Daily Quiz Archive

80s Music Trivia Challenge – Tuesday, May 19, 2026

Part of the 80s Music Chart Challenge archive — 2,800+ curated trivia questions and growing daily.

Featured Themes in This Quiz

Synthesizer innovation and rhythmic mastery define this quiz that pushes deep into 80s production history. George Michael’s “One More Try” spent three weeks atop the Hot 100 from the Faith album, while The Robert Cray Band’s “Smoking Gun” from Strong Persuader brought blues back to mainstream radio. Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative” from Don’t Be Cruel established a new template for R&B swagger, and the hard questions reveal that programmer Bill Wolfer used a Yamaha CS-80 synthesizer to create the iconic bass line on Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.” Andy Summers’ guitar work on The Police’s “Every Breath You Take” is examined alongside Colin Thurston’s production of Duran Duran’s “Union of the Snake.” The expert round explores M/A/R/R/S’s “Pump Up the Volume,” a groundbreaking collaboration between Colourbox and A.R. Kane that helped pioneer sample-based electronic music. This quiz is essential for production nerds and anyone who wants to understand the studio innovations behind the decade’s biggest sounds.

The May 19, 2026 edition of the 80s Music Chart Challenge featured 7 Billboard Hot 100 trivia questions covering George Michael, The Robert Cray Band, Bobby Brown, and Michael Jackson. The questions span 1983 through 1988. Topics covered include Billboard Hot 100, Producers and New Wave, with difficulty levels ranging from 3 moderate, 3 hard, 1 expert. Each question includes the correct answer and a detailed explanation covering chart positions, artist background, and production context.

Featured Topics:Billboard Hot 100ProducersChart RecordsNew WaveCollaborations
George Michael, The Robert Cray Band, Bobby Brown, Michael Jackson, Duran Duran3 Moderate · 3 Hard · 1 Expert1983–1988

This archive page preserves the daily quiz as published, with answers and explanations included.

1

The song "One More Try" by George Michael spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988. On which George Michael album did this song appear?

MODERATE
1988 · George Michael
Faith
Ladies & Gentlemen
Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
Songs from the Last Century

"One More Try" was one of the hit singles from George Michael's 1987 album "Faith," which solidified his solo career success.

2

“Smoking Gun” by The Robert Cray Band was featured on which album?

MODERATE
1987 · The Robert Cray Band
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark
False Accusations
Midnight Stroll
Strong Persuader

“Smoking Gun” was a breakthrough single from The Robert Cray Band’s 1986 album Strong Persuader.

3

Bobby Brown's hit "My Prerogative" was produced by Gene Griffin and appeared on which Bobby Brown album?

MODERATE
1988 · Bobby Brown
Bobby
Don't Be Cruel
Forever
King of Stage

"My Prerogative" was a standout track from 'Don't Be Cruel', the album that helped establish Bobby Brown as a solo R&B star.

4

According to programmer Bill Wolfer, which synthesizer was programmed to create the signature sound on Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" demo and album versions?

HARD
1983 · Michael Jackson
Moog Polymoog
Roland Jupiter-8
Sequential Circuits Prophet-5
Yamaha CS-80

Bill Wolfer stated he used the Yamaha CS-80 synthesizer to program the iconic bass line sound featured on "Billie Jean."

5

“Union of the Snake” was produced by which collaborator?

HARD
1984 · Duran Duran
Colin Thurston
Giorgio Moroder
Nile Rodgers
Trevor Horn

Colin Thurston produced “Union of the Snake,” helping shape Duran Duran’s synth-driven sound during the mid-1980s.

6

The distinctive guitar figure on “Every Breath You Take” was played by which member of The Police?

HARD
1983 · The Police
Andy Summers
Henry Padovani
Stewart Copeland
Sting

Andy Summers created the signature guitar riff that defines The Police’s hit "Every Breath You Take."

7

M/A/R/R/S, the act behind the 1987 hit “Pump Up the Volume,” was a one-off collaboration built from members of which two British acts?

EXPERT
1987 · M/A/R/R/S
Cabaret Voltaire and The Human League
Colourbox and A.R. Kane
Depeche Mode and Yazoo
New Order and Section 25

M/A/R/R/S was a collaborative project combining members of Colourbox and A.R. Kane, creating the influential electronic track "Pump Up the Volume" in 1987.