FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!

VH1 Top 100 Songs of the '80s Trivia Quiz

These are first lines of ten of the top 100 songs of the 1980s... Guess the artist or band who performed them!

A multiple-choice quiz by aircorwin. Estimated time: 3 mins.

Author
aircorwin

Time
3 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
346,893

Updated
Jun 01 23

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
1801

Last 3 plays: Guest 50 (9/10), Fiona112233 (6/10), GBfan (9/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Which '80s band sang the first line, "Poor old Johnny Ray sounded sad upon the radio..."? Hint

The Vapors

Kajagoogoo

Cutting Crew

Dexys Midnight Runners

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. Which '80s band sang the first line, "We both lie silently still In the dead of the night..."? Hint

Poison

Metallica

Guns and Roses

AC/DC

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. Which '80s band sang the first line, "See the stone set in your eyes..."? Hint

Van Halen

Run DMC

Bon Jovi

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. Which '80s female artist sang the first line, "Lying in my bed I hear the clock tick, and think of you..."? Hint

Madonna

Annie Lennox

Whitney Houston

Cyndi Lauper

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. Which '80s band sang the first line, "Watching every motion in my foolish lover's game..."? Hint

Twisted Sister

Chaka Khan

Bananarama

Berlin

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. Which '80s artist/band sang the first line, "Every now and then I get a little bit lonely and you're never coming round..."? Hint

Bonnie Tyler

Paula Abdul

Earth, Wind, and Fire

Janet Jackson

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. Which '80s band sang the first line, "Once upon a time, not so long ago, Tommy used to work on the docks..."? Hint

Def Leppard

Van Halen

Journey

Bon Jovi

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. Which '80s band sang the first line, "She's got a smile that it seems to me reminds me of childhood memories..."? Hint

Guns 'N' Roses

Metallica

Poison

Aerosmith

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. Which '80s artist sang the first line, "They told him don't you ever come around here..."? Hint

Michael Jackson

Billy Idol

Bruce Springsteen

Prince

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. Which '80s band sang the first line, "We're talking away, I don't know what I'm to say I'll say it anyway..."?

Hint

A-Ha

The Cure

Go-go's

Styx

(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

Select a User ID:

Choose a Password:

Your Email:

Most Recent Scores

Dec 13 2024 : Guest 50: 9/10
Dec 01 2024 : Fiona112233: 6/10
Nov 08 2024 : GBfan: 9/10
Oct 25 2024 : fado72: 10/10
Oct 25 2024 : louisehaim: 6/10
Oct 25 2024 : doh1: 10/10
Oct 25 2024 : Thbigbopper: 9/10
Oct 25 2024 : workisboring: 10/10
Oct 25 2024 : masfon: 10/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Which '80s band sang the first line, "Poor old Johnny Ray sounded sad upon the radio..."?

Answer: Dexys Midnight Runners

These bands are all considered "One-Hit Wonders" from the 1980s. The Vapors for "Turning Japanese", Cutting Crew for "I Just Died in Your Arms", and Kajagoogoo for "Too Shy".

2. Which '80s band sang the first line, "We both lie silently still In the dead of the night..."?

Answer: Poison

The song is "Every Rose Has Its Thorn". A portion of the lyrics of the song was featured in the movie Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey in the scene where the gatekeeper of Heaven was asking Bill, Ted, and The Grim Reaper the question, "What is the meaning of life?" Ted (Keanu Reeves) answered, "Every Rose has its thorn, just like every night has its dawn..."

3. Which '80s band sang the first line, "See the stone set in your eyes..."?

Answer: U2

"With or Without You" by U2 was featured in the Episode "The One With the List" of the hit series "Friends". Ross called a radio station and dedicated the song to Rachel after she got mad at him for making a "list" of her pros and cons.

4. Which '80s female artist sang the first line, "Lying in my bed I hear the clock tick, and think of you..."?

Answer: Cyndi Lauper

The song "Time After Time" is from the album "She's So Unusual" by Cyndi Lauper, who was awarded Best New Artist in the 27th Grammy Awards in 1985.

5. Which '80s band sang the first line, "Watching every motion in my foolish lover's game..."?

Answer: Berlin

The song "Take My Breath Away" by Berlin was easily the most popular song on the soundtrack of the movie "Top Gun" starring Tom Cruise as Lt Pete "Maverick" Mitchell. The song played during some of the romantic scenes between Maverick and flight instructor Charlie Blackwood (Kelly McGillis).

6. Which '80s artist/band sang the first line, "Every now and then I get a little bit lonely and you're never coming round..."?

Answer: Bonnie Tyler

The song is "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler. This song has also been covered in recent years in the TV series "Glee". Earth, Wind and Fire has a song titled, "Every Now and Then" but it begins with a different line.

7. Which '80s band sang the first line, "Once upon a time, not so long ago, Tommy used to work on the docks..."?

Answer: Bon Jovi

The song is "Livin' on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi, rated number one greatest song of the '80s by VH1.

8. Which '80s band sang the first line, "She's got a smile that it seems to me reminds me of childhood memories..."?

Answer: Guns 'N' Roses

One of the most recognizable song first lines of all time is this line from "Sweet Child of Mine" by Guns 'N' Roses. This song was also recorded by Sheryl Crow in the late 1990s, changing the first word, however, from "She's" to "He's".

9. Which '80s artist sang the first line, "They told him don't you ever come around here..."?

Answer: Michael Jackson

Any '80s song list wouldn't be complete without the King of Pop. This line is from the song, "Beat It", which was actually ranked lower than another Michael Jackson hit, "Billie Jean". The popular music video for the song featured two street gangs meeting for a fight (using knives and brass knuckles) and ending up dancing together instead.

10. Which '80s band sang the first line, "We're talking away, I don't know what I'm to say I'll say it anyway..."?

Answer: A-Ha

Another one-hit wonder, Norwegian band A-Ha made one of the most popular music videos of all time with this song, "Take on Me". The video combined animation and live action, considered a technologically advanced technique during that era.

Source: Author aircorwin

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