Create an ’80s Playlist and We'll Guess Which State You Live In

By: Ashley Palkovics
Estimated Completion Time
5 min
Create an ’80s Playlist and We'll Guess Which State You Live In
Image: Sire and Warner Bros.

About This Quiz

Have you ever considered that your taste in music may be regional? Pop, rock, R&B, there's a wide variety of music genres to listen to. It's likely your local radio stations have tailored the type of music they play to what their listeners like, thus exposing a specific community to their own variety of songs. From looking at reported statistics on music-by-genre consumption across the United States, there are obvious patterns that can be seen in the data. We're challenging you to simply tell us what kind of songs you like, and we'll see if we can guess which state you likely grew up/live in.

Why the '80s? Why not the '80s!?

The 1980s were an incredible decade for musical genius among musicians. Some of the greatest songs to ever be written, and the most talented artists to ever record, have all been love children of this decade. Artists like Queen, Madonna and Michael Jackson have given this decade and their genres a tremendous amount of popularity. Take a trip down memory lane, whether you were born before the '80s or not! We'll look at your choices for the ultimate '80s playlist, analyze them and see where your preferences fit regionally in the United States! 

Olivia Newton-John - Physical (1981)
MCA
Which groovy track by Olivia Newton-John would be on your playlist?
"Physical"
"Magic"
"Heart Attack"
"Summer Nights"

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Los Lobos - La Bamba
Del-Fi
In a decade of MANY one-hit wonders, which song will you add to your tunes?
"Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes
"La Bamba" by Los Lobos
"Funkytown" by Lipps, Inc.
"Mickey" by Toni Basil

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Blondie - Call Me
Polydor, Chrysalis and Salsoul
You don't have to be a blonde to love Blondie. What song by them would you add?
"Call Me"
"The Tide Is High"
"Rapture"
"One Way or Another"

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Diana Ross - Chain Reaction
RCA Records and Capitol
Everyone needs a little Diana Ross in their lives. Which of her songs do you vibe with best?
"Endless Love" feat. Lionel Richie
"Upside Down"
"I'm Coming Out"
"Muscles"

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The Police - Every Breath You Take
A&M (AM 117)
Of these classic rock songs, which will you headbang to the most?
"Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor
"Every Breath You Take" by The Police
"You Give Love A Bad Name" by Bon Jovi
"Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns N Roses

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Whitney Houston - I Wanna Dance With Somebody
Arista
Which song do you love the most done by one of the stunning ladies of the '80?
"What A Feeling" by Irene Cara"
“I Wanna Dance With Somebody” by Whitney Houston
“What’s Love Got To Do With It” by Tina Turner
“Let’s Hear It For The Boy” by Deniece Williams

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Queen - Another One Bites The Dust
EMI and Elektra
We don't mean to put you "under pressure," but which of these Queen songs is your favorite?
"Another One Bites The Dust"
"Crazy Little Thing Called Love"
"I Want to Break Free"
"Princes of the Universe"

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Paul McCartney Feat
Parlophone and Columbia
A good duet will survive for generations. Which will survive to your next playlist?
“Say Say Say” by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson
“Ebony And Ivory” by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder
“Islands In The Stream” by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton
“On My Own” by Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald

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Kenny Rogers - Lady
Liberty 1380
What Kenny Rogers hit has to be included in the lineup?
"Lady"
"The Gambler"
"We've Got Tonight"
"Crazy"

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Joan Jett & the Blackhearts - I Love Rock N Roll
Boardwalk
They love rock n roll, and so do the '80s. Which of these Joan Jett & the Blackhearts anthems will be in the mix?
"Bad Reputation"
"Do You Wanna Touch Me"
"I Love Rock 'n' Roll
"Cherry Bomb"

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Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
Epic
He's the King of Pop, but which classic MJ track will be the king of your music playlist?
"Billie Jean"
"Beat It"
"Man In the Mirror"
"Thriller"

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Phil Collins - Another Day In Paradise
Atlantic, Virgin and WEA
If you just HAD to choose a Phil Collins hit, which would it be?
"Another Day in Paradise"
"Against All Odds"
"Groovy Kind of Love"
"One More Night"

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Madonna - Papa Don't Preach
Sire and Warner Bros.
She asks us "who's that girl," but everyone in the '80s knew who she was. Which of these Madonna songs is your favorite?
"Like A Virgin"
"Crazy For You"
"Papa Don't Preach"
"Material Girl"

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Prince - Purple Rain
Warner Bros.
The artist formally known as Prince was a major part of the music industry. Which of his songs do you know best?
"When Doves Cry"
"Kiss"
"U Got The Look"
"Purple Rain"

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Pink Floyd - Learning To Fly
EMI and Columbia
"Another brick in the"... playlist. What Pink Floyd song makes the cut?
"The Fletcher Memorial Home"
"On the Turning Away"
"Learning to Fly"
"One Slip"

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Bonnie Tyler - Holding Out For A Hero
Columbia
When choosing between a Bonnie Tyler song, which would you have to go with above the rest?
"Total Eclipse of the Heart"
"Holding Out for a Hero"
"Loving You Is a Dirty Job but Somebody's Gotta Do It"
"Save Up All Your Tears"

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The Bangles Walk Like an Egyptian
Columbia and Bangle-a-lang Music
Which of these perfect decade party hits makes the ultimate playlist?
"Walk Like An Egyptian" by The Bangles
"Jessie's Girl" by Rick Springfield
"Livin' On A Prayer" by Bon Jovi
"Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley

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Barbra Streisand - Memory
Columbia
Barbra Streisand was a staple of the 80s. Which of her tunes will you choose?
"Woman in Love"
"Somewhere"
"Memory"
"What Kind of Fool"

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Van Halen - Jump
Warner Bros.
Are you feeling like you could "jump" on any of these solid '80s classics more than the rest?
"Jump" by Van Halen
"Can't Fight This Feeling" by REO Speedwagon
"Footloose" by Kenny Loggins
"We Built This City" by Starship

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Dolly Parton - 9 To 5
RCA
You may know "who you gonna call" when there's "something strange in your neighborhood", but which of these songs you gonna PICK for your playlist?
"9 to 5" by Dolly Parton
"Like a Prayer" by Madonna
"Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds
"Karma Chameleon" by Culture Club

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Paula Abdul - Straight Up
Virgin
Do you fancy any of these pre- "American Idol" tracks by judge Paula Abdul?
"Straight Up"
"Cold Hearted"
"Opposites Attract"
"Forever Your Girl"

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Roxette - Listen To Your Heart
EMI
Roxette was rockin', but which track will be rolling onto your speakers?
"Listen to Your Heart"
"The Look"
"Dangerous"
"Dressed for Success"

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Billy Joel - Uptown Girl
Columbia
You can't go wrong with Billy Joel, but do you have a preference on a song of his to include?
"Uptown Girl"
"It's Still Rock & Roll To Me"
"We Didn't Start The Fire"
"Piano Man"

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Stevie Wonder - I Just Called To Say I Love You 1984
Motown
Everyone loves love, but which of these love songs do you LOVE the most?
"The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis & The News
"I Just Called To Say I Love You" by Stevie Wonder
"Lost In Your Eyes" Debbie Gibson
"Need You Tonight" by INXS

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Bobby Brown - Rock Wit'cha
MCA
Dare to choose a Bobby Brown song for the collection?
"My Prerogative"
"Every Little Step"
"Rock Wit'cha"
"Roni"

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Wham! - Wake Me Up Before You Go Go
Columbia and Epic
"Papa don't preach" about a way to choose a song, but which would you pick from these songs?
"Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" by Eurythmic
“Maniac” by Michael Sembello
“Take On Me” by a-ha
“Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” by Wham!

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Tiffany - I Think We're Alone Now
MCA
The '80s were a happy time, some would say, so which happy tune would you choose?
“I Think We’re Alone Now” by Tiffany
“Celebration” by Kool & The Gang
“Red Red Wine” by UB40
“Heaven Is A Place On Earth” by Belinda Carlisle

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Culture Club - Do You Really Want To Hurt Me
Virgin and Epic
Before you "go-go," which of these songs would you choose for your playlist?
“Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin
“Lean On Me” by Club Nouveau
“Do You Really Want To Hurt Me” by Culture Club
“Dancing In The Dark” by Bruce Springsteen

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Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time
Epic
Which Cyndi Lauper hit makes you "just wanna have fun"?
"Time After Time"
"She Bop"
"I Drove All Night"
"All Through The Night"

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Earth, Wind & Fire - Let's Groove
Columbia
The Earth, Wind & Fire need a final component ... a song! Which one will you choose?
"Let's Groove"
"I've Had Enough"
"And Love Goes On"
"Fall in Love With Me"

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You Got: