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Music trivia questions

Forty-five music questions: fifteen each on classic rock, country and hip hop. They're about artists, albums and history, never lyrics, and every answer comes with a fun fact.

  • 45 questions
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  • Answers and fun facts

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Answers and fun facts are shown under each question. Turn on Quiz mode to hide them and reveal one at a time.

Easy music trivia questions

  1. Question 1Country Music

    Which singer's talk-singing style on Body Like a Back Road topped the country chart for 34 weeks?

    1. AKane Brown
    2. BThomas Rhett
    3. CChris Lane
    4. DSam Hunt

    Answer: Sam Hunt

    Fun fact: He had played college football before moving to Nashville.

  2. Question 2Hip Hop

    Which artists headlined the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show together?

    1. ADrake, Future and Migos
    2. BJay-Z, Kanye West and Rihanna
    3. CNas, Rakim and LL Cool J
    4. DDr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Eminem

    Answer: Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Eminem

    Fun fact: Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar joined them in the first halftime show built entirely around hip-hop.

  3. Question 3Hip Hop

    In which New York borough was hip-hop born?

    1. AThe Bronx
    2. BQueens
    3. CBrooklyn
    4. DHarlem

    Answer: The Bronx

    Fun fact: A 1973 back-to-school party in a rec room is usually treated as the starting point.

  4. Question 4Country Music

    Which singer has more number one country singles than anyone else?

    1. AGarth Brooks
    2. BConway Twitty
    3. CAlan Jackson
    4. DGeorge Strait

    Answer: George Strait

    Fun fact: His run of chart toppers stretches across four decades.

  5. Question 5Hip Hop

    Which 2003 album did Jay-Z frame as his retirement?

    1. AThe Black Album
    2. BKingdom Come
    3. CThe Blueprint
    4. DAmerican Gangster

    Answer: The Black Album

    Fun fact: He returned to recording a few years later.

  6. Question 6Hip Hop

    Which musical, built partly on hip-hop, won 11 Tony Awards?

    1. AThe Wiz
    2. BHoller If Ya Hear Me
    3. CIn the Heights
    4. DHamilton

    Answer: Hamilton

    Fun fact: Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote it after reading a biography on vacation.

  7. Question 7Country Music

    Which singer died on New Year's Day 1953 in the back of a car at 29?

    1. ALefty Frizzell
    2. BJimmie Rodgers
    3. CHank Williams
    4. DHank Snow

    Answer: Hank Williams

    Fun fact: He had already written a catalog that country singers still record.

  8. Question 8Country Music

    What is Nashville's nickname?

    1. ARiver City
    2. BSteel City
    3. CThe Gate City
    4. DMusic City

    Answer: Music City

    Fun fact: The name came from a 19th-century singing group praised by a queen.

  9. Question 9Country Music

    Which singer recorded Redneck Woman in 2004?

    1. AJo Dee Messina
    2. BGretchen Wilson
    3. CSara Evans
    4. DTerri Clark

    Answer: Gretchen Wilson

    Fun fact: It was her debut single and went straight to number one.

  10. Question 10Hip Hop

    Which 1994 album is set in the Queensbridge housing projects?

    1. AThe Infamous
    2. BReady to Die
    3. CReasonable Doubt
    4. DIllmatic

    Answer: Illmatic

    Fun fact: Nas was 20 when it was released, and it runs under 40 minutes.

  11. Question 11Classic Rock

    Which real fire inspired Smoke on the Water?

    1. AA warehouse fire in Detroit
    2. BA studio fire in London
    3. CA casino fire in Montreux
    4. DA hotel fire in Hamburg

    Answer: A casino fire in Montreux

    Fun fact: A fan fired a flare gun during a Frank Zappa concert.

  12. Question 12Classic Rock

    Which band members performed in full face makeup as characters like the Demon?

    1. ASlipknot
    2. BKiss
    3. CTwisted Sister
    4. DAlice Cooper's band

    Answer: Kiss

    Fun fact: They kept their faces hidden in public until 1983.

  13. Question 13Classic Rock

    Which band released Enema of the State in 1999?

    1. ASum 41
    2. BBlink-182
    3. CNew Found Glory
    4. DGood Charlotte

    Answer: Blink-182

    Fun fact: Its cover features a nurse who was a real adult film performer.

  14. Question 14Classic Rock

    Which 1987 album by Guns N' Roses is the best-selling US debut ever?

    1. AUse Your Illusion I
    2. BThe Spaghetti Incident
    3. CAppetite for Destruction
    4. DG N' R Lies

    Answer: Appetite for Destruction

    Fun fact: It took nearly a year to reach number one.

  15. Question 15Classic Rock

    Which band recorded Loser in 1994?

    1. ABeck
    2. BSublime
    3. CCake
    4. DPavement

    Answer: Beck

    Fun fact: He made it in a friend's kitchen and assumed nobody would hear it.

Medium music trivia questions

  1. Question 16Country Music

    Which 2012 Eric Church song name-checks a rock legend in its title?

    1. ATalladega
    2. BRecord Year
    3. CGive Me Back My Hometown
    4. DSpringsteen

    Answer: Springsteen

    Fun fact: He built his career on touring rather than radio play.

  2. Question 17Hip Hop

    What was Kendrick Lamar's June 2024 Los Angeles concert called?

    1. AThe Pop Out
    2. BCompton Day
    3. CThe Comeback
    4. DThe Big Steppers

    Answer: The Pop Out

    Fun fact: It streamed live on Juneteenth and drew millions of viewers.

  3. Question 18Hip Hop

    Which 1994 Nas track is built around a piano loop from a jazz record?

    1. AN.Y. State of Mind
    2. BThe World Is Yours
    3. COne Love
    4. DHalftime

    Answer: The World Is Yours

    Fun fact: Pete Rock produced it.

  4. Question 19Hip Hop

    Which Memphis group wrote the Oscar-winning song from the 2005 film Hustle and Flow?

    1. ABone Crusher
    2. BThree 6 Mafia
    3. CLudacris
    4. DDavid Banner

    Answer: Three 6 Mafia

    Fun fact: They were the first hip-hop group to win an Academy Award.

  5. Question 20Country Music

    Which duo sang Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy?

    1. AMontgomery Gentry
    2. BBig and Rich
    3. CVan Zant
    4. DBrooks and Dunn

    Answer: Big and Rich

    Fun fact: They also helped launch the career of Gretchen Wilson.

  6. Question 21Classic Rock

    Which band released the double album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness?

    1. AThe Smashing Pumpkins
    2. BNine Inch Nails
    3. CGarbage
    4. DFilter

    Answer: The Smashing Pumpkins

    Fun fact: It produced a remarkable seven singles.

  7. Question 22Classic Rock

    Which supergroup included Bob Dylan, George Harrison and Tom Petty?

    1. ADamn Yankees
    2. BAsia
    3. CBad English
    4. DThe Traveling Wilburys

    Answer: The Traveling Wilburys

    Fun fact: Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne completed the lineup.

  8. Question 23Classic Rock

    Which Who song is often mistakenly called Teenage Wasteland?

    1. AMy Generation
    2. BBaba O'Riley
    3. CBehind Blue Eyes
    4. DWon't Get Fooled Again

    Answer: Baba O'Riley

    Fun fact: The title honors a spiritual teacher and a composer.

  9. Question 24Classic Rock

    Which term describes a band playing with no amplification on MTV in the 1990s?

    1. AStripped
    2. BAcoustic Hour
    3. CUnplugged
    4. DLive Bare

    Answer: Unplugged

    Fun fact: Nirvana's 1993 session became the most famous of them all.

  10. Question 25Country Music

    In which year were the CMA Awards first held?

    1. A1955
    2. B1974
    3. C1967
    4. D1982

    Answer: 1967

    Fun fact: It was the first televised awards show for a single music genre.

  11. Question 26Hip Hop

    Which 2015 album mixed jazz, funk and spoken word into a major rap release?

    1. ABecause the Internet
    2. Bgood kid, m.A.A.d city
    3. CThe Life of Pablo
    4. DTo Pimp a Butterfly

    Answer: To Pimp a Butterfly

    Fun fact: One of its songs became an anthem at protests across the country.

  12. Question 27Country Music

    Which cable channel launched in 1983 to play country videos?

    1. ATNN
    2. BVH1 Country
    3. CGAC
    4. DCMT

    Answer: CMT

    Fun fact: It reached millions of homes within a few years.

  13. Question 28Country Music

    Why was Elvis Presley turned down when he asked to record I Will Always Love You?

    1. AHis manager demanded half the publishing
    2. BThe label refused
    3. CShe had already promised it elsewhere
    4. DShe disliked his version

    Answer: His manager demanded half the publishing

    Fun fact: Keeping the rights made her a fortune when it was covered decades later.

  14. Question 29Hip Hop

    Which Tribe Called Quest album is built around upright bass and jazz samples?

    1. AThe Low End Theory
    2. BBeats, Rhymes and Life
    3. CMidnight Marauders
    4. DPeople's Instinctive Travels

    Answer: The Low End Theory

    Fun fact: A respected jazz bassist played on one of its tracks.

  15. Question 30Classic Rock

    Which band's album Dirt was built around unflinching songs about addiction?

    1. ALive
    2. BStone Temple Pilots
    3. CAlice in Chains
    4. DBush

    Answer: Alice in Chains

    Fun fact: Layne Staley's voice and Jerry Cantrell's harmonies defined their sound.

Hard music trivia questions

  1. Question 31Classic Rock

    What is a session musician?

    1. AA songwriter who never performs
    2. BA band's touring manager
    3. CA studio owner
    4. DA player hired to record with other artists

    Answer: A player hired to record with other artists

    Fun fact: Many famous hits were played by uncredited session players.

  2. Question 32Hip Hop

    Which 2016 project became the first streaming-only release to win a Grammy?

    1. AViews
    2. B4 Your Eyez Only
    3. CBlonde
    4. DColoring Book

    Answer: Coloring Book

    Fun fact: Chance the Rapper gave it away for free and never signed with a label.

  3. Question 33Hip Hop

    What is the XXL Freshman list?

    1. AA ranking of the year's producers
    2. BA concert tour
    3. CA sales chart
    4. DAn annual class of rising rappers

    Answer: An annual class of rising rappers

    Fun fact: Being left off it has become its own kind of story.

  4. Question 34Hip Hop

    Which platform hosted the artist-versus-artist battles that began in 2020?

    1. AInstagram Live
    2. BYouTube only
    3. CTikTok
    4. DTwitch

    Answer: Instagram Live

    Fun fact: Swizz Beatz and Timbaland created the series during lockdowns.

  5. Question 35Country Music

    Which band of two brothers recorded Stay a Little Longer?

    1. ALocash
    2. BOld Dominion
    3. CBrothers Osborne
    4. DMaddie and Tae

    Answer: Brothers Osborne

    Fun fact: One brother plays lead guitar while the other sings.

  6. Question 36Hip Hop

    In which year did the Grammys create the Best Rap Album category?

    1. A1996
    2. B1992
    3. C1989
    4. D2000

    Answer: 1996

    Fun fact: Naughty by Nature won the first one.

  7. Question 37Country Music

    What is the circle at center stage of the Grand Ole Opry House?

    1. AA brass plaque listing members
    2. BA rotating platform
    3. CA spotlight mark
    4. DWood cut from the old Ryman stage

    Answer: Wood cut from the old Ryman stage

    Fun fact: It was moved in 1974 so performers could stand where the legends stood.

  8. Question 38Country Music

    Which honky-tonk singer was known as the Honky Tonk Man and ran a record shop?

    1. AWebb Pierce
    2. BLefty Frizzell
    3. CErnest Tubb
    4. DFaron Young

    Answer: Ernest Tubb

    Fun fact: His Nashville shop hosted a midnight radio show after the Opry.

  9. Question 39Country Music

    Which 1999 album followed the Chicks' record-selling debut?

    1. AGaslighter
    2. BHome
    3. CTaking the Long Way
    4. DFly

    Answer: Fly

    Fun fact: It sold ten million copies in the US.

  10. Question 40Classic Rock

    Which New York band recorded the 1990 album Goo?

    1. ASonic Youth
    2. BPavement
    3. CYo La Tengo
    4. DDinosaur Jr.

    Answer: Sonic Youth

    Fun fact: They were among the first underground bands signed to a major label.

  11. Question 41Classic Rock

    Which band recorded 3AM?

    1. AEve 6
    2. BTonic
    3. CMatchbox Twenty
    4. DVertical Horizon

    Answer: Matchbox Twenty

    Fun fact: Its singer later topped the chart singing with Santana.

  12. Question 42Country Music

    Which singer released the 2023 song Tennessee Orange?

    1. ALainey Wilson
    2. BHailey Whitters
    3. CCarly Pearce
    4. DMegan Moroney

    Answer: Megan Moroney

    Fun fact: The color refers to a rival school's team.

  13. Question 43Hip Hop

    Which Houston rapper released the 2006 hit Ridin'?

    1. AChamillionaire
    2. BMike Jones
    3. CSlim Thug
    4. DPaul Wall

    Answer: Chamillionaire

    Fun fact: It won a Grammy and was parodied by Weird Al Yankovic.

  14. Question 44Classic Rock

    Which band released the 1984 album Purple Rain alongside a film?

    1. AThe Time
    2. BSheila E.'s band
    3. CPrince and the Revolution
    4. DThe Family

    Answer: Prince and the Revolution

    Fun fact: He plays nearly every instrument on several tracks.

  15. Question 45Classic Rock

    Which 1972 Rolling Stones double album was recorded in a French villa basement?

    1. ASticky Fingers
    2. BBlack and Blue
    3. CExile on Main St.
    4. DGoats Head Soup

    Answer: Exile on Main St.

    Fun fact: The band had left Britain to escape its tax rates.

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