Radio listeners and pop music enthusiasts unite because this music quiz is going to be challenging. So, get those brain muscles ready and get those toes tapping because we’ve got some questions about the music industry that span several decades. So, for anyone who thinks they know all there is to know about music, prove it!
Radio listeners and pop music enthusiasts unite because this music quiz is going to be challenging. So, get those brain muscles ready and get those toes tapping because we’ve got some questions about the music industry that span several decades. So, for anyone who thinks they know all there is to know about music, prove it!
In 1972, Stevie Wonder released the Grammy Hall of Fame hit “Superstition” on his album “Talking Book.” Surprisingly, Stevie's name is just a stage name. His real name is actually Stevland Hardaway Morris which admittedly doesn't have the same pizzazz.
Pat Benatar became a household name the moment “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” was released in 1980. At the time, Benatar was known as a total trail blazer and a rule breaker, which is why fans loved her so much.
Cher’s musical career kicked off as an act that she performed with her then husband, Sonny Bono. The musical duo had a TV show that ran from 1971 to 1974. A year later, the couple divorced and Cher pursued a solo musical career.
In 1984 Van Halen got everyone on their feet when they released “Jump.” The hit song jumped to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 that same year.
These lyrics were featured in the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack track “Stayin’ Alive.” But while the song was a disco hit, it actually refers to the challenges people face surviving on the mean streets of New York.
In 1973, the American rock band known as Journey was formed in San Francisco, California, and went on to create and release some amazing hits. One of these hits was the 1981 song “Don’t Stop Believin’.”
By 1956, Elvis had a number 1 single, a number 1 album and signed a movie contract with Paramount Pictures. And although he was drafted in 1957, he still made 31 movies between 1956 and 1969.
The song “Africa” was so catchy because it incorporated elements from various music styles such as jazz, blues, R&B, progressive rock, funk, soul and rock, which is what made it such a major phenomenon.
English singer Steve Winwood released his hit song “Higher Love” in 1986. He also released the hit song “Back in the High Life Again” that same year. His musical genres include progressive rock, rhythm and blues, pop rock and jazz.
“Maggie May” was specifically written about Rod Stewart’s 16-year-old self and his personal encounter with a woman. The song was co-written by Martin Quittenton and performed by Stewart himself.
“Livin’ on a Prayer” was released on Halloween of 1986 and it’s Bon Jovi’s 2nd chart-topping single from his 3rd album “Slippery When Wet.” Bon Jovi is also the founder and front man of his rock band, appropriately named Bon Jovi.
Eric Clapton is a major rock and blues singer, songwriter and guitarist whose songs continue to make waves on the radio. But the lyrics “Yes, I feel wonderful tonight” are from his song ”Wonderful Tonight.”
Cyndi Lauper is a singer, an activist and an actress who has graced us with her talents for over 4 decades. And while her hit song “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” was released in 1983, it has continued to resonate with women for many years.
In 1982, the band released the song “Hungry Like the Wolf” which has been featured in films like “Shrek,” “Big Fat Liar,” and TV shows like MTV’s “Teen Wolf.”
The song “Sweet Dreams” was released in 1983 and the British music duo, Eurythmics, consisting of members Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart, earned Best New Artist during the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards.
The Foo Fighters are an American rock band that was founded in 1994 in Seattle, Washington. The band was formed by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl after Kurt Cobain’s passing and the disbandment of Nirvana.
It turns out that Vanilla Ice was reportedly sampling the bass line from the Queen classic, “Under Pressure.” Although he denied it, he ultimately ended up settling out of court and giving members of Queen songwriting credits.
The Canadian singer and songwriter started posting song covers on Vine, a video-sharing app, in 2013. Since then, he has released lots of hit songs such as 2016’s “Treat You Better.”
The singer/songwriter released a hit song called “Rehab” on October 23, 2006. She was known for her various musical genres which included jazz, rhythm and blues and soul. Sadly, she passed away on July 23, 2011.
Australian singer Alex Lloyd took the number one spot and beat out Something For Kate, Basement Jaxx and System of a Down. He’s also known for his four top ten albums, “Black the Sun,” “Watching Angels Mend,” "Distant Light” and “Alex Lloyd.”
Although the song was originally written in 1973 by country music star Dolly Parton, Whitney Houston sang the song for the 1992 film “The Bodyguard” and it became one of the bestselling singles in music history.
Marvin Gaye is an American singer and songwriter who shaped the sound of Motown in the 1960s. These lyrics are from the 1982 album “Midnight Love” and the song called “Sexual Healing” has remained one of the most soulful songs in decades.
Paul Simon’s “You can Call Me Al” was released way back in 1986 and Chevy Chase, one of America’s most beloved comedic actors, appeared in the music video, too.
Gaga released her hit song “Poker Face” in 2008. Of course, the singer herself often has a stoic expression that isn’t always easy to read when she’s on stage but her voice and her ability to constantly reinvent her image is one of the reasons her fans love her.
The hit song was written by James Horner and Will Jennings but it was Celine Dion’s magical voice that made the "Titanic" theme song such a major hit.
Don’t worry, at the end of the song, Meatloaf swears that he will “love you to the end of time,” so that answers that question. The song “Paradise by the Dashboard Lights” is a rock staple because of its story line and eight minute length. The original version of the song was supposedly 27 minutes.
“Tainted Love” was a song recorded by Gloria Jones in 1964, but the new wave band Soft Cell’s 1981 version topped at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and went platinum in Canada and the UK.
The 1985 music video for A-ha’s “Take On Me” dominated MTV and won six awards at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards including Best New Artist in a Video, Best Concept Video and Most Experimental Video.
Men at Work released “Down Under” in 1980 as the B-side to their single “Keypunch Operator.” The song was the only Men at Work song to make the UK top 20 and it quickly became a favorite on Australian radio and television.
Belinda Carlisle rose to fame as the lead singer of the new wave girl group the Go-Go’s before she embarked on a solo career and released hits like “Mad About You,” “I Get Weak” and “Leave a Light On.”
American rock band Survivor released the song “Eye of the Tiger” in 1982 on their third album of the same name. The song was used in “Rocky III” after Queen denied permission to use their song “Another One Bites the Dust.”
This song earned the group a Grammy award nomination for Best Rock Performance by a Group. “Another One Bites the Dust” was a worldwide hit, charting at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks in 1980.
The song “More Than a Feeling” by Boston was released in 1976 and the single peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100. The song is now a staple of classic rock.
In 2000, Mattel, the manufacturer of the Barbie doll, sued Aqua’s record label over the song, saying that it violated their trademark. A court later ruled that the song was a parody under trademark doctrines and a judge concluded his ruling saying, “The parties are advised to chill.”
“Heart of Glass” peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1979. The song was covered by Miley Cyrus in September 2020 and featured on her album “Plastic Hearts.”
“Come On Eileen” charted at number one in the United States and the UK. The song won the award for Best British Single at the 1983 Brit Awards. It’s also remembered for its epic Celtic fiddle solo.
Nickelback has gotten some slack online for having pretty formulaic music, but the band is successful nevertheless. In 2011 they were voted the number one musical turnoff by users on the site Tastebuds.
The video for “Video Killed the Radio Star” was first played on television in 1979 on the BBC’s “Top of the Pops” before it debuted on MTV at 12:01 AM on August 1, 1981.
“Thriller” is a Halloween anthem with lyrics that evoke horror films and a spoken-word sequence performed by Vincent Price. It was also the first music video inducted into the National Film Registry of the United States.
“Don’t Worry, Be Happy” was the first a cappella song to ever reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song also landed on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of “Best Whistling Songs of All Time.”
Linkin Parks’ song “In The End” won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video in 2003. The song also peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and went platinum in the U.S.
This 2001 cover of “Lady Marmalade” was actually the third time that the song had charted. American girl group Labelle reached the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the song in 1974 and girl group All Saints topped charts in the UK with their 1998 cover.
Although the band isn’t exactly a household name, they have over 100 million plays on Spotify and they also have a writing credit on Taylor Swift’s song “Look What You Made Me Do” because it contains samples from “I’m Too Sexy.”
“Beautiful” won the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance after its release in 2002. The song also peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and it is currently certified Gold.
That lyric appears in the song “Hey Ya!” by Outkast, which was released in 2003. The song won a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance and it was nominated for two others that year.
Blink-182 is famous for songs such as “All the Small Things” and “I Miss You. They were formed in Poway, California in 1992 and since then they have released eight studio albums.
Even though “Baby Got Back” was released in 1992, it saw a resurgence in popularity when it was sampled by Nicki Minaj on her song “Anaconda.”
Deep Purple formed in 1968 and they have been releasing music steadily since then. They have released 21 studio albums to date, including their most recent album “Whoosh!” which was released in 2020.
Kris Kross recorded their debut album when they were just 13 years old. Their song “Jump” dominated the Billboard Hot 100 chart and later went double platinum.
The Guns N’ Roses song “Welcome to the Jungle” has become a hit since its release in 1987, but it was surrounded by a lot of controversy back then. The music video for the song aired only once on MTV at 5:00 am, but it quickly became the most requested video on the channel.