Name That ’80s Song!

Gone are the days of big hair, plastic neon bracelets and acid-washed jeans, but the music of the ’80s will forever live in our hearts! Maybe those tunes sound familiar when you hear them, but can you actually name the songs that comprise the soundtrack of the ’80s? Take this quiz and find out!

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Question 1/31

The King of Pop sang an anti-gang anthem in this 1983 video:

  • "Thriller"
  • "Beat It"
  • "Rock with You"
  • "Bad"
Question 2/31

How about this song from Wham! (1984):

You put the boom-boom into my heart,
You send my soul sky high when your lovin' starts

  • "Careless Whisper"
  • "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"
  • "I'm Your Man"
  • "Everything She Wants"
Question 3/31

Duran Duran filmed this 1982 video aboard a yacht for a song about a woman named after a river:

  • "Hungry Like the Wolf"
  • "Rio"
  • "Wild Boys"
  • "The Reflex"
Question 4/31

Do you know your Madonna (1983)?

Come on shine your heavenly body tonight
'Cause I know you're gonna make everything all right

  • "Borderline"
  • "Lucky Star"
  • "Holiday"
  • "Like a Virgin"
Question 5/31

Lionel Richie admittedly made up African lyrics for this 1983 hit because he didn't have time to hire a translator:

  • "Hello"
  • "All Night Long (All Night)"
  • "Say You, Say Me"
  • "Penny Lover"
Question 6/31

Name that classic Bon Jovi (1986) hit:

Gina works the diner all day,
Working for her man
She brings home her pay
For love, for love

  • "Wanted Dead or Alive"
  • "I'll Be There for You"
  • "Livin' on a Prayer"
  • "You Give Love a Bad Name"
Question 7/31

This Simple Minds song is best known for playing over the closing credits in “The Breakfast Club.”

I won't harm you or touch your defenses.
Vanity and security

  • “Don’t You (Forget About Me)”
  • “Alive and Kicking”
  • “If You Leave”
  • “Heartbreak Beat”
Question 8/31

The Bangles created a new dance craze thanks to this video for the group's 1986 hit.

  • "Walk Like an Egyptian"
  • "Eternal Flame"
  • "Manic Monday"
  • "Hazy Shade of Winter"
Question 9/31

Think of Annie Lennox's vocals in the Eurythmics (1983) song:

I travel the world and the seven seas,
Everybody's looking for something

  • "Who's That Girl?"
  • "Right by Your Side"
  • "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)"
  • "Love is a Stranger"
Question 10/31

Milli Vanilli (1988) "sang" this song:

I'm in love with you girl 'cause you're on my mind,
You're the one I think about most every time

  • "All or Nothing"
  • "Girl You Know It's True"
  • "It's Your Thing"
  • "Blame It on the Rain"
Question 11/31

This 1985 Starship song features references to San Francisco, New York, and Cleveland:

  • "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now"
  • "We Built This City"
  • "Set the Night to Music"
  • "It's Not Over ('Til It's Over)"
Question 12/31

Maybe it’s because she’s so unusual, but Cyndi Lauper got in a lot of trouble in the 80s! Like in this video with these lyrics:

The phone rings in the middle of the night
My father yells what you gonna do with your life…

  • “Time After Time”
  • “She Bop”
  • “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”
  • “I Drove All Night”
Question 13/31

In 1980, this video by The Buggles was the first ever played on MTV. Strangely, it never became a hit in the US.

  • “Mexican Radio”
  • “Video Killed the Radio Star”
  • “Moving in Stereo”
  • “Salvation Radio”
Question 14/31

This song by the Human League is perfect for a dramatic, bitter breakup and begins with this famous line:

You were workin' as a waitress in a cocktail bar
When I met you

  • “Tainted Love”
  • “(Keep Feeling) Fascination”
  • “Human”
  • “Don’t You Want Me”
Question 15/31

This song and video launched Rick Springfield from working class dog to superstar!

You know, I feel so dirty when they start talking cute
I wanna tell her that I love her,
But the point is probably moot

  • “I’ve Done Everything for You”
  • “Don’t Talk to Strangers”
  • “Jessie’s Girl”
  • “Love is Alright Tonite”
Question 16/31

Still don’t know what Oates did, but Hall was pretty rad! How about this giant, white-boy soul smash from the 1981?

I, I 'll do anything
That you want me to do
Yeah, I'll do almost anything
That you want me to, oooh

  • “Maneater”
  • “Kiss on My List”
  • “Rich Girl”
  • “I Can’t Go for That”
Question 17/31

This cheerful tune rocketed the Cure into the US Top 40 for the first time… and sold many oversized sweaters and cans of hairspray in the process.

Show me, show me, show me how you do that trick
The one that makes me scream she said

  • “Why Can’t I Be You?”
  • “Just Like Heaven”
  • “Fascination Street”
  • “Hot, Hot, Hot!!!”
Question 18/31

Oddly, the German version of this smash hit by Nena charted in the US. The English version did not.

Jeder war ein großer Krieger
Hielten sich für Captain Kirk
Das gab ein großes Feuerwerk

  • “99 Luftballons”
  • “Der Kommisar”
  • “Rock Me Amadeus”
  • “Du Hast”
Question 19/31

“Hush, hush!” This Kajagoogoo hit was the only one they ever had in the US.

  • “Lean on Me”
  • “Mickey”
  • “Too Shy”
  • “Obsession”
Question 20/31

This 1980s hit by Van Halen introduced synthesizer to Van Halen’s trademark party rock sound.

Ah, can't you see me standin' here
I got my back against the record machine
I ain't the worst that you've seen
Ah, can't you see what I mean?

  • “Hot for Teacher”
  • “Women and Children First”
  • “Panama”
  • “Jump”
Question 21/31

Originally released to zero fanfare in 1981, this Whitesnake song was rereleased in 1987 and gave the band its only Number One hit.

'Cause I know what it means
To walk along the lonely street of dreams

  • “Slow and Easy”
  • “Here I Go Again”
  • “Is This Love”
  • “Still of the Night”
Question 22/31

Prince owned the charts in the 80’s, but this song from “Purple Rain” was his biggest hit, topping out at Number One for five weeks.

Maybe I'm just too demanding
Maybe I'm just like my father too bold
Maybe you're just like my mother

  • “When Doves Cry”
  • “I Would Die 4 U”
  • “Let’s Go Crazy”
  • “Purple Rain”
Question 23/31

Do you recognize this RUN-DMC video?

  • “It’s Tricky”
  • “Walk This Way”
  • “My Adidas”
  • “Run’s House”
Question 24/31

Released in 1981, this was the Go-Gos first hit, peaking at #20.

Can you hear them
They talk about us
Telling lies
Well that's no surprise

  • “We Got the Beat”
  • “Vacation”
  • “Head Over Heels”
  • “Our Lips Are Sealed”
Question 25/31

“If you got the money honey” this Guns N’ Roses song “has your disease.”

  • “Mr. Brownstone”
  • “November Rain”
  • “Welcome to the Jungle”
  • “Patience”
Question 26/31

The B-52s could buy "a big ol’ house" after this song hit #3 on the Billboard charts in 1989.

  • “Rock Lobster”
  • “Love Shack”
  • “Planet Claire”
  • “Private Idaho”
Question 27/31

There’s a chance it “don’t mean a thing,” but you should be able to identify this 1986 Janet Jackson hit by it’s opening line.

Gimme a beat!

  • “When I Think of You”
  • “Control”
  • “Nasty”
  • “The Pleasure Principle”
Question 28/31

We know you know this 1987 Beastie Boy hit!

Don't step out of this house if that's the clothes you're gonna wear
I'll kick you out of my home if you don't cut that hair

  • “Girls”
  • “Hey Ladies”
  • “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party)”
  • “Paul Revere”
Question 29/31

“It’s a nice day to start again” and watch this Billy Idol video instead.

  • “White Wedding”
  • “Hot in the City”
  • “Rebel Yell”
  • “Dancing with Myself”
Question 30/31

This rock anthem about teenage rebellion is most likely the only Twisted Sister video you remember seeing.

  • “I Wanna Rock”
  • “We’re Not Gonna Take It”
  • “Leader of the Pack”
  • “You Can’t Stop Rock ‘n’ Roll”
Question 31/31

“So slide over here” because “there’s something about” this 1987 INXS song “that makes me sweat!” You too?

  • “The One Thing”
  • “I Need You Tonight”
  • “New Sensation”
  • “Listen Like Theives”

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