1985 KROQ Top Ten List Quiz | 1980s Music

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Number ten: The song is "Dead Man's Party". It was performed by a group whose lead singer was Danny Elfman. Name the group at number ten.

Answer: Oingo Boingo

The band was formed in 1972 in Los Angeles, California, and originally called the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo. Lead singer Danny Elfman went on to be a successful composer for movies such as "Pee Wee's Big Adventure", "Batman", "Men In Black", and "The Nightmare Before Christmas". "Dead Man's Party" is off the album by the same name released in 1985.

The band actually performed the song live in the movie "Back to School".

2. Number nine: The song is from the group Tears for Fears. Some sample lyrics are: "There's a room where the light won't find you, Holding hands while the walls come tumbling down, when they do I'll be right behind you, so glad we almost made it, so sad the had to fade it, ...". What is the "ambitious" title of the song?

Answer: Everybody Wants to Rule the World

Tears for Fears is from England. Roland Orzabel and Curt Smith formed the group in 1981 after being in a mod group called Graduate. The song was from the number one album on the U.S. Billboard Album Chart "Songs From the Big Chair" and the single was number one in the summer of 1985 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart. I love the video with Orzabel in an Austin-Healey, which was shot around Interstate 10 near Palm Springs, California.

An interesting side note: both the name of the group and the album "Songs from the Big Chair" have psychological connections. Their name is influenced by a "Primal Therapy" term from American psychologist Arthur Janov. The album title is influenced by the American made-for-TV movie "Sybil" where she found comfort in her psychologist's "big chair".

"She Sells Sanctuary" was done by the group The Cult.
"Love My Way" was recorded by the Psychedelic Furs.
"Alive and Kicking" was performed by the Simple Minds.

3. Number eight: The song at number eight is "This Time" performed by a group from Australia. They were fronted by the late Michael Hutchence. Name the Aussie group who performed the song.

Answer: INXS

In 1977, INXS formed as the Farris Brothers in Sydney, New South Wales. "This Time" is from the "Listen Like Thieves" album. While the song "What You Need" had bigger chart success from the album, as per KROQ's nature, the more obscure song got more airplay than the big hit.

Tragically, Hutchence committed suicide in Sydney, Australia in 1997. The group was inducted in the Australian Recording Industry Hall of Fame in 2001.

4. Number seven: The song at number seven was performed by the Norwegian synth-pop band A-ha. The song's popularity was fueled by its innovative video. Name the song that put A-ha on the worldwide map.

Answer: Take on Me

"Take on Me" reached number one in the USA on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in October, 1985. It is from the album "Hunting High and Low".

The song's video won six awards out of eight nominations at the MTV Video Awards in 1986, including the "Viewer's Choice". Directed by Steve Barron, the video used pencil-sketch animation and live-action video, a technique called "rotoscoping". The lead male actor in the video was the band's lead singer Morten Harket and the lead female was his girlfriend at the time, Bunty Bailey. It was filmed in London England on a soundstage and at a place called "Kim's Caf�".

"Careless Whisper" was recorded by Wham, "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel, and "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits.

5. Number six: "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" was the number six song on KROQ's countdown list. What group fronted by the "interesting" Pete Burns did the song?

Answer: Dead or Alive

The band was formed in Liverpool, England in 1980. The song went to number one on the UK Singles chart and peaked at number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart. When Pete Burns appeared on "Celebrity Big Brother" in the UK during the 2000's, it sparked more interest in the group's songs, especially in the UK.

6. Number five: This is another Tears for Fears song on KROQ's list. This song has a one-word title and could be heard loud and clear. Name the song.

Answer: Shout

"Shout" is also from the album "Songs From the Big Chair". It hit number four on the UK singles chart and number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart. The video shows Roland Orzabel and Curt Smith at "Durdle Door" in Dorset, England.

"Ask" was recorded by The Smiths, "Notorious" by Duran Duran, and "Oblivious" by Aztec Camera.

7. Number four: "In Between Days" is the next song on the countdown. With Robert Smith on lead vocals, which group recorded the number four song?

Answer: The Cure

The Cure were formed in 1976 in Crawley, West Sussex, England. "In Between Days" is from the album "Head on the Door". Though usually associated with Goth-music, the music is much more than that one category. "In Between Days" was the Cure's first single to make the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, though it only reached number 99.

8. Number three: "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" is done by a British duo from London. This group is probably better known for the song "West End Girls". Name the artists who did this song.

Answer: Pet Shop Boys

The Pet Shop Boys were formed in London, England in 1981 by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe. KROQ actually played the first version of "West End Girls" in 1984 and early 1985. The group rerecorded the song with a new producer in 1985, and KROQ played that version too.

The Pet Shop Boys have sold 50 million records world wide and according to "The Guinness Book of Records" in 1999, are the top selling duo from the UK of all-time.

9. Number two: The song "Vigilante" found itself in the penultimate position on KROQ's countdown. The name of this group could get you a long prison term! What's the group's name?

Answer: Felony

The group was formed in Los Angeles by the Spirili brothers Jeffrey and Joe, AKA the Sprys. In 1983 KROQ put them on their regular playlist with the song "Fanatic" which they actually "performed" on "American Bandstand" in April, 1983. The song "Vigilante" is off the album by the same name.
Sadly, Jeffrey Spry (Spirili) committed suicide in 1992.

10. Number one: The top song on the 1985 KROQ Countdown is "Shake the Disease" from a UK synth-pop band. Which band performed "Shake the Disease"?

Answer: Depeche Mode

The band that first recorded under the name of Depeche Mode included Andy Fletcher, Martin Gore, Dave Gahan (lead vocals), and Vince Clarke. Clarke left the band in 1981 to form Yazoo or Yaz with Alison Moyet and then Erasure with Andy Bell. He was replaced by Andy Wilder.

Depeche Mode came from the French for "dispatch fashion", which Martin Gore said he "liked the sound of".

Depeche Mode has left a legacy that many modern bands site as an influence, even non techno bands such as the Killers and Coldplay. According to "Q" magazine, they were "the most popular electronic band the world has ever known." Whether you agree or not, that's heady praise!

Source: Author Alepcot

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

1985 KROQ Top Ten List Trivia Quiz

This quiz highlights the top ten songs from eclectic L.A. radio station KROQ from the year 1985. Name the song or artist or artists that performed the song.

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