80s Anthem Quiz: Who Sang It? (3)

[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.

[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.

[A] Bruce Springsteen | Veterans' struggles hidden beneath patriotic-sounding chorus fooled Reagan completely. Max Weinberg's snare drum could wake dead soldiers while Bruce raged against machine.

[B] Dead or Alive | Pete Burns spent inheritance on plastic surgery after this hit. Stock Aitken Waterman's hi-NRG production made gender-bending Pete mainstream club royalty instantly.

[D] Public Enemy | Chuck D's revolutionary rhetoric over Bomb Squad's chaos changed everything. Spike Lee's film showcased this confrontational masterpiece making hip-hop politically essential and dangerous.

[B] Young M.C. | Marvin Young's USC economics degree didn't prevent this breakthrough. Flea's bassline and those witty romance tips made hip-hop accessible for suburban kids.

[D] Depeche Mode | Vince Clarke's last contribution before forming Yazoo then Erasure. Those primitive synths and Martin Gore's leather established electronic music's dark future early.

[A] Squeeze | Paul Carrack's guest vocal replaced Glenn Tilbrook creating unexpected magic. Elvis Costello produced this pub rock perfection about romantic weakness and alcoholic temptation.

[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.

[B] John Mellencamp | Cougar dropped from name while writing heartland rock classic. That hand-clap percussion and small-town narrative captured Reagan-era America's mythology perfectly.

[A] Thomas Dolby | Cambridge dropout's ode to unrequited laboratory love featured Magnus Pyke. Those vintage synths and British eccentricity made nerd culture momentarily cool somehow.

[A] The Romantics | Detroit power pop perfection captured teenage crush energy flawlessly. That harmonica solo and handclaps made three-chord rock sound fresh again miraculously somehow.

[B] Ratt | Milton Berle in drag playing grandmother confused MTV viewers wonderfully. Warren DeMartini's guitar harmonies with Robbin Crosby defined sunset strip technical flash perfectly.

[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.

[D] Debbie Gibson | Teen prodigy wrote and produced her own Atlantic Records debut. That DX7 synthesizer and mall tour strategy created DIY pop star template early.

[A] Bobby Brown | New Edition escapee established bad boy R&B template definitively. Teddy Riley's new jack swing and Bobby's attitude influenced entire decade afterward substantially.

[C] Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock | James Brown and Lyn Collins sample powered this party starter. Hip-hop's golden age proved two MCs better than one mathematically speaking.

[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.

[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.

[A] Katrina and The Waves | British band's American breakthrough featured unstoppable joy perfectly. Those horns and Katrina Leskanich's exuberance became wedding receptions' mandatory mood lifter permanently.

[A] Aerosmith | Steven Tyler tackled child abuse after reading disturbing news articles. This comeback hit proved Aerosmith could evolve beyond toxic twins into social consciousness.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[B] The Pretenders | Chrissie Hynde's confident sexuality over James Honeyman-Scott's jangle worked perfectly. Ohio native proved American women could lead British bands successfully and brilliantly.

[B] Human League | Phil Oakey's he-said-she-said duet with Susan Ann Sulley worked brilliantly. Martin Rushent's production created synth-pop's biggest crossover making Sheffield famous worldwide.

[D] Billy Idol | Idol's sister's shotgun wedding inspired this sneering punk anthem. Steve Stevens' guitar stutter and Billy's lip curl made rebellion sexy for MTV generation.

[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.

[D] The Fixx | Cy Curnin's paranoid lyrics matched Cold War anxiety perfectly. Jamie West-Oram's guitar effects and that jerky rhythm made British invasion's second wave memorable.

[A] Bow Wow Wow | Malcolm McLaren's teenage Mohican sensation covered Strangeloves' bubblegum classic. Annabella Lwin's youth and Burundi beats made punk unexpectedly sweet and primitive.

[D] The B-52's | Kate Pierson's cabin inspired this party anthem featuring tin roof rusting. Fred Schneider's talk-singing and Cindy Wilson's beehive made alternative music genuinely fun.

[B] Foreigner | Lou Gramm's arena vocals met gospel choir creating power ballad perfection. Mick Jones wrote this longing anthem proving British guys understood American radio completely.

[A] New Edition | Boston teenagers launched careers of Bobby Brown and Bell Biv DeVoe. Maurice Starr's bubblegum R&B formula created blueprint for boy band dominance.

[B] Berlin | Giorgio Moroder's production soundtracked Top Gun's love scene memorably. Terri Nunn's breathy vocals over synths made military aviation unexpectedly romantic for teenagers everywhere.

[C] Toni Basil | Choreographer Basil changed "Kitty" to "Mickey" switching perspective cleverly. Those cheerleader moves and repetitive chant made novelty hit accidentally influential for decades.

[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.

[B] Cameo | Larry Blackmon's codpiece competed with funk groove for attention successfully. That talkbox effect and minimalist production influenced Minneapolis sound significantly before Prince acknowledged.

[C] Queen and David Bowie | Freddie and Bowie improvised "dee da day" scat in Montreux studio. Vanilla Ice later borrowed that bassline causing legal headaches and retrospective embarrassment.

[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.

[C] Nena | German anti-war protest about balloons triggering nuclear holocaust accidentally. Both German and English versions charted proving catchy transcends language barriers completely.