Musicbands

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

Pick the real band and keep the streak alive.

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

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.

1/40

Mr. Roboto?

[B] Styx | Dennis DeYoung's rock opera about censorship confused everyone except Japanese audiences. Kilroy's robot disguise and synthesized "domo arigato" created prog rock's strangest mainstream hit.

2/40

Take My Breath Away?

[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.

3/40

Whip It?

[D] Devo | Akron art students' manifesto about self-determination featured energy dome hats. Gerald Casale's bass and those robotic movements made new wave deliberately weird and wonderful.

4/40

Straight Up?

[B] Paula Abdul | Lakers cheerleader turned pop star with Babyface's production magic. That finger-wagging choreography and street-smart attitude proved dancers could sing convincingly enough commercially.

5/40

I Want to Know What Love Is?

[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.

6/40

Just Can't Get Enough?

[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.

7/40

Keep On Loving You?

[B] REO Speedwagon | Kevin Cronin's high notes could shatter wine glasses easily. This power ballad blueprint taught every rock band that sensitivity equaled radio success.

8/40

Fight the Power?

[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.

9/40

It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)?

[B] R.E.M. | Michael Stipe's stream-of-consciousness lyrics listed cultural references rapidly. College rock's breakthrough hit proved alternative bands could create sing-along anthems accidentally.

10/40

I Love Rock N' Roll?

[C] Joan Jett & The Blackhearts | Arrows' original disappeared until Joan's version conquered everything. That hand-clap beat and sneering attitude made rock's ultimate jukebox selection permanently.

11/40

Super Freak?

[C] Rick James | Buffalo funk master created MC Hammer's eventual sample source. Those Temptations-influenced vocals and P-Funk production made cocaine-fueled party music mainstream somehow.

12/40

One Thing Leads to Another?

[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.

13/40

99 Luftballons?

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

14/40

Faith?

[D] George Michael | Solo debut featured church organ and Bo Diddley beat surprisingly. That leather jacket and designer stubble redefined masculinity while maintaining pop accessibility brilliantly.

15/40

Little Red Corvette?

[D] Prince | Purple genius used car metaphor for one-night stand creatively. Lisa Coleman's keyboards and Prince's falsetto made Minneapolis sound internationally influential overnight basically.

16/40

She Blinded Me With Science?

[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.

17/40

Candy Girl?

[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.

18/40

Call Me?

[D] Blondie | Giorgio Moroder's production met Debbie Harry's ice-cool delivery perfectly. Richard Gere's American Gigolo soundtrack placement made new wave sophisticated and dangerous simultaneously.

19/40

Don't You Want Me?

[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.

20/40

It Takes Two?

[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.

21/40

Word Up!?

[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.

22/40

Tempted?

[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.

23/40

Kiss?

[A] Prince | Parade album's minimalist funk showcased falsetto and guitar mastery equally. That "kiss" sound effect and sparse arrangement proved Prince could dominate using less.

24/40

All Night Long (All Night)?

[B] Lionel Richie | Commodores frontman went solo mixing Caribbean rhythms with pop perfectly. That nonsense "tam bo li de say" part made worldwide parties speak same language.

25/40

Addicted to Love?

[A] Robert Palmer | Identical models in Nagel-inspired video became MTV iconic immediately. Bernard Edwards' production and Palmer's blue-eyed soul made addiction metaphor irresistibly catchy forever.

26/40

I Want Candy?

[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.

27/40

Rock Me Amadeus?

[D] Falco | Austrian rapper's Mozart biography became first German-language American number-one. Those classical samples and Teutonic rap proved hip-hop worked in any language surprisingly.

28/40

Ain't Nobody?

[C] Rufus and Chaka Khan | Chaka's volcanic vocals over Hawk Wolinski's synth-funk killed it. This Grammy-winner proved funk bands could embrace electronics without losing soul completely.

29/40

Brass in Pocket?

[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.

30/40

Wild Thing?

[C] Tone Loc | Loc's gravelly voice sampled Van Halen creating rap-rock accidentally. Matt Dike's production and that Funky Cold Medina follow-up made party rap commercially unstoppable.

31/40

Walking On Sunshine?

[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.

32/40

You Got It (The Right Stuff)?

[A] New Kids on the Block | Boston boys proved white teenagers could appropriate R&B successfully. Maurice Starr's formula and Jordan Knight's falsetto launched million teenage bedroom posters.

33/40

Cars?

[C] Gary Numan | Former punk discovered Moog synthesizer changing everything about himself completely. That android persona and mechanical rhythm established British electronic music's cold future.

34/40

Start Me Up?

[D] Rolling Stones | Tattoo You's lead single proved Stones still relevant somehow. Keith's open-G tuning and Mick's rooster strut launched Windows 95 eventually bizarrely enough.

35/40

Only in My Dreams?

[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.

36/40

Down Under?

[C] Men at Work | Colin Hay's Scottish-Australian vocals celebrated Vegemite sandwiches internationally. Greg Ham's flute borrowed from "Kookaburra" causing expensive copyright lawsuit decades later unfortunately.

37/40

What I Like About You?

[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.

38/40

My Prerogative?

[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.

39/40

Everybody Have Fun Tonight?

[C] Wang Chung | British duo's nonsense chorus commanded worldwide party participation immediately. Jack Hues and Nick Feldman proved "wang chung" meant whatever dancers wanted basically.

40/40

Working for the Weekend?

[C] Loverboy | Canadian rockers' red leather pants matched working-class party anthem perfectly. Mike Reno's vocals and Paul Dean's guitar celebrated Friday night freedom universally forever.

Your Scorecard

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

  • Correct
  • Correct Rate
    %Avg Correct Rate
  • L1Difficulty Level
    1xPoints
  • Get Points
  • Perfect100%
  • Excellent≥90%
  • Very Good≥80%
  • Good≥70%
  • Passed≥60%
  • Failed≤50%

Recent Top Players

Was this quiz helpful?

Don't like this quiz?Tell us why

Related Quizzes

More from QuizABCD

Still looking for something to play? Browse All Topics Play Random Quiz

Sign up now!

Get our latest quizzes via email.

Home Feedback Go Top