The ’80s were a defining era in pop culture.

This decade gave rise to the music video marvel that was MTV, iconic films that captured the hearts of generations, dance-floor tracks, bold fashion trends brighter than the stars, and historic moments the world will never forget.

We traveled back to the future and lived on a prayer, all with hair that touched the sky, a Sony Walkman in hand, and a dream. 

Whether you grew up in the ’80s yourself, or your parents experienced the decade first-hand and passed their knowledge down, how well do you know the ins and outs of one of pop culture’s greatest eras? It’s time to put your memory to the test with these ’80s trivia questions!

Movies & Pop Culture

1. What 1985 film featured a teenager who traveled through time using a specially modified vehicle?

Answer: Back to the Future

2. What 1984 comedy featured a team of scientists who investigated paranormal activity in New York City?

Answer: Ghostbusters

3. What 1986 film about fighter pilots featured the characters Maverick and Goose?

Answer: Top Gun

4. What 1985 adventure film followed a group of kids searching for hidden treasure?

Answer: The Goonies

5. Which actor played Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom?

Answer: Harrison Ford

6. What 1984 film featured a teenager learning martial arts from a wise mentor named Mr. Miyagi?

Answer: The Karate Kid

7. What 1987 romantic drama featured the characters Johnny Castle and Baby?

Answer: Dirty Dancing

8. What 1988 comedy featured a mischievous character who was brought back from the afterlife?

Answer: Beetlejuice

9. What 1982 film featured a young boy who befriended an alien stranded on Earth?

Answer: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

10. What 1989 animated film introduced audiences to a young mermaid named Ariel?

Answer: The Little Mermaid

11. What 1985 film starred Michael J. Fox as a teenager who accidentally traveled through time?

Answer: Back to the Future

12. What 1988 action film featured New York police officer John McClane?

Answer: Die Hard

13. What 1986 film starred Matthew Broderick as a teenager who skipped school for an unforgettable day?

Answer: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

14. What 1987 comedy featured Eddie Murphy playing multiple characters while searching for love in New York?

Answer: Coming to America

15. What 1988 fantasy comedy starred Tom Hanks as a young man who magically became an adult overnight?

Answer: Big

Television

16. What television series featured a talking car named KITT?

Answer: Knight Rider

17. What sitcom followed the Tanner family living in San Francisco?

Answer: Full House

18. What television series centered around a group of friends living in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana?

Answer: This question should be removed — Stranger Things is not an ’80s show.

Replacement Question: What sitcom featured the character Alex P. Keaton, played by Michael J. Fox?

Answer: Family Ties

19. What sitcom took place in a Boston bar where many regular customers gathered?

Answer: Cheers

20. What television show followed a team of former soldiers led by Colonel John “Hannibal” Smith?

Answer: The A-Team

21. What animated family first appeared as a regular series on television in 1989?

Answer: The Simpsons

22. What television drama followed students at Bayside High School?

Answer: Saved by the Bell

23. What television series starred Tom Selleck as a private investigator living in Hawaii?

Answer: Magnum, P.I.

24. What sitcom starred Bill Cosby as physician Cliff Huxtable?

Answer: The Cosby Show

25. What television series featured a character named Balki Bartokomous?

Answer: Perfect Strangers

Music & MTV

26. What music television channel launched in 1981 and became famous for showing music videos?

Answer: MTV

27. Which artist released the 1982 album Thriller?

Answer: Michael Jackson

28. Which singer released the albums Like a Virgin and True Blue during the 1980s?

Answer: Madonna

29. Which musician starred in the 1984 film Purple Rain?

Answer: Prince

30. What British band had a worldwide hit with the song “Take on Me”?

Answer: a-ha

31. Which singer performed the 1983 hit “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”?

Answer: Cyndi Lauper

32. Which band released the 1987 album The Joshua Tree?

Answer: U2

33. Which band recorded the 1987 hit “Livin’ on a Prayer”?

Answer: Bon Jovi

34. What 1985 charity single brought together many famous musicians to raise money for famine relief?

Answer: “We Are the World”

35. What 1985 concert event featured performances from major music stars in London and Philadelphia?

Answer: Live Aid

Toys, Video Games & Technology

36. What puzzle toy became one of the biggest worldwide crazes of the 1980s?

Answer: Rubik’s Cube

37. What arcade game featured a yellow character eating pellets while avoiding colorful ghosts?

Answer: Pac-Man

38. What Nintendo character first appeared in the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong?

Answer: Mario

39. What home video game console helped revive the North American gaming industry in the mid-1980s?

Answer: Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)

40. What handheld gaming system was released by Nintendo in 1989?

Answer: Game Boy

41. What toy line featured characters such as Optimus Prime and Megatron?

Answer: Transformers

42. What toy line featured characters including He-Man and Skeletor?

Answer: Masters of the Universe

43. What toy featured colorful bears with different symbols on their stomachs?

Answer: Care Bears

44. What electronic toy allowed children to create glowing pictures using colored pegs?

Answer: Lite-Brite

45. What popular toy involved small plastic bricks used for building creations?

Answer: LEGO

46. What personal computer introduced by Apple in 1984 featured a graphical user interface and a mouse?

Answer: Macintosh

47. What portable music device helped people listen to cassette tapes while on the go?

Answer: Sony Walkman

48. What company created the video game character Mario?

Answer: Nintendo

49. What arcade game involved players controlling a spaceship to defeat waves of alien enemies?

Answer: Space Invaders

50. What home computer company released the popular Commodore 64 in 1982?

Answer: Commodore

’80s Fashion & Trends

51. What hairstyle trend became famous for its large volume during the decade?

Answer: Big hair

52. What colorful fashion trend became closely associated with the 1980s?

Answer: Neon clothing and accessories

53. What type of athletic shoe became especially popular after being featured in many ’80s fashion trends?

Answer: High-top sneakers

54. What exercise trend became popular through home workout videos?

Answer: Aerobics

55. What sunglasses brand became strongly associated with the movie Top Gun?

Answer: Ray-Ban

56. What type of bracelets became a popular fashion accessory among kids and teens?

Answer: Jelly bracelets

57. What colorful clothing style used bright patterns and geometric designs during the decade?

Answer: ’80s fashion / bold patterned clothing

58. What dance style became widely popular through hip-hop culture during the 1980s?

Answer: Breakdancing

59. What fitness personality became famous for workout videos during the decade?

Answer: Jane Fonda

60. What type of jacket became strongly associated with the movie Top Gun?

Answer: Bomber jacket

Major ’80s Moments & History

61. In what year did MTV officially launch?

Answer: 1981

62. What space shuttle disaster occurred shortly after launch in 1986?

Answer: Challenger disaster

63. What wall came down in 1989, becoming a symbol of the end of the Cold War?

Answer: The Berlin Wall

64. What major international sporting event took place in Los Angeles in 1984?

Answer: The Summer Olympics

65. Which royal couple married in a globally watched 1981 ceremony?

Answer: Prince Charles and Princess Diana

66. What charity event in 1985 raised money for famine relief in Africa?

Answer: Live Aid

67. What nickname was given to the economic and political reforms introduced by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev?

Answer: Glasnost and perestroika

68. What disease awareness campaign became a major public health issue during the 1980s?

Answer: AIDS awareness

69. What 1989 event symbolized major changes in Europe and the Cold War?

Answer: The fall of the Berlin Wall

70. What technology format became popular in the 1980s for watching movies at home?

Answer: VHS

Bonus ’80s Nostalgia Questions

71. What candy was famous for its small, crackling pieces that popped in your mouth?

Answer: Pop Rocks

72. What video rental company became a symbol of home movie nights during the late 1980s and 1990s?

Answer: Blockbuster

73. What cartoon featured four pizza-loving heroes who lived in the sewers of New York City?

Answer: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

74. What phrase became associated with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?

Answer: “Cowabunga!”

75. What television network launched in 1983 and became known for family-friendly programming such as The Disney Channel?

Answer: The Disney Channel

How many of these questions did you get right? Some were tough to guess, while others were so unmistakably ’80s, you knew the answer right away!

Test your knowledge further with our Mental Floss Quiz Around the World geography challenge!

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