Part of the 80s Music Chart Challenge archive — 2,800+ curated trivia questions and growing daily.
On August 13, 2026 the daily challenge served up 7 Billboard Hot 100 questions, kept here for replay. Janet Jackson, Van Halen, and Starship are among the artists represented in the questions. Expect angles on Collaborations, Movie Soundtracks, and Producers. The set is weighted across 3 moderate, 3 hard, and 1 expert questions. Every entry is tied to a documented Billboard chart run rather than fan lore. The run rewards steady chart knowledge as the questions grow tougher toward the end. The answers and explanations are included, so it reads as well as it plays.
This archive page preserves the daily quiz as published, with answers and explanations included.
The 1986 #1 single "Sara" by Starship was the second chart-topping hit from which of the band's multi-platinum albums?
"Sara" was the second major hit released from Starship's album "Knee Deep in the Hoopla," which was a commercial success in 1986.
Which funk band transformed during the De-Lite era into polished crossover dance-pop under Eumir Deodato's production, exemplified by the song "Big Fun"?
"Big Fun" was part of Kool & The Gang's evolution into polished dance-pop, moving from their funk roots to appeal broadly in the early 1980s.
“Maniac” by Michael Sembello is most closely associated with which 1983 film?
“Maniac” was featured on the Flashdance soundtrack and became an iconic 1983 hit closely tied to the film's dance sequences.
Which Van Halen single in this chart window credits all four band members as songwriters?
“Feels So Good” credits all four Van Halen members, reflecting the band's collaborative songwriting approach in this period.
The energetic club track “Don't Stop the Feeling” was recorded by which West Coast jazz-funk vibraphonist and vocalist?
Jazz-funk icon Roy Ayers is known for his vibraphone skills and lively tracks like “Don't Stop the Feeling.”
Which record is the 1981 sophisticated soul duet between Aretha Franklin and George Benson produced by Arif Mardin?
'Love All the Hurt Away' pairs Aretha Franklin with George Benson under Arif Mardin’s sophisticated production.
The industrial, metallic "clinking" sound heard throughout Janet Jackson’s "Nasty" was a hallmark of the Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis production style, created using which early sampling workstation?
The Ensoniq Mirage was an early digital sampler used by producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to create the distinctive metallic clinking sounds in Janet Jackson's "Nasty."