No. 1 Hits of the 80s Vol.2 Trivia Quiz

Answer: True

Rupert Holmes scored with "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" which spent three non-consecutive weeks at the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts closing out the decade of the 1970s. The song returned to the number one spot for the second week in January 1980 after being supplanted by KC and the Sunshine Band's "Please Don't Go".

Although it was Holmes' most successful song, he is said to look at the song with mixed emotions, because although the song made him a lot of money, it typecast him and took away the focus of some his more serious works.

Answer: The Tide Is High

"The Tide is High" was written by John Holt and recorded by a group called the Paragons. It was released in Jamaica in 1967 and became a B-side release in the U.K. when a song called "only a Smile" was released there. It was covered by Blondie in 1981 with a reggae style, and went to number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts for one week in the winter of 1981.

It also went to number one in the U.K. and number four in Australia.

Answer: I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)

Of the four songs listed the only song that went to the top of the charts at all was "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" which spent one week at the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts in the winter of 1982. The song was off an album called "Private Eyes", one of the duo's more successful collaborations. Daryl Hall claims that he was able to compose the song in one night, and finished up the lyrics the next day. Pretty good result for a short period of work. Coincidentally, the aforementioned "Physical" knocked the duo's last number one hit "Private Eyes" out of the top spot on the charts when it began its ten week run in late 1981.

Answer: Men at Work

From the album called "Business as Usual", Men at Work scored with "Down Under" when it hit the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts for four non-consecutive weeks in the winter of 1983. It also went to number one on the U.K. and Australian charts. If you listen to the lyrics of the song, it might as well have been written by the Australian Tourism Bureau.

The song was the group's second straight number one tune, following "Who Can It Be Now", which hit the top previously.

Answer: It was their only number one U.S. hit

Actually "Owner of a Lonely Heart" was Yes' only Top 10 hit in the U.S. during their careers. It spent two weeks at the top of the U.S. Billboard charts in the winter of 1984. It only got as high as number 28 in the U.K. The only other song or theirs to come close to the top 10 was "Roundabout" which peaked at number 13 on the U.S. charts in 1980.

Answer: I Want to Know What Love Is

"I Want To Know What Love Is" was probably the band's most successful song ever, spending two weeks at the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts as well as reached the top of the charts in the U.K. It came off an album called "Agent Provocateur" and was written by Mick Jones and Lou Gramm. Back-up vocals were provided by Jennifer Holliday who would go on to a major role in "Dreamgirls", as well as The Thompson Twins, and the New Jersey Mass Choir, who can be seen performing in the music video.

Answer: Rod Stewart

Rod Stewart (a former Face) actually released this song in 1982 as part of the soundtrack to a motion picture called "Night Shift" (1982). The song never charted in the U.S., but did reached number 23 on the U.K. charts. The more popular version was released in 1986 by a group of musicians who were labeled Dionne and Friends.

They consisted of Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, Elton John and Stevie Wonder. That version was recorded as a benefit for AIDS research, and raised over $3 million for the cause.

It spent four weeks at the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts in the winter that year. It also won a Grammy Award and was named Billboard Magazine's most popular song of 1986.

Answer: Shake You Down

"Shake You Down" was the 1987 debut single for Gregory Abbott off an album of the same name. The song spent a week at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 charts in the winter of 1987. This was Abbott's only Top 40 hit on the U.S. Billboard charts. His only other charting song was the song originally selected to be the first release from the album.

It was called "I Got the Feeling". When released later, that song only got as high as number 56.

Answer: True

It actually is true. When "So Emotional" hit the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts in January of 1988, it was her sixth straight number one tune, tying her with The Beatles and The BeeGees for that record. The other five?
"Saving All My Love For You" and "How Will I Know?" in 1985,"Greatest Love of All (1986), "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" and "Didn't We Almost Have It All" (1987).

Answer: Bobby Brown

Bobby Brown split from the boy band called New Edition and scored with the single called "My Prerogative" when it reached the top of the charts for a week in the winter of 1989. Brown actually co-wrote the song, which he says was written as an answer to some of his critics that were unhappy with his departure from the group. Brown did go on in the 1990s to marry Whitney Houston.

Their fourteen year marriage ended in 2006.