- LIFE
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?
Which 1980s police procedural was revived in a 2012 movie starring Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill?
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.
Who played Alice in the 1980s Alice in Wonderland miniseries from the UK?
Which popular 1980s TV show featured a mohawked character named B.A. Baracus?
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?
What year did the animated Spiderman series starring Ted Schwartz as the voice of Spiderman first air?
In the 1987 animated series, how did four normal turtles become mutated into the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?
The early 80’s character Strawberry Shortcake was featured in cartoons, on clothing, and in toys, but where did she first appear?
The 1981 TV series Danger Mouse featured a rodent super-spy, but what type of animal was his sidekick, Penfold?
Is the 1980s cartoon Thundarr and the Barbarians set in the past or the future?
How many lions does it take to form Lion Voltron?
Which 1980s sitcom made actress Katey Sagal a household name?
What model of aircraft does Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell fly?
What are the names of the students stuck in detention in the 1985 movie The Breakfast Club?
The 1989 film The War of the Roses was based on a novel of the same name, but who wrote it?
Who created the artificial superintelligence known as Skynet?
What was the original title of the 1987 movie Predator?
In the 1986 movie Labyrinth who played Hoggle?
What kind of dog attacks Ed Rooney in the 1986 smash hit Ferris Bueller’s Day Off?
In the 1980 comedy Caddyshack, what was Bill Murray’s character trying to kill?
Who was the killer in the first Friday the 13th movie, released in 1980?
What fictional country were Akeem and Semmi from in the 1988 hit Coming to America?
What was the name of the amateur sleuth and mystery novel writer played by Angela Lansbury?
In which 1981 cult horror classic did character Ashley ‘Ash’ J. Williams discover a demonic book in a cabin in the woods?
80s Music Trivia
Thrash Metal / Pop / Rap & R&B
Thrash Metal
What year did Metallica play their first live performance?
Which bands are considered the ‘Big Four’ or the ‘Four Horsemen’ in 1980s thrash metal?
Megadeath’s debut album, Killing is My Business…and Business is Good! was released by which record label?
Who is the only original member of Anthrax still in the band?
What is on the cover of the 1986 album Master of Puppets?
Which country was the thrash metal band Sepultura from?
After the band Hellhammer disbanded, what band did vocalist/guitarist Tom G. Warrior form next?
Which thrash metal bassist died in a bus accident in 1986?
Pop
Which Madonna song was the first to hit the Billboard Hot 100 chart?
Which 1981 song did David Bowie perform with Queen?
What year was the band Tin Machine formed?
Who is the actress featured in the A-Ha music video for Take On Me?
What 1987 album features the song Beds Are Burning by Midnight Oil?
Singer Tiffany released the song I Think We’re Alone Now in 1987, but which band recorded it first?
What song was Debbie Gibson’s first #1 hit?
What color was Joan Jett’s signature Gibson Melody Maker guitar?
Who directed the 1987 music video for Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance with Somebody?
Which hip-hop band teamed up with Aerosmith for the Walk This Way music video?
What year did the band The Police break up?
The cable music video channel VH1 launched in 1985, but what does the name stand for?
What was the name of Tina Turner’s 1984 “comeback” album?
What was the name of Billy Joel’s 1983 doo wop style album?
How many singles were released from Michael Jackson’s Thriller album?
What is Prince’s real name?
How many copies has Whitney Houston’s 1985 debut album Whitney Houston sold?
Rap/R&B
Hip hop had its first top ten album in 1986, what was the name of the album?
What style of dance is closely connected to 1980s hip hop?
LL Cool J’s track Jack the Ripper was a diss track directed at which rapper?
Who is the decade’s most successful female rap trio?
Which rap artist was known as the “human beatbox”?
Which successful 1980s rap star later went on to act in films like Fern Gully, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, and Heat?
What was the first rap song to sell over 500,000 copies, earning a certified Gold record?
Where are Chuck D and Flavor Flav from?
Which co-founder of Def Jam records produced The Beastie Boys’ 1986 album License to Ill?
80s Trivia About Fashion
Who made the white suit Michael Jackson wore on the cover of his 1982 album Thriller?
What well-known 1980s fashion accessory was invented to keep dancers’ legs and ankles warm?
Which company produced Aqua Net until it sold to Unilever in 1989?
Which 1980s singer, model, and style icon famously wore her hair in a geometric high top fade?
What is Madonna’s natural hair color?
Who designed Princess Diana’s wedding dress?
What is the quintessential 1980s one-piece workout uniform?
What fashion style was popularized by British bands like the Sex Pistols, The Clash, and Stiff Little Fingers?
Which 1980s rock star exemplified the flowing, bohemian style with her beaded and fringed shawls?
Who designed the down vest worn by Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future?
What cosmetics product was used in abundance to create the iconic 80s “big hair” look?
Which Swiss watch company was known for its vividly colorful plastic watches in the 80s?
What 1980s feature of suits and dresses was used to broaden the shoulders and add a geometric look to garments?
Which 80s supermodel was on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition three consecutive times?
Which 80s male pop star was known for his androgynous fashion, often pairing suits with lipstick and eyeshadow?
Which 1980s movie protagonists helped make bomber jackets a hot fashion item?
Which 80s brand was known for their high-waisted jeans and denim jackets?
Which year did Members Only jackets first appear in stores?
Which street brand of clothing, identified by its scribbled logo, started business in 1984?
What popular 80s hairstyle is often described as “business in the front, party in the back”?
Spandex was wildly popular in the 1980s but what material is it made from?
How much did the ivory ruffled shirt that Prince wore in the 80s movie Purple Rain sell for at auction in 2016?
What article of clothing was the TV character Cliff Huxtable known for?
Which New York based fashion magazine was started in the 1980s by two former SoHo Weekly News editors?
Who was People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive in 1985
Which athletic shoe brand sold the most shoes in the 1980s?
Other 80s Trivia
What was the sci-fi sounding nickname of Ronald Reagan’s 1983 Strategic Defense Initiative?
What year was Ronald Reagan elected president of the United States?
What was the name of the first U.S. female astronaut who went into space in 1983?
What year was the first Macintosh (later Apple) computer released?
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
What was the Iran-Contra affair about?
Which U.S. president succeeded Reagan in 1988?
What was the Exxon Valdez disaster?
Who were the Central Park Five?
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?
Which health epidemic was initially wrongly called the “gay plague”?
Which year did the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl happen?
What 80s product made by the Coca-Cola Company was so unpopular with consumers that it was discontinued mere months after its release?
On which 1980s show did the Simpsons first appear?
What was the first video that aired on MTV when it launched in 1981?
Who discovered the wreck of the Titanic in 1985?
What was the average price of gas in the late 1980s?
Which American football team had the most Super Bowl wins in the 1980s?
Which country’s team won the 1986 World Cup Championship?
Who did the St. Louis Cardinals beat to win the World Series in 1982?
Which U.S. president led a boycott of the 1980 Olympics games?
What year did Michael Jordan join the Chicago Bulls?
Which team won the 1989 Stanley Cup?
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?
Which racial demographic increased by 70% in America during the 1980s?
Which country surpassed the United States in the 1980s to become the world’s largest computer chip producer?