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1980s Music mini crosswords

Each of the 35 puzzles in the 1980s Music theme is a mini crossword whose themed answers come from one word list of 191 entries. 18 are 5×5 and 17 are 6×6, and the theme sits in the screen and stage family.

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1980s Music by the numbers

There are 384 clues across the 35 puzzles, between 10 and 12 in each one. 111 of the answers belong to the theme, between 2 and 4 per puzzle, and the rest are everyday words that fill the grid.

The 1980s Music puzzle list

Below are the puzzles in order. A pair of clues from each gives you a sense of how 1980s music is handled; solving them is up to you.

  1. Puzzle 1, 5×5 grid, 10 clues. Themed clues: “‘Owner of a Lonely Heart’ band” and “Hall's partner”
  2. Puzzle 2, 6×6 grid, 12 clues. Themed clues: “___ George” and “Motley ___”
  3. Puzzle 3, 5×5 grid, 10 clues
  4. Puzzle 4, 6×6 grid, 12 clues. Themed clues: “___ for Fears” and “U2 guitarist, with ‘The’”
  5. Puzzle 5, 5×5 grid, 10 clues. Themed clues: “Minogue who covered ‘The Loco-Motion’ in 1988” and “Astley of ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’”
  6. Puzzle 6, 6×6 grid, 12 clues. Themed clues: “Stevie of ‘Edge of Seventeen’” and “___ Chung, ‘Everybody Have Fun Tonight’ band”
  7. Puzzle 7, 5×5 grid, 10 clues. Themed clues: “U2 frontman” and “Guns N' ___”
  8. Puzzle 8, 6×6 grid, 12 clues. Themed clues: “Top-hatted Guns N' Roses guitarist” and “Chrissie of the Pretenders”
  9. Puzzle 9, 5×5 grid, 10 clues. Themed clues: “___ & Oates” and “‘Eye of the ___’”
  10. Puzzle 10, 6×6 grid, 12 clues. Themed clues: “‘Only You’ synth duo, known as Yaz in the US” and “Ronnie James of ‘Holy Diver’”
  11. Puzzle 11, 5×5 grid, 10 clues. Themed clues: “John of ‘I'm Still Standing’” and “‘When ___ Cry’, 1984 Prince hit”
  12. Puzzle 12, 6×6 grid, 12 clues. Themed clues: “Half of a doubled band name that sang ‘Rio’” and “‘___ of the Tiger’”
  13. Puzzle 13, 5×5 grid, 10 clues. Themed clues: “___ Straits, ‘Money for Nothing’ band” and “___ Shop Boys”
  14. Puzzle 14, 6×6 grid, 12 clues. Themed clues: “‘Back in Black’ band” and “Pet ___ Boys”
  15. Puzzle 15, 5×5 grid, 10 clues. Themed clues: “___-DMC” and “___ Division”
  16. Puzzle 16, 6×6 grid, 12 clues. Themed clues: “Police frontman” and “Genre of the Clash and the Ramones”
  17. Puzzle 17, 5×5 grid, 10 clues. Themed clues: “Turner of ‘What's Love Got to Do with It’” and “‘The One I Love’ band, 1987”
  18. Puzzle 18, 6×6 grid, 12 clues. Themed clues: “___ Leppard” and “Rose of Guns N' Roses”
  19. Puzzle 19, 5×5 grid, 10 clues. Themed clues: “Van Halen guitarist” and “Billy of ‘White Wedding’”
  20. Puzzle 20, 6×6 grid, 12 clues. Themed clues: “‘Super Trouper’ band” and “Harry of Blondie, or Gibson of ‘Foolish Beat’”
  21. Puzzle 21, 5×5 grid, 10 clues. Themed clues: “___ Speedwagon” and “‘Rock Me Amadeus’ singer”
  22. Puzzle 22, 6×6 grid, 12 clues. Themed clues: “___ Aid, ‘Do They Know It's Christmas?’ group” and “Simple ___ (‘Don't You (Forget About Me)’ band)”
  23. Puzzle 23, 5×5 grid, 10 clues. Themed clues: “Gabriel of ‘Sledgehammer’” and “Genre of Iron Maiden”
  24. Puzzle 24, 6×6 grid, 12 clues. Themed clues: “‘Africa’ band” and “Pet ___ Boys”
  25. Puzzle 25, 5×5 grid, 10 clues. Themed clues: “Talking ___” and “‘Take On Me’ band”
  26. Puzzle 26, 6×6 grid, 12 clues. Themed clues: “Simply ___” and “Nelson who sang ‘On the Road Again’”
  27. Puzzle 27, 5×5 grid, 10 clues. Themed clues: “Cara who sang ‘Fame’” and “Petty of the Heartbreakers”
  28. Puzzle 28, 6×6 grid, 12 clues. Themed clues: “Rick of ‘Together Forever’” and “Sting's band, with ‘The’”
  29. Puzzle 29, 5×5 grid, 10 clues. Themed clues: “Van ___, ‘Jump’ band” and “‘Super Trouper’ band”
  30. Puzzle 30, 6×6 grid, 12 clues. Themed clues: “Run-___” and “‘Drive’ band, with ‘The’”
  31. Puzzle 31, 5×5 grid, 10 clues. Themed clues: “‘Smooth Operator’ singer” and “‘Need You Tonight’ band”
  32. Puzzle 32, 6×6 grid, 12 clues. Themed clues: “David of Talking Heads” and “Culture ___”
  33. Puzzle 33, 5×5 grid, 10 clues. Themed clues: “‘Tom Sawyer’ band” and “‘Round and Round’ band”
  34. Puzzle 34, 6×6 grid, 12 clues. Themed clues: “‘99 Luftballons’ singer” and “Public ___”
  35. Puzzle 35, 5×5 grid, 10 clues. Themed clues: “Salt-N-___” and “Benatar of ‘Love Is a Battlefield’”

More 1980s Music clues to try

Here are six clues the theme draws on; try to guess the answers before you play:

  • “1982 Laura Branigan hit”
  • “Carlisle of the Go-Go's”
  • “Jones of ‘No One Is to Blame’”
  • “‘Hard to Say I'm Sorry’ band”
  • “Annie of ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)’”
  • “Parton of ‘9 to 5’”

Open the 1980s Music theme in the game

Open Theme Minis and press All the themes on the front page, then tap 1980s Music. The puzzles are spread over 3 pages, twelve to a page, each with a small picture of its grid. Pick one, fill the squares, and use Check or Reveal word if you get stuck; each adds half a minute to your time.

Rules, the timer and the streak are in How to play Theme Minis.

Neighbours of 1980s Music on the shelf

The full theme list has the rest. Prefer a quiz? Try Rewind; prefer words? See Stepword.