Top Pop Hits of 1987 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Tommy and Gina

Bon Jovi, from New Jersey, created a monster hit by singing about two working- class lovers, Tommy and Gina. Tommy was an unemployed dock worker, and Gina worked in a local diner to support her man. Bon Jovi sings, "We're halfway there, livin' on a prayer/Take my hand and we'll make it, I swear..." The song's upbeat message and catchy beat propelled it to the top of the charts. Jack and Diane were title characters in a John Mellencamp song; Brenda and Eddie appeared in Billy Joel's "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant"; and Rico and Lola starred in Barry Manilow's "Copacabana".

Answer: Bill Medley

Bill Medley, born in Los Angeles, formed half of the legendary Righteous Brothers duo with Bobby Hatfield during the 1960s. In 1987, Medley combined with singer Jennifer Warnes to create one of the most memorable songs in movie history- the finale of the immensely popular "Dirty Dancing". Medley and Warnes sang, "I've had the time of my life, and I've never felt like this before/I swear it's so true, and it's all because of you..." Robbie Nevil had a 1987 hit with "C'est La Vie", Richard Marx hit the charts with "Don't Mean Nothing", and Peter Cetera and Amy Grant had a hit with "The Next Time I Fall".

Answer: Honey

"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" was a major world-wide hit in the summer of 1987. The song comes from the immensely popular "The Joshua Tree" album. Bono sings, "I have kissed your honey lips/Felt the healing fingertips/It felt like a fire, this burning desire..." The music and lyrics lend a spiritual tone to this song- Bono is definitely in fine form.

Answer: The Supremes

British singer Kim Wilde struck gold in the U.S. when her version of The Supremes' "You Keep Me Hangin' On" was released in the spring of 1987. This song, written by the legendary Motown composers Holland-Dozier-Holland, was a number one hit in November 1966 for The Supremes.

Some of the lyrics read, "Set me free, why don't you baby/Get out of my life, why don't you baby/'Cause you don't really love me/You just keep me hangin' on..."

Answer: ABC

The band ABC was formed in Sheffield, England, around 1980. The most dominant member of the group was Martin Fry. The band was known for its catchy melodies and symphonic sounds. In paying tribute to the great Smokey Robinson, Fry sings, "When Smokey sings, I hear violins/When Smokey sings, I forget everything..." In 1987, Swing Out Sister had a hit with "Breakout", Duran Duran did the song "Notorious", and The Whispers recorded "Rock Steady".

Answer: San Pedro

"La Isla Bonita" was released in February 1987 and became a big hit for Madonna. The song made ample use of Spanish acoustic guitars and maracas to create a pleasant Latin atmosphere. Madonna croons, "Last night I dreamt of San Pedro/Just like I'd never gone, I knew the song..." Later in the song Madonna says that she fell in love with San Pedro because of its "warm tropical breezes".

Answer: Whitesnake

David Coverdale, former member of Deep Purple, was the founder of the band Whitesnake. In 1987, the album "Whitesnake" achieved tremendous commercial success in the U.S. and yielded two popular singles: "Is This Love" and "Here I Go Again." The chorus of "Here I Go Again" reads: "Here I go again on my own/Going down the only road I've ever known/Like a drifter I was born to walk alone." This song occupied the number one spot on the U.S. singles charts in October 1987.

The Cutting Crew had a hit song with "Died in Your Arms"; Crowded House recorded "Something So Strong".

Answer: Siedah Garrett

Siedah Garrett, from Los Angeles, combined with superstar Michael Jackson to record the 1987 ballad "I Just Can't Stop Loving You." Garrett sings the second verse, crooning, "I hear your voice now, you are my choice now/The love you bring/Heaven's in my heart, at your call I hear harps/And angels sing." The song was released in August and quickly rose to the number spot on the U.S. Billboard charts by mid-September.

In 1987, Debbie Gibson had a hit song with "Only in My Dreams"; Janet Jackson sang "Let's Wait Awhile"; and Whitney Houston performed the hit "I Wanna Dance with Somebody".

Answer: An American Tail

"An American Tail" is an animated film about a group of European mice who immigrate to America in search of a better life- "there are no cats in America!" Two of the main characters are a brother and sister named Fievel and Tanya who became separated in the beginning of the movie. Tanya dreams of meeting her brother again and sings "Somewhere Out There." Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram recorded their version of the song in 1987; the record received a Grammy Award in 1988 for Best Song.

The opening lyrics to the song read, "Somewhere out there beneath the pale moonlight/Someone's thinking of me and loving me tonight..." "The Little Mermaid" was released in 1989, "Beauty and the Beast" came out in 1991, and "Aladdin" was released in 1992.

Answer: Cult

Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam were a popular band in the late 1980s and one of the first freestyle groups to become successful in the realm of mainstream pop. Lisa Velez was the band's lead singer. In 1987 their album "Spanish Fly" yielded two major hits: "Lost in Emotion" and "Head to Toe".

Some of the lyrics read, "I'm lost in emotion, telling you things you really shouldn't know/I'm lost in emotion, am I a fool?/At least my friends think so..."