80s Music Trivia: 50 Questions and Answers | G33Z3R Radio
Published July 2, 2026
80s Music Trivia: 50 Questions and Answers
Think you know the 80s? Let's find out. Here are 50 music trivia questions spanning one-hit wonders, Billboard chart facts, MTV moments, and deep cuts from the decade that gave us synthesizers, big hair, and the best music videos ever made.
Use these for game night, bar trivia, road trips, or just to settle an argument about whether "Come On Eileen" was really bigger than "Take On Me." (It was.)
One-Hit Wonders
1. What band had a #1 hit with "Come On Eileen" in 1983?
Dexys Midnight Runners. It was Britain's best-selling single of 1982 and hit #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in April 1983.
2. "99 Luftballons" was originally sung in what language?
German. Nena's anti-war anthem reached #2 on the US Hot 100 in 1984 — in the original German version. An English version was also released but was less popular.
3. What was Toni Basil's age when "Mickey" hit #1 in December 1982?
38 years old. She was already an established choreographer working on MTV videos for other artists.
4. Who performed "Take On Me," famous for its rotoscope animation music video?
a-ha. The Norwegian band's iconic video was actually a second attempt — the first version flopped before the animated version became one of MTV's most-played clips.
5. What one-hit wonder told us "Everybody Have Fun Tonight"?
Wang Chung. The song hit #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1986.
6. What song opens with the lyrics "I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar"?
"Don't You Want Me" by The Human League. It hit #1 in the US in 1982.
7. Who sang "Safety Dance"?
Men Without Hats. The Canadian synth-pop group peaked at #3 in the US in 1983.
8. What Michael Sembello song was featured in the movie "Flashdance"?
"Maniac." It reached #1 on the Hot 100 in September 1983.
9. "867-5309/Jenny" was performed by which band?
Tommy Tutone. The song peaked at #4 in 1982, and the phone number has been a prank-call target ever since.
10. What Dead or Alive song became a dancefloor staple in 1985?
"You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)." It hit #1 in the UK and #11 in the US.
Billboard & Charts
11. What was the best-selling single of the entire 1980s in the US?
"Physical" by Olivia Newton-John (1981). It spent 10 weeks at #1.
12. Which artist had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 during the 80s?
Michael Jackson, with multiple #1 hits including "Billie Jean," "Beat It," "Bad," and "The Way You Make Me Feel."
13. What was the first music video ever played on MTV?
"Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles, aired on August 1, 1981.
14. What Prince song spent five weeks at #1 in 1984?
"When Doves Cry." It was also the first Prince single to reach #1.
15. What was the highest-charting instrumental hit of the 80s?
"Miami Vice Theme" by Jan Hammer, which hit #1 in November 1985.
MTV & Music Videos
16. What year did MTV launch?
1981 — August 1st, at 12:01 AM.
17. What Michael Jackson video premiered on MTV in 1983 and was directed by John Landis?
"Thriller." The 13-minute video was more like a short film and is widely considered the most influential music video ever made.
18. What Dire Straits song featured early computer animation in its music video and the lyrics "I want my MTV"?
"Money for Nothing." The song also featured Sting on backing vocals.
19. What Peter Gabriel video was one of the first to use claymation?
"Sledgehammer" (1986). It won a record nine MTV Video Music Awards.
20. What band's "Take Me Home Tonight" video featured Ronnie Spector?
Eddie Money. Ronnie Spector sang the chorus, which sampled "Be My Baby."
Bands & Artists
21. What supergroup featured members of Yes, King Crimson, and Emerson, Lake & Palmer?
Asia. Steve Howe and Geoffrey Downes came from Yes, John Wetton from King Crimson, and Carl Palmer from ELP. Their debut album topped the Billboard 200 in 1982.
22. Before going solo, Belinda Carlisle was the lead singer of what band?
The Go-Go's. Their debut album "Beauty and the Beat" hit #1 in 1982.
23. What was Duran Duran's highest-charting US single?
"The Reflex," which hit #1 in 1984.
24. What three members of Duran Duran formed the side project Arcadia?
Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, and Roger Taylor.
25. Who produced Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album?
Quincy Jones.
Lyrics & Song Facts
26. Complete the lyric: "Just a small town girl, livin' in a \\\\\_ world."
"Lonely." From "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey (1981).
27. What Cyndi Lauper hit was originally written and recorded by Robert Hazard?
"Girls Just Want to Have Fun." Hazard's version was a more straightforward rock song; Lauper reimagined it as a synth-pop anthem.
28. What Bangles hit opens with the lyric "Six o'clock already, I was just in the middle of a dream"?
"Manic Monday" (1986). The song was written by Prince and handed to The Bangles — it peaked at #2 on the Hot 100, kept from #1 by Prince's own "Kiss."
29. What 1985 charity single brought together 46 artists and was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie?
"We Are the World," recorded by USA for Africa.
30. What Tears for Fears song was the first to use the phrase "shout, shout, let it all out"?
"Shout," from their album "Songs from the Big Chair" (1985). It hit #1 in the US.
Name That Year
31. In what year did Run-DMC and Aerosmith collaborate on "Walk This Way"?
- The crossover brought rap and rock together on mainstream radio.
32. What year was the Live Aid concert?
- Simultaneous concerts in London and Philadelphia raised money for Ethiopian famine relief.
33. In what year did Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" hit #1?
1.
34. What year did New Kids on the Block's "Hangin' Tough" reach #1?
1.
35. In what year did U2 release "The Joshua Tree"?
- It won Album of the Year at the Grammys.
Deep Cuts & Surprises
36. What 80s hit was originally written about a serial killer?
"Maniac" by Michael Sembello. The original lyrics described a real serial killer before being rewritten for the movie "Flashdance."
37. What iconic 80s band took their name from the villain in "Barbarella"?
Duran Duran. The villain in the 1968 Jane Fonda sci-fi film was Dr. Durand Durand.
38. What was the first album commercially released on CD?
Billy Joel's "52nd Street" was the first album released on CD in Japan on October 1, 1982, on the same day the first CD players went on sale.
39. What song was banned by the BBC, which only made it a bigger hit?
"Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. The BBC banned it in 1984 for suggestive content. It hit #1 in the UK and stayed on the charts for over a year.
40. What Bon Jovi album became one of the best-selling albums of the decade?
"Slippery When Wet" (1986), featuring "Livin' on a Prayer" and "You Give Love a Bad Name." It sold over 28 million copies worldwide.
The Final 10 — Quick Fire
41. What instrument does Thomas Dolby play in "She Blinded Me with Science"?
Synthesizer. Despite his stage name, Thomas Dolby has no relation to Dolby Laboratories.
42. What was Madonna's first #1 single?
"Like a Virgin" (1984).
43. What band performed "Sweet Child O' Mine"?
Guns N' Roses. It hit #1 in 1988.
44. What George Michael solo single topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks in 1987?
"Faith." It was also the year-end #1 single for 1988. The album of the same name hit #1 worldwide.
45. What Phil Collins song hit #1 on the Hot 100 but did NOT hold the year-end #1 spot for 1985?
"Sussudio." It peaked at #1 but the year-end #1 for 1985 was "Careless Whisper" by Wham! featuring George Michael.
46. What 80s rock band featured brothers Angus and Malcolm Young?
AC/DC.
47. What was the first rap song to reach the Billboard Top 40?
"Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang hit #36 in 1980.
48. Who sang "Total Eclipse of the Heart"?
Bonnie Tyler. It hit #1 on the Hot 100 and was the #2 year-end single of 1983 — behind only "Every Breath You Take" by The Police.
49. What Talking Heads concert film is considered one of the greatest music films ever made?
"Stop Making Sense" (1984), directed by Jonathan Demme.
50. What was the last #1 song of the 1980s on the Billboard Hot 100?
"Another Day in Paradise" by Phil Collins reached #1 on December 23, 1989, and held the top spot into 1990.
Test Your Knowledge Live
Want to play instead of just reading? The G33Z3R Arcade has a full lineup of retro music games:
- Trackdyl — Guess the artist from a blurry album cover. Daily puzzle.
- Four-Track — Sort 16 songs into 4 hidden groups. Daily puzzle.
- Real Trivia — Music trivia with a weekly leaderboard.
- Higher or Lower — Which song charted higher? Keep the streak alive.
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