80's Trivia Questions

Your source for weekly 80's trivia questions. You will find 80s trivia questions ranging from clothing and hair to TV and movies and, of course, 80's music. If you think you have the answer, post it in the comments section.

LA Law Trivia

Not all television dramas are fixated on doctors, lawyers, and agents of law enforcement, but an awful lot of them are. "ER," "Law & Order," "Hill Street Blues," "Nip/Tuck," "The Practice," "CSI," "Miami Vice," "NYPD Blue," the list goes on and on.

Television producer Steven Bochco was responsible for two of the shows mentioned above, and one more that was a big hit back in the 80's: L.A. Law. The show dramatized the lives of the attorneys at a high powered law firm, and in the process scored a slew of Emmy nominations & awards. So what was the name of the law firm that provided the backdrop for all the drama on L.A. Law?

Bonus Question: In an episode of L.A. Law that aired during the 86/87 season, the writers dreamed up an imaginary sexual technique that one of the firm's clients divulges to his attorney. And even though it was entirely made up, letters poured in wanting to know the details on this mysterious move. People who worked on the show claim they still get asked about it to this day. So what was the name of the fictional sexual technique mentioned on L.A. Law that caused such a stir amongst viewers back in the 80's?

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Madonna 'Holiday' Trivia

Madonna's "Holiday" is the perfect theme for our Thanksgiving 80's style. Thursday's a holiday, a time to celebrate, and 80's Night brings back all of those happy days! "Holiday" wasn't Madonna's first song, but it was her first chart topper. The song "Lucky Star" was released earlier, but only became a hit after being re-released following the success of "Holiday."

Holiday is the only one of her songs that Madonna's included on all of her world tours, it's been on the U.K. charts on three separate occasions, and there was even a rap version back in 1986. And, according to the liner notes of Madonna's self titled debut album, Madonna does more than singing on this tune - she plays a musical instrument. It's something that no self respecting disco tune should be without, what instrument is Madonna credited with playing on "Holiday?"

Bonus Question: Perusing the liner notes of Madonna's first album further reveals that "Holiday" is one of three songs on the album that Madonna didn't write herself. The authors of the song had a group of their own, and later had a few of their songs make it to the club charts. They originally submitted a demo of "Holiday" to the legendary John "Jellybean" Benitez, and he played it for Madonna. There's no mention of whether the authors ever recorded their own version of their song, but Madonna's version became a club classic. So what was the name of the 80's disco group who's members were responsible for writing the song "Holiday?"

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Cold War Movie & Music Trivia

To celebrate the fall of the Berlin wall yet again (see the first Berlin wall trivia question) try your hand at this week's cold war trivia.

The end of the Cold War presented a problem for Hollywood. For over forty years, the Soviet Union were the de facto bad guys for spy flicks and action films. Not willing to give up on a proven formula, some films in the 90's continued to use evil Russkies to menace the hero (Air force One comes to mind). Most movies today seem to have moved on to terrorists, of course.

If ever there was a movie hero that was vexed by sinister Soviets, it was James Bond. The Bond franchise goes all the way back to the 60's, but the 80's provided several installments in the 007 saga. One Bond films starts out at the Berlin wall, and sees Bond sneaking across Checkpoint Charlie in order to foil the plot of a scheming Russian general. What was the name of this film?

Bonus Question: Speaking of Checkpoint Charlie, what's the name of the Elvis Costello song that mentions the phrase?

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Echo & The Bunnymen Trivia

There's a chill in the air, and it feels like autumn is finally upon us. Fall is a great time for those fond of big hair or leather jackets, or any other fashion choice that doesn't fit with the heat and humidity of summertime. And the 80's gave us an abundance of great music that so perfectly fits the sombre mood of fall.

The Cure, The Smiths, Flock Of Seagulls, Japan, Xymox, Psychedelic Furs, Peter Murphy, and Kate Bush, all fit the season. Perhaps more than any other 80's band, Echo & The Bunnymen embody the barren trees and early twilight of autumn. Many consider the song "The Killing Moon" to be the band's finest moment. Lush and poetic, the song was the centerpiece of an album that was equally well crafted and brilliant. Later releases would lead to higher chart positions and more commercial success, but "The Killing Moon" was an artistic peak that was hard to follow. So what was the name of the album on which this song first appeared?

Bonus Question: Echo & The Bunymen's nouveau psychedelic sound earned them comparisons to many bands from the 60's, including The Doors. Echo & The Bunnymen did actually cover a Doors song, and their version was featured at the beginning and end of a popular 80's film. What was the name of the movie that featured this song?

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Back in the 80's, The Cure had a video that also featured spiders and cobwebs. In this video, a bedridden Robert Smith anxiously contemplates being devoured by a gigantic spider-like creature. What's the name of the song for which this video was conceived?

Bonus Question: The aforementioned video is truly a masterpiece, from the concept to the costumes, sets, and cinematography. It was directed by long time Cure collaborator Tim Pope, but it could easily be mistaken for the work of Tim Burton. Burton was responsible for surrealistic and spooky feature films like "Beetlejuice," "The Nightmare Before Christmas," "Edward Scissorhands," and "Batman." One of Burton's earliest work was a 5 minute animated short that set the tone for much of his later works. The actor who narrated the film was also the inspiration for it, and he would later describe it as "immortality - better than a star on Hollywood Boulevard." What was the name of this actor?

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80's Rocker Billy Idol was one of many artists from the era who benefited greatly from exposure on the fledgling MTV network. When Billy Idol was trying to get noticed in the early 80's, it wasn't radio airplay that initially put him on the map. In fact, one of his best known songs, "Dancing With Myself" barely registered on the Billboard Hot 100. It did make it to 27 on the Club Play chart, but it was heavy rotation of that song and "White Wedding" on MTV that made Billy Idol a star.

If you examine Idol's success on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (so named and based on radio play at the time) during the 80's, you might be in for a surprise. "Eyes Without A Face" charted higher than most of his other songs. Billy Idol only had one single that did better: it was his only 1 hit in the U.S., and it was actually a re-recording of an earlier release. What was the song?

Bonus Question: Billy Idol wasn't born with that name, and the story goes that he got the idea from a report card comment from a teacher that read "William is Idol." What's Billy Idol's real name?

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