December 8, 2023

The 70s 80s 90s Blog

Three Decades of History with TV historian Tony McMahon

NME pop music quiz from 1981

1 min read
1981 is often heralded as one of the greatest years for British pop music but how good is your knowledge of that year?

Back in 1981, the NME ran a very easy pop quiz for its readers that went like this…

Q: Iggy’s Dad? (three letters)     A:  Pop

Q: Discontinued Funk Combo?  (seven letters)    A:  Defunkt

Q: Harris; she sang with Gram Parsons?   A: Emmylou

Q:  A Spark?  (seven and four)   A: Russell Mael

One clue was amusing.

Q: Wally hard rock outfit whose albums include ‘Demons and Wizards’ and ‘Salisbury’. This one’s thrown in to make passing MM readers feel at home.   (five and four letters)

A: Uriah Heep

Tougher pop quiz for 1981

That quiz is way too easy!! Let’s give your pop brain a proper workout!

New Order burst on to the scene after the folding of Joy Division with the single Ceremony – what was the B-side called?

On 27 March, who bit the head off a dove….allegedly?

On 18 April, which prolific prog rock band much hated by punks split up?

Who left Motown for RCA on 14 May?

Which American country singer topped the Billboard 100 in 1981?

Name the OMD album that soared through the charts that included the single Joan of Arc?

OK – let’s see how you do!

FIND OUT MORE: Pop groups that crashed in 1983

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