‘We Are Live’ N°81 – 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 : Genesis, Bon Jovi, Bruce Hornsby, Cher, Billy Joel, The Bible, The The, The Jesus And Mary Chain, Jon & Vangelis, The Cult, The Jam, Tom Tom Club

They are the performers of twelve “live” music videos that were ranked in various charts, this week (34/52) BUT … in the EIghties 80s.

QUIZ QUESTIONS

1. What inspired the title of Genesis’s “Abacab”?

  • A A chord sequence
  • B A football chant
  • C A scrambled egg recipe

2. How did Bon Jovi’s “I’ll Be There for You” music video incorporate live performance elements?

  • A Solely a studio shoot
  • B Filmed at a beach party
  • C Footage from the Jersey Syndicate Tour

3. Which Bruce Hornsby track was released as a single alongside “The Valley Road”?

  • A “Mandolin Rain”
  • B “Look Out Any Window”
  • C “Across the River”

4. Which filming location caused controversy for Cher’s “If I Could Turn Back Time” music video?

  • A A pirate ship
  • B USS Missouri battleship
  • C A desert set

5. Which Billy Joel song reached number one in the US in 1980?

  • A “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me”
  • B “Uptown Girl”
  • C “Piano Man”

6. Which band released “Honey Be Good” in 1988?

  • A The Bible
  • B Tears for Fears
  • C Simple Minds

7. Which song by The The became their best-selling UK single?

  • A “Uncertain Smile”
  • B “Heartland”
  • C “This is the Day”

8. From which album is The Jesus and Mary Chain’s 1987 single “April Skies”?

  • A Script of the Bridge
  • B Darklands
  • C Seventeen Seconds

9. Who performed “State of Independence” before Jon and Vangelis?

  • A Donna Summer
  • B Moodswings
  • C Erasure

10. Which shift in musical style did The Cult’s Electric album demonstrate?

  • A Punk rock to pop
  • B Hard rock to jazz
  • C Gothic rock to hard rock

11. Which 1980 track by The Jam references “Taxman”?

  • A “Going Underground”
  • B “Start!”
  • C “Town Called Malice”

12. Which group’s cover of a 1964 song hit the UK Top 30 in the 1980s?

  • A Blondie
  • B Tom Tom Club
  • C Duran Duran

WATCH IN FULL
RVM prescreen
RVM prescreen
AUDIO ONLY

Tracklist

1 . Genesis – Abacab

Featured on the 2001 album “Abacab“.

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

2 . Bon Jovi – Lay Your Hands On Me

Featured on the 2011 album “New Jersey“.

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

3 . Bruce Hornsby – Look Out Any Window

Featured on the 1988 album “Scenes From The Southside”.

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

4 . Cher – If I Could Turn Back Time

Featured on the 1988 album “Heart of Stone”.

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

5 . Billy Joel – It’s Still Rock And Roll To Me

Featured on the 1986 album “Glass Houses“.

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

6 . The Bible – Honey Be Good

Featured on the 1988 album “Eureka”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

7 . The The – Heartland

Featured on the 1986 album “Infected“.

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

8 . The Jesus And Mary Chain – Happy When It Rains

Featured on the 1987 album “Darklands“.

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

9 . Jon & Vangelis – State Of Independence

Featured on the 1986 album “The Friends of Mr Cairo”.

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

10 . The Cult – Wild Flower

Featured on the 1987 album “Electric“.

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

11 . The Jam – Start!

Featured on the 1981 album “Sound Affects“.

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

12 . Tom Tom Club – Under The Boardwalk

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

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

1. “Abacab” was inspired by early arrangements labeled A, B, and C. The progression was not musically maintained but lent its name to the track and album.

2. Bon Jovi’s video for “I’ll Be There for You” combined concert footage from the Jersey Syndicate Tour, bringing live energy to the screen.

3. “Look Out Any Window” was released as a single from Bruce Hornsby’s album, part of his successful 1988 run.

4. The music video for Cher’s “If I Could Turn Back Time” was controversial for being filmed aboard the USS Missouri, sparking military protests.

5. Billy Joel’s “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” topped the Billboard Hot 100, marking his first time at No. 1 in 1980.

6. The Bible, an English band, released “Honey Be Good” as part of their late 1980s output, active in the indie scene.

7. “Heartland” by The The became their top-selling single in the UK, sticking on the charts for ten weeks.

8. The 1987 single “April Skies” by The Jesus and Mary Chain appears on their album Darklands, a sign of the times.

9. Donna Summer echoed Jon and Vangelis’s sound with her cover of “State of Independence,” released after the original.

10. The Cult’s Electric marked a move from gothic to hard rock under Rick Rubin’s direction, shifting their sonic identity.

11. The Jam’s single “Start!” bears riffs reminiscent of “Taxman,” a nod noted by bassist Bruce Foxton.

12. Tom Tom Club’s cover of the Drifters’ hit landed them on the UK charts, a testament to their cover talents.

For THE FULL ‘ARE WE LIVE?’ COLLECTION click here