Grab Your Boombox for This '80s Music Quiz

British band “Tears for Fears” penned the anti-war anthem “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” in 1985. The song hit No. 1 on multiple Billboard charts but was banned by the BBC during the First Gulf War for its anti-war references. However, that didn’t stop the song from selling: It was later certified 3x platinum in the U.K.

“Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes” from Paul Simon’s seventh album, “Graceland,” features the South African choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The song effortlessly blends traditional rhythms with Simon’s peaceful vocals and poetic lyrics.

For the “Uptown Girl” music video, Billy Joel dressed up as a mechanic trying to woo an affluent female customer — the “uptown girl.” Joel’s music video love interest was played by model Christie Brinkley, who later became his real-life wife.

British baritone Rick Astley enjoyed significant success in the ’80s with the song “Never Gonna Give You Up,” peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Decades later, the song found a new audience in the 21st century when internet users participated in a phenomenon called “rickrolling.” The practical joke involved clicking on a link you thought was one thing, and instead getting the music video for “Never Gonna Give You Up.”

“Billie Jean” was the second single from Michael Jackson’s 1982 album, “Thriller.” The song spent seven weeks at the top of the Billboard charts after its release in March 1983. It went on to win Best R&B Song and Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male, at the 1983 Grammys. During the 1983 television special “Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever,” Jackson famously debuted the moonwalk during his performance of “Billie Jean.”

“Faith” by British singer George Michael was the bestselling song in the U.S. in 1988, topping the charts for four weeks. The song was the second single off Michael’s first solo album, which went on to win Album of the Year at the 1988 Grammys.

Composed of six rappers — Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, DJ Yella, MC Ren, and Arabian Prince — N.W.A proudly hailed from Compton, a part of south Los Angeles. The 1988 song references the difficulties of life in the city. Despite getting little airplay outside the L.A. area, the single sold more than a million copies by 1989.

Men at Work hailed from Melbourne, Australia. Their 1980 song “Down Under” — which includes lyrics about “Vegemite sandwiches” — became a patriotic tune for the country. It captured the nation’s mood so well that Men at Work performed it live at the closing ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

The ’80s were a boom time for Scandinavian bands, including a-ha. The Norwegian group had suffered several chart flops with different versions of “Take on Me,” but in 1985, the song finally took the world by storm with a synth-pop take. The track reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the innovative music video won six MTV Video Music Awards.

“Walk This Way” by Aerosmith was initially released in 1975 and was a moderate hit for the rock band, peaking at No. 10. However, a 1986 remix featuring the rap group Run-DMC took the song into the stratosphere. The two groups rerecorded the song in a single day, transforming the rock song into a veritable party anthem.

In 1982, Sylvester Stallone personally picked the Chicago-based band Survivor for the “Rocky III” soundtrack. Stallone told them he wanted “something with a strong beat… that would appeal to the rock crowd.” They wrote “Eye of the Tiger,” and the song spent six weeks at the top of the charts.

With its pumping drum solo and ethereal harmonies, “In the Air Tonight” from Phil Collins’ 1981 album, “Face Value,” is one of the decade’s most distinctive songs. Collins wrote the song about his feelings after divorcing his first wife, Andrea Bertorelli.

The most iconic scene from 1987’s “Dirty Dancing” is when Patrick Swayze lifts co-star Jennifer Grey into the air while dancing to the song “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.” Recorded by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, the song won a Grammy for Best Vocal Performance by a Duo and an Oscar for Best Original Song.

Liam Sternberg, the writer of the Bangles’ 1986 hit “Walk Like an Egyptian,” got the idea for the song while on a choppy ferry ride. Passengers had to walk carefully and awkwardly move their arms to maintain balance, and Sternberg thought they looked like they were “walking like Egyptians.”

“Purple Rain” is one of the most iconic songs of the 1980s. The song is the title track of Prince’s 1984 album, which was the soundtrack to a film of the same name. In interviews, Prince offered a range of explanations about why the rain was purple, from purple being the color of good judgment to the visceral image of blood mixing with water.