80s and 90s Music Trivia

The 80s gave us synths, MTV and stadium rock. The 90s brought grunge, boy bands, girl power and golden-era hip-hop. These 40 trivia questions cover both decades, with answers in bold.

Want to hear the songs? Play the 80s music quiz or the 90s music quiz, which play real clips.

80s Music Trivia: Easy

1. Which TV channel launched in 1981 and changed pop music forever? MTV.
2. Which music video was the first ever played on MTV? “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles.
3. Who released the album Thriller in 1982? Michael Jackson.
4. Which singer released “Material Girl”? Madonna.
5. Which band sang “Livin’ on a Prayer”? Bon Jovi.
6. Which Norwegian band had a hit with “Take On Me”? a-ha.
7. Which artist released Purple Rain in 1984? Prince.
8. Which band sang “Sweet Child o’ Mine”? Guns N’ Roses.
9. Which charity song was recorded by USA for Africa in 1985? “We Are the World”.
10. Which 1985 concert raised money for famine relief in London and Philadelphia? Live Aid.

80s Music Trivia: Harder

1. On which TV special did Michael Jackson first perform the moonwalk in 1983? Motown 25.
2. Which song was Michael Jackson performing when he debuted the moonwalk? “Billie Jean”.
3. What was Guns N’ Roses’ 1987 debut album called? Appetite for Destruction.
4. Which a-ha video used a famous pencil-sketch animation style? “Take On Me”.
5. Which Prince song from 1984 famously has no bass line? “When Doves Cry”.
6. In which year did Madonna release Like a Virgin? 1984.
7. Which Queen performance is often called one of the greatest live sets ever? Live Aid, 1985.
8. Which Whitney Houston album, released in 1985, was her debut? Whitney Houston.
9. Which band released “Don’t Stop Believin'” in 1981? Journey.
10. Which Bon Jovi album from 1986 includes “Livin’ on a Prayer”? Slippery When Wet.

90s Music Trivia: Easy

1. Which Nirvana album includes “Smells Like Teen Spirit”? Nevermind.
2. Which girl group sang “Wannabe” in 1996? Spice Girls.
3. Who sang “…Baby One More Time” in 1998? Britney Spears.
4. Which Oasis song from 1995 is one of the most covered songs of the decade? “Wonderwall”.
5. Which Celine Dion song was the theme for Titanic? “My Heart Will Go On”.
6. Which boy band sang “I Want It That Way”? Backstreet Boys.
7. Who sang “Livin’ la Vida Loca” in 1999? Ricky Martin.
8. Which film features Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You”? The Bodyguard.
9. Which trio sang “Waterfalls” in 1995? TLC.
10. Which rapper had a 1995 hit with “Gangsta’s Paradise”? Coolio.

90s Music Trivia: Harder

1. Which song did Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby” sample? “Under Pressure” by Queen and David Bowie.
2. In which year was Nevermind released? 1991.
3. Which film soundtrack included “Gangsta’s Paradise”? Dangerous Minds.
4. Who originally wrote and recorded “I Will Always Love You”? Dolly Parton.
5. Which band released “Creep” in 1992? Radiohead.
6. Which Britpop band rivalled Oasis in the mid-90s? Blur.
7. Which Fugees album from 1996 includes “Killing Me Softly”? The Score.
8. Which Mariah Carey Christmas song was released in 1994? “All I Want for Christmas Is You”.
9. Which Spice Girl was known as Posh Spice? Victoria Beckham (then Victoria Adams).
10. Which band released the album OK Computer in 1997? Radiohead.

How the Two Decades Sound

• 80s: gated reverb drums, bright synths, big hair-metal guitars and huge choruses.
• 90s: distorted guitars, drum loops, R&B harmonies and sampled hip-hop beats.

These sounds are your best clues when a clip is only a fraction of a second long.

Run an 80s vs 90s Quiz Night

• Split guests into an 80s team and a 90s team.
• Alternate questions from each decade.
• Add an audio round from the 80s music quiz and 90s music quiz.
• Finish with a tie-breaker from the 2000s music quiz.

Bonus Round: Name the Decade

1. “Bohemian Rhapsody” topping the charts again after Wayne’s World? The 90s (1992).
2. “Every Breath You Take” by The Police? The 80s (1983).
3. “No Scrubs” by TLC? The 90s (1999).
4. “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper? The 80s (1983).
5. “Torn” by Natalie Imbruglia? The 90s (1997).
6. “Africa” by Toto? The 80s (1982).

Play Now

Test your ears with the 80s music quiz and the 90s music quiz, or go back to the guess the song game.