‘Music For The Dancers’ N°201 – Vintage 80s Music Videos

How well do you know your music? Let’s find out with a quiz that accompanies this week playlist.

The subjects du jour are : Public Enemy, Heavy D. & The Boyz, Eric B. & Rakim, Sade, Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers, Kon Kan, Jaki Graham, Dire Straits, Opus, Scritti Politti, Malcolm Mclaren, Irene Cara

They are the performers of twelve vintage dance tunes that were ranked in various charts, this week (27/52) BUT … in the EIghties 80s.

QUIZ QUESTIONS
QUIZ QUESTIONS

1. What inspired the lyrics of Public Enemy’s track on their album "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back"?

  • A The Cold War
  • B The works of Noam Chomsky
  • C A newspaper article about urban life

2. Who produced Heavy D & The Boyz's opening track of the album "Big Tyme"?

  • A Teddy Riley
  • B David Kellogg
  • C Heavy D himself

3. Which 1987 film inspired the music video for Eric B. & Rakim's lead single?

  • A The Godfather
  • B The Untouchables
  • C Scarface

4. What is the setting for the music video of Sade's second single from "Stronger Than Pride"?

  • A A Parisian café
  • B A Mexican village
  • C A Tokyo street

5. Which city served as the recording location for Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers's "Conscious Party" track?

  • A Kingston, Jamaica
  • B New York, USA
  • C Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

6. Which song did Kon Kan incorporate as a sample in "Harry Houdini"?

  • A "White Lines" by Grandmaster Melle Mel
  • B "The Tide Is High" by Blondie
  • C "Rapper's Delight" by Sugarhill Gang

7. What is Jaki Graham's nationality?

  • A American
  • B Australian
  • C British

8. Which award did Dire Straits's track from "Brothers in Arms" win in 1986?

  • A Grammy for Best Rock Performance
  • B BRIT Award for Best Album
  • C MTV Movie Award for Best Song

9. Which event in 1994 was associated with the re-release of Opus's "Live Is Life"?

  • A Winter Olympics
  • B FIFA World Cup
  • C The Grammys

10. Which music genre is prominently featured in Malcolm McLaren's 1983 track?

  • A Jazz
  • B Hip-hop
  • C Reggae

11. In which music chart position did Scritti Politti's "Absolute" peak in the UK?

  • A No. 17
  • B No. 5
  • C No. 23

12. What major awards did Irene Cara's "Flashdance… What a Feeling" receive?

  • A Oscar and BAFTA
  • B Grammy and Tony
  • C Oscar and Golden Globe

WATCH IN FULL
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For TWELVE more 'Music For The Dancers' - Vintage 80s Music Videos - week 27/52 - click here

AUDIO ONLY

Tracklist

1 . Public Enemy - Don't Believe The Hype

Featured on the 1988 album "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back".

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

2 . Heavy D. & The Boyz - We Got Our Own Thang

Featured on the 1989 album "Big Tyme".

Lyrics >> More by the same : Facebook

3 . Eric B. & Rakim - Follow The Leader

Featured on the 1988 album "Follow the Leader".

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Wikipedia

4 . Sade - Paradise

Featured on the 1988 album "stronger Than Pride".

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

5 . Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers - Tomorrow People

Featured on the 1988 album "Conscious Party".

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

6 . Kon Kan - Harry Houdini

Featured on the 1989 album "Move to Move".

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Twitter

7 . Jaki Graham - Round And Around

Featured on the 1986 album "Heaven Knows".

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

8 . Dire Straits - Money For Nothing

Featured on the 1985 album "Brothers in Arms".

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Facebook

9 . Opus - Live Is Life

Featured on the 1984 album "Up and Down".

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Wikipedia

10 . Scritti Politti - Absolute

Featured on the 1984 album "Cupid & Psyche 85".

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

11 . Malcolm McLaren - Double Dutch

Featured on the 1983 album "Duck Rock".

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Wikipedia

12 . Irene Cara - Flashdance [What a Feeling]

Featured on the 1983 album "Flashdance: Soundtrack".

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Twitter

And the correct answers (in case you missed one or two) are:

1. Noam Chomsky's writings inspired this Public Enemy track, fueling its political commentary. The song mirrored societal tension through its powerful rhythms and lyrics.

2. Teddy Riley produced the track, adding his New Jack Swing flair. This choice helped define the sound of the late '80s hip-hop landscape.

3. Scott Kalvert directed the music video, drawing heavily on themes from "The Untouchables." The visual storytelling echoed the tense narrative of the song.

4. The music video for this Sade track features a Mexican village setting. This backdrop added warmth and authenticity to its visual narrative.

5. Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers recorded the track in New York. The energetic sessions captured the essence of their diverse musical influences.

6. "Harry Houdini" by Kon Kan samples "White Lines" by Grandmaster Melle Mel. The track mixes elements of funk and pop to intriguing effect.

7. Jaki Graham is British, born in Birmingham. Her career in the mid-'80s reflected the vibrant UK music scene.

8. Dire Straits's unforgettable track won the Grammy for Best Rock Performance. Its iconic riff and satirical lyrics contributed to its accolades.

9. The 1994 World Cup featured a re-release of "Live Is Life". This anthem united fans globally with its enduring, catchy refrain.

10. The track by Malcolm McLaren features hip-hop elements. His innovative music video also highlighted the art of double dutch skipping.

11. "Absolute" reached No. 17 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was part of Scritti Politti's experimentation with pop and synth sounds.

12. "Flashdance... What a Feeling" by Irene Cara won both Oscar and Golden Globe awards. These honors acknowledged the song's cultural impact and success during the 1980s.

For THE FULL 'MUSIC FOR THE DANCERS' COLLECTION click here

(*) According to our own statistics, updated on January 11, 2026