80s music trivia: guess the year of eighties songs
Synthesisers, drum machines and big choruses make eighties songs easy to recognise as a decade. Pinning one to an exact year is the hard part, and that is where the game lives.
Free to try. Whoever starts the game logs in with an email code, no password. Players who join a party room need no account and no app.
Music television began in the early eighties and the compact disc arrived in the same years, and pop became louder, brighter and more visual. Within the decade, sounds moved quickly, so the start and the end of the eighties can feel quite different.
A preview of up to 30 seconds plays, the year stays hidden and the group argues about where it belongs.
What helps you date an eighties song
A few clues are worth listening for.
Synths and drum machines
Early in the decade synths sound thin and bright. Later they are layered and glossy.
Gated drums
A big, sharp snare with a sudden stop is a sound many associate with the middle of the decade.
Genre mix
New wave, synth-pop, hard rock, early hip hop and dance pop all share the decade, so the genre narrows the years.
Sample question styles
These are the kinds of decisions a round asks of you. No song is named here, it only shows the kind of questions.
Between two songs
Your row holds a song from 1982 and one from 1988. Does the new fragment fit before, between or after?
Pick the year
Lock in one year. Within 1 year scores 800 in Year Rush, within 5 years scores 300.
Name it too
Call out title and artist. When the host confirms, you get 200 extra in Year Rush.
The timeline in one look
A timeline is a row of songs in release order. You hear a new song, never its year, and decide where it fits between the songs already on the row. Get it right and the row grows.
Tips for a better game
Listen to the drums
The drum sound is often the quickest way to place an eighties track.
Check the glossiness
The shinier the production, the later in the decade.
Make it a party
The eighties suit a birthday or a house party, where people sing along while guessing.
Why it works at a party
No cards needed
Everything happens on screen, so there is nothing to print, shuffle or lose under the sofa.
Works in the browser
No app to install, not even for a party room. Open the page and play.
Three ways to play
One phone for a small group, or a party room with a big screen for a bigger crowd.
Prefer real cards?
Make your own card game: paste a playlist, print the PDF at home or order the printed cards.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an 80s deck?
Public decks change over time. Check the deck list on the play page or make a deck from your own eighties playlist.
Which way of playing is best?
For a loud party, Year Rush. For a relaxed evening, Timeline on the TV.
Do we need a TV?
Not for Pass the phone. A party room works best with a big screen.
What does it cost to play?
Popular public decks are free to play. If you turn your own playlist into a deck, the first 100 cards of that deck are free.
Do players need an account or an app?
No app is needed. Whoever starts the game logs in with an email code, no password. Players who join a party room scan a QR code or type the 4 letter room code, then pick a name.
Ready for the first song?
Pick a deck, choose how you want to play and have the first round running within a minute.
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