Welcome to our totally tubular 1980s quiz! Prepare to have a gnarly time as we take a blast to the past with these rad questions. Are you ready to “take on” this quiz like A-ha’s hit single? Don’t “fret,” we promise it’ll be a “hair-raising” experience full of “Knight” and “Rider” adventures! Let’s jump right in, just like Van Halen, and see if you’re a true 80s trivia master.
1. What event on May 18, 1980, caused the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic eruption in US history?
2. What was the name of the first space shuttle launched by NASA in April 1981?
3. What TV show, which premiered in 1989, became one of the most popular sitcoms of all time and spawned numerous catchphrases and spinoffs?
4. What fashion trend of the 1980s involved wearing several layers of clothing in contrasting colors and patterns?
5. What famous 1980s musician was known for his signature Purple Rain album and film?
6. What 1980s video game was the first to feature the character Mario, who would go on to become one of the most iconic video game characters of all time?
7. What iconic toy of the 1980s was a must-have for many children and came in a variety of colors and styles?
8. What notable event happened on January 28, 1986, causing the loss of all seven crew members aboard the spacecraft?
9. What 1980s sports movie featured the character Rocky Balboa as a boxing underdog who rises to the top?
10. What 1980s technological invention made communication more portable and widespread?
11. What was the name of the first commercially successful personal computer, released by IBM in 1981?
12. What world leader, known for his speeches promoting freedom and democracy, was the President of the United States from 1981 to 1989?
13. What 1980s arcade game, created by Namco, featured a yellow character who ate dots and was chased by ghosts?
14. What was the name of the biggest stock market crash in US history, which occurred on October 19, 1987?
15. What 1980s fashion trend involved wearing tight, colorful leggings and oversized tops?
16. What 1980s film, directed by Steven Spielberg, featured a friendly alien who befriends a young boy and tries to phone home?
17. What was the name of the 1980s band known for their hit song “Take on Me,” which featured a groundbreaking music video that combined live action and animation?
18. What iconic toy of the 1980s consisted of a plastic egg-shaped container filled with small collectible figurines?
19. What 1980s musical, featuring the songs of the band ABBA, became a popular film in 2008?
20. What popular 1980s toy was a line of small, collectible stuffed animals with brightly colored fur?
21. What was the name of the first woman to be appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States in 1981?
22. What 1980s horror movie, directed by Wes Craven, introduced the iconic villain Freddy Krueger?
23. What popular 1980s toy consisted of a small plastic ball that bounced erratically and had a surprise toy inside?
24. What 1980s comedy film starred Bill Murray in a modern retelling of the Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol?
25. What was the name of the popular 1980s cartoon series featuring a group of anthropomorphic turtles trained in martial arts?
26. What 1980s science fiction movie, directed by Ridley Scott, featured the character of a replicant named Roy Batty?
27. What was the name of the first commercially available CD player, released by Sony in 1982?
28. What popular 1980s video game, created by Shigeru Miyamoto, featured the character of Link and his quest to save Princess Zelda?
29. What 1980s movie starred Michael J. Fox as a teenager who travels back in time to the 1950s in a time-traveling DeLorean?
30. What 1980s sitcom starred Bruce Willis as a wisecracking private detective who takes on cases with his partner, played by Cybill Shepherd?
31. What was the name of the 1980s TV show that featured a group of high school students in detention who bond and reveal their personal struggles?
32. What 1980s video game, created by Taito, featured a spaceship fighting off waves of alien invaders?
33. What was the name of the 1980s band known for their hit song “Sweet Child o’ Mine,” which featured a guitar solo by Slash?
34. What 1980s video game was notorious for its extreme difficulty and often resulted in broken controllers?
35. Which artist released the best-selling album of the 1980s, “Thriller”?
36. Which technology, introduced in the 1980s, allowed for the first portable music players?
37. Which American sitcom, premiering in 1989, became one of the most popular television shows of the 1980s and 1990s?
38. Who became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987?
39. Which 1980s toy featured color-changing, heat-sensitive stickers?
40. Which movie, released in 1989, was the second highest-grossing film of that year and starred Harrison Ford?
41. Which 1980s fashion trend involved wearing clothing with bright, contrasting colors?
42. What was the first video to be played on MTV when it launched on August 1, 1981?
43. Which iconic 1980s toy allowed children to create their own patterns using colored pegs and a backlit screen?
44. Who was the first actor to portray James Bond in the 1980s?
45. What was the highest-grossing concert tour of the 1980s?
46. Which 1980s food product featured a combination of two popular cereals and was marketed as “the great taste of chocolate and peanut butter”?
47. Which American president served only one term in the late 1980s?
48. Which 1980s television show featured a talking car named KITT?
49. What was the first 3D video game, released in 1980?
50. Who was the first female astronaut to go into space, launching on the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1983?
51. What is the name of the iconic 1980s computer that featured a built-in keyboard and cassette player for loading software?
52. Which 1980s disaster film featured a volcanic eruption and starred Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton?
53. Which 1980s movie popularized the phrase “Who ya gonna call?”
54. What was the first commercially successful home video game console, released in the 1980s?
55. What was the world’s first handheld cellular phone, introduced in 1983?
56. Which 1980s band popularized the “New Romantic” movement with hits like “Rio”?
57. Which 1980s toy featured customizable robotic action figures with interchangeable parts?
58. Who was the (human) star of the 1980s TV show Knight Rider?
59. Which 1980s fashion trend involved wearing pants with tight ankles and a loose, baggy fit around the thighs?
60. Who was the first female prime minister of the United Kingdom, serving throughout the 1980s?
61. Which 1980s horror movie franchise features a killer named Jason Voorhees?
62. Which 1980s toy was marketed as a “real” pet rock that could perform tricks?
63. Which 1980s computer game became an enduring classic and featured falling blocks of various shapes?
64. Which popular 1980s TV show featured an ensemble cast including Ted Danson, Shelley Long, and Rhea Perlman?
65. What was the first 24-hour cable news channel, launched in 1980?
66. Which 1980s cartoon TV show featured the adventures of feline-humanoid aliens fighting evil on a distant planet?
67. Which iconic 1980s toy featured colorful, furry creatures that responded to touch and sound?
68. Which 1980s hairstyle involved using copious amounts of hairspray to create a highly volumized look?
69. What was the first animated television series to be created using computer-generated imagery, debuting in 1987?
70. What was the first commercial product to use a barcode, scanned in 1980?
71. What popular 1980s toy featured a huggable, soft-bodied doll with a vinyl face and a unique baby-powder scent?
72. Which iconic 1980s rock band is known for songs like “Livin’ on a Prayer” and “Wanted Dead or Alive”?
73. Which 1980s television show featured a group of teenage friends in a California high school, addressing various social issues?
74. What was the first commercially successful graphic adventure game, released in 1980?
75. What 1980s fashion trend involved wearing bright, colorful, mismatched socks?
76. Which 1980s television show starred Tom Selleck as a private investigator living in Hawaii?
77. What was the first video game console to use optical discs, released in 1988?
78. What was the name of the first artificial heart implanted in a human patient, in 1982?
79. What 1980s toy featured a small plastic orb filled with colorful, floating shapes?
80. Which 1980s television show featured an alien life form living with a suburban family?
81. What was the first portable gaming system, released in 1989?
82. What was the name of the first artificial heart implanted in a human patient, in 1982?
83. What 1980s toy featured a small plastic orb filled with colorful, floating shapes?
84. Which popular TV show that ended in the early 1980s was set during the Korean War and followed the lives of the staff at a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital?
85. Which 1980s musical genre was characterized by its fusion of rock and roll with electronic music?
86. What was the first successful handheld electronic game, released in 1980?
87. Which 1980s fashion accessory was a must-have for women, often worn as a pair with matching outfits?
88. What was the first commercial jet aircraft to feature a glass cockpit, introduced in the 1980s?
89. Which 1980s TV show featured a group of undercover detectives working in Miami?
90. Which 1980s horror film franchise features a killer named Freddy Krueger?
91. Which 1980s toy featured a collection of creatures that lived in a magical land called Eternia?
92. Which 1980s artist is best known for her hit singles “Like a Virgin” and “Material Girl”?
93. What popular 1980s drink was sold in a squeezable plastic bottle and marketed as a “hug”?
94. Which 1980s television show featured a group of highly trained soldiers who were falsely accused of a crime and went on the run to clear their names?
95. What 1980s toy featured a line of small, collectible animal figurines with bushy tails?
96. Which 1980s band popularized “hair metal” and is known for songs like “Every Rose Has Its Thorn”?
97. What 1980s hairstyle involved braiding the hair in tight rows close to the scalp?
p>98. What was the first space shuttle launched by NASA in 1981?
99. Which 1980s fashion trend involved wearing a single, fingerless glove?
100. What was the first commercial Internet Service Provider (ISP), launched in the United States in 1989?
101. What was the first artificial sweetener approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1981?
102. Which 1980s toy line featured a collection of small, rubber figurines in various shapes and colors?
103. What was the first commercially available cell phone, released in 1983?
104. What 1980s toy featured a line of small, anthropomorphic vehicles with arms, legs, and faces?
105. Which 1980s fashion trend involved wearing large, round glasses with dark lenses and thin frames?
106. Which 1980s television show feature the misadventures of the staff of a struggling fictional, AM radio station in Ohio?
107. What was the first 3D computer-animated short film, released in 1986?
p>108. What was the first commercially available email service, launched in 1982?
109. Which 1980s toy line featured a collection of small, vinyl animal figurines that could be squished and stretched?
110. Which 1980s TV show followed the lives of four older women living together in Miami?
111. What was the first video game console with a 16-bit processor, released in 1987?
112. Which 1980s band is known for their hit single “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” from the movie “The Breakfast Club”?
113. Which 1980s fashion trend involved wearing oversized, off-the-shoulder sweatshirts?
114. Which 1980s television show featured a group of teenagers who attended the fictional Eastland School for Girls?
115. What was the first portable CD player, introduced by Sony in 1984?
116. Which 1980s band is known for their hit single “Every Breath You Take” and its memorable bass line?
117. What 1980s toy featured a line of small, collectible figurines that represented various occupations and hobbies?
118. What was the first genetically modified plant approved for commercial release, in 1986?
119. Which 1980s toy line featured a collection of small, plastic figures with interchangeable parts that could be combined to create custom characters?
120. Which 1980s fashion trend involved wearing pants with tight, tapered legs and a high waist?
121. What was the first home video game console to feature a wireless controller, released in 1989?
122. Which 1980s television show starred Bill Cosby as the head of an upper-middle-class African-American family in Brooklyn?
123. What was the first roller coaster to break the 200-foot height barrier, opening in 1989?
124. Which 1980s band is known for their hit single “Jump” and its synthesizer-driven sound?
125. What 1980s toy featured a line of small, colorful bird figurines with fluffy feathers?
126. Which 1980s fashion trend involved wearing a wide belt made of stretchy fabric, often worn over a shirt or dress?
127. What was the first computer to sell over one million units, released in 1982?
128. What was the first genetically engineered vaccine, approved for use in the United States in 1986?
129. Which 1980s band is known for their hit single “Love Shack” and its quirky, upbeat sound?
130. What 1980s toy featured a line of small, plastic horses with brushable hair and unique markings?
131. Which 1980s fashion trend involved wearing bright, neon-colored clothing and accessories?
132. What was the first personal computer to feature a graphical user interface, released in 1984?
133. What was the first fully disposable contact lens, introduced in 1987?
134. Which 1980s band is known for their hit single “Hungry Like the Wolf” and its catchy, synthesizer-driven melody?
135. What 1980s toy featured a line of small, plastic robots that could be transformed into everyday objects?
136. Which 1980s fashion trend involved wearing clothing made from lace or featuring lace accents?
137. What was the first online multiplayer game, introduced in 1980?
138. Which 1980s television show followed the adventures of a group of California Highway Patrol officers?
139. What was the first portable computer, released in 1981?
140. Which 1980s toy line featured a collection of small, rubber wrestlers with exaggerated features?
141. Which 1980s band is known for their hit single “Walking on Sunshine” and its upbeat, feel-good sound?
142. What 1980s hairstyle involved using a large amount of hair spray to create volume and height?
143. What was the first satellite-based Global Positioning System (GPS) launched in 1989?
144. Which 1980s television show featured a group of high school students dealing with various social issues?
145. What was the first commercially available digital camera, released in 1986?
146. Which 1980s toy line featured a collection of small, plastic monsters with various features and abilities?
147. What 1980s hairstyle involved cutting the hair short on the sides and back, while leaving it long and spiked on top?
148. Which 1980s television show featured a group of teenagers with psychic powers who protected Earth from evil forces?
149. Which 1980s toy line featured a collection of small, plastic humanoid figures with various expressions and poses?
150. Which 1980s band is known for their hit single “With or Without You” and its emotional lyrics?
151. What 1980s fashion trend involved wearing leggings or tights under short skirts or oversized tops?
152. What was the first album to be released on compact disc (CD), in 1982?
153. Which 1980s television show featured a group of students attending a performing arts high school in New York City?
154. Which 1980s toy line featured a collection of small, plastic action figures with interchangeable parts and accessories?
155. What 1980s hairstyle involved perming the hair to create tight, spiral curls?
156. What was the first home video game console to use CD-ROM technology, released in 1991?
157. What was the first commercially available antivirus software, introduced in 1987?
158. What 1980s fashion trend involved wearing multiple layers of clothing with clashing patterns and colors?
159. What was the first high-definition television (HDTV) system, introduced in Japan in 1989?
160. Which 1980s television show followed the adventures of a group of young musicians as they formed a band and solved mysteries?
Final Words
We hope you’ve enjoyed this wicked trip down memory lane! Don’t forget to check out Trivia Bliss’s other quizzes for more awesome trivia fun, including ’80s TV trivia and trivia about the 1940s, 1960s, 1970s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. Keep rockin’ and quizzin’, dudes and dudettes!
Stephen L Hunt says
Not all questions pertain to the 80’s…some are late 70’s
Matthew Huntley says
WKRP was not about a “Group of women working in radio in Cincinnati ”
M*A*S*H was a show from the 70s. it ended in the 80s.
The first personal music system used cassetWalkman. Not CDs and was the Sony walkman.
Jamie Rotante says
These have been fixed, thanks!