Happy Tuesday! The Learned League recently conducted an 80s music mini-league. This was by far the most success I've had in Learned League since I signed up, barely missing the finals. Today, I thought I would share some questions, so let's see how well you know your 80s music.
1. What musical act, whose members met in a Philadelphia elevator in 1967 while escaping a gang fight, went on to become Billboard's best-charting duo of all time (and Billboard's #3 act of the '80s, behind Michael Jackson and Madonna)?
2. What 1981 song, which spent more time atop the Billboard Hot 100 than any other '80s song (10 weeks), was recorded by a granddaughter of Max Born, who won a Nobel Prize "for his fundamental research in quantum mechanics, especially for his statistical interpretation of the wavefunction"?
3. Who sang backup for Chaka Khan, duetted with Teddy Pendergrass, was one of the women that inspired Billy Joel to write "Uptown Girl", and graced the cover of Seventeen magazine—all before releasing her eponymous debut album in 1985?
4. Written by Tim Rice and ᗅᗺᗷᗅ's Benny and Björn, what single (from a concept album that became a 1986 musical) juxtaposes chorus lyrics that speak well of the title capital city ("the world's your oyster") with verse lyrics denigrating it ("crowded, polluted, stinking town")?
5. The names are the same. When written as two words, it's the title of The Whispers' biggest hit—a Hot Black Singles #1 in 1987 and an early product of the prolific production duo of Antonio "L.A." Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. When written as one word, it's the music-themed handle of Bebop's rhinerocerine partner, who was created in 1987 for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles television series. What is this shared name?
6. If Cheryl James is "Salt" and Sandra Denton is "Pepa", then who is Deidra Roper?
7. The cover of
what album, one of three ever to include seven top-ten singles, features an Annie Leibovitz photo of the singer's butt (because, according to the singer, it looked better than a photo of his face)?
8. Debbie Gibson wrote and co-produced
what album, the follow-up to her 1987 debut, which resulted in four Hot 100 singles (including the title track), a 1989 world tour, and a perfume (manufactured by Revlon)?
9. Give both where Tommy used to work (union's been on strike) and where Gina currently works (working for her man) in the lyrics to Bon Jovi's signature hit "Livin' on a Prayer". Two answers required.
10. The names are the same. It's the name of Bobby Brown's 1988 album, as well as its lead single. It's also the Elvis Presley song that Cheap Trick covered that same year. What title do they share?
As always, please leave your answers in the comments section below and don't use the internet for assistance. Good luck!
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