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While some Gen X-ers cringe at the return of 1980s fashion from their childhoods, shows like Stranger Things are bringing back an era for people too young to remember it. Whether you lived through the 80s or not, here’s a quiz to test your knowledge of the decade. Get ready to put on your legwarmers and explore trivia about 80s pop icons like Prince and Madonna, cinematic hits like Top Gun, and the birth of Apple.
80s Trivia About TV & Movies
Most people remember ALF from the sitcom by the same name, but what does the acronym ALF stand for?
Alien Life Form
Which 1980s police procedural was revived in a 2012 movie starring Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill?
21 Jump Street
This 1983 TV mini-series about reptilian alien invaders spawned a sequel mini-series, a weekly series, and a remake series, but never a movie.
V
Which 1980s cartoon import from Japan featured a dog version of Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective?
Sherlock Hound
Who played Alice in the 1980s Alice in Wonderland miniseries from the UK?
Kate Dorning
Which popular 1980s TV show featured a mohawked character named B.A. Baracus?
The A-Team
Which 1980s TV title character‘s name became a verb meaning to cobble a solution together out of items like paper clips and duct tape?
MacGyver
What year did the animated Spiderman series starring Ted Schwartz as the voice of Spiderman first air?
1981
In the 1987 animated series, how did four normal turtles become mutated into the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?
They were contaminated by a “strange glowing ooze” later revealed to be a mutagen dumped into the sewers by Shredder.
The early 80’s character Strawberry Shortcake was featured in cartoons, on clothing, and in toys, but where did she first appear?
Strawberry Shortcake originally appeared on greeting cards made by American Greetings in 1972.
What is the proper name of the Snarf companion of the ThunderCats?
Osbert
The 1981 TV series Danger Mouse featured a rodent super-spy, but what type of animal was his sidekick, Penfold?
A hamster
Is the 1980s cartoon Thundarr and the Barbarians set in the past or the future?
It’s set in the year 3994, far in the future.
How many lions does it take to form Lion Voltron?
Five
Which 1980s sitcom made actress Katey Sagal a household name?
Married…with Children
What model of aircraft does Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell fly?
F-14 Tomcat
What are the names of the students stuck in detention in the 1985 movie The Breakfast Club?
Andrew Clark, Brian Johnson, John Bender, Claire Standish, and Allison Reynolds
Who directed a 1985 film starring Tom Cruise and Tim Curry?
Ridley Scott, Legend
The 1989 film The War of the Roses was based on a novel of the same name, but who wrote it?
Warren Adler
Who created the artificial superintelligence known as Skynet?
Cyberdyne Systems
What was the original title of the 1987 movie Predator?
Hunter
Which science fiction horror film starred John Woods and Debbie Harry from Blondie?
Videodrome
In the 1986 movie Labyrinth who played Hoggle?
Brian Henson, son of puppeteer Jim Henson
What kind of dog attacks Ed Rooney in the 1986 smash hit Ferris Bueller’s Day Off?
Rottweilers
In the 1980 comedy Caddyshack, what was Bill Murray’s character trying to kill?
A gopher
Who was the killer in the first Friday the 13th movie, released in 1980?
Mrs. Pamela Voorhees, Jason’s mother
How many A Nightmare on Elm Street movies were released between 1980 and 1989?
Five
What fictional country were Akeem and Semmi from in the 1988 hit Coming to America?
Zamunda
What was the name of the amateur sleuth and mystery novel writer played by Angela Lansbury?
Jessica Fletcher
In which 1981 cult horror classic did character Ashley ‘Ash’ J. Williams discover a demonic book in a cabin in the woods?
The Evil Dead
80s Music Trivia
Thrash Metal / Pop / Rap & R&B
Thrash Metal
What year did Metallica play their first live performance?
1982, in Anaheim, California
Which bands are considered the ‘Big Four’ or the ‘Four Horsemen’ in 1980s thrash metal?
Metallica, Slayer, Megadeath, and Anthrax
Which band features Dave Lombardo on drums?
Slayer
Megadeath’s debut album, Killing is My Business…and Business is Good! was released by which record label?
Combat Records
Who is the only original member of Anthrax still in the band?
Guitarist Scott Ian
What is on the cover of the 1986 album Master of Puppets?
A military graveyard
Which country was the thrash metal band Sepultura from?
Brazil
After the band Hellhammer disbanded, what band did vocalist/guitarist Tom G. Warrior form next?
Celtic Frost
How were the founding band members of Death Angel related?
They’re cousins
Which thrash metal bassist died in a bus accident in 1986?
Cliff Burton, Metallica
Pop
Which Madonna song was the first to hit the Billboard Hot 100 chart?
Holiday
Which 1981 song did David Bowie perform with Queen?
Under Pressure
What year was the band Tin Machine formed?
1989
What English city is the band Tears for Fears from?
Bath
Who is the actress featured in the A-Ha music video for Take On Me?
Bunty Bailey
What 1987 album features the song Beds Are Burning by Midnight Oil?
Diesel and Dust
Singer Tiffany released the song I Think We’re Alone Now in 1987, but which band recorded it first?
Tommy James and Shondells
What song was Debbie Gibson’s first #1 hit?
Foolish Beat
What color was Joan Jett’s signature Gibson Melody Maker guitar?
White
Who directed the 1987 music video for Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance with Somebody?
Brian Grant
Which hip-hop band teamed up with Aerosmith for the Walk This Way music video?
Run DMC
What year was Wham!’s holiday song Last Christmas released?
1984
What year did the band The Police break up?
1986
The cable music video channel VH1 launched in 1985, but what does the name stand for?
Video Hits One
What was the name of Tina Turner’s 1984 “comeback” album?
Private Dancer
What was the name of Billy Joel’s 1983 doo wop style album?
An Innocent Man
How many singles were released from Michael Jackson’s Thriller album?
Seven
What is Prince’s real name?
Prince Rogers Nelson
How many copies has Whitney Houston’s 1985 debut album Whitney Houston sold?
Over 25 million
Where was 1980s pop icon Madonna born?
Bay City, Michigan
Rap/R&B
Hip hop had its first top ten album in 1986, what was the name of the album?
Raising Hell, Run DMC
What style of dance is closely connected to 1980s hip hop?
Breakdancing
LL Cool J’s track Jack the Ripper was a diss track directed at which rapper?
Kool Moe Dee
Who is the decade’s most successful female rap trio?
Salt-n-Pepa
Which 80s rapper was known for his eyepatch and flashy suits?
Slick Rick
Which rap artist was known as the “human beatbox”?
Doug E. Fresh
Which successful 1980s rap star later went on to act in films like Fern Gully, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, and Heat?
Tone Loc
What was the first rap song to sell over 500,000 copies, earning a certified Gold record?
The Breaks, Kurtis Blow
Where are Chuck D and Flavor Flav from?
Long Island, New York
Which co-founder of Def Jam records produced The Beastie Boys’ 1986 album License to Ill?
Rick Ruben
80s Trivia About Fashion
Who made the white suit Michael Jackson wore on the cover of his 1982 album Thriller?
Hugo Boss
What well-known 1980s fashion accessory was invented to keep dancers’ legs and ankles warm?
Leg warmers
Which 1980s pop icon famously wore an oversized suit during his band’s Stop Making Sense tour?
David Byrne
Which company produced Aqua Net until it sold to Unilever in 1989?
Fabergé
Which 1980s singer, model, and style icon famously wore her hair in a geometric high top fade?
Grace Jones
What is Madonna’s natural hair color?
Brunette
Who designed Princess Diana’s wedding dress?
David and Elizabeth Emanuel
What is the quintessential 1980s one-piece workout uniform?
A leotard
What was a scrunchie used for?
To tie back hair
What fashion style was popularized by British bands like the Sex Pistols, The Clash, and Stiff Little Fingers?
Punk
Which 1980s rock star exemplified the flowing, bohemian style with her beaded and fringed shawls?
Stevie Nicks
Who designed the down vest worn by Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future?
Costume designer Deborah Lynn Scott
What cosmetics product was used in abundance to create the iconic 80s “big hair” look?
Hair spray, Aqua Net
Which Swiss watch company was known for its vividly colorful plastic watches in the 80s?
Swatch Watch
What 1980s feature of suits and dresses was used to broaden the shoulders and add a geometric look to garments?
Shoulder pads
Which 80s supermodel was on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition three consecutive times?
Christie Brinkley
Which 80s male pop star was known for his androgynous fashion, often pairing suits with lipstick and eyeshadow?
David Bowie
Which 1980s movie protagonists helped make bomber jackets a hot fashion item?
Indiana Jones and Maverick
What gives acid washed jeans their distinctive look?
The denim is washed with chlorine and pumice
Which 80s brand was known for their high-waisted jeans and denim jackets?
Guess
Which year did Members Only jackets first appear in stores?
1981
Which street brand of clothing, identified by its scribbled logo, started business in 1984?
Stüssy
What popular 80s hairstyle is often described as “business in the front, party in the back”?
The mullet
Spandex was wildly popular in the 1980s but what material is it made from?
Polyurethane
How much did the ivory ruffled shirt that Prince wore in the 80s movie Purple Rain sell for at auction in 2016?
$96,000
What article of clothing was the TV character Cliff Huxtable known for?
Cosby Sweater
Which label made the bucket hats popularized by Run D.M.C. and LL Cool J?
Kangol
Which New York based fashion magazine was started in the 1980s by two former SoHo Weekly News editors?
Paper
Who was People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive in 1985
Mel Gibson
Which athletic shoe brand sold the most shoes in the 1980s?
Reebok
Other 80s Trivia
What was the sci-fi sounding nickname of Ronald Reagan’s 1983 Strategic Defense Initiative?
Star Wars
Who was the leader of the Soviet Union throughout the late 1980s?
Mikhail Gorbachev
What year was Ronald Reagan elected president of the United States?
1980
What was the name of the first U.S. female astronaut who went into space in 1983?
Sally Ride
What year was the first Macintosh (later Apple) computer released?
1984
How many astronauts died in the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster?
Seven – Christa McAuliffe, F. Richard Scobee, Michael J. Smith, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, and Gregory Jarvis
What was the Iran-Contra affair about?
A scandal involving illegal sales of weapons to Iran by the American government
Which U.S. president succeeded Reagan in 1988?
George H.W. Bush
What was the Exxon Valdez disaster?
An Exxon oil tanker spilled 11 million gallons of crude oil into Prince William Sound, Alaska
On what day did the Berlin Wall fall?
November 9, 1989
Who were the Central Park Five?
Five black and latino teens convicted of a brutal assault on a white woman in Central Park. The convictions of four of them were later overturned, but the incident increased racial tensions in NYC.
The D.A.R.E. program was (and is) an anti-drug campaign that sent police officers to schools to talk to kids about gangs and drugs, but what does D.A.R.E. stand for?
Drug Abuse Resistance Education
Which health epidemic was initially wrongly called the “gay plague”?
AIDS
Which year did the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl happen?
1986
What 80s product made by the Coca-Cola Company was so unpopular with consumers that it was discontinued mere months after its release?
New Coke
On which 1980s show did the Simpsons first appear?
The Tracy Ullman Show, 1987
Which famous musician was assassinated in 1980 in New York City?
John Lennon
What was the first video that aired on MTV when it launched in 1981?
Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles
Who discovered the wreck of the Titanic in 1985?
Jean-Louis Michel and Robert Ballard
What was the average price of gas in the late 1980s?
$0.91/gal
Which American football team had the most Super Bowl wins in the 1980s?
The San Francisco 49ers
Which country’s team won the 1986 World Cup Championship?
Argentina
Who did the St. Louis Cardinals beat to win the World Series in 1982?
The Milwaukee Brewers
Which U.S. president led a boycott of the 1980 Olympics games?
Jimmy Carter
What year did Michael Jordan join the Chicago Bulls?
1984
Which team won the 1989 Stanley Cup?
The Calgary Flames
What year did the teen magazine Bop hit the shelves?
1983
In 1982, the two white killers of a Chinese American man were acquitted, prompting civil rights protests in Detroit, Michigan. What was the man’s name?
Vincent Chin
Which racial demographic increased by 70% in America during the 1980s?
Asian
Which country surpassed the United States in the 1980s to become the world’s largest computer chip producer?
Japan
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