Intros Quiz: 1980 edition
We continue on our five-yearly cycle of intros quizzes with one of my favourite years in music: 1980. Ah, the trinity of Dexys’ Geno, the Pretenders Brass In Pocket (which was released in 1979, I know), and New Musik’s Living By Numbers. None of which feature in this quiz, of course. Fans of the era, especially veteran Smash Hits readers, will love this blog, with completely scanned issues from 1979 and1980, ads and everything. The single reviews are particularly fascinating. The cover on the right is borrowed from the Like Punk Never Happened blog.
So, here are 20 intros to hit songs from 1980, of 5-7 seconds in length. All were singles released that year. The answers will be posted in the comments section by Thursday. And if the pesky number 12 bugs you, e-mail me at halfhearteddude [at) gmail [dot] com for the answers, or better, message me on Facebook. If you”re not my FB friend, click here.
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Well me and the Mrs reckon that the songs are:
1 Xanadu – Olivia Newton John
2 Love will tear us apart – Joy Division
3 Celebration – Kool and the Gang
4 Ashes to Ashes – Bowie
5 Ace of Spades – Motorhead
6 Woman in Love – Barbara Streisand
7 Turning Japanese – The Vapours
8 Romeo & Juliet – Dire Straits
9 Fame – Irene Cara
10 Stop the Cavalry – Jonah Louie
11 Hit me with your best shot – Pat Benatar
12 ????
13 Games without frontier – Peter Gabriel
14 Funky Town – Lipps Inc
15 Hungry Heart – Bruce Springsteen
16 Mirror in the Bathroom – The Beat
17 Upside Down – Diana Ross
18 ????
19 Babouschka – Kate Bush
20 ????
We really enjoyed that – please let us know the ones we didn’t get!
The mighty minds at Santa Monica Public Library have identified the first nineteen. The one person who I thought would know them all is ashamed to admit he doesn’t know number 20. The rest of us are ashamed of him too.
From the responses I’ve had, 12 and 20 are the ones that flummox most people. Number 12 I can understand; I’d have remembered a different part of the song as the intro. And the intro to 20 is so bloody horrible, you just don’t want to associate it with the rest of it.
So far, I’ve identified every song except 2, 10, 12, and 20. I’m looking forward to Thursday…
THE ANSWERS:
1. Olivia Newton-John (with ELO) – Xanadu
2. Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart
3. Kool & The Gang – Celebration
4. David Bowie – Ashes To Ashes
5. Moțrhead РAce Of Spades
6. Barbra Streisand – Woman In Love
7. The Vapors – Turning Japanese
8. Dire Straits – Romeo And Juliet
9. Irene Cara – Fame
10. Jona Lewie – Stop The Cavalry
11. Pat Benatar – Hit Me With Your Best Shot
12. Blondie – Atomic
13. Peter Gabriel – Games Without Frontiers
14. Lipps, Inc – Funkytown
15. Bruce Springsteen – Hungry Heart
16. The Beat – Mirror In The Bathroom
17. Diana Ross – Upside Down
18. AC/DC – You Shook Me All Night Long
19. Kate Bush – Babooshka
20. Stevie Wonder – Happy Birthday