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About This Quiz
1980s rock bands were famous for their glitzy clothes, big hair and metal bands. Many of those stars still tour today. If you still walk around with big hair and torn jeans, do you think you can name '80s rock stars from only an image? Take this quiz to see if you are the rock star you always wanted to be!
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Slayer
At the hard edge of '80s rock was thrash metal, and that class was led by Slayer. The music was surprisingly nimble, but the shouted lyrics were the main focal point, covering the usual range of nihilistic, angst-ridden, teen-friendly rage points.
Poison
Metallica
Megadeth
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Queen
Queen had a fanatical following for Freddie Mercury's operatic, bombastic vocal style as well as the complexity of their lyrics. Legions of movie fans loved them for the contributions to the "Highlander" movie soundtrack.
Journey
Stryper
KISS
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Poison
Def Leppard
Guns N' Roses
GnR, as the fans write it, struck a rebellious chord with a lot of their songs. "Welcome to the Jungle," easily their best-known song, has been used for everything from professional wrestling to various movie soundtracks ... so maybe not so rebellious?
Journey
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Metallica
AC/DC
Even the soft-rock kids eventually got into AC/DC. "Back In Black" is one of the biggest albums ever made, and the songs with the naughty lyrics were always fun to play when your parents were out of earshot.
Led Zeppelin
Quiet Riot
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Bon Jovi
I always thought of Bon Jovi as the band for kids who were graduating from Journey to "real" rock. With his trademark headband, Jon Bon Jovi delivers a good set of songs, although they're a bit more pop than rock at times.
Stryper
Poison
Quiet Riot
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Foo Fighters
Led Zeppelin
Styx
Nirvana
Nirvana was more of a '90s sensation, but the grunge began in the '80s. I was never sure what Kurt Cobain was saying in most of his songs, but a lot of fairly intelligent people who didn't seem overly concerned with personal hygiene thought he was the greatest thing since sliced bread.
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Van Halen
Poison
Tears for Fears
Motley Crue
"The Crue" had a passionate following during their heyday. I never quite got into them, since to me they were trying to be a mashup of Van Halen, Quiet Riot and Aerosmith.
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Aerosmith
Journey
Def Leppard
There were so many of these loud bands in the '80s that they sometimes ran together. I always remembered Def Leppard, though, for the one-armed drummer.
Metallica
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Metallica
Metallica was one of the linchpins of thrash metal in the '80s. They're one of the few groups left from that era that's still fronted by its founding members - in this case, James Hetfield and madman Lars Ulrich.
AC/DC
Guns 'n Roses
Tesla
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Def Leppard
Journey
One way (as I've learned) to start a big fight on social media is to post your loathing for Journey and Steve Perry. Yes, the band sold a ton of albums, but to me Perry's voice always sounded like he needed more fiber in his diet, if you know what I mean.
ELO
Bon Jovi
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Def Leppard
Van Halen
Queen
Aerosmith
Steven Tyler is the prototypical rock band lead singer. He's cadaverous, has a voice that sounds like he's been gargling broken glass when he's talking and hair that looks like it might eat small animals. However, the band's discography is some of the best rock and roll ever made.
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Metallica
Stryper
Iron Maiden
You wouldn't expect a band named after a medieval torture device to do soft rock, and you'd be right here. Iron Maiden was known for earsplitting shows that left fans with coveted near-stage seats partially deaf the next day.
Dokken
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Ozzy Osbourne
These days, Ozzy is something of a human cartoon. Back in the '70s and '80s, however, he was the top madman of hard rock. The stories are legion, with my favorite being that he once bit the head off a bat in the middle of a concert. True? Who cares!
AC/DC
KISS
Def Leppard
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Metallica
Dokken
Van Halen
Scorpions
The German rock scene was dominated by hard-driving heavy metal, and Scorpions was right at the forefront. Their biggest song, "Winds of Change," turned political, addressing the sea change in German society after the Berlin Wall came down.
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Meat Loaf
Foreigner
With a career that ran for decades, Foreigner is one of the most successful rock bands ever. No '80s music collection was complete without a copy of "Foreigner 4." Even the departure of original frontman Lou Gramm couldn't stop them.
Cheap Trick
Simple Minds
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Cheap Trick
Simple Minds
U2
Yes, names like Bono and The Edge are almost caricatures of rock monikers, but you can't deny this group's success. Early success led to global tours that packed stadiums and made Bono a household name and political powerhouse.
Flock of Seagulls
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Iron Maiden
Supertramp
Led Zeppelin
Whether it's the frequent Tolkien references or the infamous Viking kittens video, Led Zeppelin has left a massive cultural footprint. "Stairway to Heaven" is easily one of the most recognizable rock songs ever made.
Aerosmith
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Dokken
Korn
X Japan
Yes, there were heavy metal bands in Japan in the '80s! This long-running group was known for speed metal, but later evolved into more ballads and traditional rock stylings.
Aerosmith
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
The Clash
Minor Threat
Social Distortion
Bad Religion
Most people learned about Bad Religion in the early '90s, when they signed with Atlantic Records and hit the bigtime. For the underground hardcore punk scene in the '80s, though, there were few bands that challenged Bad Religion for sheer volume and biting social commentary.
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
The Cure
The Cure came out of the British punk scene, but lead singer Robert Smith steered them in a more commercially successful direction later in the '80s. Smith has the distinction of having appeared as himself (well, in giant form) in an episode of "South Park," battling a mechanized Barbra Streisand.
The Smiths
Simple Minds
Bad Brains
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Asia
Europe
Europe was something of a one-hit wonder on this side of the pond. The group's "Final Countdown" was a Cold War anthem, which has gone on to be featured at dozens of sporting events.
Kansas
Poison
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Kiss
Kiss (better known as KISS) was that band your parents hated in the late '70s and all through the '80s. Their stage shows were festivals of pyrotechnics, gouts of fake blood and scantily dressed dancers, and the song lyrics were the usual mishmash of sex, drugs and teenage rebellion.
Metallica
Insane Clown Posse
Dokken
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Dokken
Poison
Poison earned the distinction of being named No. 1 on the VH1 list of the top hair bands of the '80s. While their discography contains a goodly number of hits, I'm sure they're most proud of the VH1 award.
Pantera
Aerosmith
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Led Zeppelin
Lynyrd Skynyrd
The list of Skynyrd's southern-rock anthems is long, and if you go to a karaoke night anywhere south of Virginia you'll hear at least two of them. Even I, with my northern-bred pipes, can't resist tearing into "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Gimme Three Steps" occasionally.
Kansas
Charlie Daniels Band
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Tears for Fears
Simple Minds
The Clash
Duran Duran
Duran Duran made use of the power of music videos in the '80s perhaps better than anyone. The video for "Girls on Film" was initially banned by MTV, which of course made it even more popular.
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Poison
Pantera
Dokken
Dokken never quite made it to the top of the metal heap, but founder Don Dokken (one of the best names in metal) has kept at it for three decades. The band's biggest success came in the late '80s, and they developed a hardcore fan base that still keeps the royalty checks flowing.
Ratt
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Asia
Rush
This Canadian rock band's songs are usually too long for radio, with guitar solos and instrumental passages that go on for many minutes, but no band was ever more awesome in concert. During their final tour, millions worldwide sang along with hits like "Tom Sawyer" in packed arenas and stadiums.
Kansas
Styx
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Joy Division
Joy Division was a promising punk band in the late '70s that was poised for success as the decade turned. However, lead singer Ian Curtis' depression and other issues led to him committing suicide just before their first major American tour.
Depeche Mode
Tears for Fears
Madness
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Primus
Def Leppard
The Kinks
Whitesnake
You might not believe it, but there's a direct link between the legendary band Deep Purple and Whitesnake. David Coverdale left Deep Purple in 1978 to form Whitesnake, and commercial success on a grand scale came a few years later.
Youtube
Which legendary rock band is in this image?
The Cure
The Smiths
The Smiths were that band that the really smart girl who wore a lot of black and contributed tons to the literary magazine in high school listened to. Their lead singer, Morrissey, went on to become the king of mopey, no-one-understands-my-inner-pain ballads.
Depeche Mode
Morrissey
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Depeche Mode
XTC
XTC was another of the wave of British bands that came roaring out the punk scene in the late '70s. They were in mid-tour and poised for huge U.S. success when the lead singer's wife threw out his Valium, which caused him to plunge into near-psychotic stage fright and ended the band's road life.
Rush
Simple Minds
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Madness
Tears for Fears
The Police
The Police were one of the biggest bands of the late '70s and '80s, and then Sting went on to have his own Tantra-fueled solo career. I've always found it funny that two of their biggest songs sound like they're about a prostitute - "Roxanne" - and being a creepy stalker - "Every Breath You Take."
The Cure
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Madness
Crowded House
Depeche Mode
Dire Straits
When "Money for Nothing" came out, you pretty much couldn't turn on MTV without seeing the video. The mix of 3-D animation and live cuts was visually arresting, and the song itself was awesome (even with the "dirty" verse that most radio stations cut out).
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Night Ranger
Night Ranger's brand of slightly geeky rock-pop occasionally masquerading as metal was mocked by the hard rockers. However, they packed arenas for a couple of years, especially during the "preppy" years.
Mister Mister
Def Leppard
The Clash
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Quiet Riot
Metallica
Twisted Sister
Dee Snider was the clown prince of '80s hard rock. The band's videos were hilariously creative, and the lyrics were a festival of teenage rebellion and suggestions of immoral behavior.
Queen
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Kansas
Styx
Asia
Asia was one of the "supergroups" that blossomed when '70s bands started disbanding and losing personnel. The members came from King Crimson, Yes, The Buggles and Emerson, Lake and Palmer, but it's debatable as to whether the whole was greater than the sum of its parts.
Rush
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Depeche Mode
This electro-pop group has shown remarkable staying power since forming in 1977. Their mix of moody vocals, electronic tweedling and occasional bursts of guitar workmanship has attracted a legion of loyal fans, approaching Deadhead numbers.
Pet Shop Boys
Styx
Madness
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Anthrax
Skid Row
Skid Row gets the prize for the best band name of the mid-'80s. How could you not want to see a heavy metal concert put on by a band with a name like this? They jumped out to early success, with their first two albums going platinum several times over.
Molly Hatchet
Poison
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Tesla
The '80s heavy metal scene was quickly becoming overcrowded by 1986, so the decision of the group City Kidd to change its name and go for heavy metal gold was a little puzzling. Tesla went on to sell 17 million records, but didn't in the end leave a big mark.
Dire Straits
Anthrax
Slayer
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Supertramp
Eagles
Although they formally disbanded in 1980, the Eagles' music was a huge part of radio airplay in the '80s. You couldn't turn on your local pop or classic rock station without hearing "Hotel California," "Take' It Easy" or one of a dozen other big hits.
Asia
Def Leppard
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Journey
Pet Shop Boys
REO Speedwagon
The Speedwagon actually began rolling in 1967, but the band didn't make its biggest hit album until "Hi Infidelity" in 1980. "Keep On Loving You" was on Top 40 airplay roughly every 15 minutes, it seemed, alternating with "Can't Fight This Feeling."
Anthrax
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Which legendary rock band is in this image?
Thin Lizzy
One of the biggest hits Thin Lizzy ever had was actually an old Irish drinking song, "Whiskey in the Jar," done in rock form. You probably know "The Boys are Back in Town," which is one of the best poker night/bachelor party anthems ever made.
Metallica
Anthrax
Iron Maiden
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You Got:
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