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Quiz about Top 100 Songs of the 1980s 90  81
Quiz about Top 100 Songs of the 1980s 90  81

Top 100 Songs of the 1980s (90 - 81) Quiz


This quiz features ten of the 100 most popular songs in the U.S. as determined by the Billboard Hot 100 charts from the 1980s. Find out how much you know about these songs that touched and affected so many lives.

A multiple-choice quiz by bottle_rocket. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
262,421
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
12534
Awards
Top 5% quiz!
Last 3 plays: Guest 73 (7/10), Guest 146 (7/10), Guest 174 (9/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. Song Number 90: "Watch it now! The eagle in the sky"

Two years after breaking up, the rock band Yes, known for their avant garde sound during the 1970s, reunited and came out with a record that was both radio and MTV friendly. It became their first number one song when it topped the charts for two weeks in January, 1984. Can you name it?
Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Song Number 89: "You were the first, you'll be the last"

In the 1980s heartwrenching power ballads sung by rock bands had teen girls swooning. Cheap Trick used this tactic in the summer of 1988 to score their first number one hit. Do you know the song?
Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Song Number 88: "She brings home her pay for love"

An anthem to two lovers trying to make ends meet isn't the typical pop music recipe for a hit. Yet somehow, the rock band Bon Jovi turned that idea into an instant classic. Spending four weeks at number one in the winter of 1987, this record was beloved by pop music fans all over the country. Do you remember the names of those two struggling blue collar Americans?
Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Song Number 87: "I can't hear you!"

If you were alive during the summer of '84 hearing this song was inevitable. It was everywhere. You'd hear it at the beach, in the park, coming out of car radios. Thought you could escape it by going to the movies. Not likely. It was in the year's biggest film. Ready for a memory jog? According to the song, which was NOT a reason to call "Ghostbusters"?
Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Song Number 86: "It must have been cold there in my shadow"

This movie soundtrack smash went to number one in June and later went to on to win the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Do you know which Bette Midler ballad swept us away in 1989?
Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Song Number 85: "We just want to dance here, someone stole the stage"

The group Starship charted for nearly twenty years in various incarnations as Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship before they finally reached number one with this song, a tribute to the rock 'n roll spirit of a city dear to their hearts. Do you know what famous U.S. landmark is named in the song?
Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Song Number 84: "I try to phone but I'm too shy, can't speak"

During her reign as '80s pop diva, Whitney Houston strung together a record seven number one songs in a row including this frothy pop ditty. Can you name this chart-topper that became her biggest hit of the decade?
Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Song Number 83: "Flying away on a wing and a prayer"

Joey Scarbury? Name not ringing a bell? Well, he's the one hit wonder who took this song to number two in the summer of 1981. Maybe you remember what TV show featured this popular tune?
Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Song Number 82: "However do you want me, however do you need me"

In December, 1989, this song peaked at number four in the U.S., six months after spending four weeks at number one in the U.K. Do you know what recording act was responsible for "Back to Life"?

Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Song Number 81: "If you're not into yoga, if you have half a brain"

This is the only recording to have ever reached number one in two different decades. It spent the last two weeks of the 1970s in the top spot only to fall to number two during the first week of the '80s. The following week the song returned to number one for a third week. What song by Rupert Holmes holds this unusual chart record?
Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Song Number 90: "Watch it now! The eagle in the sky" Two years after breaking up, the rock band Yes, known for their avant garde sound during the 1970s, reunited and came out with a record that was both radio and MTV friendly. It became their first number one song when it topped the charts for two weeks in January, 1984. Can you name it?

Answer: Owner of a Lonely Heart

"Owner of a Lonely Heart" hit number one on January 21st, 1984 and spent 23 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, ten of those in the top ten. It was the first track off of their album "90125" which peaked at number five on the album chart and went on to be certified triple platinum. In the U.K. the song may be better remembered as a 2005 remix version by Max Graham. It became a top ten hit, besting the original version's number 28 peak.

"Roundabout" was a number 13 hit for Yes back in 1972. "Heat of the Moment" was a top five smash by the supergroup Asia. "War of the Worlds" was a 2005 movie starring Tom Cruise and a screaming Dakota Fanning.

FUN FACT: The song incorporates samples from various sources including one from the "Godfather of Soul" James Brown.
2. Song Number 89: "You were the first, you'll be the last" In the 1980s heartwrenching power ballads sung by rock bands had teen girls swooning. Cheap Trick used this tactic in the summer of 1988 to score their first number one hit. Do you know the song?

Answer: The Flame

"The Flame" was released by Epic Records in the spring of 1988. It took a slow climb to number one where it peaked on July 9th, 1988 and held that spot for two weeks. It totaled 27 weeks on the Hot 100 before falling off the chart on October 15th, 1988. It was the first of four charted releases from the album "Lap of Luxury" including the Elvis Presley remake "Don't Be Cruel" which hit the top 10.

"I Want You To Want Me" was Cheap Trick's top ten hit from 1979. "Heaven" was a number two smash by the heavy metal band Warrant. "Livin' La Vida Loca" was the gutwrenching dance hit by Ricky Martin that had teen girls swooning in the 1990's.

FUN FACT: Cheap Trick has performed the theme songs to several TV shows including "That 70s Show" and "The Colbert Report".
3. Song Number 88: "She brings home her pay for love" An anthem to two lovers trying to make ends meet isn't the typical pop music recipe for a hit. Yet somehow, the rock band Bon Jovi turned that idea into an instant classic. Spending four weeks at number one in the winter of 1987, this record was beloved by pop music fans all over the country. Do you remember the names of those two struggling blue collar Americans?

Answer: Tommy and Gina

The song "Livin' on a Prayer" features the fictional working class couple Tommy and Gina. Tommy "used to work on the docks" 'til the union strike and Gina works at a diner bringing "home her pay for love". The song hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on Valentine's Day of 1987. It was one of two songs that year to spend four weeks at the top. It was their second number one after "You Give Love A Bad Name" and the second release off the multi-platinum album "Slippery When Wet" which also featured songs "Wanted Dead or Alive" and "Never Say Goodbye". "Livin' on a Prayer" travelled the world hitting number three in Australia and number four in the United Kingdom.

Jack and Diane were the title characters from a 1982 number one hit from John Cougar Mellencamp. Brenda and Eddie were the couple in Billy Joel's 1977 song "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant". Britney and Kfed were a struggling real-life celebrity couple. They suffered from the excesses of fame, fortune and youthful stupidity.

FUN FACT: Tommy and Gina were named after Jon Bon Jovi's niece and nephew. How nepotistic! (and creepily incestuous...)
4. Song Number 87: "I can't hear you!" If you were alive during the summer of '84 hearing this song was inevitable. It was everywhere. You'd hear it at the beach, in the park, coming out of car radios. Thought you could escape it by going to the movies. Not likely. It was in the year's biggest film. Ready for a memory jog? According to the song, which was NOT a reason to call "Ghostbusters"?

Answer: If you feel something move and you think it's dead

"Ghostbusters" reached number one on August 11th, 1984 and spent three weeks on top. It became the biggest hit in the career of Ray Parker Jr. who had several top ten hits fronting the band Raydio. The song was nominated for an Academy Award for original song in 1985 (eventually losing to Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called to Say I Love You").

On a less fortunate note, Parker was sued for copyright infringement due to the song's similarity to Huey Lewis and the News hit "I Want A New Drug". The case was subsequently settled out of court.

FUN FACT: Celebrities including Chevy Chase, Irene Cara, Melissa Gilbert, Carly Simon, Teri Garr and Peter Falk were intercut into the video answering the question "Who you gonna call?" with a resounding "Ghostbusters". Likely a career killer for some of them. :)
5. Song Number 86: "It must have been cold there in my shadow" This movie soundtrack smash went to number one in June and later went to on to win the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Do you know which Bette Midler ballad swept us away in 1989?

Answer: Wind Beneath My Wings

"Wind Beneath My Wings" reached number one on June 10th, 1989 and was the first number one song for Bette Midler. It was featured in the hit movie "Beaches" which starred her and Barbara Hershey. The song had been recorded numerous times before this version by such artists as Sheena Easton, Gladys Knight and Lou Rawls. Billboard named it the seventh biggest song of 1989.

"The Rose" was a 1980 top five hit for Bette Midler from the movie of the same name. "It Must Have Been Love" was a number one hit for the Swedish band Roxette. Three 6 Mafia's song "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" won the Oscar for Original Song in 2006.

FUN FACT: A recent U.K. poll found that "Wind Beneath My Wings" was the most played song at British funerals. That's more of a MORBID FACT really...
6. Song Number 85: "We just want to dance here, someone stole the stage" The group Starship charted for nearly twenty years in various incarnations as Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship before they finally reached number one with this song, a tribute to the rock 'n roll spirit of a city dear to their hearts. Do you know what famous U.S. landmark is named in the song?

Answer: The Golden Gate Bridge

"We Built This City" was the first of three number one songs for Starship in the 1980s. It reached number one on November 16th, 1985 and held that spot for two weeks. It was a release off their album "Knee Deep in the Hoopla", the title of which came from a line in "We Built This City". Their other two number one songs were the ballad "Sara" and the theme from "Mannequin" entitled "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now".

FUN FACT: In 2004 Blender magazine named "We Built This City" the "Number One Most Awesomely Bad Song Ever". Not much love there...
7. Song Number 84: "I try to phone but I'm too shy, can't speak" During her reign as '80s pop diva, Whitney Houston strung together a record seven number one songs in a row including this frothy pop ditty. Can you name this chart-topper that became her biggest hit of the decade?

Answer: How Will I Know

"How Will I Know" ascended to the top spot on February 15th, 1986 and stayed there for two weeks. The song spent 23 weeks on the Hot 100, 16 of those in the top 40. It was the third release off of her album "Whitney Houston" which spent 14 weeks at number one and went platinum twelve times. The video was memorable for dancers dressed in black, brightly colored paint dripping down the screen and Whitney's huge, frizzy hair. It was surreal in an '80s sort of way.

"Where Do Broken Hearts Go?" was Whitney Houston's seventh number one in a row in 1987. Tina Turner took "What's Love Got to Do With It" to number one in September of 1984. "Where's the Beef?" was uttered by a sweet old lady named Clara Peller in a Wendy's commercial and was later used by Walter Mondale as a campaign slogan for president in 1984.

FUN FACT: Whitney displaced her own cousin from number one when "How Will I Know" knocked Dionne Warwick's "That's What Friends Are For" out of the top spot. Now play nice Whitney!
8. Song Number 83: "Flying away on a wing and a prayer" Joey Scarbury? Name not ringing a bell? Well, he's the one hit wonder who took this song to number two in the summer of 1981. Maybe you remember what TV show featured this popular tune?

Answer: Greatest American Hero

"Greatest American Hero" ran three seasons on ABC in the early eighties. It centered around schoolteacher Ralph Hinkley being given a red superhero suit by aliens so that he could save the world. Besides the suit the most memorable thing to come out of the show was the "Theme From 'Greatest American Hero'", subtitled "Believe It or Not". It peaked at number two for two weeks in August of 1981. It spent 26 weeks on the Hot 100, 18 of those in the top 40. Joey Scarbury hailed from California and by teaming up with TV theme veteran Mike Post he was able to score his one and only hit.

FUN FACT: In the weeks following Ronald Reagan's assassination attempt by John Hinkley, the teacher's last name was changed from Hinkley to Hanley.
9. Song Number 82: "However do you want me, however do you need me" In December, 1989, this song peaked at number four in the U.S., six months after spending four weeks at number one in the U.K. Do you know what recording act was responsible for "Back to Life"?

Answer: Soul II Soul

"Back to Life" was the second top 40 hit for Soul II Soul off their album "Keep On Movin'". It stayed on the Hot 100 for a long 28 weeks and spent 18 weeks in the top 40. Soul II Soul was a British R & B band that featured Caron Wheeler on vocals for this song. The record went platinum and also topped the U.S. R & B and Dance charts.

FUN FACT: In 1990 the song won Soul II Soul a Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.
10. Song Number 81: "If you're not into yoga, if you have half a brain" This is the only recording to have ever reached number one in two different decades. It spent the last two weeks of the 1970s in the top spot only to fall to number two during the first week of the '80s. The following week the song returned to number one for a third week. What song by Rupert Holmes holds this unusual chart record?

Answer: Escape (The Pina Colada Song)

"Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" became the first and only number one song for Rupert Holmes. On October 20th, 1979, "Escape" debuted onto the charts at number 85. In nine quick weeks it rose to number one and finished its Hot 100 ride in 21 weeks. Rupert Holmes had one other top ten hit called "Him" which was released several months after "Escape".

Besides being a songwriter, Rupert Holmes is an established composer and author of plays. His most famous musical is "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" based on the unfinished Charles Dickens novel which won him two Tony awards in the 1980s. Today he continues to write plays to much acclaim.

Toby Keith charted on the pop charts with "Whiskey Girl" in 2004. "Margaritaville" was a top ten hit for Jimmy Buffett in 1977."Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rum" comes from Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure Island" and the song has figured prominently in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride and movie.

FUN FACT: Originally the chorus was "If you like Humphrey Bogart" but at the last minute it was changed to "If you like pina coladas". Can you imagine "Escape (The Humphrey Bogart Song)" reaching number one?


Thank you so much for playing. Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did putting it together. Check out songs 80 to 71 in the next installment.
Source: Author bottle_rocket

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
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