One for the Gen Xers: how much do you remember about the 80s?

One for the Gen Xers: how much do you remember about the 80s?

The 80s was all about the big hair, pegged jeans, mullets, and Doctor Martens boots. But it was also a time of huge social and technological change and the last decade before the internet became the way to steal music and watch questionable video content. Back then, if you wanted to watch a movie, you'd slide a huge plastic cartridge cassette into a player and fast forward to your favorite bits. And if you wanted to take your music on the go with you, you'd take a cassette tape that sounded like it had been recorded next to a toilet cistern after flushing. But, these technologies meant freedom and we should never laugh at them. If you of school age at the beginning of the 80s, you're most likely a member of Generation X - the play hard/work hard generation. GenX was immortalised by visionary author, Douglas Coupland, who recognised that Generation X would take to the fields en mass and fall in love with each other to repetitive beats. And that we did. What do you recall about the 80s? This fun quiz will test your mettle and find out how much attention you were paying in that great decade of change, the 1980s.

Which daughter was the youngest in Full House?

What year did Americans hold hands to beat hunger?

What were you doing if you were pegging your jeans?

Which year in the 80s did Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer get wed?

Who was the principal antogonist who wanted He-Man to die in dramatic ways?

Back in the 80s, the cute Alien Life Form (aka ALF) adorned our screens. Where was he from?

Which of the following was NOT a New Kid (on the Block)?

Which creepy dance instructor (who was of questionable age) fell for Baby?

What was life like "here in Duckburg"?

Which team is famous for the Super Bowl Shuffle?

Why was Live Aid held in 1985?

Which fabulous Brat Pack movie was set in the library at New Trier High School?

Which of the following 80s superstars got us humming along to "Holiday" and "Borderline"?

How would you fix your malfunctioning Nintendo Entertainment System cartridge?

What - out of the following things you probably shouldn't do to a mogwai - was the major No-No (with disastrous results)?

Which movie and offshoot cartoon was immortalized (for a little while) by its own Hi-C flava at the end of the 80s?

Ferris "borrowed" someone's car in the '86 classic, Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Whose car was it?

Baby Jessica became famous overnight back in 1987. Why?

The Oregon Trail video game is still popular today, but its first incarnation appeared in 1985. Which rather unpleasant ailment were you almost guaranteed to eventually get?

VHS was the format of choice for home video recording. What was the name of its main competitor?

The Challenger space shuttle exploded on take-off in the 80s. Can you remember which year?

What was the main objective of The Goonies? Why were they seeking out One-Eyed Willy's treasure?

"I know you are, but what am I?" Which cult 80s flick is this quote from?

Which character had the idea for "The Babysitters Club"?

The Cosby Show was one of America's most popular families. How many kids did they have?

Michael Jackson's hair caught fire in the 80s while shooting a commercial. Which company was it for?

Which super-popular toy, created by Xavier Roberts, hit the toy store shelves in a big way in the 80s?

Joy Division was a massive underground success of the 80s. What band did the remaining members form after Ian Curtis's untimely death?

Which of the following consider themselves Teddy Ruxpin's BFF?

The Summer Olympics is held at a different location each time, and they have a mascot - usually of an animal associated with that country. Which animal was used for the Los Angeles Summer Olympics in 1984?

One for the Gen Xers: how much do you remember about the 80s?

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Mike Heath

Mike has an MA in Creative Writing and is a full-time copywriter, yoga teacher, and playwright. His copywriting has taken him to dizzy heights: writing in every conceivable niche from facts about carpet slippers to portents about artificial intelligence and how to overcome plantar fasciitis (look it up) to fabulous home decor. Mike is a UK-based playwright whose work has been performed all around the world (as long as you count the UK and Western Australia). His work is available on Amazon, and you can listen to his podcast where he talks about playwriting with his sarcastic co-presenter. He runs the WriteForTheStage courses and you can follow him on @Write4TheStage (Twitter) and @_mike_heath_ on Instagram.