The Cure were one of the best bands of the 80's, with an influence that runs throughout the music world, a great reputation as a live act, and an amazing catalog of songs. Their B-sides and rarities alone are enough to fill a box set. And, The Cure have a huge collection of distinctive music videos as well. The video for one of their best songs has the band performing underneath palm trees in the midst of a snowstorm. Which video is it?

Bonus Question: Sign language shows up in the video for New Order's "True Faith," but it's also present in a Cure video from four years earlier. Which one?

Pop culture, like the art world it aspires to emulate, has an unbreakable bond with sex and human sexuality. Ian Dury placed it above drugs and rock & roll, Berlin placed it above everything, Marvin Gaye sought it's healing effect, and Thrill Kill Kult put it on wheels. Janet Jackson called out the Nasty Boys, while Vanity proclaimed herself a Nasty Girl.

Sex and pop had an odd relationship during the new wave era, though. Some artists, like Madonna and Prince, embraced the subject without hesitation (and often without tact). Others like Howard Jones, A-ha, & Erasure kept their distance. Artists like Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Soft Cell, and even George Michael managed to get their videos banned in some places (resulting in big notoriety and sometimes big sales) for being a tad too overt.

Depeche Mode managed to approach the subject without coming off as exploitative. On their first few albums, the band relied on subtle references and analogies. On their fourth album, however, the band included a dance floor favorite that addressed the subject of domination in both sexual relationships and in society at large. So what was the name of this new game Depeche Mode invited listeners to play, as described in the title of their 1985 club hit?

Bonus Question: Funny how things that were shocking for the previous generation often seems tame for the current one, but I guess that's a perpetual cycle. Frankie Goes To Hollywood stirred up enough of a fuss with "Relax" that the song was banned by the BBC. Beyond the controversy over the lyrics, though, the song probably had more different videos shot for it than any other from the era.

There was the MTV-safe laser version, there was the much racier shaving cream version, and there was the 'live' version. And there was one more version, the footage for which was taken from a film that used the song as a centerpiece for one of its dramatic sequences. The plot device that makes it possible is when the main character, on the trail of a murderer, investigates the set of an adult film shoot. The film makers basically embedded their own version of the "Relax" video smack in the middle of their film, complete with all the Holly Johnson and all the other members of the band. This was subsequently edited and released as yet one more version of the video. So what was the name of this movie?

I've been Rickrolled - on numerous occasions in the last few weeks! But unlike humorous internet links, when real 80's fans play Rick Astley’s "Never Gonna Give You Up" video, it’s they enjoy the song. May I humbly suggest that the follow up phenomenon should be Minoguerolling. After all, Rick and Kylie would have been perfect for each other: they had the same producers and (therefore) stylistically similar hit singles.

Anways, you know that Rick Astley’s never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you, but can you remember the name of Astley’s debut album?

Bonus Question: Rick Astley’s 80’s hits may seem a little kitschy and dated now, but they were all the rage back then. And the level of success the young artist achieved was impressive. At the tender age of 21, his debut single went to 1 on the U.K. charts and stayed there for five weeks. Even more amazing is the fact that Rick Astley would go on to have all of his first 8 singles reach the U.K. Top 10, a feat which got him a place in the Guinness Book of Records. Not bad for a guy who was singing in a local pub band 2 years before. So what was then name of the pub band Rick Astley was singing for when he was first approached by producer Pete Waterman with a record deal?

And, of course, we cant leave you without the infamous video to enjoy:

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?

Thomas Dolby's tenure in the music industry has been extensive and filled with achievements, even if his days as a chart topping artist were rather short. He served as an engineer providing custom P.A. systems for well known post punk bands like The Fall, The Passions, and The Members.

Later, he played in Camera Club along with Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes. He did session work for Def Leppard and Foreigner (he played keyboards on "Urgent"), and did production work for George Clinton and Joni Mitchell. As a solo artist, he had his biggest chart success with the left field hit "She Blinded Me With Science."

Like many offbeat hits from the 80's, "She Blinded Me With Science" made it to 5 on the pop charts because the video was all over MTV. The video portrays Dolby as patient seeking psychiatric help from an eccentric doctor played by Magnus Pike. During the course of the video, Dr. Pike is suddenly struck by the physical charms of his lovely assistant/nurse, and exclaims "My Heavens, . . . You're beautiful!" What is the nurse's name, as identified by the doctor's exclamation?

Bonus Question: Thomas Dolby's stint as a producer produced at least one unqualified gem, the record "Steve McQueen" (released in the U.S. under the substitute title "Two Wheels Good.") If you were ever a fan of The Sundays, Lloyd Cole, The Colourfield, or the Dream Academy's hit "Life In A Northern Town," you should track down a copy of this record. What was the name of the band responsible for "Steve McQueen"/"Two Wheels Good"?

Morrissey came to town earlier this week, as part of his current tour. Morrissey was, of course, the singer and lyricist for The Smiths, considered by many to be the most important band of the 80's. And Morrissey continues to be a prolific songwriter and performer, with a catalog of solo releases that carry on many of the themes he developed as a member of The Smiths.

Morrissey disbanded The Smiths and went solo back in 1987, shortly after guitarist Johnny Marr announced that he was leaving the band. This turn of events occurred just before the release of "Strangeways, Here We Come," the album that would end up being the band's last. If one checks out the videos made for the singles released from "Strangeways, Here We Come," it's notable that Morrissey is the only Smiths member who appears in them. One of these videos features Morrissey and an entourage of protégés riding around Manchester on bicycles. What's the name of the song?

Bonus Question: Some of the locations in the above mentioned video pop up several times in The Smiths' lexicon, and several have become destinations for Smiths fans visiting Manchester. In fact, the Strangeways prison (since renamed) provided inspiration for the title of the last Smiths album, and if you check out the back cover, there's a road sign pointing out the way to Strangeways. Word has it the sign is no longer there (probably nicked by a fan) but it has been immortalized on the back of this album. Underneath 'Strangeways' is another location some distance further on, what is it?

With Memorial Day Weekend approaching fast, many people will be making their way to the beach. The beach is a vital part of summer time partying, as well as a concept that presents itself in lots of 80's pop culture.

The Fixx tried to "Reach The Beach," New Order "Walked down to the beach . . . " Beaches provided the setting for fun 80's party movies like "Back To The Beach," and "The Allnighter," and also provided the title for the slightly less party oriented movie "Beaches." And there were at least a couple of 80's music videos that take place at the beach. One such video that comes to mind has the band's captivating lead singer frolicking in the surf while her band mates are alternately shown rocking out on the dunes and buried up to their necks in the sand. Also protruding from the sand are several gigantic red and white striped candy canes. What's the name of the song?

Bonus Question: Another 80's music video filmed at the beach shows the Beastie Boys pursuing a buxom babe in a bikini and red high heels across the sandy shores of (what looks like) Long Island. What's the name of the song?

Last week our Trivia Challenge concerned itself with the Grammys, so it's fitting that this week's puzzler is inspired by the recent Academy Awards ceremony. By all accounts, the predictions about who would win for many of the major awards were quite accurate. The best example is Martin Scorsese's win for "Best Director."

In the weeks leading up to the Oscars, every discussion about the awards mentioned the fact that the legendary director had never won an Oscar, despite numerous nominations. So it would have been a bigger surprise if he hadn't won, but it's great that he's getting the recognition this year.

Scorsese's important contributions to the world of film include such classics as "Taxi Driver," "Raging Bull," and "The Last Temptation of Christ." He's also made a few contributions to the world of music video. What was the name of the Michael Jackson video that Scorsese directed back in the 80's?

Bonus Question: Lots of well deserved wins in the acting categories, not the least of which was Forest Whitaker's win for "Best Actor." He originally went to college on a football scholarship, then earned two more scholarships in music, and then went to Berkley to study acting under a fourth scholarship. He's had a diverse career that's included both major films and independents, television, and even some directing (in fact, he directed a music video too, but that was in the 90's). And he's rubbed elbows with at least one of the other people who took home an Oscar last Sunday. What was the name of the Martin Scorsese film from the 1980's that included a small part played by Forest Whitaker?

Last week's weeks Trivia Challenge concerned itself with a seasonal theme for the day (our post valentines salute to love gone wrong), so there was no mention of the Grammy awards ceremony that took place earlier that week.

Every year the I scan the list of Grammy nominees and winners to see if artists or trends from the 80's are in evidence. The big story this year was the Dixie Chicks, who overcame a rather undeserved reputation as pariahs and took home five Grammys (funny, criticizing the president only seemed to help Green Day).

There's not a whole lot of country music that shows up in an 80's play list, but I do remember that there was a lot of talk back then about the 'new country' that was emerging. Artists like Dwight Yokham, Marty Stuart, and K.D. Lang were redefining what the genre meant to people. If one were to look for an 80's equivalent of the Dixie Chicks, one might settle on The Judds. True, The Judds never attacked Reagan's military strategies, and where the Dixie Chicks are a trio, The Judds were a duo (if only Ashley Judd had pursued singing instead of acting . . . )

Nevertheless, The Judds were the most successful country duo of the era, and they won the Grammy for "Best Country Performance By A Duo Or A Group With Vocal" four times during the 80's ('84, '85, '86, & '88). The Judds won their first Grammy for their first number one single on the Billboard Country chart. What was the name of the song?

Bonus Question: I will confess that if my mother hadn't been such a huge Judds fan I would have been oblivious to The Judds and anything else from the country scene. Dance music and club music doesn't get represented quite as thoroughly as country, but there were two awards this year.

80's artists dominated the categories, with one nomination for Depeche Mode and two for the Pet Shop Boys. Madonna got nominations in both categories, and took home the award for "Best Electronic/Dance Album." Madonna got nominations back in the 80's, but no awards. She got her first Grammy in 1991 for "Best Long Form Video" (For the "Blonde Ambition World Tour: Live!), and then picked up a bunch of awards in 1999 for "Ray Of Light." So what was the name of the song that got Madonna her first ever Grammy nomination back in the 80's?