Question 1 of 20Pop IconsEasy
1980s music quiz
Tease up your hair and cue the cassette for this 80s music quiz. These 20 questions of 1980s music trivia cover pop superstars, synth-pop, hair metal, early hip-hop and chart records, with a few behind-the-scenes curveballs for true fans.
A free quiz from Megan Moran, author of The Ultimate 1980's Quiz Book.
Question 2 of 20New Wave and Synth-PopEasy
The synth-pop band a-ha, whose Take On Me video mixed live action with pencil-sketch animation, came from which country?
Question 3 of 20Charts and RecordsMedium
Between 1985 and 1988, which singer set a record with seven consecutive No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100?
Question 4 of 20Movies and MusicEasy
Which 1984 film starred Prince as a young musician known as the Kid?
Question 5 of 20Music TechMedium
MIDI, the standard introduced in 1983 that lets electronic instruments and computers talk to each other, stands for Musical Instrument Digital what?
Question 6 of 20Music TechHard
Which singer's 52nd Street is often cited as the first album released on compact disc, in Japan in October 1982?
Question 7 of 20New Wave and Synth-PopMedium
New Romantic band Duran Duran formed in 1978 in which English city?
Question 8 of 20Hip-HopEasy
Which rock band teamed up with Run-DMC on the 1986 hit remake of Walk This Way?
Question 9 of 20RockMedium
The Joshua tree, which gave U2's 1987 album its name, grows mainly in which desert?
Question 10 of 20Hip-HopHard
Which group's 1986 album Licensed to Ill became the first rap LP to top the Billboard 200?
Question 11 of 20Pop IconsMedium
Michael Jackson co-wrote the 1985 charity single We Are the World with which singer?
Question 12 of 20RockEasy
Which band released the 1987 debut album Appetite for Destruction?
Question 13 of 20Pop IconsMedium
In 1987, teen singer Tiffany built her fan base with a famous tour of what kind of venues?
Question 14 of 20Music TechHard
Which hugely popular 1983 synthesizer used digital FM synthesis to shape much of the decade's pop sound?
Question 15 of 20Movies and MusicMedium
Which band had a 1985 US No. 1 with Don't You (Forget About Me), from the film The Breakfast Club?
Question 16 of 20RockEasy
Bon Jovi formed in 1983 in which US state?
Question 17 of 20Pop IconsMedium
Michael Jackson's moonwalk became famous after a 1983 TV special celebrating the 25th anniversary of which record label?
Question 18 of 20RockHard
Drummer Rick Allen stayed with which band after losing his left arm in a car crash on New Year's Eve 1984?
Question 19 of 20Charts and RecordsMedium
Which 1984 single gave Tina Turner her first solo No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100?
Question 20 of 20Hip-HopHard
Which hip-hop video show premiered in the United States in August 1988?
Answer all 20 to see your score.
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Show all the answers, with the facts behind them
- At the first MTV Video Music Awards in 1984, which singer performed while emerging from a giant wedding cake? MadonnaThe first ceremony was held at New York's Radio City Music Hall, hosted by Dan Aykroyd and Bette Midler.
- The synth-pop band a-ha, whose Take On Me video mixed live action with pencil-sketch animation, came from which country? NorwayTake On Me topped the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1985, and its video won six MTV Video Music Awards in 1986.
- Between 1985 and 1988, which singer set a record with seven consecutive No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100? Whitney HoustonThe record-breaking streak was completed in April 1988 by Where Do Broken Hearts Go.
- Which 1984 film starred Prince as a young musician known as the Kid? Purple RainPrince won the Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for the film in 1985.
- MIDI, the standard introduced in 1983 that lets electronic instruments and computers talk to each other, stands for Musical Instrument Digital what? InterfaceTwo of its creators, Dave Smith and Ikutaro Kakehashi, received Technical Grammy Awards in 2013.
- Which singer's 52nd Street is often cited as the first album released on compact disc, in Japan in October 1982? Billy JoelA few years later, Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms became the first album to sell a million copies on CD.
- New Romantic band Duran Duran formed in 1978 in which English city? BirminghamThe band named itself after Dr. Durand Durand, a character in the 1968 sci-fi film Barbarella.
- Which rock band teamed up with Run-DMC on the 1986 hit remake of Walk This Way? AerosmithPeaking at No. 4, it became the first hip-hop single to reach the Billboard top five.
- The Joshua tree, which gave U2's 1987 album its name, grows mainly in which desert? MojaveAnton Corbijn photographed the band in the deserts of California and Nevada, and the album won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 1988.
- Which group's 1986 album Licensed to Ill became the first rap LP to top the Billboard 200? Beastie BoysThe album was produced by Rick Rubin and released on the Def Jam label.
- Michael Jackson co-wrote the 1985 charity single We Are the World with which singer? Lionel RichieMany of the stars came straight from the American Music Awards to the final all-night session in Hollywood on January 28, 1985.
- Which band released the 1987 debut album Appetite for Destruction? Guns N' RosesIt took more than a year to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200, finally getting there in August 1988.
- In 1987, teen singer Tiffany built her fan base with a famous tour of what kind of venues? Shopping mallsHer No. 1 hit I Think We're Alone Now was a cover of a song by Tommy James and the Shondells.
- Which hugely popular 1983 synthesizer used digital FM synthesis to shape much of the decade's pop sound? Yamaha DX7Its maker licensed FM synthesis from Stanford University, where John Chowning developed it, and sold about 200,000 units in three years.
- Which band had a 1985 US No. 1 with Don't You (Forget About Me), from the film The Breakfast Club? Simple MindsWritten by Keith Forsey and Steve Schiff, the song was turned down by Billy Idol before this band reluctantly agreed to record it.
- Bon Jovi formed in 1983 in which US state? New JerseyTheir 1986 album Slippery When Wet spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
- Michael Jackson's moonwalk became famous after a 1983 TV special celebrating the 25th anniversary of which record label? MotownHe performed the move during Billie Jean; the special was taped at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium and aired on NBC in May 1983.
- Drummer Rick Allen stayed with which band after losing his left arm in a car crash on New Year's Eve 1984? Def LeppardHe returned to live shows in 1986 on a custom electronic kit, using extra foot pedals for parts he once played by hand.
- Which 1984 single gave Tina Turner her first solo No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100? What's Love Got to Do with ItAt 44, she became the oldest female solo artist to top the Hot 100 up to that time.
- Which hip-hop video show premiered in the United States in August 1988? Yo! MTV RapsFab 5 Freddy hosted the US version at first, and Ed Lover and Doctor Dré later became its weekday hosts.
