100 Best 1980s Music Trivia Questions (With Answers)

The 80s gave us big hair, bigger choruses, MTV, the Walkman and a very strange number of songs about cars, nights and dancing. It was also a huge decade for Australian music — Men at Work topping the charts in both the US and UK, INXS and Midnight Oil going global, John Farnham’s Whispering Jack outselling everything, and Molly Meldrum holding the whole thing together every Sunday night on Countdown.

So this quiz mixes it all up: Aussie hits, global chart-toppers, Live Aid, one-hit wonders and a few music-industry oddities. It’s in a deliberately random order, so you can’t coast on being the “Aussie rock person” or the “pop person.” Questions run from easy singalong stuff to a few that’ll have your dad and your nan arguing.

Read them out, split into teams, or just test yourself. Answers come straight after the dash.

100 Best 1980s Music Trivia

1. Which Def Leppard drummer kept playing with one arm after a 1984 car accident? — Rick Allen.
2. Which Bruce Springsteen album, released in 1984, was widely mistaken for a patriotic anthem? — Born in the U.S.A.
3. Which Melbourne band recorded “Throw Your Arms Around Me” in 1984? — Hunters & Collectors.
4. Duran Duran performed the theme for which 1985 James Bond film? — A View to a Kill.
5. Which 1984 Madonna single saw her perform in a wedding dress at the first-ever MTV Video Music Awards? — “Like a Virgin.”
6. Which Aussie band’s song “Live It Up” featured in the 1986 film Crocodile Dundee? — Mental As Anything.
7. Which Aussie band had a 1987 hit with “What’s My Scene”? — Hoodoo Gurus.
8. Which guitarist partnered with Morrissey in The Smiths? — Johnny Marr.
9. Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” returned to the charts in 2022 thanks to which Netflix series? — Stranger Things.
10. Which Aussie band, led by Marc Hunter, had a 1983 hit called “Rain”? — Dragon.
11. Which all-female band had a 1986 hit with “Walk Like an Egyptian”? — The Bangles.
12. Which Aussie band’s 1987 album Kick included “Need You Tonight” and “Never Tear Us Apart”? — INXS.
13. Don Walker and Steve Prestwich wrote which Cold Chisel classic from 1984 about leaving a country town? — “Flame Trees.”
14. Which 1988 hit was the first a cappella song ever to reach number one on the US Hot 100? — “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin.
15. Which Guns N’ Roses song did “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” knock off the top of the US chart? — “Sweet Child o’ Mine.”
16. Which 1986 Ron Howard film, retitled in Australia after Jimmy Barnes’ song, featured “Working Class Man”? — Gung Ho.
17. Which hit-making production trio was behind Kylie’s early singles and Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up”? — Stock Aitken Waterman.
18. How many weeks did Whispering Jack spend at number one on the Australian album chart? — 25.
19. In 1985, Wham! became the first Western pop group to play in which country? — China.
20. John Farnham’s manager Glenn Wheatley did what to fund the recording of Whispering Jack? — Mortgaged his own house. Big gamble, big payoff.
21. Which U2 album, released in 1987, included “With or Without You”? — The Joshua Tree.
22. Live Aid took place on 13 July 1985. Which two cities hosted the main concerts? — London (Wembley) and Philadelphia (JFK Stadium).
23. Which Midnight Oil song from the 1987 album Diesel and Dust became a global hit? — “Beds Are Burning.”
24. Pseudo Echo’s 1986 hit “Funky Town” was a cover of a 1980 disco hit by which act? — Lipps Inc.
25. Which producer, later a member of Chic, helped shape David Bowie’s 1983 album Let’s Dance? — Nile Rodgers.
26. Which music channel launched in the US on 1 August 1981? — MTV.
27. Which Aussie band, fronted by Iva Davies, had a 1982 hit with “Great Southern Land”? — Icehouse.
28. Which Sony gadget, launched in 1979, defined how a generation listened to cassettes in the 80s? — The Walkman.
29. Who organised Live Aid alongside Bob Geldof? — Midge Ure of Ultravox.
30. Which 1981 single paired Queen with David Bowie? — “Under Pressure.”
31. Which Aussie band was famously bumped from Countdown in the early 80s and never appeared on the show? — Midnight Oil. They insisted on playing live; the show insisted on miming.
32. Who was Van Halen’s frontman on the 1984 hit “Jump”? — David Lee Roth.
33. In which city was Jimmy Barnes born? — Glasgow, Scotland. His family moved to Adelaide when he was four.
34. What was the name of the ABC music show hosted by Molly Meldrum from 1974 to 1987? — Countdown.
35. Which rap group teamed up with Aerosmith in 1986 for a hit remake of “Walk This Way”? — Run-DMC.
36. Which singer, raised in Melbourne, had a 1981 hit with the workout-themed “Physical”? — Olivia Newton-John.
37. Rick Springfield also played Dr Noah Drake on which US soap opera? — General Hospital.
38. In Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer,” what are the names of the two characters in the song? — Tommy and Gina.
39. Which band had a huge 1982 hit with “Africa”? — Toto.
40. Which 1984 Prince film and album shared the same name? — Purple Rain.
41. Which duo, Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart, recorded “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)”? — Eurythmics.
42. “Down Under” got a second burst of popularity in 1983 as the unofficial anthem for which Australian win? — The America’s Cup — Australia II beating the Americans after 132 years.
43. At which Olympics did Jimmy Barnes perform “Working Class Man” at the closing ceremony? — Sydney 2000.
44. Who directed the epic Thriller music video? — John Landis.
45. Which singer had a 1983 hit with “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”? — Cyndi Lauper.
46. Which duo, made up of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, had a hit with “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”? — Wham!
47. Jimmy Barnes’ signature solo song “Working Class Man” was written by a member of which American band? — Journey — keyboardist Jonathan Cain.
48. What did Molly Meldrum reveal at the end of the final Countdown episode? — A freshly shaved head — a nod to Midnight Oil’s Peter Garrett.
49. Which 1984 film starring Kevin Bacon had a title song by Kenny Loggins? — Footloose.
50. What was Molly Meldrum’s trademark piece of headwear? — A Stetson (cowboy) hat.
51. Which Aussie duo’s soft-rock ballad “All Out of Love” was a huge hit in 1980? — Air Supply.
52. Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love” was a cover of a 1960s song by which singer? — Gloria Jones.
53. Which band did Jimmy Barnes front before launching his solo career in 1984? — Cold Chisel.
54. Which two stars wrote “We Are the World” in 1985? — Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie.
55. Which song was Kylie Minogue’s debut single, featured when she co-hosted Countdown in July 1987? — “The Loco-Motion.”
56. Which band did Boy George front, with the hit “Karma Chameleon”? — Culture Club.
57. Which Dire Straits hit features Sting singing “I want my MTV”? — “Money for Nothing.”
58. Which band recorded “Don’t Stop Believin'” in 1981? — Journey.
59. Which Sydney-born singer had a 1981 hit with “Jessie’s Girl”? — Rick Springfield.
60. Which Michael Jackson album, released in 1982, went on to become the best-selling album of all time? — Thriller.
61. True or false: New Order lost money on every copy of “Blue Monday” they first sold, because the sleeve was so expensive to make. — True. The die-cut sleeve, designed to look like a floppy disk, cost more than the record earned.
62. Which 1986 Peter Gabriel hit is remembered for its stop-motion music video? — “Sledgehammer.”
63. Which band had a worldwide hit with “Don’t Dream It’s Over” in 1986? — Crowded House.
64. Which comedian appeared in the video for “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”? — Robin Williams.
65. Which 1984 charity single, written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, became the fastest-selling single in UK history at the time? — “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” by Band Aid.
66. What was the name of Prince’s backing band on Purple Rain? — The Revolution.
67. Crowded House frontman Neil Finn had previously fronted which band, famous for the 1980 hit “I Got You”? — Split Enz.
68. Which 1987 George Michael album won Album of the Year at the Grammys? — Faith.
69. And what was the very first video MTV played? — “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles — a bit on the nose, in hindsight.
70. Which New Order song is the best-selling 12-inch single of all time? — “Blue Monday.”
71. Which Aussie album was the first Australian-made album released on CD in Australia? — Whispering Jack — John Farnham again.
72. Which Aussie band had the number one album and number one single in both the US and the UK at the same time in early 1983? — Men at Work, with Business as Usual and “Down Under.”
73. Men at Work won which major Grammy in 1983? — Best New Artist.
74. Which John Farnham album, released in 1986, was the first Australian album to sell more than a million copies in Australia? — Whispering Jack.
75. Phil Collins sang “In the Air Tonight” while also drumming for which band? — Genesis.
76. Michael Jackson debuted the moonwalk on TV in 1983 while performing which song? — “Billie Jean” — on the Motown 25 special.
77. Which singer’s 1987 hit “Never Gonna Give You Up” later became the “Rickroll” internet prank? — Rick Astley.
78. Which 1984 single marked Tina Turner’s massive solo comeback? — “What’s Love Got to Do with It.”
79. Which Aussie band recorded “Under the Milky Way” in 1988? — The Church.
80. Which duo, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, had a hit with “West End Girls”? — Pet Shop Boys.
81. The flute riff in “Down Under” was ruled in 2010 to have copied which children’s song? — “Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree.”
82. Which band had a 1985 hit with “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”? — Tears for Fears.
83. In which country was John Farnham born? — England — Dagenham, Essex. He’s as Aussie as they come, but he wasn’t born here.
84. Which Aussie soap did Kylie star in as Charlene before her pop career took off? — Neighbours.
85. Who was INXS’s frontman? — Michael Hutchence.
86. Which Boston boy band had a 1988 hit with “Hangin’ Tough”? — New Kids on the Block.
87. Which John Farnham song was the last one performed on the final episode of Countdown in 1987? — “You’re the Voice.”
88. Which new music format went on sale in 1982 and eventually pushed out vinyl and cassettes? — The compact disc (CD).
89. Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” was written for which Rocky film? — Rocky III.
90. Which Welsh singer had a 1983 hit with “Total Eclipse of the Heart”? — Bonnie Tyler.
91. Simple Minds’ “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” was the theme to which 1985 teen film? — The Breakfast Club.
92. Which Whitney Houston song, from 1987, asked “Who Loves Me” in brackets? — “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.”
93. Which singer played at both Live Aid venues on the same day, hopping on Concorde to get across the Atlantic? — Phil Collins.
94. Which Sydney benefit concert was meant to be part of the Live Aid broadcast but couldn’t be, because of time zones? — Oz for Africa.
95. Which Beastie Boys album became the first rap album to top the US album chart? — Licensed to Ill (1986).
96. Which band’s 1983 album Synchronicity included “Every Breath You Take”? — The Police.
97. Which synth-pop band had a 1981 hit with “Don’t You Want Me”? — The Human League.
98. Which Norwegian band’s “Take On Me” (1985) had a video mixing live action with pencil-sketch animation? — a-ha.
99. Which 1987 album by Guns N’ Roses featured “Welcome to the Jungle”? — Appetite for Destruction.
100. Which band, fronted by Simon Le Bon, had hits with “Rio” and “Hungry Like the Wolf”? — Duran Duran.

A few quick questions

What counts as 1980s music? Anything released between 1980 and 1989. A few songs in this quiz charted into the following year, but they were released in the decade.

Is this suitable for a family quiz night? Yes. Most of it is fine for all ages, though younger kids will probably need the mum-and-dad generation on their team.

How should I score it? One point per correct answer, with a bonus point if a team can name the year or the artist’s home country.

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