They're Back! Quiz | Music by Year

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Comeback Song of 1980: "Although our love is still special, let's take a chance and fly away somewhere alone..." This song marked the end to a five year hiatus of one of the greatest recording artists of the rock era. Laying fallow since January of 1975 when he reached number nine in America with "#9 Dream", John Lennon had what number one hit in December of 1980?

Answer: (Just Like) Starting Over

"(Just Like) Starting Over" reached number one on December 27th, 1980, three weeks following John Lennon's tragic death. Three more top ten hits followed including the number two hit "Woman" and the number ten hit "Watching The Wheels". Besides his legendary success with the Beatles, John Lennon had four top ten hits prior to 1975 including the number one hit "Whatever Gets You Thru The Night" and the number three classic "Imagine".

"More Than I Can Say" by Leo Sayer spent five weeks at number two in 1980. Kenny Rogers spent six weeks at number one with "Lady" in 1980.

FUN FACT: Billboard named John Lennon the number two pop singles artist of 1981. (In case you're wondering Kenny Rogers was number one.)

2. Comeback Song of 1981: "When some cold tomorrow finds you, when some sad old dream reminds you, how the endless road unwinds you..." At the age of 19, Steve Winwood reached number ten as lead singer of the Spencer Davis Group with the song "I'm A Man". Fourteen years later, he would return to the top ten as a solo artist with this hit from the album "Arc Of A Diver". Can you name it?

Answer: While You See A Chance

"While You See A Chance" reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 on April 18th, 1981. It was the beginning of a successful decade for the British rock star. He took "Higher Love" to number one in 1986 and "Roll With It" to number one for four weeks in the summer of 1988. In addition, he had three more top ten hits including the number eight tune "The Finer Things".

"Hearts" and "Living Inside Myself" were both top ten hits in 1981 for Marty Balin and Gino Vanelli, respectively.

FUN FACT: Besides the Spencer Davis group, Steve Winwood also was a member of Traffic and Blind Faith.

3. Comeback Song of 1982: "With your eyes a heart of stone can turn to clay..." After a string of hits in the early 1970s ending with their number one tune "Sister Golden Hair", the group America failed to reach the top ten again until the fall of 1982. What top ten classic marked their return?

Answer: You Can Do Magic

"You Can Do Magic" spent five weeks at number eight starting on October 16th, 1982. It was their last top ten hit. They first hit the American charts in 1972 with the number one song "A Horse With No Name". Five top ten hits followed over the next several years including the number nine song "I Need You" and ending in 1975 with "Sister Golden Hair".

In 1982, "Abracadabra" by the Steve Miller Band reached number one and "Hold Me" by Fleetwood Mac peaked at number four.

FUN FACT: "You Can Do Magic" reached number five on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart.

4. Comeback Song of 1983: "That's where the big bands used to come and play, my sister went there on a Saturday..." After emerging from the British invasion in the 1960s, the Kinks went on to hit number nine with the classic "Lola". It took thirteen more years before they were able to reach the top ten again. Do you recognize their nostalgic hit?

Answer: Come Dancing

"Come Dancing" reached number six on Billboard's Hot 100 on July 16th. The Kinks first hit the top ten in America with the number seven song "You Really Got Me". They hit the top ten twice the following year with "All Day And All Of The Night" and "Tired Of Waiting For You". Their only other venture into the top ten prior to 1983 was in 1970 with the number nine song "Lola".

"Let's Dance" hit number one in 1983 for David Bowie and the Motels took "Suddenly Last Summer" to number nine the same year.

FUN FACT: The Kinks were inducted into the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 in their first year of eligibility.

5. Comeback Song of 1984: "You must understand, that the touch of your hand, makes my pulse react..." ...began this song and the comeback of one of R & B's greatest singers. As part of a duo with her husband Ike, Tina Turner hit number four in 1971 with "Proud Mary". After suffering through a bitter breakup with Ike, Tina Turner reclaimed the chart 13 years later with what number one hit?

Answer: What's Love Got To Do With It

"What's Love Got To Do With It" reached number one on September 1st, 1984 and held that spot for three weeks. Tina Turner first hit the top 40 with Ike in 1960 with the song "A Fool In Love". Her 1984 album "Private Dancer" provided her with two other top ten hits besides "What's Love Got To Do With It" including the title song and "Better Be Good To Me". Among her dozen top 40 hits during the 1980s were "The Best" and a pair of number two hits, "We Don't Need Another Hero" and "Typical Male".

"Infatuation" hit number six in 1984 for Rod Stewart and Chicago went to number three with "Hard Habit To Break".

FUN FACT: "What's Love Got To Do With It" won both Record and Song of the Year at the 1985 Grammy Award ceremony.

6. Comeback Song of 1985: "I want my M.T.V..." ...is the haunting beginning to one of 1985's biggest hits. Dire Straits made a big splash on the American charts in 1979 with their number four hit "Sultans Of Swing". What song did they take to number one six years later?

Answer: Money For Nothing

"Money For Nothing" began its three weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100 on September 21st, 1985. The song came from the album "Brothers In Arms" which also spawned the top ten hit "Walk Of Life" and the top 40 hit "So Far Away".

"We Built This City" was a comeback hit for Starship in 1985 while Glenn Frey took "The Heat Is On" to number two in the winter of 1985.

FUN FACT: The line "I want my M.T.V." was sung by Police frontman Sting.

7. Comeback Song of 1986: "I'm gonna take you by surprise and make you realize..." Eight years following the release of their number four hit "Don't Look Back", the group Boston appeased their fans who had been eagerly awaiting their follow-up album "Third Stage" by releasing this ballad. Do you remember this hit that reached the top in November of 1986?

Answer: Amanda

"Amanda" spent two weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 starting on November 8th. It was the group's first number one and was followed by their number nine hit "We're Ready". Boston first hit the top 40 with their number three hit "More Than A Feeling" in 1976.

In 1986, "Your Wildest Dreams" became the first top ten hit for the Moody Blues since their number two classic "Nights In White Satin" in 1972. Rod Stewart took "Love Touch" to number six in the summer of 1986.

FUN FACT: A self-acknowledged perfectionist, guitarist and songwriter Tom Scholz actually wrote and recorded "Amanda" in 1980 but held off on releasing the song until he finished composing the entire album six years later.

8. Comeback Song of 1987: "I see your face cloud over like a little girl's, and your eyes have lost their shine..." In 1978, the song "Sometimes When We Touch" became a number three hit for Canadian Dan Hill. Nine years later, he resurfaced in a duet with Vonda Shepard and reached the top ten once again. Can you name this ballad?

Answer: Can't We Try

"Can't We Try" debuted onto the Billboard top forty on July 25th, 1987 and, seven weeks later, peaked at number six where it stayed for one week. Dan Hill's only other top forty hit was his gold-selling ballad "Sometimes When We Touch".

"Friends And Lovers" was a number two hit for Carl Anderson and Gloria Loring. Patti Labelle and Michael McDonald took "On My Own" to number one for three weeks in June of 1986. "Who Will You Run To" was a number seven hit in 1987 for the group Heart.

FUN FACT: Vonda Shepard sang the theme song and had a recurring role as a singer on 1990's TV show "Ally McBeal".

9. Comeback Song of 1988: "And I remember the thunder, talking 'bout the fire in your eyes, but you walked away when I needed you most..." In the same year she was awarded the Oscar for Best Actress for "Moonstruck", Cher hit the top ten for the first time in nine years. Do you know the song she took to number ten in March of 1988?

Answer: I Found Someone

"I Found Someone" spent one week at number ten on March 5th, 1988. As a solo artist, Cher had three number one songs in the 1970s: "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves", "Half-Breed" and "Dark Lady". Her last venture into the top forty before "I Found Someone" was 1979's number eight hit "Take Me Home". Following 1988, Cher had four more top ten hits including her 1999 number one hit "Believe".

"Miss You Like Crazy" was a number seven hit for Natalie Cole in 1989. Eric Carmen took "Hungry Eyes" to number four in 1988.

FUN FACT: "Believe" made Cher the oldest woman to hit number one on Billboard's Hot 100.

10. Comeback Song of 1989: "Like a thief in the night, who can't get enough..." It had been fourteen years since teen idol Donny Osmond had seen the top ten when this song took everyone by surprise and climbed all the way to number two. Can you recall the name of this pop confection?

Answer: Soldier Of Love

"Soldier Of Love" spent one week at number two on June 3rd, 1989. Donny Osmond had tremendous success on the pop charts during the early 1970s as part of the Osmonds, Donny and Marie Osmond and as a solo artist. His last top ten of the 1970s came as part of Donny and Marie Osmond, "Morning Side Of The Mountain" which hit number eight in 1975.

1989 was also a big comeback year for both the Bee Gees and Roy Orbison. The Bee Gees took "One" to number seven after failing reach to the top ten for ten years. Even more remarkably, Roy Orbison hadn't made it to the top ten since he took "O, Pretty Woman" to number one in 1964. In 1989, he reached number nine with "You Got It".

FUN FACT: Donny Osmond took to stage acting in the 1980s starring as Joseph in the musical "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."

Source: Author bottle_rocket

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They're Back! Trivia Quiz

Just when their pop music careers seemed over, these recording acts made a huge splash back on the American charts in the 1980s. See if you can recognize the top ten song that marked the return of these artists who first hit the charts in the 60s and 70s

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