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80s Anthem Quiz: Who Sang It? (1)

Pick the real band and keep the streak alive.

80s Anthem Quiz: Who Sang It? (1)
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About This Quiz

One title, four artists—only one cut the track. Pick the real band and keep the streak alive.

Think calendar, then color: choppy synth = new wave, Rickenbacker shimmer = jangle, horns = Motown tilt.

Shut out same-city look-alikes and trust your ear.

Hit play and let your inner MTV junkie run wild.

If you roll a 30 streak, your retro crown is safe. Miss one? Blame the hairspray and keep spinning.

1/30

Livin' on a Prayer?

[C] Bon Jovi | Jon's vocals soar over that iconic talk-box guitar effect. Tommy and Gina's working-class romance became everyone's anthem halfway through tough times.

2/30

Pour Some Sugar On Me?

[A] Def Leppard | Sheffield rockers mixed metal with pop sensibility perfectly. Producer Mutt Lange crafted those layered harmonies that made strippers and soccer moms equally happy.

3/30

Hungry Like the Wolf?

[C] Duran Duran | Simon Le Bon hunted through Sri Lankan jungles for this video. The band proved pretty boys could rock while wearing more makeup than their dates.

4/30

Billie Jean?

[D] Michael Jackson | That bassline changed everything when Quincy Jones produced it. Michael moonwalked into history wearing one glove and revolutionizing music videos forever with this track.

5/30

When Doves Cry?

[A] Prince | Purple One recorded every instrument himself without using bass. This minimalist masterpiece topped charts while proving less really can mean more in pop music.

6/30

I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)?

[A] Hall & Oates | Philly duo's drum machine groove inspired countless hip-hop samples. Daryl and John proved blue-eyed soul could dominate both pop and R&B charts simultaneously.

7/30

Sweet Child O' Mine?

[B] Guns N' Roses | Slash's opening riff started as a string-skipping exercise. Axl wrote lyrics about his girlfriend Erin Everly, daughter of Everly Brothers' Don Everly.

8/30

Like a Virgin?

[C] Madonna | Material Girl scandalized MTV wearing wedding dress and writhing onstage. Nile Rodgers produced this controversial hit that cemented Madonna's provocateur status in pop culture permanently.

9/30

Walk This Way?

[D] Run-D.M.C. | Rap met rock when these Queens legends covered Aerosmith. Rick Rubin's idea broke down genre walls and basically invented the rap-rock collaboration blueprint.

10/30

You Shook Me All Night Long?

[D] AC/DC | Brian Johnson's first album after Bon Scott's death proved AC/DC unstoppable. Those power chords and double entendres became every bar band's mandatory closing song.

11/30

Don't Stop Believin'?

[A] Journey | Small town girl meets city boy on midnight train going anywhere. Steve Perry's vocals and Jonathan Cain's keyboards created karaoke's most murdered song ever.

12/30

How Will I Know?

[C] Whitney Houston | Narada Michael Walden produced this bubbly perfection showcasing Whitney's range. Her vocal acrobatics made every other singer question their career choices and practice harder.

13/30

With Or Without You?

[B] U2 | Edge's infinite guitar sustain meets Bono's yearning vocals beautifully. Daniel Lanois produced this Joshua Tree centerpiece about love's beautiful contradictions and impossible choices.

14/30

Walk Like an Egyptian?

[C] The Bangles | Liam Sternberg wrote this watching people maintain balance on ferry. The sideways dance moves and hieroglyphic hand gestures conquered MTV and wedding receptions worldwide.

15/30

Jump?

[D] Van Halen | Eddie swapped guitar for synthesizer shocking metal purists everywhere. David Lee Roth's acrobatics and that synth hook proved rock could evolve without losing power.

16/30

Need You Tonight?

[D] INXS | Michael Hutchence's whispered vocals oozed sensuality over funky rhythm. Andrew Farriss wrote this in taxi cab proving inspiration strikes anywhere when you're talented enough.

17/30

Here I Go Again?

[B] Whitesnake | David Coverdale rewrote slower version into hair metal anthem. Tawny Kitaen's car hood dancing in video launched thousand teenage automotive fantasies and insurance claims.

18/30

Come On Eileen?

[D] Dexy's Midnight Runners | Kevin Rowland's overalls and fiddle breakdown created Celtic soul magic. That tempo change midway through keeps dance floors confused but eternally entertained since 1982.

19/30

Time After Time?

[B] Cyndi Lauper | Rob Hyman co-wrote this tender ballad showing Cyndi's depth. Her quirky image contrasted beautifully with vulnerable lyrics about love's patience and persistence.

20/30

Jessie's Girl?

[B] Rick Springfield | Doctor Noah Drake sang about unrequited love for friend's girlfriend. This power pop perfection proved soap opera actors could legitimately rock the charts.

21/30

Beat It?

[C] Michael Jackson | Eddie Van Halen's guitar solo cost nothing but rearranged speakers. Quincy Jones merged rock and pop while real gang members appeared in John Landis's video.

22/30

Just Like Heaven?

[B] The Cure | Robert Smith wrote about hyperventilating girlfriend on Beachy Head cliff. This shimmering pop gem proved goths could write love songs without sacrificing black eyeliner.

23/30

Girls Just Want to Have Fun?

[A] Cyndi Lauper | Robert Hazard's original was from male perspective completely different. Cyndi transformed it into feminist anthem with her mom appearing in the revolutionary video.

24/30

Take On Me?

[A] A-ha | Norwegian trio's pencil-sketch video took four months animating rotoscope. That falsetto chorus note reaches heights that shatter glasses and teenage hearts equally effectively.

25/30

Our Lips Are Sealed?

[D] Go-Go's | Jane Wiedlin co-wrote with ex-boyfriend Terry Hall from Fun Boy Three. This new wave gem proved all-female bands could write their own hits successfully.

26/30

Welcome to the Jungle?

[B] Guns N' Roses | Axl's Indiana naivety meets LA's seedy underbelly viciously here. Slash's talk-box intro and serpentine riff defined danger in Sunset Strip hair metal.

27/30

Too Shy?

[C] Kajagoogoo | Limahl's blonde locks and Nick Rhodes production created new romantic perfection. Despite the silly name, this shy boy anthem dominated global charts impressively.

28/30

Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go?

[A] Wham! | George Michael found inspiration in Andrew Ridgeley's note saying "go-go." Those day-glo shorts and shuttlecock dance moves defined peppy pop for the decade.

29/30

Burning Down the House?

[A] Talking Heads | David Byrne's lyrics came from overheard phrases at random. Bernie Worrell's synths and that choppy rhythm made art school funk impossibly danceable everywhere.

30/30

Love is a Battlefield?

[C] Pat Benatar | Mike Chapman produced this after "Battlefield" movie title inspired it. Pat's shoulder-shimmy dance and street tough video empowered MTV generation women significantly.

Your Scorecard

80s Anthem Quiz: Who Sang It? (1)

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