80s Music Quiz

Question: “Back in Black”

Answer: “Back in Black” was released in 1980 as part of AC/DC’s Back in Black album. The album sold more than 25 million copies in the United States alone.

Question: “Here I Go Again”

Answer: “Here I Go Again” was released in 1982 as part of Whitesnake’s Saints & Sinners album. The pop ballad would be re-recorded in 1987, when it would go on to top the charts.

Question: “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”

Answer: “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” was released in 1983 as part of Cyndi Lauper’s She’s So Unusual album. This song made Lauper a pop icon, and the music video became an MTV favorite.

Question: “Don’t Stop Believin’”

Answer: “Don’t Stop Believin’” was released in 1981 as part of Journey’s Escape album. The inspirational and catchy rock song has become the band’s most iconic song.

Question: “Total Eclipse of the Heart”

Answer: “Total Eclipse of the Heart” was released in 1983 as part of Bonnie Tyler’s Faster Than the Speed of Night album. The single reached platinum status in 2001, having sold more than one million copies worldwide.

Question: “Love Shack”

Answer: “Love Shack” was released in 1989 on the Cosmic Thing album by the B-52’s (later the B-52s). This new wave song reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1989.

Question: “Eye of the Tiger”

Answer: “Eye of the Tiger” was released in 1982 as part of Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger album. The song gained a lot of popularity after it appeared as the theme song for Rocky III (1982).

Question: “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”

Answer: “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” was released in 1987 as part of U2’s The Joshua Tree album. Alongside the song “With or Without You,” this album rocketed the group into pop star status.

Question: “Walk Like an Egyptian”

Answer: “Walk Like an Egyptian” was released in 1986 as part of the Bangles’ Different Light album. The pop rock song became Billboard’s number-one song of 1987.

Question: “Straight Outta Compton”

Answer: “Straight Outta Compton” was released in 1988 as part of N.W.A’s album of the same name. The controversial song offers uncensored thoughts on women, drug dealing, gang activity, and police brutality, topics largely unexplored in the mainstream music industry at that time.

Question: “Take on Me”

Answer: “Take on Me” was originally released in 1984 and rereleased in 1985 as part of a-ha’s Hunting High and Low album. Its live-action pencil-sketched music video has led many to place this video in the category of the greatest of all time.

Question: “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)”

Answer: “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” was released in 1987 as part of Whitney Houston’s Whitney album. The extremely popular song earned Houston a Grammy Award.

Question: “What’s Love Got to Do with It”

Answer: “What’s Love Got to Do with It” was released in 1984 as part of Tina Turner’s Private Dancer album. The song won Turner a Grammy Award for best female pop vocal performance of the year.

Question: “867-5309/Jenny”

Answer: “867-5309/Jenny” was released in 1981 as part of Tommy Tutone’s Tommy Tutone 2 album. The popular song inspired many to call that number with a random area code in front.

Question: “In the Air Tonight”

Answer: “In the Air Tonight” was released in 1981 as part of Phil Collins’s Face Value album. The song is famous for its drum break toward the end.

Question: “Super Freak”

Answer: “Super Freak” was released in 1981 as part of Rick James’s Street Songs album. The popular song has been sampled by others, including MC Hammer in “U Can’t Touch This” (1990).

Question: “Just a Friend”

Answer: “Just a Friend” was released in 1989 as part of Biz Markie’s The Biz Never Sleeps album. The comedy hip-hop song went platinum in 1990; Markie never released a song of that popularity again.

Question: “Karma Chameleon”

Answer: “Karma Chameleon” was released in 1983 as part of Culture Club’s Colour by Numbers album. The song is about the fear of alienation that people have and the need to “blend in.”

Question: “Uptown Girl”

Answer: “Uptown Girl” was released in 1983 as part of Billy Joel’s An Innocent Man album. The song has achieved platinum status, having sold more than one million copies.

Question: “Another One Bites the Dust”

Answer: “Another One Bites the Dust” was released in 1980 as part of Queen’s The Game album. The album became the band’s only number-one album in the United States.

Question: “Jump”

Answer: “Jump” was released in 1984 as part of Van Halen’s 1984 album. The song peaked at number one on the Billboard charts.

Question: “I Want to Know What Love Is”

Answer: “I Want to Know What Love Is” was released in 1984 as part of Foreigner’s Agent Provocateur album. The song achieved platinum status in the United Kingdom in 2020.

Question: “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)”

Answer: “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” was released in 1983 as part of Eurythmics’ album of the same name. The song’s strange music video became popular on MTV, making the song a classic.

Question: “Beat It”

Answer: “Beat It” is part of Michael Jackson’s Thriller album, released in 1982. It is one of the best-selling singles of all time.

Question: “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life”

Answer: “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” is sung by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes. It was released in 1987 as the theme song for the movie Dirty Dancing.

Question: “Hungry like the Wolf”

Answer: “Hungry like the Wolf” was released in 1982 as part of Duran Duran’s Rio album. The song’s music video won the first Grammy Award for Best Video, Short Form in 1984.

Question: “Keep on Loving You”

Answer: “Keep on Loving You” was released in 1980 as part of REO Speedwagon’s Hi Infidelity album. The popular single has achieved platinum status in the United States.

Question: “When Doves Cry”

Answer: “When Doves Cry” was released in 1984 as part of Prince & the Revolution’s Purple Rain album. The album remains his most successful, winning a Grammy Award and an Academy Award.

Question: “Walk This Way”

Answer: “Walk This Way” was released in 1986 as part of Run-DMC’s Raising Hell album. The song was a remake of Aerosmith’s song of the same title, and it featured the hard-rocking originators.

Question: “Come on Eileen”

Answer: “Come on Eileen” was released in 1982 as part of Dexys Midnight Runners’ Too-Rye-Ay album. The song reached number one in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

Question: “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”

Answer: “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” is a single by the duo Wham!, consisting of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. The song was released in 1984 and soon became a number-one hit in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

Question: “Sweet Child O’ Mine”

Answer: “Sweet Child O’ Mine” was released in 1987 as part of Guns N’ Roses’s Appetite for Destruction album. The single is the band’s sole number-one hit on Billboard U.S. charts.

Question: “All Night Long (All Night)”

Answer: “All Night Long (All Night)” was released in 1983 as part of Lionel Richie’s Can’t Slow Down album. The song is one of the best known from his solo career and earned a Grammy nomination for song of the year.

Question: “Livin’ on a Prayer”

Answer: “Livin’ on a Prayer” was released in 1986 as part of Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet album. The song topped the charts and is the band’s signature song.

Question: “Down Under”

Answer: “Down Under” was released in 1981 as part of Men at Work’s Business as Usual album. The song has achieved an almost patriotic status in Australia, as it is still played at many sporting events.