Spanish Pop Music Quiz: 80s and 90s Hits from Spain

This quiz is a tour of Spanish pop and rock from the 80s and 90s: the Madrid scene known as La Movida, guitar bands like Hombres G and Duncan Dhu, and 90s favourites from Celtas Cortos, Jarabe de Palo and Alejandro Sanz. Spaniards over 40 know every word of these songs, and younger ones still hear them at weddings and village fiestas. If you're curious about Spanish music, or you're about to play against Spanish friends or in-laws, this is the page for you.

How to play this quiz

1. Open this page on the big screen (a TV browser, a laptop connected to the TV, or a laptop), press "Play this quiz", then "Start". The room opens with the playlist already loaded.
2. Each player scans the QR code with their phone and enters a name. The first one in is the host and chooses the mode and points target.
3. In a mixed group of Spaniards and non-Spaniards, start with "Song only" to 10 points. If everyone grew up with these songs, switch to "Song and year": the playlist covers two decades, and placing "Devuélveme a mi chica" before or after "Lobo-hombre en París" is a real argument starter.
4. Make sure the search is set to "Title and artist", not "Title only". For non-native speakers, recognising Alaska's voice and typing "Alaska" is far easier than spelling a Spanish title from memory.
5. Whoever buzzes first has 20 seconds to type the answer, with suggestions from the playlist. A wrong answer costs a point, and the music keeps playing for everyone else.

Songs that might come up

Deezer maintains the playlist and it can change. Here are some of the songs in it, among others, with a rough translation of the title.

La Movida and the early 80s

After Franco's death, Madrid had an explosion of new bands, fashion and nightlife known as La Movida. These are some of its anthems.

• "Enamorado de la moda juvenil" ("In love with youth fashion") – Radio Futura (1980): fast new-wave pop-rock.
• "Chica de ayer" ("Girl from yesterday") – Nacha Pop (1980): opens with a few bass notes. Written by Antonio Vega.
• "Bailando" ("Dancing") – Alaska y los Pegamoides (1982): the bass and Alaska's deadpan vocal.
• "Cadillac solitario" ("Lonely Cadillac") – Loquillo y Trogloditas (1983): rock guitar and a deep voice.
• "Embrujada" ("Bewitched") – Tino Casal (1983): synths and a theatrical vocal. Casal also recorded it in English as "Bewitched".
• "Lobo-hombre en París" ("Werewolf in Paris") – La Unión (1984): the bass and guitar intro.

Mid to late 80s

• "Devuélveme a mi chica" ("Give me back my girl") – Hombres G (1985): Spaniards know it by its chorus line "Sufre, mamón" ("Suffer, sucker"), and some think that's the title.
• "¿A quién le importa?" ("Who cares?") – Alaska y Dinarama (1986): a defiant anthem of self-acceptance.
• "Insurrección" ("Insurrection") – El Último de la Fila (1986): the guitar and Manolo García's voice.
• "Al calor del amor en un bar" ("In the heat of love in a bar") – Gabinete Caligari (1986): Jaime Urrutia's deep voice. The playlist lists it as "El calor del amor en un bar", so search for that.
• "Cien gaviotas" ("A hundred seagulls") – Duncan Dhu (1986): Mikel Erentxun's voice asking where the gulls will go.
• "¡Chas! y aparezco a tu lado" ("Snap! And I appear by your side") – Álex y Christina (1988): synth-pop produced by Nacho Cano of Mecano.
• "No me importa nada" ("I don't care about anything") – Luz Casal (1989): a big-voiced rock ballad.

The 90s

• "20 de abril" ("April 20th") – Celtas Cortos (1991): Celtic-flavoured folk-rock, sung as a letter. It opens with "Hola, chata, ¿cómo estás?"
• "Sin documentos" ("Without papers") – Los Rodríguez (1993): Andrés Calamaro's voice.
• "La flaca" ("The skinny girl") – Jarabe de Palo (1996): Pau Donés's raspy voice.
• "Corazón partío" ("Broken heart") – Alejandro Sanz (1997): flamenco guitar and handclaps.
• "La Lola" – Café Quijano (1999): "Lola, Lola" in the chorus.

Difficulty and tips to win

For non-Spanish speakers, the hard part is the titles: lots of these songs are known by a chorus line rather than their name. For Spaniards, the trap is that several bands appear many times: Hombres G, Duncan Dhu, Gabinete Caligari, Los Secretos, Radio Futura and Alaska all have multiple songs.

• Guest versions count as the same song. The playlist includes "Cadillac solitario" both in its original form and with Bunbury, Celtas Cortos' "Cuéntame un cuento" with violinist Ara Malikian, "20 de abril" with Fito y Fitipaldis and IZAL, and Los Rodríguez's "Mucho mejor" with Coque Malla. An unexpected voice doesn't mean a different song.
• The oldest one is a trick. Burning's "Qué hace una chica como tú en un sitio como este" ("What's a girl like you doing in a place like this") sounds like La Movida but comes from Fernando Colomo's 1978 film of the same name. On a timeline, it goes far left.
• Not everyone is from Spain. Luis Miguel and Maná are Mexican, Andrés Calamaro is Argentine, and Laura Pausini and Nek are Italians singing in Spanish. A few later songs sneak in too, from Fito y Fitipaldis, Amaral and Carlos Baute.
• Type the unusual word. For long titles, start with the oddest word ("marcapasos", "cocodrilo", "garaje") and pick from the suggestions.

Playing with Spanish friends

If you're the only non-Spaniard at the table, a little preparation goes a long way:

• Learn five voices. Alaska, Hombres G's David Summers, Pau Donés, Alejandro Sanz and Manolo García cover a good share of the playlist. With "Title and artist" search, the voice is often enough.
• Ask for team play. Pair each non-Spaniard with a Spaniard sharing one phone: the native recognises the song, the other types fast.
• Learn a few title words. "Chica" (girl), "amor" (love), "calor" (heat), "tiempo" (time) and "corazón" (heart) turn up again and again.

Want some background first? Our article on 80s songs everyone knows has a whole section on La Movida. And if your group leans towards guitars, try the rock en español quiz.

FAQ

Do I need to speak Spanish to play?

It helps, but it isn't essential. With "Title and artist" search you can answer with the band name and pick the title from the suggestions.

Do we need an app?

No. Track Attack runs in the browser, and it's available in English and Spanish. The screen plays the clips and each player buzzes from their phone after scanning a QR code. No accounts, no Spotify or Deezer subscription.

How many people can play?

A group of friends or a family dinner, each on their own phone or in teams.

Can we play without a TV?

Yes. A laptop with good speakers works fine; the TV just makes the scoreboard easier to see.