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Quiz about Before They Were Really Famous 80s Music
Quiz about Before They Were Really Famous 80s Music

Before They Were (Really) Famous: 80's Music Quiz


These artists became household names during the 1980s. Can you identify the works that came just before they achieved mainstream success?

A multiple-choice quiz by Beanster. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
Beanster
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
217,443
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
1695
Last 3 plays: Guest 137 (6/10), Guest 62 (4/10), Guest 100 (7/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. As one of the first albums released on compact disc, 1985's "Brothers in Arms" was a must-have for early CD users and sold twenty five million copies worldwide. Dire Straits' previous album to go platinum in the US was this 1980 release, featuring the single "Skateaway". Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Although this 1981 album by The Police sold four million copies in the US and produced the hit single "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic", it was dwarfed by the massive worldwide success of "Synchronicity" in 1983. Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Bruce Springsteen released this solo acoustic album in 1982, which was a stark depiction of American life. Although he was an established artist at the time, he would achieve much greater commercial success with his next album, 1984's "Born in the USA". Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Before Tears For Fears became an MTV staple and reached number one in the US with 1985's "Songs from the Big Chair", they released this 1983 album which included the singles "Mad World" and "Pale Shelter". Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Former Genesis member Peter Gabriel had huge success with the 1986 album "So" but the biggest single from a prior album in 1983 was this song which barely cracked the Top 30 in the US. Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. It seems like Madonna has always been really famous, but what was the first single from her self-titled 1983 debut album? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Before 1984's "Purple Rain" movie and soundtrack, which sold thirteen million copies in the US, Prince told us in the title track for his previous album that he would be partying like it was this year in a song protesting nuclear proliferation. Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. By any measure, U2 was already a highly successful band before the 1987 release of "The Joshua Tree" confirmed their status as one of the world's most popular bands. Their 1984 single "Pride (In the Name of Love)" from their previous album "The Unforgettable Fire" was a tribute to this civil rights leader. Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. An alternative favorite for years, this British band preceded 1989's brilliant and commercially successful "Disintegration" with the 1987 double album "Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me" featuring the singles "Hot Hot Hot!" and "Why Can't I Be You?". Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. R.E.M. was a college radio and critics' favorite for over a decade before 1991's "Out of Time" sold thirteen million copies in the US. What color did they use as the title of their prior album released in 1988, which reached number twelve in the US? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. As one of the first albums released on compact disc, 1985's "Brothers in Arms" was a must-have for early CD users and sold twenty five million copies worldwide. Dire Straits' previous album to go platinum in the US was this 1980 release, featuring the single "Skateaway".

Answer: Making Movies

Founded in 1977, Dire Straits' subdued sound was a stark contrast to the overproduced 70's rock pervasive at the time. Lead singer Mark Knopfler was reportedly heard to have asked pub managers to turn down the sound so people could talk over the music.
2. Although this 1981 album by The Police sold four million copies in the US and produced the hit single "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic", it was dwarfed by the massive worldwide success of "Synchronicity" in 1983.

Answer: Ghost in the Machine

By the release of this album, relations between Sting and drummer Stewart Copeland were so strained that they supposedly came to blows on several occasions. Copeland would purposely arrange his cymbals on stage to block out any view of his lead singer.
3. Bruce Springsteen released this solo acoustic album in 1982, which was a stark depiction of American life. Although he was an established artist at the time, he would achieve much greater commercial success with his next album, 1984's "Born in the USA".

Answer: Nebraska

Throughout his illustrious career, The Boss has alternated between deeply reflective albums and more mainstream rock and roll. Nebraska did not sell nearly as well as subsequent works, but has endured as one of Springsteen's most critically acclaimed albums.
4. Before Tears For Fears became an MTV staple and reached number one in the US with 1985's "Songs from the Big Chair", they released this 1983 album which included the singles "Mad World" and "Pale Shelter".

Answer: The Hurting

The band was originally called The History of Headaches, and pulled out of Bob Geldof's 1985 Live Aid charity event at the last minute, upset over pressure from Geldof that they would be responsible for the deaths of "half a million" Africans if they did not perform.
5. Former Genesis member Peter Gabriel had huge success with the 1986 album "So" but the biggest single from a prior album in 1983 was this song which barely cracked the Top 30 in the US.

Answer: Shock the Monkey

There are many theories about what this song means, from animals rights to drug abuse. According to Peter Gabriel, the song is actually about jealousy.
6. It seems like Madonna has always been really famous, but what was the first single from her self-titled 1983 debut album?

Answer: Holiday

In the 2004 movie "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason", Renee Zellweger's Bridget confidently shouts out "Lucky Star" to this question in a contest at a formal dinner with her boyfriend's law colleagues. If only she had taken this quiz beforehand...
7. Before 1984's "Purple Rain" movie and soundtrack, which sold thirteen million copies in the US, Prince told us in the title track for his previous album that he would be partying like it was this year in a song protesting nuclear proliferation.

Answer: 1999

Among Prince's talents is an ability to combine provocative lyrics with brilliant dance melodies. "1999" and "Little Red Corvette" became MTV favorites preceding the superstardom that would shortly follow.
8. By any measure, U2 was already a highly successful band before the 1987 release of "The Joshua Tree" confirmed their status as one of the world's most popular bands. Their 1984 single "Pride (In the Name of Love)" from their previous album "The Unforgettable Fire" was a tribute to this civil rights leader.

Answer: Martin Luther King, Jr.

While continuing to make great music for over two decades, lead singer Bono's extracurricular activities have included co-founding a private equity firm (Elevation Partners) and working tirelessly with Nelson Mandela and others to bring debt relief to the poorest developing countries.
9. An alternative favorite for years, this British band preceded 1989's brilliant and commercially successful "Disintegration" with the 1987 double album "Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me" featuring the singles "Hot Hot Hot!" and "Why Can't I Be You?".

Answer: The Cure

17-year old Robert Smith formed the band in 1976 as The Easy Cure, along with three classmates from St. Wilfrid's Catholic Comprehensive School in Sussex.
10. R.E.M. was a college radio and critics' favorite for over a decade before 1991's "Out of Time" sold thirteen million copies in the US. What color did they use as the title of their prior album released in 1988, which reached number twelve in the US?

Answer: Green

The band was formed in Athens, Georgia in 1980 and they picked the name R.E.M. out of a dictionary to stand for Rapid Ear Movement, a play on Rapid Eye Movement.
Source: Author Beanster

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