart featured a polka and a march. Besides those, what two teen dances were in the Top 20 that week?
39. What song in the summer of 1958 was named after a highly sought after prize at county and state fairs?
40. The “Hot 100” chart debuted on August 4, 1958. Not counting The Coasters, who are the only two artists still alive from the top 10 of that first chart?
41. What chart feature, still used today, was introduced on the second “Hot 100” chart?
42. What was the very first Star Performer on that second “Hot 100” chart?
43. The first “Hot 100” chart was occupied primarily by male vocalists. Only seven female solo vocalists made the tally: Peggy Lee, Patti Page, Doris Day, Eydie Gorme, Toni Arden, Connie Francis and Kitty Wells. Which one had two entries on that first chart?
44. What dog and bird exchanged places at the #2 & 3 spots on the “Hot 100” in October 1958?
45. In addition to the dog and bird and the “Pussy Cat”, what two summertime bugs had places on that “Hot 100” chart?
46. The December, 1958 charts saw four different wedding songs make their entrance. Not counting “The Wedding” by June Valli, name the other three songs with wedding in the title.
47. What revolutionary music industry sound development was given notice for the first time on the May 18, 1959 “Hot 100” chart?
48. What other chart enhancement appeared on that same chart for the first time ever?
49. Bobby Darin’s “Mack The Knife” held the #1 spot for nine weeks late in 1959. However, those were not consecutive weeks at #1. What song interrupted his string between the 6th & 7th weeks?
50. The very last “Hot 100” chart of the '50’s decade saw the debut of what song that has recently been a part of TV history?
Some toughies on here to be sure ... again, good luck to everybody out there ... remember, the deadline is this Friday, the 13th ... so get your answers in as soon as you can! (kk)
