The Billboard Hot 100 was the definitive measure of pop-music success throughout the 1980s — a decade that saw the chart system evolve, MTV reshape what a hit looked like, and crossover records redefine genre boundaries. These 12 questions dig into the chart records, No. 1 runs, and stories that shaped the decade.
Each question is hand-reviewed against verified Billboard chart data. Tap Reveal Answer to check yourself.
Billboard Hot 100 Trivia Questions
1. What 1983 #1 hit for Irene Cara was from a movie she also co-starred in?
A) Maniac
B) Fame
C) Flashdance... What a Feeling
D) Against All Odds
2. 'Rapper's Delight' is widely regarded as the first hip-hop single to reach the Billboard Hot 100. What was the running time of the original commercially released 12-inch version?
A) Approximately 8 minutes
B) Approximately 11 minutes
C) Approximately 6 minutes
D) Approximately 14 minutes
3. "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson was co-written by Siedah Garrett and Glen Ballard and peaked at number one. Glen Ballard would later co-write and produce which landmark album?
A) Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie by Alanis Morissette
B) Fumbling Towards Ecstasy by Sarah McLachlan
C) Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette
D) Surfacing by Sarah McLachlan
4. “I Want to Know What Love Is” by Foreigner was the band’s first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 after how many previous Top 10 hits that stopped short of No. 1?
A) 6
B) 7
C) 5
D) 4
5. “The Next Time I Fall” paired Peter Cetera with which guest vocalist?
A) Amy Grant
B) Sheena Easton
C) Juice Newton
D) Patty Smyth
6. "Call Me" was a major 1980 hit for which band?
A) Blondie
B) The Police
C) Talking Heads
D) The Cars
7. Which television network had the greatest influence on music video exposure affecting chart success in 1989?
A) MTV
B) CMT
C) BET
D) VH1
8. Bob Seger’s Against the Wind reached what peak position on the Billboard 200?
A) No. 3
B) No. 5
C) No. 2
D) No. 1
9. “Abracadabra” by Steve Miller Band was the group’s last U.S. No. 1 hit. Which earlier Steve Miller Band single had also reached No. 1?
A) Rock’n Me
B) The Joker
C) Jet Airliner
D) Fly Like an Eagle
10. "Wishing Well" by Terence Trent D'Arby was the debut single from his debut album and reached number one in the United Kingdom. The album was released on which label?
A) RCA
B) CBS
C) Columbia
D) Epic
11. Which artist recorded the hit "Sailing"?
A) Christopher Cross
B) Michael McDonald
C) Boz Scaggs
D) Kenny Loggins
12. The 1986 #1 single "Sara" by Starship was the second chart-topping hit from which of the band's multi-platinum albums?
A) Nuclear Furniture
B) Love Among the Cannibals
C) No Protection
D) Knee Deep in the Hoopla
This page includes a small public sample of Billboard Hot 100 trivia from the 80s Music Chart Challenge question bank. For 7 new questions every day — play the daily quiz.
About the Billboard Hot 100 in the 1980s
During the 1980s, the Billboard Hot 100 combined radio airplay, retail sales, and (starting in 1991 for SoundScan, but still survey-based in the '80s) store-reported sales data to determine America's most popular songs. The chart captured everything from Michael Jackson's record-breaking dominance to the rise of hair-metal power ballads and synth-pop crossovers. Learn more about how the Billboard Hot 100 worked in the 1980s.
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Explore the complete list of every No. 1 song of the 1980s, or tackle the hardest Billboard Hot 100 trivia for expert-level chart-history questions.