On July 13, 1985, an estimated 1.9 billion people in 150 countries tuned in to Live Aid, a dual-venue concert in London's Wembley Stadium and Philadelphia's JFK Stadium. Organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, it featured performances by Queen, U2, David Bowie, The Who, and Led Zeppelin. Queen's 20-minute set is widely considered the greatest live rock performance ever.
Earlier that year, "We Are the World"—written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, produced by Quincy Jones—brought together 46 artists for a single recording session that raised over $80 million for African famine relief. Phil Collins released No Jacket Required, which became the year's best-selling album.
Whitney Houston burst onto the scene with her self-titled debut, launching a career that would produce more consecutive #1 hits than any artist before her. Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing" pioneered computer animation in its music video. Tears for Fears delivered two #1 hits. a-ha's "Take On Me" showcased groundbreaking rotoscoped animation.
The movie soundtrack dominated: Simple Minds ("Don't You Forget About Me" from The Breakfast Club), Huey Lewis ("The Power of Love" from Back to the Future), and Glenn Frey ("You Belong to the City" from Miami Vice) all had massive hits. 1985 was the year pop music proved it could change the world.
Our 1985 trivia quiz features questions drawn from Billboard chart data, Grammy records, and the remarkable stories behind Live Aid, We Are the World, and the soundtrack hits that dominated radio. You'll be tested on chart positions, songwriting credits, production details, and the cultural context that made 1985 one of the most meaningful years in music history. Questions range from moderate (the hits everyone remembers) to expert-level deep cuts on sales figures, charity totals, and the behind-the-scenes drama of the recording sessions.
Test yourself with 15 multiple-choice questions about the music of 1985.
1. Which charity single, featuring 46 artists, was the best-selling single of 1985?
A) Do They Know It's Christmas?
B) That's What Friends Are For
C) We Are the World
D) Sun City
2. Live Aid concerts were held simultaneously in which two cities on July 13, 1985?
A) New York and Paris
B) London and Philadelphia
C) London and New York
D) Los Angeles and London
3. Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing" featured guest vocals from which artist?
A) Phil Collins
B) Eric Clapton
C) Sting
D) Peter Gabriel
4. Which Phil Collins album, released in 1985, became the best-selling album of the year?
A) Face Value
B) Hello, I Must Be Going!
C) No Jacket Required
D) ...But Seriously
5. a-ha's "Take On Me" is famous for its innovative music video that used which technique?
A) Stop-motion animation
B) Rotoscoping (pencil-sketch animation)
C) CGI effects
D) Claymation
6. Tears for Fears had two #1 hits in 1985. Which pair?
A) Mad World and Pale Shelter
B) Shout and Everybody Wants to Rule the World
C) Head over Heels and Sowing the Seeds of Love
D) Woman in Chains and Shout
7. Which Whitney Houston single from her debut album became her first #1 hit in 1985?
A) Greatest Love of All
B) How Will I Know
C) Saving All My Love for You
D) I Wanna Dance with Somebody
8. Simple Minds had their biggest US hit in 1985 with a song from which movie soundtrack?
A) St. Elmo's Fire
B) The Breakfast Club
C) Pretty in Pink
D) Sixteen Candles
9. Which Huey Lewis and the News hit was featured prominently in "Back to the Future"?
A) Hip to Be Square
B) Stuck with You
C) The Power of Love
D) Heart of Rock & Roll
10. Wham! became the first Western pop act to tour China in 1985. Which single was their biggest US hit that year?
A) Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go
B) Everything She Wants
C) Careless Whisper
D) Freedom
11. Which Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers single reached #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart in 1985?
A) Don't Come Around Here No More
B) Refugee
C) Free Fallin'
D) Learning to Fly
12. Sade's debut album "Diamond Life" produced which smooth jazz-pop hit?
A) No Ordinary Love
B) The Sweetest Taboo
C) Smooth Operator
D) Your Love Is King
13. Which power ballad by Heart marked their comeback in 1985?
A) Alone
B) These Dreams
C) What About Love?
D) Never
14. Starship (formerly Jefferson Starship) had a #1 hit in 1985 with which song?
A) Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now
B) Sara
C) We Built This City
D) Find Your Way Back
15. Which Miami Vice-associated hit by Jan Hammer reached #1 in 1985?
A) Crockett's Theme
B) Miami Vice Theme
C) Smuggler's Blues
D) You Belong to the City