83% of people cannot name these 1980s celebrities from an image. Can you?

By: Craig
Image: YouTube

About This Quiz

It says a lot about the star power of these ‘80s celebrities that so many of them are still relevant today, almost 40 years later. Ellen DeGeneres, Whoopi Goldberg, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Cruise and others were constantly reinventing and challenging themselves with new projects to continue to be part of the conversation. Then there are those who might have been your favorites only during the ‘80s decade itself, such as “Pretty in Pink’s” Molly Ringwald, or Anthony Michael Hall of “The Breakfast Club.” And naturally, there are those celebrities that came in and out of the limelight through the years, like John Stamos of “Full House” fame and Kirk Cameron of “Growing Pains.” Will you be able to identify these 1980 celebrities from an image? Find out now by clicking the button below. 

Who were the celebrities that you loved, followed and wouldn’t miss a film they were in, or concert in which they played? Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, and Sting had that kind of following. Then there are the legends that came out of the ’80, such as Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Prince, and Michael Jackson. 

But the question remains, can you do better than the 83 percent of people who cannot name these 1980 celebrities from an image? Try it and find out. Begin the quiz now!

Madonna Louise Ciccone or just Madonna as we know her is probably the most famous female artist of all time. She broke through in the mid-'80s and her album, Like A Virgin, released in 1985, went platinum in just under a month. The Madonna brand grew astronomically in the '80s and she even started acting, starring in the movie, "Desperately Seeking Susan." It was not much of a success, unlike her pop career.

The self-styled King of Pop was originally a member of the Jackson 5 in the 1970s. It was in the '80s, however, that his career went into the stratosphere! And one release helped him become the most famous male singer in the world. 1982's Thriller went 33 times platinum in the United States alone and sold more than 65 million copies worldwide! It not only included memorable hits such as Billy Jean but spawned an epic music video for the title track as well.

In the 1980s, it seemed that Bill Murray could do no wrong. Not only did he star in one of the decades' most famous movies - "Ghostbusters," but he had a host of other hits during the decade as well, including "Caddyshack," "Stripes," and "Scrooged." Murray always had a background in comedy and many people first became aware of his talent when he formed part of the "Saturday Night Live" team in the 1970s.

Before she was an actress or giving away amazing gifts on her daily talk show, Ellen Degeneres was a comedian. In fact, many would say she was the foremost female comedian of the decade with appearances on the top TV shows of the time, including "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson."

Although he had appeared in a number of movies in the early '80s, including "Taps" and "Risky Business," it was 1986's "Top Gun" that really introduced Tom Cruise to the world. Starring alongside Kelly McGillis and Val Kilmer, Cruise played the role of Lt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell perfectly - a little vulnerable and very arrogant. The rest of the decade was good to Cruise as he starred in a number of hit movies, including "The Color of Money," "Cocktail," "Rainman", and "Born on the Fourth of July."

After starting his career as a bodybuilder and dominating the sport in the late 1960s - he was the youngest Mr. Universe ever - Arnold Schwarzenegger turned to acting, first starring as "Hercules" in 1969 (where he was credited as Arnold Strong) and moving onto other films such as "The Long Goodbye" and "Stay Hungry." The 80s saw Schwarzenegger become one of the most sought-after action heroes in Hollywood with roles in "Conan," "The Terminator," "Commando," "Red Heat," "Raw Deal" and "Predator" to name a few.

Born Caryn Elaine Johnson in 1955, Whoopi Goldberg came to the fore in Hollywood in the 1980s. She first starred in the Steven Spielberg movie, "The Color Purple" where she received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. She then starred in a host of other movies, mostly comedic roles such as "Jumping Jack Flash," "Burglar," "Clara's Heart" and "Beverley Hills Brats" to name a few. Her success continued into the '90s with "Sister Act," and "Ghost," for which she won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar.

A female star from the '80s doesn't get much bigger than Molly Ringwald. After starting out with a few TV appearances in the late '70s and early '80s, Ringwald shot to prominence thanks to roles in a number of John Hughes classics such as "Sixteen Candles," "The Breakfast Club" and "Pretty in Pink." Although she continued acting, she never quite reached those heights again.

As the lead singer in one of the '80s most famous hair metal bands, Jon Bon Jovi, and his band, Bon Jovi, shot to fame in the mid-1980s. By that time, they had a healthy following. But it was 1987's Slippery When Wet, their third album, that exposed them to a range of new fans. The album went 12 times platinum in the United States and had worldwide sales of 28 million units.

By the time the 1980s rolled around, Gordon Sumner, or Sting as he was known to his fans, was already part of the Police, one of the most famous and successful bands in the world. After they broke up in 1984, Sting embarked on a successful solo career and landed more acting roles, including in "Dune" and "The Bride."

In the 1980s, Tom Selleck was best known for his role in the T.V. series, "Magnum P.I." This series ran for 158 episodes from 1980 to 1988. Selleck also starred in a number of movies during the decade including "Lassiter," "High Road to China" and "Three Men and A Baby."

By the time the '80s rolled along, Robin Williams was an established TV star with a recurring role as Mork in "Mork and Mindy." In 1984, he played a Russian musician who defects to the United States in "Moscow on the Hudson." But it was 1987's "Good Morning Vietnam" that really thrust Williams into the limelight. He followed with the role of teacher John Keating in "Dead Poets Society" in 1989.

Carl Weathers had a number of prominent roles in the 1980s, none more so than as Apollo Creed in the "Rocky" movie franchise. Weathers went from the bad guy to the good guy as the franchise progressed. He also appeared alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in "Predator" and was given the lead in 1988s "Action Jackson."

Elton John was already an established star by the time the '80s rolled around. The decade, however, saw his career continue on its upward curve. John released a number of 10 studio albums during the course of the '80s as well as five compilations. And people remember Nikita, a single from his 1985 record, Fire and Ice as a favorite from the era. The video showed John infatuated with a female Soviet soldier, someone he could never meet because of the Cold War.

Anthony Michael Hall appeared in a number of John Hughes movies in the '80s, often starring alongside Molly Ringwald. These movies included "The Breakfast Club" and "Sixteen Candles." He acted in many other fondly remembered movies from the decade such as "Weird Science" and "National Lampoon's Vacation."

Bruce Willis started off in the early 1980s by appearing in a few made-for-tv movies. He then landed a role in the series, "Moonlighting," where he played a private detective opposite Cybil Shepherd for five seasons. But it was his role as Detective John McClane in 1988's "Die Hard" that announced Willis to the world as a Hollywood action hero not to be trifled with.

Whitney Houston appeared on the music scene in the mid-1980s with her self-titled debut album. Blessed with an incredible voice, Houston's talent was there for all to see and the album went platinum 13 times in the United States alone while recording worldwide sales of 25 million copies. Houston followed it up in 1987 with Whitney, again achieving incredible sales worldwide (20 million copies) and going nine times platinum in the United States. Sadly, her career never reached these heights again and she died as a result of drowning after taking cocaine and other drugs in 2012.

Starring as Denise Huxtable in the very popular sitcom, "The Cosby Show," exposed Lisa Bonet to a massive TV audience. She even landed a role in the spin-off, "A Different World." Bonet however, left "The Cosby Show" in 1991 citing creative differences. She never really reached the same heights again, although she has starred in a few Hollywood movies such as "Enemy Of The State."

Before she was the queen of talk shows, Oprah Winfrey started life in the '80s as an actress, securing the role of Sofia in Steven Spielberg's 1985 film, "The Color Purple." Despite this being her debut role, Winfrey so impressed in the part that she secured an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She went on to star in "Native Son" before launching her own production company and talk show, along with the series, "The Women of Brewster Place." And the rest, as they say, is history!

Annie Lennox rose to prominence in the early '80s as the frontwoman for the British group, The Eurythmics. They achieved success on both sides of the Atlantic and their single, Sweet Dreams went to number one in both the U.K. and U.S. Lennox went on to start a very successful solo career and is known for her activism, particularly in the field of HIV/Aids.

Don Johnson is perhaps best known for portraying the role of Detective Sonny Crockett in the T.V. series, "Miami Vice." The series ran for five seasons and 111 episodes and Johnson, with his good looks and dapper dress sense, quickly became a favorite with the fairer sex. In fact, he had gained much experience as an actor before "Miami Vice" and continued securing roles into the '90s and beyond.

By the time the '80s rolled around, Bruce Springsteen was already one of the most famous artists in America. His release of Born in the USA in 1984 launched him into the stratosphere! The album hit number one in the United States and the United Kingdom and went 15 times platinum in his home country, effectively securing diamond status. He followed it up with Tunnel of Love in 1987, which although a success, never reached the heights of Born in the USA.

John Stamos had a number of small roles in the 1980s, including in the soap, "General Hospital." His big breakout, however, came in the sitcom, "Full House," which ran from 1987 to 1995. Stamos helped out the Beach Boys from time to time, filling in as a percussionist. He even appeared in the video for the '80s hit, Kokomo.

Michael J. Fox was one of the most famous young stars of the decade. His breakout role came in the TV sitcom, "Family Ties," where he played Alex P. Keaton. Invariably, that success saw Hollywood calling and Fox went on to star in the "Back to the Future" trilogy among a host of other roles.

After starring in the John Hughes classic, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," Jennifer Grey hit the big time in 1987 opposite Patrick Swayze in "Dirty Dancing." It was not the first time the two had starred together. They previously worked on 1984's "Red Dawn" before "Dirty Dancing" brought them superstardom.

Following in the footsteps of perhaps the biggest music star of the '80s cannot be easy - especially if he is your brother. But Janet Jackson carved her own niche for herself. Her first two albums perhaps didn't perform as she would have liked but 1986s Control and the follow-up, Rhythm Nation 1814, saw Jackson become a major player in the recording industry in her own right with sales 10 and 12 million copies worldwide.

George Michael found fame in the '80s, first with Andrew Ridgeley in WHAM, and then as a solo artist. In fact, his first solo album, Faith, released in 1987 sold an incredible 25 million copies worldwide and went platinum four times over in Britain. Michael died in 2016 at the age of just 53.

In the 1970s, Peter Gabriel was the lead singer of the progressive rock group, Genesis. After he left them, Gabriel embarked on a solo career, finding much success a decade later, particularly with his 1986 release, So. It spawned the hit, Sledgehammer, which included an incredible stop-motion video.

Although technically speaking Julia Roberts burst onto the Hollywood scene with the 1990s' "Pretty Woman," people often forget that her star was born in the late '80s. Here she appeared in the TV series', "Miami Vice" and "Crime Story" and starred in two memorable movies, "Mystic Pizza" and "Steel Magnolias." These certainly helped pave her way to bigger things.

Although Patrick Swayze had extensive experience in both television and movies, it was 1987's "Dirty Dancing" that propelled him to superstardom and led to many female admirers with Swayze starring opposite Jennifer Grey. Despite the film's success and Swayze offered $6 million to star in a sequel, he refused.

Tina Turner had a successful singing career in the 1960s and '70s, first with Ike Turner and then as a solo artist. After releasing Love Explosion in 1979, Turner went on hiatus. But when she returned in 1984, her star shone brighter than ever before. Private Dancer, fueled by a single of the same name, went five times platinum in the United States alone and set up Turner's career for the rest of the decade.

By the time the '80s came along, David Bowie was already a world-famous recording artist, although he was never considered mainstream. But that was soon to change, Embracing MTV, Bowie released a string of recordings that very soon became popular all over the world. Songs such as Let's Dance and China Girl became regular staples on MTV pushing Bowie into the mainstream. He also collaborated with a number of artists, including Mick Jagger and Queen.

Although he had acted in a number of movies before, Kevin Costner certainly hit the big time with the release of "The Untouchables" in 1987. In it, Costner played Elliot Ness, a federal agent hell-bent on bringing gangster Al Capone to justice. Two further big roles followed in "Bull Durham" and "Field of Dreams," both baseball-related movies. Now an established Hollywood A-lister, 1990 saw Costner direct and star in the Western epic, "Dances with Wolves."

Robert De Niro was already a well-respected actor at the beginning of the '80s. He had starred in some of the greatest films ever made, including "Taxi Driver," "Apocalypse Now" and "The Godfather" (which won him an Oscar). The '80s proved no different. His first movie of the decade, "Raging Bull," based on the life of boxer Jack LaMotta, won him his second Oscar while he starred in other hits such as "Brazil," "The Mission," "The Untouchables," and "Jacknife" to name a few.

Johnny Depp got his big break in Hollywood in "A Nightmare On Elm Street" in 1984. It was his starring role in the TV series, "21 Jump Street," from 1987 to 1990, however, that thrust Depp into the realms of a teenage heartthrob. What followed is one of the most versatile acting careers in Tinseltown with Depp seemingly able to play any kind of character.

Ralph Macchio introduced himself to silver screen audiences as The Karate Kid in 1984. Together with Mr. Miyagi (played by Pat Morita), Macchio not only learned how to handle his own emotions through karate but also how to deal with bullies. Macchio replayed the role in two more movies and also starred in "Crossroads" and a few other movies during the decade.

Certainly one of the greatest ever actors to come out of Hollywood, Al Pacino was a veteran by the time the decade of excess rolled along having starred in "The Godfather" franchise amongst others. He was relatively quiet in the '80s, however, appearing in only five movies, including the epic, "Scarface," and "Sea of Love."

Kirk Cameron came to prominence in the 1980s playing teenager, Mike Seaver on the sitcom, "Growing Pains." He went on to star in "Like Father, Like Son" with Dudley Moore and other movies towards the end of the 1980s.

Easily one of the most recognizable names in Hollywood, Clint Eastwood was fairly prolific during the 1980s. He starred in 11 movies during the decade, including twice reprising his role as Detective Harry Calahan in 1983's "Sudden Impact" and 1988's "Dead Pool."

Although he had released five albums over the previous six years, it was 1983's Purple Rain that thrust Prince into the limelight. Thanks to the singles, Purple Rain and When Doves Cry, Prince became a household name with the album achieving diamond sales status in the United States alone.

A member of the 1980's 'Brat Pack,' Rob Lowe had starring roles in a number of the decade's best teen flicks, including "St. Elmo's Fire" and "Oxford Blues." Lowe's career never really took off from that, however, although he continued to land roles in smaller productions and movies.

Rodney Dangerfield starred in 1980's hit, "Caddyshack." Apart from this comedy work, he continued to land roles in Hollywood, including "Easy Money" in 1983 and the sleeper hit, "Back to School" in 1986.

Irene Cara is best know for What a Feeling, the theme song from 1983's "Flashdance," a drama directed by Adrian Lyne. Cara, however, could act as well and played the part of Coco in another popular 1980s movie, "Fame."

In the 1980s, Sean Connery had a mixed bag of roles and even reprised his role as James Bond in 1983's "Never Say Never Again." Perhaps his greatest part, however, and one for which he won an Oscar, was as Jim Malone in 1987's "The Untouchables." He finished the decade starring as Harrison Ford's father in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."

Canadian rocker Bryan Adams burst onto the music scene in the '80s. But it was his third and fourth albums, Cuts Like a Knife and Reckless that brought him fame in the United States with both reaching platinum sales figures and the latter going to #1 on the US charts thanks to the single, Summer of '69.

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