Music Trivia Questions and Answers From the 1980s

If you need music trivia questions and answers from the 1980s, this article gives you a ready-to-play set of questions covering pop, rock, movie soundtracks, one-hit wonders, and big 1980s music moments. It’s designed for party games, classroom fun, nostalgia nights, or anyone who wants a quick challenge with answers included.

The questions range from easy to moderately tricky, so you can use them for mixed-age groups or split them into teams. Each answer is listed right after the question, making this simple to host with no extra prep.

1980s Music Trivia Questions and Answers

1. Question: Which artist released the album Thriller in 1982?

   Answer: Michael Jackson

2. Question: What was the name of Madonna’s 1984 breakthrough album?

   Answer: Like a Virgin

3. Question: Which band sang “Don’t Stop Believin’”?

   Answer: Journey

4. Question: Which singer was known as the “Queen of Pop” during the 1980s?

   Answer: Madonna

5. Question: What 1980s song begins with the line “Wake me up before you go-go”?

   Answer: “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” by Wham!

6. Question: Which artist sang “When Doves Cry”?

   Answer: Prince

7. Question: What group performed “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”?

   Answer: Cyndi Lauper

8. Question: Which band released “Sweet Child o’ Mine” in 1987?

   Answer: Guns N’ Roses

9. Question: What was the title of Whitney Houston’s debut studio album?

   Answer: Whitney Houston

10. Question: Which singer released “Like a Prayer” in 1989?

    Answer: Madonna

11. Question: What band performed “Livin’ on a Prayer”?

    Answer: Bon Jovi

12. Question: Which artist is known for the 1983 hit “Billie Jean”?

    Answer: Michael Jackson

13. Question: What duo sang “Take On Me”?

    Answer: a-ha

14. Question: Which song by The Bangles became a major 1980s hit and mentions “walking like an Egyptian”?

    Answer: “Walk Like an Egyptian”

15. Question: Which artist sang “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)”?

    Answer: Whitney Houston

16. Question: What band released the album 1984?

    Answer: Van Halen

17. Question: Which singer had the hit “Material Girl”?

    Answer: Madonna

18. Question: What rock band performed “Every Breath You Take”?

    Answer: The Police

19. Question: Which artist released “Kiss” in 1986?

    Answer: Prince

20. Question: What group sang “Africa”?

    Answer: Toto

21. Question: Which singer performed “Faith” after his solo breakthrough in the late 1980s?

    Answer: George Michael

22. Question: What movie featured the hit song “Footloose” by Kenny Loggins?

    Answer: Footloose

23. Question: Which band sang “With or Without You”?

    Answer: U2

24. Question: What 1980s female artist sang “Time After Time”?

    Answer: Cyndi Lauper

25. Question: Which band released “Here I Go Again”?

    Answer: Whitesnake

26. Question: What was the name of the charity single released in 1985 by a supergroup of British and Irish artists?

    Answer: “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” by Band Aid

27. Question: Which singer recorded “Manic Monday” with The Bangles?

    Answer: Prince wrote it; The Bangles recorded it

28. Question: What song by Michael Jackson featured a famous music video with zombies?

    Answer: “Thriller”

29. Question: Which band sang “Pour Some Sugar on Me”?

    Answer: Def Leppard

30. Question: What artist had the 1980 hit “Call Me” from the film American Gigolo?

    Answer: Blondie

31. Question: Which song by REO Speedwagon became a staple of 1980s radio?

    Answer: “Keep On Loving You”

32. Question: What duo sang “Endless Love” in 1981?

    Answer: Diana Ross and Lionel Richie

33. Question: Which artist is associated with the 1980 hit “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” as part of the band Queen?

    Answer: Queen

34. Question: What 1980s band sang “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”?

    Answer: Tears for Fears

35. Question: Which singer had the hit “Straight Up” in 1989?

    Answer: Paula Abdul

36. Question: What song by Bonnie Tyler was a major 1980s power ballad?

    Answer: “Total Eclipse of the Heart”

37. Question: Which band released “The Final Countdown” in 1986?

    Answer: Europe

38. Question: What artist sang “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” with Starship?

    Answer: Grace Slick and Mickey Thomas with Starship

39. Question: Which singer released the album Hounds of Love in 1985?

    Answer: Kate Bush

40. Question: What band sang “The Power of Love” in the 1980s?

    Answer: Huey Lewis and the News

41. Question: Which artist had the hit “9 to 5” in the early 1980s?

    Answer: Dolly Parton

42. Question: What 1980s song is famous for the lyric “You can dance if you want to”?

    Answer: “Safety Dance” by Men Without Hats

43. Question: Which band sang “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”?

    Answer: U2

44. Question: What artist performed “Bad” in 1987?

    Answer: Michael Jackson

45. Question: Which singer released “True Colors” in 1986?

    Answer: Cyndi Lauper

46. Question: What band had the hit “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” for The Breakfast Club?

    Answer: Simple Minds

47. Question: Which singer recorded “Open Arms” with Journey?

    Answer: Steve Perry

48. Question: What group sang “Eye of the Tiger”?

    Answer: Survivor

49. Question: Which artist’s 1980s hit “La Bamba” brought a classic folk song back to the charts?

    Answer: Los Lobos

50. Question: What female singer had the hit “Heaven Is a Place on Earth”?

    Answer: Belinda Carlisle

51. Question: Which band released “Walk This Way” with Run-D.M.C. in 1986?

    Answer: Aerosmith

52. Question: What artist sang “Girls on Film” as part of a stylish new wave group?

    Answer: Duran Duran

53. Question: Which singer had the 1988 hit “Simply Irresistible”?

    Answer: Robert Palmer

54. Question: What group performed “I Want to Know What Love Is”?

    Answer: Foreigner

Quick Round Ideas for Different Players

• Easy round: Use the biggest names first, like Michael Jackson, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Prince, and Journey.
• Mixed round: Blend famous songs with movie soundtrack hits and band names.
• Challenge round: Focus on late-1980s acts, one-hit wonders, and soundtrack connections.

How to Use These Questions at a Party

Read each question aloud and give players a few seconds to answer before revealing the correct one. For team play, award one point for each correct response and keep score on paper or a phone note.

If you want a faster game, ask only 10 questions and use a sudden-death tiebreaker from the list. If you want a longer session, split the trivia into themed rounds such as pop stars, rock bands, and movie songs.

Answer Key at a Glance

For an extra-fun final round, ask players to name the artist after hearing just the song title, then give bonus points if they can also name the year or the album.