'80s Music, Translated Trivia Quiz

Answer: White Wedding

Billy Idol's "White Wedding" was released in 1982 and its video was in frequent rotation on MTV. Rumor was that he wrote it to express displeasure with his little sister's wedding, but in interviews, Idol has revealed it was just a song. Look for Idol and this song in the 1998 "The Wedding Singer" with Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler.

"White Wedding" by Billy Idol

"Hey little sister what have you done?
Hey little sister who's the only one?
Hey little sister who's your superman?
Hey little sister who's the one you want?
Hey little sister shot gun!"

Answer: The Tide is High

Blondie released "The Tide is High" in 1980. This reggae-inspired song burned up the charts worldwide and was even designated as "Greatest Pop Single of All Time" by UK music historian and journalist Paul Morley.

"The Tide Is High" by Blondie

"The tide is high but I'm holding on
I'm gonna be your number one
I'm not the kind of girl who gives up just like that"

Answer: Walk Like an Egyptian

"Walk Like an Egyptian" hit number one on the U.S. charts in September, 1986. The Bangles were an all-woman band that came out of Los Angeles in the early 1980s; it was founded by Susanna Hoffs and sisters Vicki and Debbi Peterson and was originally called "The Bangs."

"Walk Like An Egyptian" by The Bangles

"All the old paintings on the tombs,
They do the sand dance,
Don't you know?
(Oh, Oh Whey)
If they move too quick
They're falling down like a domino."

Answer: Hungry Like the Wolf

"Hungry Like the Wolf", Duran Duran's break-out hit in the U.S., was released in May, 1982. The band members wrote the song themselves, reportedly during one afternoon in a Manchester recording studio.

"Hungry Like the Wolf" by Duran Duran

"In touch with the ground
I'm on the hunt I'm after you
Smell like I sound, I'm lost in a crowd"

Answer: Morning Train (Nine to Five)

Scottish-born Sheena Easton released "Morning Train" early in 1981. It was originally titled "9 to 5," but at the same time, Dolly Parton's song "9 to 5," which accompanied a movie of the same name, was on the charts, so Easton's music label renamed her single "Morning Train (Nine to Five)." It went to number one on the charts in the U.S., Australia, and Canada.

"Morning Train (Nine to Five)" by Sheena Easton

"I wake up every mornin'
I stumble out of bed
Stretchin' and yawnin'
Another day ahead
It seems to last forever
And time goes slowly by
'Til babe and me's together
Then it starts to fly"

Answer: Private Eyes

The duo of Daryl Hall and John Oates released "Private Eyes" in late 1981. It was the third straight single from the album of the same name; "Rich Girl" and "Kiss On My List" came first.

"Private Eyes"

"I see you, you see me
Watch you blowin' the lines
When you're making a scene
Oh girl, you've got to know
What my head overlooks
The senses will show to my heart
When it's watching for lies
You can't escape my"

Answer: Abracadabra

Steve Miller wrote "Abracadabra" and his self-titled band released it in 1982. The Steve Miller Band was an established blues band from the 1960s that moved into rock and roll in the 1970s. "Abracadabra" had a softer sound than the band's previous releases, but it was a hit with listeners: it went to number one on the charts in all the major markets.

"Abracadabra" by The Steve Miller Band

"I heat up, I can't cool down
You got me spinnin'
'Round and 'round
'Round and 'round and 'round it goes
Where it stops nobody knows"

Answer: Another One Bites the Dust

"Another One Bites the Dust" was released by Queen in August, 1980. It shot up to number one in several markets and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

"Another One Bites The Dust" by Queen

"Steve walks warily down the street,
with the brim pulled way down low
Ain't no sound but the sound of his feet,
machine guns ready to go
Are you ready, Are you ready for this"

Answer: Smooth Operator

Sade released "Smooth Operator" in 1984. "Sade" is both the name of the band and the name of the lead singer, who was born in Nigeria to a Nigerian father and a British mother. The song runs about five minutes, depending on the version, which is fairly long for a pop song. Nonetheless, "Smooth Operator" hit the top ten in the U.S.

"Smooth Operator" by Sade

"No need to ask
He's a smooth operator
...
Coast to coast, LA to Chicago, western male
Across the north and south, to Key Largo, love for sale"

Answer: Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go

"Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" was released in 1984 and was Wham!'s first number one hit in the U.S. and the U.K. Wham!, which consisted of high school friends George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, was active from roughly 1980 to 1986 when they split amicably.

"Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham!

"You put the boom-boom into my heart
You send my soul sky high when your lovin' starts
Jitterbug into my brain
Goes a bang-bang-bang 'til my feet do the same"