80s Trivia
Ah, the 80s! A decade filled with neon colors, big hair, and even bigger music hits. Whether you lived through it or just love the retro vibes, 80s trivia is a blast from the past that never fails to entertain. Let’s hop in our DeLorean and zoom back to the era of Pac-Man, Rubik’s Cubes, and MTV!
Fun 80s Trivia: Take a Trip Down Memory Lane
1. The King of Pop Takes Over
No chat about the 80s can skip Michael Jackson. Did you know his album "Thriller," released in 1982, is still one of the best-selling albums of all time? And who could forget his moonwalk? He first dazzled audiences with this iconic dance move during a performance of "Billie Jean" on TV in 1983.
2. Movies That Shaped a Generation
The 80s were golden for movie lovers. Classics like "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," "Back to the Future," and "The Breakfast Club" hit the big screen. Here’s a fun tidbit: "E.T." was so popular that it surpassed "Star Wars" to become the highest-grossing film of its time.
3. Video Games Level Up
Arcades were the hangout spots in the 80s, with games like Pac-Man leading the charge. Did you know Pac-Man was originally named "Puck-Man"? They changed it to avoid a certain inappropriate pun due to vandalism of the arcade cabinets. Clever, right?
4. Fashion Forward… or Backward?
Fashion in the 80s was all about being bold and making statements. From leg warmers to shoulder pads, if it was colorful and flashy, it was in. And let’s not forget about the hairstyles, perms and mullets were the rage. Were they a fashion faux pas or genius? You decide!
5. Tech That Changed the World
The first personal computers made their way into homes in the 80s, marking the start of the digital age. The Commodore 64, released in 1982, became one of the most popular home computers of all time. Imagine, a whole 64 KB of RAM, back then, it was groundbreaking!
6. Music Television Rewrites the Rules
MTV launched in 1981 and changed the music industry forever. The first video they played? "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles. MTV not only played music videos but also launched the careers of many iconic artists.
7. Iconic Toys
Who could forget the toys of the 80s? The Rubik’s Cube became an obsession, and the Cabbage Patch Kids caused shopping mall frenzies during the holidays. These toys weren't just fun; they became cultural phenomena.
8. A Time for Change
The 80s weren't just about fun and games; it was a decade of change. The Berlin Wall fell in 1989, symbolizing the end of the Cold War and a new era for millions.
80s Quiz
You may have been jamming out to pop hits, glued to the latest TV drama, or playing some fun 80s games, but there is no denying the 80s were all about fun and flair.
So let's see just how well you remember this totally awesome decade with a lighthearted, fun quiz!
Question 1: Totally Tubular Tunes!
Which one of these iconic 80s artists gave us the classic hit “Billie Jean”?
A) Cyndi Lauper
B) Michael Jackson
C) Prince
D) Madonna
Question 2: Movie Magic
In which 80s movie does Marty McFly use a DeLorean to travel through time?
A) The Breakfast Club
B) Back to the Future
C) Ghostbusters
D) E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Question 3: Fashion Flashback
Which style trend was not popular in the 80s?
A) Shoulder pads
B) Neon colors
C) Skinny jeans
D) Acid-wash denim
Question 4: TV Time
What was the name of the detective series featuring Sonny Crockett and Rico Tubbs, known for its cool music and stylish outfits?
A) Cheers
B) Miami Vice
C) Magnum, P.I.
D) Family Ties
Question 5: Gaming Glory
Which classic video game featuring a plumber was first released in 1985 and became a legendary staple in the gaming world?
A) Pac-Man
B) Tetris
C) Super Mario Bros.
D) Sonic the Hedgehog
Question 6: Gadget Grooves
What portable music player let you take your favorite mixtapes everywhere during the 80s?
A) CD player
B) Walkman
C) MP3 player
D) Boombox
Answers:
- B) Michael Jackson
- B) Back to the Future
- C) Skinny jeans
- B) Miami Vice
- C) Super Mario Bros.
- B) Walkman
How did you score? If you got most of these right, then consider yourself a true 80s aficionado! If you missed a couple, don’t worry, just crank up your favorite throwback playlist, and bask in that gnarly nostalgia.
80s Music Trivia
Here are a few trivia questions and answers about '80s music that are sure to make you feel like you’re back in the neon-lit days of big hair and even bigger hits:
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Question: Which '80s pop star is known for hits like "Like a Virgin" and "Material Girl"?
Answer: Madonna. -
Question: What band, famous for their synth-pop sound, released "Take On Me" in 1985?
Answer: A-ha. -
Question: Which rock band sang "Livin' on a Prayer," a huge anthem of the '80s?
Answer: Bon Jovi. -
Question: Michael Jackson released "Thriller" in 1982. Which legendary filmmaker directed the iconic music video?
Answer: John Landis. -
Question: Which Australian band brought us the hit "Down Under" in 1981?
Answer: Men at Work. -
Question: Who was the lead singer of the band Culture Club, known for hits like "Karma Chameleon"? Answer: Boy George.
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Question: Which American glam metal band had a hit with "Sweet Child o' Mine"?
Answer: Guns N' Roses. -
Question: What was the name of the hit duet between Queen and David Bowie released in 1981?
Answer: "Under Pressure." -
Question: Which '80s pop duo released the album "Make It Big," featuring the hit single "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"?
Answer: Wham! -
Question: What band released the album "Appetite for Destruction," in 1987?
Answer: Guns N' Roses. -
Question: Who was the lead singer of the British band The Police?
Answer: Sting. -
Question: Which iconic musician sang "Purple Rain"?
Answer: Prince. -
Question: Which Irish rock band became famous for songs like "With or Without You" and "Where the Streets Have No Name"?
Answer: U2. -
Question: What song by Cyndi Lauper encourages girls to have fun?
Answer: "Girls Just Want to Have Fun." -
Question: Which synth-pop duo released "Sweet Dreams in 1983?
Answer: Eurythmics. -
Question: What band asked, "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" in their 1982 hit single?
Answer: The Clash. -
Question: Which '80s new wave band had hits like "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "Rio"? Answer: Duran Duran.
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Question: What Canadian rocker sang "Summer of '69" and "Heaven"?
Answer: Bryan Adams.
80s Trivia Questions and Answers
Here are some classic '80s trivia questions and answers that go beyond just music:
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Question: In the 1985 movie Back to the Future, what year does Marty McFly travel back to in the DeLorean?
Answer: 1955. -
Question: What video game, released in the '80s, features a yellow, dot-chomping character that’s pursued by ghosts?
Answer: Pac-Man. -
Question: Which popular TV series followed a crime-fighting duo driving a Ferrari in Miami?
Answer: Miami Vice. -
Question: What 1980s toy line had characters like Optimus Prime and Megatron?
Answer: Transformers. -
Question: Who hosted the long-running MTV music video program Headbangers Ball, which began airing in the late '80s?
Answer: Riki Rachtman. -
Question: What handheld gaming device, released in 1989, became a huge hit for Nintendo?
Answer: Game Boy. -
Question: Which animated series introduced the world to Skeletor?
Answer: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. -
Question: What 1980 horror film, directed by Stanley Kubrick and based on a Stephen King novel, featured a haunted hotel and Jack Nicholson?
Answer: The Shining. -
Question: In which arcade game did players control a frog as it tried to cross a busy road and river to reach home?
Answer: Frogger. -
Question: Which Disney theme park opened in Florida in 1982 and was focused on technology and international culture?
Answer: EPCOT. -
Question: What British sci-fi TV series about a Time Lord traveling in the TARDIS was revived in 1981 after a hiatus? Answer: Doctor Who.
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Question: Which 1982 fantasy movie features a hero named Atreyu and his luck dragon, Falkor, on a quest to save Fantasia?
Answer: The NeverEnding Story. -
Question: Which U.S. president, formerly an actor, served two terms in office during the 1980s?
Answer: Ronald Reagan. -
Question: In the 1984 film Ghostbusters, what is the name of the towering, marshmallowy villain who terrorizes New York City? Answer: Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.
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Question: Which arcade game features a plumber who travels through various levels to rescue Princess Toadstool?
Answer: Super Mario Bros.. -
Question: What cult classic horror-comedy features a mischievous creature called Gizmo and his evil offspring?
Answer: Gremlins. -
Question: Which fashion accessory, originally made for athletes to hold their hair back, became a huge trend for everyone during the 1980s?
Answer: Sweatbands.
1980s Trivia
Here are some quirky, fun, and fascinating facts about the '80s that might surprise you:
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MTV Launch: MTV (Music Television) launched on August 1, 1981, with the first music video being "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles.
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Pac-Man Fever: When the arcade game Pac-Man was released in 1980, it was so popular that its iconic "waka-waka" sound became instantly recognizable worldwide, leading to a pop song called "Pac-Man Fever."
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Rubik's Cube Craze: The Rubik's Cube, a puzzle invented by Ernő Rubik, became a massive fad in the 1980s, with competitions and tutorials sprouting up everywhere to help people solve the colorful cube.
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Big Hair Bands: '80s hair metal bands like Poison, Mötley Crüe, and Def Leppard made "big hair" a defining style of the decade with their teased and sprayed locks.
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E.T.'s Candy Choice: In the 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Reese's Pieces were used to lure E.T. out of hiding after Mars (the candy company) declined an offer to use M&M's in the movie.
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Compact Disc Debut: CDs (compact discs) were introduced in the '80s, with the first commercial CD pressed being Billy Joel's 52nd Street in Japan in 1982.
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Blockbuster Movies: The 1980s gave us some of the highest-grossing franchises like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Back to the Future.
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Bright and Bold Fashion: Neon colors, leg warmers, and shoulder pads were all the rage, along with iconic brands like Swatch and Guess.
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First Woman on the Court: In 1981, Sandra Day O'Connor made history by becoming the first woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
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Nintendo Entertainment System (NES): Nintendo's console, released in North America in 1985, became a household name with iconic games like Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda.
80s TV Trivia
Here are some trivia questions and answers focused on classic '80s TV:
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Question: What popular sitcom, set in the bar "where everybody knows your name," aired from 1982 to 1993?
Answer: Cheers. -
Question: Which 1980s TV series starred Michael Knight, who fought crime alongside his talking car?
Answer: Knight Rider. -
Question: What family sitcom followed the lives of the Huxtable family and was one of the highest-rated TV shows of the '80s?
Answer: The Cosby Show. -
Question: What prime-time soap opera centered around the wealthy Ewing family and their oil empire? Answer: Dallas.
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Question: What famous animated series involved a group of turtles who fought crime in New York City?
Answer: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. -
Question: What TV show starred Tom Selleck as a private investigator living in Hawaii and driving a red Ferrari?
Answer: Magnum, P.I.. -
Question: What sketch comedy show launched in 1984 and introduced the world to characters like Fire Marshal Bill and Homey D. Clown?
Answer: In Living Color. -
Question: Which TV series about an affluent, high-society family starred Joan Collins as the vengeful Alexis Carrington?
Answer: Dynasty. -
Question: Which classic 1980s sitcom featured four older women living together in Miam?
Answer: The Golden Girls.
80s Movie Trivia
Test your 80s movie knowledge with these fun trivia questions and answers.
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Question: What 1984 film features a group of teenagers battling supernatural creatures in their small town and includes the classic line, "I ain't afraid of no ghost!"?
Answer: Ghostbusters. -
Question: Who played Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and its sequels?
Answer: Harrison Ford. -
Question: Which 1986 movie stars Matthew Broderick as a high school student who skips school for a day in Chicago?
Answer: Ferris Bueller's Day Off. -
Question: In which 1984 film does a young Daniel LaRusso learn karate to face his bully, Johnny Lawrence?
Answer: The Karate Kid. -
Question: What animated movie from 1988 combines live-action and animation, featuring a detective named Eddie Valiant and a toon named Roger Rabbit?
Answer: Who Framed Roger Rabbit. -
Question: Which 1985 sci-fi adventure movie features a character named Marty McFly?
Answer: Back to the Future. -
Question: What 1987 fantasy film features a giant, a swordsman, a six-fingered villain, and the phrase, "As you wish"?
Answer: The Princess Bride. -
Question: Which 1980 horror movie, directed by Stanley Kubrick and based on a Stephen King novel, is set in the haunted Overlook Hotel?
Answer: The Shining. -
Question: What 1986 film, directed by James Cameron, is the sequel to the 1979 sci-fi horror Alien?
Answer: Aliens. -
Question: In which 1984 action film does Arnold Schwarzenegger play a cyborg assassin sent from the future?
Answer: The Terminator.
So, whether you're a seasoned trivia buff or a curious newbie, the 80s offer a treasure trove of cool facts and quirky tidbits. Who knew learning about the past could be so much fun?
So grab your favorite neon windbreaker, cue up some classic tunes, and enjoy the nostalgia. Here’s to the 80s, totally radical and forever unforgettable!