Stadium Rock Anthems of the '80s and '90s – answers and explanations
Here are the answers to all 15 questions in the Stadium Rock Anthems of the '80s and '90s quiz, each with a short explanation. Raise your lighters for the arena giants of the '80s and '90s! Haven't played yet? Take the quiz first and compare your score.
Play the quiz · 15 questions1. Which U2 album from 1987 featured hits like 'With or Without You'?
Answer: The Joshua Tree
'With or Without You' was the lead single from U2's The Joshua Tree, released in March 1987. The album also included 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For' and won the Grammy for Album of the Year.
2. Def Leppard's drummer Rick Allen famously kept playing after losing what?
Answer: An arm
Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen lost his left arm in a car crash on New Year's Eve 1984. He went back to drumming with a custom electronic kit that uses foot pedals to trigger sounds his arm used to play.
3. Which Bon Jovi hit tells the story of working-class couple Tommy and Gina?
Answer: Livin' on a Prayer
Bon Jovi's 1986 hit 'Livin' on a Prayer', from the album Slippery When Wet, tells the story of Tommy, a dock worker, and Gina, a diner waitress, as they struggle to get by.
4. Who was the frontman of Dire Straits, known for 'Money for Nothing'?
Answer: Mark Knopfler
Mark Knopfler was Dire Straits' singer, guitarist and main songwriter. 'Money for Nothing' was on the 1985 album Brothers in Arms and features a guest vocal from Sting.
5. R.E.M.'s 1991 hit 'Losing My Religion' features which prominent instrument?
Answer: Mandolin
R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck wrote the main riff of 'Losing My Religion' on a mandolin he was still learning to play. The song was on the 1991 album Out of Time and became the band's biggest US hit.
6. Queen's legendary 1985 Live Aid performance took place at which London stadium?
Answer: Wembley Stadium
Queen played Live Aid at Wembley Stadium in London on 13 July 1985. Their roughly 20-minute set, led by Freddie Mercury, is often called one of the greatest live performances in rock history.
7. Simple Minds' hit 'Don't You (Forget About Me)' was the theme of which 1985 film?
Answer: The Breakfast Club
Simple Minds' 'Don't You (Forget About Me)' plays at the start and end of John Hughes's 1985 film The Breakfast Club. The song was written by Keith Forsey and Steve Schiff, and it reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
8. Which 1987 Guns N' Roses debut album includes 'Sweet Child o' Mine'?
Answer: Appetite for Destruction
'Sweet Child o' Mine' is on Appetite for Destruction, the debut album Guns N' Roses released in July 1987. In 1988 the song became the band's only US No. 1 single.
9. 'Dancing in the Dark' appeared on which 1984 Bruce Springsteen album?
Answer: Born in the U.S.A.
'Dancing in the Dark' was the first single from Bruce Springsteen's 1984 album Born in the U.S.A. It reached No. 2 in the US, and its music video, directed by Brian De Palma, featured a young Courteney Cox.
10. Which Swedish band had a 1986 hit with 'The Final Countdown'?
Answer: Europe
'The Final Countdown' was the title track of Europe's 1986 album. Its famous synth riff helped make it a No. 1 hit in the UK and many other countries.
11. Which band released the 1981 anthem 'Don't Stop Believin''?
Answer: Journey
'Don't Stop Believin'' appeared on Journey's 1981 album Escape, sung by Steve Perry. It has become one of the best-known rock anthems ever.
12. Which German band's 1990 ballad 'Wind of Change' is linked to the Cold War's end?
Answer: Scorpions
Scorpions released 'Wind of Change' on their 1990 album Crazy World. Singer Klaus Meine's whistled intro opens the song, inspired by the changes sweeping Eastern Europe.
13. Van Halen's 1984 No. 1 hit 'Jump' is built around which instrument's riff?
Answer: Synthesizer
Eddie Van Halen played the famous riff of 'Jump' on a synthesizer rather than his usual guitar. It became the band's only US No. 1 single.
14. Who was the lead singer of the Australian band INXS?
Answer: Michael Hutchence
Michael Hutchence fronted INXS on hits such as 'Need You Tonight', which reached No. 1 in the US in 1988.
15. Which rock band teamed up with Run-DMC on a 1986 remake of 'Walk This Way'?
Answer: Aerosmith
Aerosmith first recorded 'Walk This Way' on their 1975 album Toys in the Attic. The 1986 version with Run-DMC reached the US top five and revived the band's career.