My Favourite Songs Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ordinary World

Duran Duran first hit the scene in 1981 with "Planet Earth" which reached number one in Australia but did not do as well in other countries. They have had a few line up changes since 1985, but the original five members (Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor, Andy Taylor and Roger Taylor) reformed in 2001 and released another album together in 2004. None of the Taylors are related.
"Ordinary World" was their biggest song in the 1990s (the lineup was Simon, Nick, John and Warren Cuccurullo of Missing Persons). They performed it at Live 8 in 2005.

Answer: The Sun Always Shines on TV

"The Sun Always Shines on TV" was a Number One for Norwegain band, A-ha, in 1986. Morten Harket was the lead singer with Magne Furuholmen and Pal Waaktaar as the other two members and main song writers. Their most famous hit is "Take on Me" which got to Number One in the UK after the third release and was later covered in 2001 by boy band A1. Every 80s child will remember the video for "Take on Me" forever, with its switching between film and animation in a comic book.

Answer: Living on a Prayer

"Living on a Prayer" reached number one in the USA in 1986 but only reached number two in the UK. Jon Bon Jovi (real name Jon Bongiovi) is the lead singer and had a dramatic hair style change in the early 90s, adding to his heart throb status (he had a mass of curly hair in the 80s, but then had it cut to shoulder length and straightened in the "Always" video in 1992).
"Living on a Prayer" is taken off the number one album "Slippery When Wet."

Answer: Everything I Do (I Do it for You)

"Everything I Do (I Do It For You)" was sung by Bryan Adams on the "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" soundtrack. Bryan is Canadian and sang in his hime country for the Live 8 concerts in 2005. He has dueted with ex-Spice Girl Mel C aka Sporty ("When You're Gone") and had a variety of hits in the 1980s including "Run to You" and "Summer of '69."

Answer: Careless Whisper

"Careless Whisper" was a hit for ex-Wham! star George Michael in 1984 where it hit the Number One spot on both sides of the Atlantic. It was originally going to be a Wham! hit but George eventually sang it as the start of his solo career. Other solo hits include "Faith," "Freek!" and "I Want Your Sex."
George's most popular Wham! hits are "Wake Me Up, Before you Go-Go," "Freedom," "I'm Your Man" and "Young Guns". The other member of Wham! was Andrew Ridgeley who later married Bananarama heart throb Keren.

Answer: Starman

"Starman" was a Number One in the UK for David Bowie in the early 70s as well as "Changes" and "Fame."
"Space Oddity" is probably his most famous track ("Ground Control to Major Tom").
He had a number of hits in the 1980s with songs like "China Girl" and "Let's Dance" which both reached Number One.

Answer: Heaven

"Heaven" was a hit for Bryan Adams in the 1980s and reached Number One in the UK again in 2003 for DJ Sammy when he remixed it. I prefer Bryan's version though.

Answer: Save a Prayer

"Save a Prayer" was a 1982 hit for Duran Duran. The drummer, Roger Taylor (not to be confused with the drummer in the band, Queen) left Duran in 1985 after the Live Aid Concert and their Number One in the US "A View to a Kill" due to pressures and stress. Fans used to jump on him to try and pull his hair out.

He tried to become a farmer in Yorkshire, England but it did not work out too well. He divorced his wife in 2004 after twenty years of marriage.

Answer: By the Way

"By the Way" was a hit for the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2001.

Answer: Stand and Deliver

"Stand and Deliver" was a Number One for Adam and the Ants in 1980. Adam Ant (aka Stuart Goddard) started his solo career in 1982 with hits like "Goody Two Shoes" and "Wonderful." He later had mental breakdowns in the 1990s and tried it out as an actor but failed. He turned 50 in 2004.

Answer: Hard Day's Night

"Hard Day's Night" was a massive hit for The Beatles in the 1960s. "Working Class Hero" was a solo single from the guitarist and singer of the band, John Lennon, who was murdered in 1980. "Live and Let Die" was a number one hit in 1971 for Paul McCartney and Wings. Paul was the bassist in The Beatles and he plays left handed.

He married Heather Mills in 2001. The other two Beatles were George Harrison (deceased) and Ringo Starr, who did the narrating voice in "Thomas the Tank Engine" for a while.

Answer: Losing You

John Taylor was the bass guitarist in Duran Duran until 1997 when he left to pursue his solo career and a career in other bands like The Neurotic Boy Outsiders and Terroristen.
His album "Feelings Are Good and Other Lies" consists of songs about his personal life with his ex-wife Amanda De Cadenet. "Losing You" is one of these songs and tells of the pain he felt when he divorced her in 1995. The couple married in 1991 with Amanda pregnant at nineteen years old (twelve years younger than John).
John reformed Duran Duran in 2000 and they released their comeback album in 2004, "Astronaut."

Answer: Relax

"Relax" was banned from all stations in 1984 after British DJ Mike Read smashed a copy of the single live on his show. It was done by Frankie Goes to Hollywood and remained at the top spot for five weeks in the Uk but in the charts for over a year. They released another top spotter later in 1984 "Two Tribes" which is the longest running single at Number One of the 80s (it was Number One in the UK for a total of nine weeks, George Michael's "Careless Whisper" knocked it off the top.)

Answer: Andy Taylor

Andy Taylor released his solo career after splitting from Duran Duran in 1986. This lyric is from his best-known track, "Take it Easy." His solo career did not do very well and he left the music business for five years, until getting back together with his bandmate John Taylor to reform The Power Station in 1991.

The reunion did not take place but John and Andy were friends again. Duran Duran reformed in 2000 with Andy.

Answer: True

"True" was Number One in the UK in 1983 for Spandau Ballet. Spandau Ballet consisted of brothers Gary and Martin Kemp, Tony Hadley, Steve Norman and John Keeble. Gary was the songwriter and pianist, Martin was the guitarist, Tony the lead singer, Steve the saxophonist and John was the drummer. They were massive rivals with Duran Duran.
Martin Kemp is now better known for his acting career in British soap "Eastenders" where he played badboy Steve Owen for five years. He has also been the subject of British televsion show "This is Your Life" where they tell everyone everything about him. Duran Duran's John Taylor was on this show as a storyteller. He starred alongside Martin in the flop movie "Sugar Town" in 1999.
Gary used to be married to Sadie Frost and Tony tried to pursue a solo career but did not have the same success as he did with Spandau Ballet.

Answer: Thorn in my Side

"Thorn in My Side" reached Number Two in the UK in 1983 for The Eurythmics. The Eurythmics were Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart, who later married Sarah from Bananarama. Annie went on to pursue a solo career with songs like "The More I Love You." She also did a duet with Aretha Franklin in 1985 with "Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves." Annie performed at Live 8 in 2005.

She was scheduled to perform at Live Aid in 1985 but couldn't due to a throat infection.

Answer: Jealous Guy

"Jealous Guy" was a Number One for John Lennon in 1972 and was later a Number One for Roxy Music in the UK in 1982. John was the guitarist and singer of The Beatles. He was shot in 1980 outside his New York apartment. He devoted his life to trying to make peace in the world, alongside his wife, Yoko Ono.

Answer: Somebody Told Me

The Killers reached Number One in the UK with "Somebody Told Me." Deeply influenced by the 80s electronic sound and Duran Duran, Brandon Flowers, the lead singer, got married in 2005 despite the rumours that he might be gay. He is also a Mormon.
They are rivals of American 80s influenced band The Bravery who sang "An Honest Mistake," another of my favourite songs.

Answer: Addicted to Love

"Addicted to Love" was a massive hit for Robert Palmer in 1985. He was also the lead singer in The Power Station. He died of a heart attack in 2003 at the age of 54.
The Power Station also consisted of two Duran Duran members, John and Andy Taylor. The drummer of the band was Tony Thompson of Chic fame who has also passed away due to cancer.

Answer: New Moon on Monday

Duran Duran are my favourite band.
"New Moon on Monday" was a massive hit for Duran Duran in 1984 taken from their third album "Seven and the Ragged Tiger." In the video for this, the boys re-enact the French Revolution.