80s Trivia: 200+ Pop Culture Questions

Question: What year did the Berlin Wall fall? 

Answer: 1989

Question: Who was president for most of the 80s?

Answer: Reagan

Question: What day did the Challenger explode? 

Answer: January 28, 1986

Question: What year was the Apple Macintosh first sold?

Answer: 1984

Question: During the 1984 election, a woman ran on a major political party's presidential ticket for the first time in history. Who was it?

Answer: Geraldine Ferraro

Question: What was the name of NASA's third space shuttle, which flew it's first mission from August 30 - September 5, 1984?

Answer: Discovery

Question: What was the first music video played on MTV? 

Answer: Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles

Question: How many Grammys did Michael Jackson’sThriller win in 1984?

Answer: Eight

Question: What year did AC/DC release the album Back in Black?

Answer: 1980

Question: Who was known as the “Queen of Pop” in the 80s?

Answer: Madonna

Question: What is the name of Cyndi Lauper’s debut album? 

Answer: She’s So Unusual

Question: David Lee Roth was the lead singer of what band? 

Answer: Van Halen

Question: What was the first rap song to rank on the Top 40 chart? 

Answer: Rapper’s Delight by The Sugar Hill Gang

Question: Which band is known for their hit song, Come On Eileen?

Answer: Dexys Midnight Runners

Question: Which song by Toni Basil became a huge cheerleading anthem in 1982?

Answer: Mickey

Question: What famous drag queen can be seen dancing in the music video for B-52’s Love Shack

Answer: RuPaul

Question: Who was the first woman to win the Grammy for Album of the year in the 80s? 

Answer: Whitney Houston

Question: Walk This Way was a collaboration between Aerosmith and what other band? 

Answer: Run-D.M.C.

Question: Steve Perry was the front man for which band?

Answer: Journey

Question: The movie Top Gun features what well-known song by Kenny Loggins? 

Answer: Danger Zone

Question: What is the name of Don Henley’s debut solo album?

Answer: I Can’t Stand Still

Question: Which pop sat's hair famously caught on fire while filming a Pepsi commercial?

Answer: Michael Jackson

Question: Which artist has the most number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 in the 1980s? 

Answer: Michael Jackson

Question: How many years did the album Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd remain on the billboard charts?

Answer: Almost 15 years! (778 weeks)

Question: What song does someone play in order to Rickroll you? 

Answer: Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley

Question: Which 1985 song by Simple Minds was featured in The Breakfast Club?

Answer: Don’t You (Forget About Me)

Question: What is the name of the Kenny Loggins’ song that is featured in the 1984 movie, Footloose?

Answer: Footloose

Question: Which artist performed at Live Aid in both London and Philadelphia on the same day in 1985?

Answer: Phil Collins

Question: Which band released the album Appetite for Destruction in 1987?

Answer: Guns N’ Roses

Question: Which band is known for the popular 1984 song, Jump?

Answer: Van Halen

Question: What year did the band Led Zeppelin break up? 

Answer: 1980 

Question: What is the name of Def Leppard’s 1987 album that became on of the best-selling rock albums of all time?

Answer: Hysteria

Question: Vince Neil was the front man for which glam metal band? 

Answer: Mötley Crüe

Question: Which German band is known for the song Rock You like a Hurricane?

Answer: Scorpions

Question: What band was known as “The Most Dangerous Band in the World”?

Answer: Guns N’ Roses

Question: Here I Go Again is a song by what British rock band?

Answer: Whitesnake

Question: Who released the album titled “1984” in 1984? 

Answer: Van Halen

Question: What award show was originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards and debuted in the mid-eighties? 

Answer: The MTV Music Awards

Question: What was the highest grossing movie of the 1980s?

Answer: E.T.

Question: What is the name of the hotel in The Shining?

Answer: The Overlook Hotel

Question: Who was originally cast as Marty McFly in Back to the Future?

Answer: Eric Shultz

Question: What dong does Tom Cruise dance to in Risky Business? 

Answer: Old Time Rock & Roll by Bob Segar 

Question: What kind of car does Ferris Bueller borrow from Cameron’s dad in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off?

Answer: A 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California

Question: What color is the car that Ferris Bueller borrows from Cameron’s dad in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off?

Answer: Red

Question: What was Back to the Future almost named? 

Answer: Spaceman from Pluto

Question: What speed does the DeLorean have to reach in Back to the Future in order to time travel? 

Answer: 88 mph

Question: When the studio didn’t like the title of the movie Beetlejuice what name did Tim Burton jokingly suggest as an alternative?

Answer: Scared Sheetless

Question: The 1986 animated movie, Transformers took place in the future. What year was it? 

Answer: 2005

Question: What was the name of the cyborg police officer in RoboCop?

Answer: Officer Alex James Murphy

Question: What was the first movie to be designated as PG-13?

Answer: Red Dawn (1984)

Question: What are the three rules for taking care of mogwai in Gremlins?

Answer: Keep them out of sunlight, don't get them wet and, of course, don't feed them after midnight! 

Question: What 1982 horror movie features the line, “They’re heeere…”?

Answer: Poltergeist

Question: Can you name the four original Ghostbusters?

Answer: Bill Murray as Peter Venkman, Dan Aykroyd as Ray Stantz, Harold Ramis as Egon Spengler, and Ernie Hudson as Winston Zeddemore 

Question: Who performed the Ghostbusters Theme Song?

Answer: Poltergeist

Question: What is the name of the theme part the Griswolds are traveling to in National Lampoon’s Vacation? 

Answer: Walley World! 

Question: Which famous actor plays the security guard at Walley World in National Lampoon’s Vacation? 

Answer: John Candy

Question: What does Marv like to call him and Harry in Home Alone? 

Answer: The Wet Bandits

Question: What is the name of the movie Kevin McCallister puts on to scare away the pizza delivery guy in Home Alone? 

Answer: Angels with Filthy Souls

Question: Where was the McCallister family traveling to when they left Kevin behind in Home Alone?

Answer: Paris, France

Question: Who turns out to be the Dread Pirate Roberts in The Princess Bride? 

Answer: Westley 

Question: What is the poison Vizzini tries to use to outsmart Westley in The Princess Bride? 

Answer: Iocane powder

Question: What move does Daniel use to win the final fight in The Karate Kid? 

Answer: The crane kick

Question: What is the name of David Bowie’s character in Labyrinth? 

Answer: Jareth, the Goblin King

Question: What is the name of the baby that Sarah is trying to rescue inLabyrinth? 

Answer: Toby

Question: What is the famous line whispered to Ray about building a baseball field in Field of Dreams?

Answer: “If you build it, he will come.” 

Question: Which legendary baseball player appears in the field in Field of Dreams?

Answer: Shoeless Joe Jackson

Question: What is the name of the villain who haunts people’s dream in A Nightmare on Elm Street? 

Answer: Freddy Krueger

Question: What object does the dog dig up in the neighbors yard in The ‘Burbs? 

Answer: A femur bone

Question: What is the name of the creepy family that moves in next door in The ‘Burbs? 

Answer: The Klopeks 

Question: What NBA team won the most championships in the 80s?

Answer: The Lakers (5 Championships)

Question: Where were the Summer Olympics held in 1984?

Answer: Los Angeles

Question: How old was Mike Tyson when he became Heavyweight Champion in 1986?

Answer: 20 (Youngest in history)

Question: How many points did Wayne Gretzky score in 1986, breaking the NHL single-season points record?

Answer: 215 points 

Question: What sporting event is known as the “Miracle on Ice” 

Answer: U.S. vs Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics (US won 4-3)

Question: Who was named MVP of the NBA the most times in the 1980s? 

Answer: Larry Bird

Question: What team was Michael Jordan drafted to in 1984? 

Answer: Chicago Bulls 

Question: Who were the two legendary players whose rivalry defined the NBA throughout the 1980s? 

Answer: Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird

Question: Which NFL team went undefeated for the entire 1984 regular season but ended up losing in the Super Bowl?

Answer: Miami Dolphins

Question: Which MLB player broke the all-time hits record in 1985?

Answer: Pete Rose

Question: Which NHL team won four consecutive Stanley Cups in the 1980s? 

Answer: New York Islanders 

Question: Which tennis star won three consecutive Wimbledon titles in the 1980s

Answer: John McEnroe

Question: Who was the first gymnast to score a perfect 10 at the 1984 Olympics? 

Answer: Mary Lou Retton

Question: Which famous swimmer won seven gold medals in the 1980s, setting the record before Michael Phelps? 

Answer: Matt Biondi

Question: Which NFL team won the most Super Bowls in the 1980s? 

Answer: San Francisco 49ers

Question: Mario first debuted as a playable character in what 1981 video game?

Answer: Donkey Kong

Question: What was the original name of the Pac-Man game?

Answer: Puck-Man

Question: What year was the Nintendo Entertainment System first sold?

Answer: 1983

Question: What year was Game Boy, Nintendo’s hand held console first released? 

Answer: 1989

Question: Who is the final boss in the video game, Punch-Out!!?

Answer: Mike Tyson

Question: Which Nintendo game features a vampire hunter named Simon Belmont?

Answer: Castlevania

Question: What was Princess Peach’s original name in the U.S. version of Super Mario Bros.?

Answer: Princess Toadstool

Question: Which 1989 Sega game featured a blue hedgehog, but wasn't Sonic the Hedgehog?

Answer: Alex Kidd in Miracle World

Question: What was the first RPG game released for Nintendo? 

Answer: Dragon Warrior

Question: Which 1987 arcade fighting game featured Ryu and Ken as playable characters? 

Answer: Street Fighter

Question: Which 1983 Nintendo game allowed players to perform tricks on a motorbike?

Answer: Excitebike

Question: Which 1985 arcade game let you shoot hoops and dunk in a 2-on-2 setting?

Answer: Double Dribble

Question: Which game had a legendary crash where millions of unsold copies were buried in the desert?

Answer: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

Question: Which 1989 Game Boy puzzle became one of the best-selling games of all time?

Answer: Tetris

Question: What was the first Nintendo game to allow saving progress using a battery-backed cartridge?

Answer: The Legend of Zelda 

Question: What was the original name of the sitcom, Seinfeld? 

Answer: The Seinfeld Chronicles

Question: What is ALF’s real name? 

Answer: Gordon Shumway

Question: What was the name of the talking car in Knight Rider? 

Answer: KITT (aka Knight Industries Two Thousand)

Question: What kind of car was used to depict KITT in Knight Rider? 

Answer: 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

Question: What is the name of the medical drama that was actually all just in the imagination of a child? 

Answer: St. Elsewhere

Question: Who is He-Man’s arch nemesis? 

Answer: Skeletor 

Question: What is the name of the kids’ show that starred a friendly red-haired puppet that was a sorceress-in-training and lived in a magical castle? 

Answer: Eureeka’s Castle

Question: What was the topic of David Letterman’s first ever Top 10 list on Late Night with David Letterman? 

Answer: The Top Ten Words That Almost Rhyme With 'Peas’ 

Question: On what game show were contestants known to shout things like “Big Money, no whammies, no whammies!” 

Answer: Press Your Luck

Question: The Simpsons originally debuted as a series of shorts on what TV show? 

Answer: The Tracey Ullman Show

Question: What is the name of the bar in Cheers? 

Answer: Cheers

Question: What was Steve Urkel’s famous catchphrase on Family Matters?

Answer: “Did I do that?” 

Question: What is the name of the detectives the show Miami Vice focuses on? 

Answer: Sonny Crockett and Rico Tubbs

Question: What was the famous catchphrase from The A-Team? 

Answer: “I love it when a plan comes together!” 

Question: Which animated show was known for the catchphrase, “Yo Joe!”?

Answer: G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero

Question: What year didJeopardy first air? 

Answer: 1984

Question: Who was the original host of Jeopardy? 

Answer: Alex Trebek

Question: What tv show featured the main character leaping into different people’s lives, trying to fix historical mistakes? 

Answer: Quantum Leap

Question: What year did MTV first launch? 

Answer: 1981

Question: What city do the Golden Girls live in? 

Answer: Miami, Florida

Question: What is the name of Blanche’s late husband in The Golden Girls? 

Answer: George Devereaux

Question: What color hat does Papa Smurf were in The Smurfs?

Answer: Red

Question: What is the name of the evil wizard who is always trying to capture the Smurfs in The Smurfs?

Answer: Gargamel

Question: What is Velma from Scooby-Doo known for saying frequently?

Answer: “Jinkies!” 

Question: What is the name of Scooby-Doo’s nephew? 

Answer: Scrappy-Doo

Question: What are the name of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ mentor?

Answer: Splinter

Question: Who is the main villain that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles battle?

Answer: Shredder

Question: What is the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ absolute favorite food? 

Answer: Pizza!! 

Question: What was the name of Angela Lansbury’s character in Murder, She Wrote?

Answer: Jessica Fletcher