MTV's First 20 Videos Trivia Quiz

Answer: Video Killed the Radio Star

The Buggles were a British New Wave band formed in Stockport, Cheshire in 1977, consisting of Trevor Horn, Geoff Downes, and Bruce Woolley. The name The Buggles was said to be chosen by Horn, who said it was the most disgusting name he could think of at the time. It has also been said that the name was chosen as a joke between Horn and Downes and was actually a pun of The Beatles.

"Video Killed the Radio Star", from the album "The Age of Plastic", was their first song, released in 1979. It only spent one week at number one on the UK charts. The video, directed by Russell Mulachy, went down in history as the first video played on MTV on August 1, 1981.

Answer: Pat Benatar

The song was "You Better Run" by Pat Benatar, from the album "Crimes of Passion".

Pat Benatar began her career as a singing waitress in a "Roaring Twenties" theme restaurant as well as performing in motel lounges in Richmond, Virginia. After moving back to New York, where she was born, she found her way over to open mike nights at the famous club, Catch A Rising Star, where she caught the eye (and ear) of the club's owner, Rick Newman, who became her first manager.

In the 1980s, Pat received eight Grammy nominations and won four of them.

Answer: She Won't Dance With Me

Born Roderick David Stewart on January 10, 1945 in Highgate, London, England, Rod Stewart was one of the most successful rock stars of the 1970s. His accomplishments are almost too numerous to mention. He is the father of six children.

His video for "Sailing" is further down on the list.

Answer: The Who

The Who formed in England in 1964, consisting of Pete Townshend, Keith Moon, Roger Daltrey, and John Entwistle. They have have numerous hits in the UK and the US.

"You Better You Bet" was from the 1981 album "Face Dances" and was the last single by The Who that made it to Billboard's Top 20.

Answer: Susie

"Little Susie's on the Up" was performed by yet another British band, the short-lived Ph.D. The band took their name from the members' last names, Phillips, Hymas and Diamond. They only had one Top 10 hit in the UK with "I Won't Let You Down" in 1982.

Answer: Cliff Richard

Cliff Richard was born Harry Rodger Webb on October 14, 1940 in India and has often been called "the most radical rock star ever". "We Don't Talk Anymore" was written by guitarist/producer Alan Tarney and was his biggest hit worldwide.

He was knighted on October 25, 1995.

Answer: Brass in Pocket (I'm Special)

The Pretenders were formed in London in 1979 and were a huge part of the second British invasion. Lead singer, Chrissie Hynde, was actually from Ohio but moved to London in hopes of becoming successful in the music business.

Answer: False

With the exception of Pat Benatar, most of the artists bands so far on the list have been British. Todd Rundgren is actually from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He self produced the video for "Time Heals", which was from his 1981 album, "Healing".

Answer: True

REO Speedwagon was a band from the American Midwest, who were very popular during the 1970s and 1980s. "Take it on the Run", written by Gary Richrath, was on the album "Hi Infidelity" and peaked at number five on the Billboard chart. Other hits by REO Speedwagon include "Keep on Loving You" and "Can't Fight This Feeling."

Answer: False

It was Styx, but the video was for "Rockin' the Paradise". "Mr. Roboto" wasn't released until 1983. Styx was formed in the Chicago area in the 1960s and were originally called The Tradewinds. They changed their name when signing with Wooden Nickel Records, stating that they chose it because it was the only name that none of them hated.

"Rockin' the Paradise" was from their 1981 concept album "Paradise Theatre", their most successful album to date. On October 16, 2007 Styx received the "Lifetime Achievement Award" from IEBA (International Entertainment Buyers Association) in Nashville, Tennessee.

Answer: Chartbusters

Robin Lane was raised in Los Angeles. Her mother was a model, and her father was a songwriter and musical director for Dean Martin. She moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts in the late 1970s and formed The Chartbusters in 1978. Their self-titled first album hit the stores in 1980 and had two hits, "When Things Go Wrong" and "Why Do You Tell Lies?"

The group split in the early 80s, and now Robin Lane lives in Western Massachusetts, where she teaches music therapy seminars for women in trauma recovery.

Answer: "History Never Repeats" by Split Enz

Split Enz was formed by brothers from New Zealand, Tim Finn and Neil Finn, in the early 1970s. At first, they were a light acoustic combo called Split Ends, but in 1974 they added keyboardist Eddie Rayber to the band and changed their name to Split Enz. They were one of the first New Zealand bands to break into the United States and Great Britain markets. In 1980, they put New Zealand onto the international scene with their album "True Colours", an album that had concentrated on "commercial quality" songs.

Their song "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" was voted the fifth-best New Zealand song ever in the 2001 Australasian Performing Right Association list, even though it was controversial. It was released in Britain during the Falklands War. Some in Britain believed it was a criticism of the war with Argentina. Despite being recorded in January 1982, before the Falklands dispute began, it was removed from radio play lists in the United Kingdom. British naval casualties during the conflict perhaps made any reference to leaking boats too sensitive of an issue.

Answer: Hold on Loosely

38 Special was formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1975 by neighborhood friends Don Barnes and Donnie Van Zant. They have released more than 15 albums and from the beginning have toured relentlessly. Though their lineup has changed a bit over the years, they have been together for more than two decades.

In 2002 the band recorded the soundtrack for an independent film called Super Troopers that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Van Zant wrote on the group's website that the band continues to evolve as the years pass.

Answer: April Wine

April Wine's ninth studio album, "The Nature Of The Beast", became their greatest success. Released in January of 1981, the first single "Just Between You and Me" broke Billboard's Top 20 and remained on the their Hot 100 Singles chart for 16 weeks. Though the members have changed many times over the years, in 2007, April Wine is in their 37th year as a band; quite an accomplishment for any rock and roll band!

Answer: Rod Stewart

"Sailing" is a love song written by Gavin Sutherland in 1972 and recorded at various times by The Sutherland Brothers. Rod Stewart recorded it in 1975 for his album "Atlantic Crossing", and it was a number one hit in the UK in August for four weeks. Despite Stewart's great popularity in the United States, the song never climbed higher than number 58 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Answer: Iron Maiden

The song "Iron Maiden" has long been the band's final song played before they leave the stage to come back for an encore for many, many years. The song is about the spirit of the ancient torture device and not the band itself.

Iron Maiden was formed in England's East End and are one of the most successful and influential bands in the heavy metal genre of music, having sold over 100 million albums.

Answer: Keep on Loving You

"Keep on Loving You" is a somewhat amusing video, starting with the lead singer on a psychiatrist's couch discussing the fact that he's in love with the imaginary woman he wrote the song about. We find at the end that the psychiatrist is actually the "imaginary" woman.

Answer: Message of Love

The Pretenders' second full-length album, "Pretenders II", was released in 1981. Though at the time most critics referred to the album as disappointing, it is now considered by many to be a great album.

Unfortunately, just at the early peak of the band's success and potential, they began to have problems. Singer Chrissie Hynde kicked fellow band member and ex-lover, Pete Farndon, out of the band due to his drug problems. Just two days later, in 1982, guitarist James Honeyman-Scott was dead of a drug overdose. The band tried to regroup the next year, but Farndon died of heroin overdose.

Hynde decided to continue the band with Martin Chambers, and in March of 2005, The Pretenders were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Answer: Lee Ritenour

Lee Ritenour was born in Los Angeles on January 11, 1952 and has since established himself as one of the world's leading jazz guitarists. He has received 17 Grammy nominations, earned several gold albums, numerous number one spots in guitar polls and the prestigious "Alumnus of the Year" award from USC.

Answer: False

It was actually "Double Life" by The Cars. "You Might Think" was The Cars' most popular video, but it was not released until 1984.

The Cars were from Boston, and even though they began as a folk band called Milkwood, they were inspired by experimental music, such as garage rock and bubble gum pop. They list their influences as David Bowie, Velvet Underground, and Roxy Music. The Cars were one of the most successful new wave bands from the early 1970s and scored a series of platinum, Top Ten albums, starting in 1979.