No. 1 Hits of the 80s Vol.1 Trivia Quiz

Answer: KC and the Sunshine Band

"Please Don't Go" was the first song to hit number one on the U.S. Billboard charts in the 1980s when it spent a week at the top of the charts in January 1980. KC and the Sunshine Band, based in Miami Florida, sent this song to the top of the charts as the fifth and final number one tune of their careers.

It was a departure from the disco sound that had been so successful for a good part of their run. Shortly after the release of this song, Harry Casey (KC) left the group to attempt a solo career.

Answer: (Just Like) Starting Over

John Lennon was tragically murdered on December 8, 1980. At the time, his album release "Double Fantasy" was sitting in the middle of the U.S. Billboard charts. The single "(Just Like) Starting Over" also appeared to be a hit although it did not hit the top of the charts until after Lennon's death.

After his death, both the album and song soared to the top of the charts with the single reaching the top of the charts in the last week of 1980 and remaining in the number one position for the first four weeks of January of 1981.

The song also reached the number one spot in the U.K after actually falling out of the Top 20 there.

Answer: Physical

While the lyrics aren't about a gym workout, "Physical" was Olivia's biggest hit spending a total of ten weeks at the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts beginning in the fall of 1981 and continuing for the first four weeks of 1982. The song was actually banned on some radio stations due to its sexually suggestive lyrics, and the video was often edited even by progressive broadcasters such as MTV.

Answer: Maneater

"Maneater" a song that John Oates claims was written with British model and actress Kelly LeBrock in mind, was a number one hit for Hall and Oates during the first two weeks of 1983. It carried over from December of 1982 where it began its four week run at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 charts. "Oh here she comes/Watch out boy she'll chew you up/Oh here she comes/She's a maneater..."
go the lyrics to this tune. Watch out guys!

Answer: Say Say Say

"Say Say Say" was McCartney's second collaboration with Michael Jackson. They had previously hit with "The Girl Is Mine" in 1982. "Say Say Say" was a top ten song in ten countries, reaching number one in the U.S. and number two in the U.K. in 1983. It spent a total of six weeks at the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts beginning in December 1983 and carrying over into January of 1984.

It was co-written by McCartney and Jackson, and produced by George Martin. They also made a successful music video for the song in which they impersonated two con artists.

Interestingly, the National Coalition of Television Violence classified the music video as "too violent to be aired". McCartney and Jackson violent?

Answer: Like a Virgin

"Like a Virgin" was a number one single for Madonna, and was the title track to an album of the same name. It spent a total of six weeks at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts during the winter of 1984-1985. It also reached number one in Australia, Canada and Japan, and got to the number three position in the U.K. This song was Madonna's first number one hit in the U.S.

Answer: Lionel Ritchie

It was Lionel Ritchie's "Say You, Say Me" which won the Academy Award for the Best Original Song of 1985. The song was written for the motion picture "White Knights" (1985) starring Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines. It became a number one tune as well, spending four weeks at the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts spanning the end of 1985 and the beginning of 1986.

Answer: The Bangles

It was The Bangles who took "Walk Like an Egyptian" to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in the U.S. for a four week stay spanning late December 1986 and early January 1987. The song was part of their hit album called "Different Light". It was first offered to Toni Basil who chose not to record it, and when it was offered to The Bangles, they scooped it up.

It has been said that the song was recorded and put on the album as a joke. Well, some joke it turned out to be. The song reached number one in Germany, Amsterdam and Australia, reached number two in Ireland, and number three in the U.K.

Answer: Faith

It was "Faith" which topped the charts for George Michael in late 1987 and early 1988 remaining at number one on the U.S. Billboard charts for four weeks. It was actually the second release from the album of the same name. Michael had previously released "I Want Your Sex" which peaked at number two on the U.S. charts. "Faith" became the first of four consecutive number one hits on the album.

It was followed by "Father Figure", "One More Try" and "Monkey". The streak was broken by "Kissing a Fool" which got as high as number five on the charts, but never could reach the peak.

Answer: Every Rose Has Its Thorn

The group called Poison reached the pinnacle of success when "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" reached the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts and stayed there for three weeks during late 1988 and early 1989. The band, led by Brett Michaels, had some minor success a few years earlier with songs like "Talk Dirty to Me" and "I Won't Forget You", but this was their only visit to Billboard's apex.

Interestingly, the song never made it to the Top ten in any other country.