Top Pop Songs of 1981 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Rainy

Eddie Rabbitt, born in Brooklyn, New York, achieved success in both pop and country music during the 1980s. His song "I Love a Rainy Night" was a crossover number one hit in the U.S. Billboard singles charts in both country and pop music. The lyrics to the song's second verse say, "I love the rainy night / It's such a beautiful sight / I love to feel the rain on my face..."

Answer: Junior Walker

The Foreigner song "Urgent" reached the number four spot on the U.S. Billboard singles charts in September 1981. This tune features the searing vocals of lead singer Lou Gramm as well as a terrific solo on the sax by Junior Walker of Motown fame. Walker and his All Stars had a top ten U.S. hit in 1966 with a song called "Shotgun."

Answer: Blondie

Debbie Harry and Blondie were major players in the New York City pop scene during the late 1970s and into the 1980s. Their song "Rapture" was one of the first top 40 singles to use rap lyrics. Part of the rap portion of the lyrics read, "And you get in your car and you drive real far / And you drive all night and then you see a light / And it comes right down and lands on the ground..." The song was a crossover smash hit, reaching the number spot in both the U.S. Billboard pop and dance categories.

Answer: Woman

The album "Double Fantasy" was released in 1981, shortly after John Lennon's assassination in December 1980. The song "Woman" appeared on the U.S. Billboard charts in January 1981, and it climbed to the number two spot. This romantic ballad was the second of three singles from the album to reach the top ten in the U.S. singles hit parade. The single "Nobody Told Me" was released in 1984.

Answer: The Greatest American Hero

Joey Scarbury, from California, went to the number two position in the U.S. Billboard singles charts with the tune "Believe It or Not" in the early summer of 1981. The hit song was the theme for the television series "The Greatest American Hero." The series, starring William Katt, chronicles the adventures of an ordinary human who receives superhuman powers.

The song's chorus fits in well with the show's theme: "Believe it or not, I'm walking on air / I never thought I could feel so free / Flying away on a wing and a prayer/ Who could it be? / Believe it or not, it's just me."

Answer: Bliss

Hall and Oates sing, "When they insist on knowing my bliss, I tell them this / When they want to know what the reason is / I only smile when I lie, then I tell them this / Because your kiss is on my list..." This song went to the number spot in the U.S. Billboard charts in April 1981. The dynamic duo from Philadelphia recorded over a dozen top twenty U.S. hits during the 1980s.

Answer: Commodores

Lionel Richie and his band Commodores, from Alabama, got to the number eight spot in the U.S. Billboard singles charts with their song "Lady (You Bring Me Up)." It was released in late June 1981 and featured the lyrics: "Once I was filled with desperation, a solitary man / You gave me hope and inspiration like only true love can."

Answer: Jefferson Airplane

Marty Balin was born in Cincinnati and along with singer Grace Slick became an integral part of the San Francisco bands Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship during the 60s and 70s. In 1981, he had a solo hit with "Hearts"- the song went to the number eight position in the U.S. singles charts in June 1981.

The chorus reads, "Hearts can break and never mend together / Love can fade away / Hearts could cry when love won't stay forever / Hearts can be that way." The Doors and the Electric Prunes hailed from Los Angeles.

The Grateful Dead, founded in the San Francisco Bay area, were led by Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir.

Answer: Sheena Easton

Sheena Easton, born in Bellshill, had a number one U.S. single in the spring of 1981 with "Morning Train." The upbeat lyrics and catchy melody catapulted the song to the top of the charts for two weeks. The chorus lyrics read, "My baby takes the morning train / He works from nine to five and then / He takes another home again / To find me waiting for him..." Petula Clark and Olivia Newton-John were born in England, and Juice Newton was born in New Jersey.

Answer: Arthur

"The Best That You Can Do" was better known as "Arthur's Theme", and the song and the movie were both gigantic hits. Christopher Cross sings, "If you get caught between the moon and New York City / The best that you can do is fall in love." The song won an Academy Award for Cross. The movie "Arthur" starring Dudley Moore as a playboy was one of the biggest box office hits of 1981.