#1 Albums of 1983 and 1984 Trivia Quiz

Answer: "Thriller" by Michael Jackson

"Thriller" is listed as the second greatest selling album of all time, only behind "The Eagles: Their Greatest Hits 1971 - 1975". This great album won four Grammy Awards and produced six singles on Billboard's Pop Singles chart. In addition to the guest artists listed, the album also featured Janet and LaToya Jackson, Steve Lukather and Jeff Porcaro (of Toto fame), James Ingram, and arrangements and production by Quincy Jones. The album entered the charts at number one and remained there for a whopping 37 weeks.

Answer: Flashdance

"Flashdance" won a Grammy for Composition for Motion Picture/TV at the 1983 awards. The album also had songs by Laura Branigan and Kim Carnes. The album spent two weeks at the top of the charts starting on June 25, 1983.

Answer: The Police

"Synchronicity", by The Police, spent 17 weeks on top starting July 23, 1983. The album won a Grammy Award for Rock Duo/Group with Vocal and produced three Top 40 singles. This was, unfortunately, the last album made by The Police. The album has sold over 8 million copies.

Answer: "Metal Health" by Quiet Riot

Quiet Riot became the first metal act to top the relatively conservative Billboard album charts. Although the album only spent one week on top, the album did open the door for other heavy metal bands. The album featured the hits "Cum on Feel the Noize" (a Slade cover song), "Bang Your Head", and "Slick Black Cadillac". One interesting note is that the late great Randy Rhoads was the original lead guitarist of Quiet Riot before Ozzy Osbourne recruited him to lead his band.

Answer: "Can't Slow Down" by Lionel Richie

Both Phillip Bailey and Maurice White were in the band Earth, Wind and Fire and Barry White was a solo artist. Lionel Richie followed up his successful self-titled solo album with "Can't Slow Down", an album that spent three weeks on top of the charts and produced a couple of number one singles ("All Night Long" and "Penny Lover"). Lionel Richie was born in Tuskeegee, Alabama in 1949.

Answer: Footloose

The soundtrack from the film "Footloose" produced six Top 40 hits, and three of those went to the Top 10. The album had songs by Sammy Hagar, Bonnie Tyler, Denice Williams, and Shalamar. The album spent ten weeks on top of the charts and sold over 7 million copies. Ann Wilson was one half of Heart and Mike Reno was the lead singer of the Canadian rock group Loverboy.

Answer: "Sports" was the band's second album

"Sports" was their third album, behind the self-titled debut and "Picture This". "Sports" stayed at number one for one week, beginning June 30, 1984.

Answer: "Born in the USA" by Bruce Springsteen

"Born in the USA" sold 15 million copies, produced seven Top 40 singles, and secured Bruce Springsteen as one of the greatest American songwriters of all time. This was Springsteen's seventh album, and his most commercially successful, accounting for 15 million of the 58.5 million albums he has sold.

Answer: Coleman and Melvoin

Lisa Coleman, Wendy Melvoin, Matt Fink, Brownmark, Bobby Z, and Prince made up the band. This album won two Grammys, sold over 13 million copies, and stayed on top of the charts for 24 weeks. The album was released June 25, 1984 and was certified as a diamond award winner on May 16, 1996. A diamond award winner is an album that has sold over 10 million copies.

Answer: Michael Jackson

"The Boss", Bruce Springsteen, comes in second with with 64 million albums sold to Michael Jackson's 67 million. Prince has sold 39.5 million and Lionel Richie has sold 22 million.

Most data contained in this quiz was compiled from Billboard.com and the Recording Industry Association of America's website. Thanks for playing.