One Hit Wonder Lyrics By Year: 1988 Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In February 1988, a truly bizarre one hit wonder song peaked on the Billboard top 40. "Pump Up The Volume" was recorded by the group M/A/R/R/S and, at the time, was seen as a gigantic leap forward in the house music genre in the United Kingdom. How should these bizarre lyrics be completed? "Put the _____________ on the record when the song beats go like this"

Answer: needle

M/A/R/R/S were a collaboration between two independent British music groups known as Colourbox and AR Kane. "Pump Up The Volume" became instrumental in the advancement of house music because of the unique "scratch" sounds and song samples that were created and used throughout the song.

In many overseas versions of the song, the sample taken from the song "Roadblock" by Stock Aitken Waterman were not included because of legal issues and an injunction that prohibited M/A/R/R/S from doing so. "Pump Up The Volume" were a true one hit wonder band and would peak at number thirteen on the Billboard Charts in February 1988.

2. In 1988, the actor Patrick Swayze teamed with Wendy Fraser to record a Billboard Top 40 hit for the soundtrack "Dirty Dancing". In fact, this song became so popular in the United States, it went all the way to number three in February 1988. How should the lyrics to this popular song be completed? "Feel her ____________ on my face Her body close to me Can't look in her eyes She's out of my league"

Answer: breath

Interestingly enough, not only the song was successful, but the "Dirty Dancing" soundtrack was very successful as well. In 1986, the "Dirty Dancing" soundtrack would stay at number one for nineteen weeks. The music video for this popular song would take various black and white clips from the "Dirty Dancing" movie and overlay it with images of Patrick Swayze and Wendy Fraser. Unfortunately for both artists, their later success was minimal.

3. The late 1980s produced a multitude of dance pop groups that became famous and successful. The band Bardeux were no exception to this rule, recording many successful songs on the Billboard dance charts. Only one of their hits, however, would gain any success on the Billboard Top 40. "When We Kiss" would peak at number thirty-six on the Billboard charts in June of 1988. How should the lyrics to this dance smash be completed? "It was late one night And we had a fight And it seemed like _________________"

Answer: nothing was going right

Bardeux were a dance pop duo that formed in 1987. They consisted of Stacy Smith and Tarrie B. They were known mainly (and had large success) on the dance pop charts. When it came to the Billboard charts, "When We Kiss" would be the only hit to reach the top 40. On the dance charts, Bardeux fared very well on their first album, having their song "Three Time Lover" peak at number ten and "Magic Carpet Ride" peak at number five on the Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales chart.

4. Included on the soundtrack to the movie "Donnie Darko" in 2001, the song "Under the Milky Way" had previously been a one hit wonder song by The Church in 1988. According to the lyrics, in what geographic location is the curtain being lowered? "Lower the curtain down in _____________, Lower the curtain down all right. I got no time for private consultation, Under the milky way tonight."

Answer: Memphis

"Under The Milky Way" went all the way to number twenty-four on the Billboard Top 40 in June of 1988. According to the band, the song was written about a popular Amsterdam music bar called the Melkweg (Milky Way). The song was released in various countries around the world, and at one point, the cover art for the record had been done in five different ways.

The Church continued to perform in their native Australia, however, no Billboard success has been achieved in North America since their famed 1988 performance.

5. Australian band Midnight Oil had their greatest North American success with their hit song "Beds Are Burning" in July of 1988. What is the temperature of the desert according to the song lyrics? "Four wheels scare the cockatoos From Kintore East to Yuendemu The western desert lives and breathes In _____________ degrees."

Answer: forty-five

"Beds Are Burning" became a great success for Midnight Oil because it was a song that pleaded for the rights of Indigenous Australians' land claims. In fact, at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, Midnight Oil performed this song during the closing ceremonies as a means to apologize to all of those Aboriginal children who were taken by the Australian state during various church and government missions between 1869 and 1969.

6. Popular songwriter Simon Climie teamed up with former Naked Eyes member Rob Fisher to form the one hit wonder duo known as Climie Fisher. Their song "Love Changes (Everything)" would peak at number twenty-three in 1988. According to the opening of the song, how old was he when "she" looked at him? "I was only ______________ When she looked at me that way Seems like yesterday"

Answer: seventeen

Climie Fisher were a short lived pop duo that recorded two albums between 1987 and 1990. Their album "Everything", released in 1988, was a success in the fact that "Love Changes (Everything)" was its hit single. "Rise To The Occasion", the second release from the album, would be a number ten hit in the United Kingdom; however, it would fail to gain mainstream success in North America.

Their second album "Coming In For The Kill" would be successful in the United Kingdom and South Africa, however, did very little in North America. Rob Fisher tragically passed away in 1999 after a bout with stomach cancer. Simon Climie continues to write songs and worked with Eric Clapton on a project known as Totally Dysfunctional Family (TDF).

7. In 1988, only a single one hit wonder went to number one on the Billboard Charts. Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry Be Happy" would peak at the top of the charts on September 24 of that year. How should the humourous lyrics to this popular catchy tune be completed? "Here's a little song I wrote You might want to sing it note for note Don't worry, be happy. In every life we have some __________ But when you worry you make it double Don't worry, be happy. Don't worry, be happy now."

Answer: trouble

"Don't Worry Be Happy" was the first a cappella song to reach the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for two weeks. The song was also given a Grammy Award in 1989 for "Best Song Of The Year".

8. Going platinum and often considered "the greatest rap song of all time", "It Takes Two" would be the only success for the duo of Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock. How should the rhyme to this infectious song be completed? "But I'm known to rock the microphone Because I get stupid, I mean outrageous Stay away from me if you're ____________."

Answer: contagious

Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock were a rap duo from Harlem, New York that performed from 1988-1994. "It Takes Two" used samples from the 1972 popular song "Think (About It)" by James Brown and Lyn Collins and would peak at number thirty-six on the Billboard Top 40.

The song would also gain success in the dance and hip hop scene in 1988, peaking at number three on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play charts.

9. English band The Quick had no success in the North American music scene. In 1988, they would change their band name to Giant Steps. Strangely enough, they would have one hit North American song after changing their name. "Another Lover" would peak at number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100. How should the lyrics to this one hit wonder song be completed? "The world don't need another lover Now it's got you now it's got me The world don't need another lover Cos' our love's more than the whole world _________"

Answer: needs

Giant Steps consisted of two band members; Colin Campsie and George McFarlane. They would only release one album, "Book of Pride" in 1988, selecting "Another Lover" as the first release from the record. "Another Lover" fared well on the Billboard Top 40 while their other single "Into You" would only peak at number fifty.

After the release of their only album, Campsie and McFarlane disbanded, leaving Giant Steps in history as a one hit wonder band.

10. When In Rome had their only North American success on the Billboard Top 40 when they peaked at number eleven in December of 1988 with their hit song "The Promise". How should the beginning of this romantic song be completed? "If you need a friend, don't look to a __________, You know in the end, I'll always be there."

Answer: stranger

When In Rome would go on to produce one single album entitled "When In Rome". The album itself would only reach number eighty-four in the United States, but "The Promise", their first single from the album, would peak at number eleven. "The Promise" has been tweaked and re-mixed over the years; however, only the original has gained any North American success.

In 2004, "The Promise" was played during the ending credits of the popular film "Napoleon Dynamite".

Source: Author apathy100

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

Michael Jackson's "Neverland" ranch is purchased. Sonny Bono is elected as mayor of Palm Springs. Supertramp disbands. 1988 was also a year noted for many popular one hit wonders. How well do you remember the lyrics to these songs?

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