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168 Music Trivia Questions and Answers

Reviewed by Aleesha Rubinstein, Editor·Updated Oct 2026·21 min read

168 music trivia questions and answers covering pop, rock, hip-hop, country, jazz and classical — from Elvis and Aretha to Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar, with easy, medium and hard questions.

Music Trivia

Here are 168 music trivia questions and answers, from the birth of rock and roll at Sun Studio to the Eras Tour. They run in rounds — pop, rock, soul and R&B, hip-hop, country and folk, jazz and blues, classical and Broadway, instruments and theory, then movie soundtracks and music-business oddities — so you can pull a themed round or mix them up.

Every question is tagged easy, medium or hard. The easy ones work for a family road trip; the hard ones (Brian May's PhD, B.B. King's guitar, the Rolling Stones' tongue logo) will separate the record collectors from everyone else. Answers are in the key at the bottom, so you can play without spoilers.

  1. 1Which singer is known as the 'Queen of Pop'?

  2. 2What was the name of Michael Jackson's 1982 album, the best-selling album of all time worldwide?

  3. 3Michael Jackson first performed the moonwalk on TV in 1983 while singing which song?

  4. 4Which singer had a worldwide hit with 'Hello' in 2015?

  5. 5Adele named her albums after her age when she made them. Which one, released in 2011, includes 'Rolling in the Deep'?

  6. 6Which singer released 'Bad Romance' in 2009?

  7. 7Who headlined the Super Bowl XLIX halftime show in February 2015?

  8. 8Which singer headlined the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show in Las Vegas in 2024?

  9. 9Known for hiding her face with oversized wigs, which singer had a hit with 'Chandelier' in 2014?

  10. 10Taylor Swift's 2014 pop album is named after the year she was born. What is it called?

  11. 11Which Taylor Swift concert tour became the first ever to gross more than $2 billion?

  12. 12As of the 2025 Grammy Awards, which artist held the record for the most Grammys ever won?

  13. 13Beyoncé won her first Album of the Year Grammy in 2025. For which album?

  14. 14Which singer-songwriter released 'Shape of You' in 2017?

  15. 15Which Olivia Rodrigo debut single went straight to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 2021?

  16. 16Which boy band launched Harry Styles' career?

  17. 17Justin Timberlake rose to fame as a member of which boy band?

  18. 18Rihanna was born on which Caribbean island?

  19. 19Which K-pop group's 2020 single 'Dynamite' debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100?

  20. 20Lil Nas X's 'Old Town Road' set a record in 2019 for the most weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 up to that time. How many weeks?

  21. 21Who produces Billie Eilish's music and co-writes her songs with her?

  22. 22In 2020, who became the youngest artist to win all four of the Grammys' biggest categories on the same night?

  23. 23In 2021 Billboard named which song the No. 1 song in Hot 100 history?

  24. 24Mariah Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' first reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in which year — 25 years after its release?

  25. 25Which 2017 Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee song became one of the most-streamed songs of all time?

  26. 26Whose 'Gangnam Style' became the first YouTube video to pass one billion views, in 2012?

  27. 27Which singer's 1998 hit 'Believe' made the Auto-Tune vocal effect famous?

  28. 28What was Britney Spears' debut single in 1998?

  29. 29Who sang 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun' in 1983?

  30. 30Who had a 1984 No. 1 hit with 'What's Love Got to Do with It'?

  31. 31Who was the lead singer of the band Blondie?

  32. 32In the 1992 film The Bodyguard, Whitney Houston's character sings which hit, written by Dolly Parton?

  33. 33Whose rendition of 'The Star-Spangled Banner' at the 1991 Super Bowl was released as a hit single?

  34. 34Which act has the most No. 1 hits in Billboard Hot 100 history, with 20?

  35. 35Which song opens with 'Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?'

  36. 36Who was the lead singer of Queen?

  37. 37Queen guitarist Brian May holds a PhD in which subject?

  38. 38Queen's 1985 set at which benefit concert is often called the greatest live performance in rock history?

  39. 39Which band sang 'Hotel California'?

  40. 40According to the RIAA, which album is the best-selling album of all time in the United States?

  41. 41Which Beatles album cover shows the band walking across a zebra crossing?

  42. 42What was the original name of the band that became The Beatles?

  43. 43Which British pop artist co-designed the famous collage cover of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band?

  44. 44Which band recorded 'The Dark Side of the Moon' (1973)?

  45. 45Which band sang 'Stairway to Heaven'?

  46. 46Which band wrote 'Smoke on the Water' about a fire at a casino in Montreux, Switzerland?

  47. 47Ozzy Osbourne first found fame as the singer of which band?

  48. 48Which 1980 AC/DC album was a tribute to their late singer Bon Scott?

  49. 49Fleetwood Mac's 1977 album, recorded as the band's relationships fell apart, is called what?

  50. 50What is the title of The Who's 1969 rock opera about a 'deaf, dumb and blind' pinball player?

  51. 51Which member of KISS wore the 'Starchild' makeup with a star over his right eye?

  52. 52Which band's debut album was 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)?

  53. 53Which top-hatted guitarist played the opening riff of 'Sweet Child o' Mine'?

  54. 54Which guitarist popularized two-handed tapping with the 1978 instrumental 'Eruption'?

  55. 55Who is the lead singer of Aerosmith?

  56. 56Bon Jovi formed in 1983 in which state?

  57. 57Which band was originally called Mookie Blaylock, after an NBA player?

  58. 58Who was the frontman of Nirvana?

  59. 59Which Nirvana album cover shows a baby swimming toward a dollar bill?

  60. 60Which Seattle band recorded 'Black Hole Sun'?

  61. 61After Nirvana ended, which drummer founded the Foo Fighters?

  62. 62R.E.M. formed in 1980 in which college town?

  63. 63Which Irish band released 'The Joshua Tree' and 'Achtung Baby'?

  64. 64Which 1990s band sang 'Wonderwall'?

  65. 65Which band had a 1982 hit with 'Africa'?

  66. 66'Don't Stop Believin'' (1981) was a hit for which band?

  67. 67Who designed the Rolling Stones' famous tongue-and-lips logo?

  68. 68Who was the Rolling Stones' original bassist, playing with the band from 1962 to 1993?

  69. 69Which singer is nicknamed 'The Boss'?

  70. 70In which city is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

  71. 71In what year was the Woodstock festival held?

  72. 72Jimi Hendrix famously closed Woodstock with an electric guitar version of which song?

  73. 73Which singer is known as 'The King of Rock and Roll'?

  74. 74In what year did Elvis Presley die?

  75. 75What is the name of Elvis Presley's mansion in Memphis?

  76. 76Sun Studio, where Elvis made his first recordings, is in which city?

  77. 77Who wrote and recorded 'Johnny B. Goode' in 1958?

  78. 78Which Don McLean song mourns 'the day the music died' — the 1959 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly?

  79. 79Which Beach Boy wrote and produced the 1966 album 'Pet Sounds'?

  80. 80Simon & Garfunkel's 'The Sound of Silence' was featured in which 1967 film?

  81. 81In 2016, who became the first songwriter awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature?

  82. 82Who is known as 'The Queen of Soul'?

  83. 83Aretha Franklin's 1967 hit 'Respect' was first written and recorded by which singer?

  84. 84Who is known as 'The Godfather of Soul'?

  85. 85In which city was Motown Records founded in 1959?

  86. 86Diana Ross first found fame as lead singer of which Motown group?

  87. 87Which Motown artist released 'Songs in the Key of Life' in 1976?

  88. 88Marvin Gaye's 1971 protest album shares its name with its title track. What is it?

  89. 89Ray Charles' recording of which song became the official state song of Georgia?

  90. 90Who sang the 1978 disco anthem 'I Will Survive'?

  91. 91Who released the album 'Purple Rain' in 1984?

  92. 92'We Are the World' (1985) was co-written by Michael Jackson and which singer?

  93. 93Which group's 1979 single 'Rapper's Delight' was the first hip-hop song to become a Top 40 hit?

  94. 94Hip-hop was born at a 1973 back-to-school party in which New York City borough?

  95. 95Which hip-hop group teamed up with Aerosmith on a 1986 remake of 'Walk This Way'?

  96. 96Which rapper's alter ego is 'Slim Shady'?

  97. 97Which rapper was also known as Biggie Smalls?

  98. 98Which rapper co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records and released 'The Blueprint' in 2001?

  99. 99Which headphone brand did Dr. Dre co-found with Jimmy Iovine?

  100. 100What was Kanye West's 2004 debut album?

  101. 101Kendrick Lamar won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music for which album?

  102. 102Drake grew up in which city?

  103. 103Who wrote the music, lyrics and book of the hip-hop musical Hamilton?

  104. 104Which singer was known as 'The Man in Black'?

  105. 105Which Johnny Cash song contains the line 'I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die'?

  106. 106Which country star wrote both 'Jolene' and 'I Will Always Love You'?

  107. 107The Grand Ole Opry, country music's longest-running radio show, broadcasts from which city?

  108. 108Who had a 1990 country hit with 'Friends in Low Places'?

  109. 109Whose 1997 album 'Come On Over' is the best-selling album ever by a female country artist?

  110. 110Who sang 'On the Road Again' in 1980?

  111. 111Which American Idol winner recorded 'Before He Cheats'?

  112. 112Who won the first season of American Idol in 2002?

  113. 113Earl Scruggs' three-finger picking made which instrument the signature sound of bluegrass?

  114. 114Woody Guthrie wrote which folk song as a reply to Irving Berlin's 'God Bless America'?

  115. 115Which jazz trumpeter was nicknamed 'Satchmo'?

  116. 116Which U.S. city is widely considered the birthplace of jazz?

  117. 117Billie Holiday, who recorded 'Strange Fruit,' is a legend of which genre?

  118. 118Ella Fitzgerald was known by which nickname?

  119. 119Miles Davis's 1959 album, the best-selling jazz record ever, is called what?

  120. 120What did blues legend B.B. King call his guitars?

  121. 121Which ragtime composer wrote 'The Entertainer' and 'Maple Leaf Rag'?

  122. 122Which composer wrote 'Rhapsody in Blue' (1924)?

  123. 123Who composed 'The Four Seasons'?

  124. 124Who composed the 'Moonlight Sonata'?

  125. 125The finale of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is set to which poem?

  126. 126In which city was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart born?

  127. 127Which Mozart opera tells the story of the legendary seducer Don Juan?

  128. 128Who composed the ballet 'The Nutcracker'?

  129. 129Who composed 'Ride of the Valkyries'?

  130. 130Who composed 'Boléro', a single-movement orchestral piece that builds one melody to a huge climax?

  131. 131The 'Hallelujah' chorus comes from which Handel oratorio?

  132. 132In opera, what is an elaborate song for a solo voice called?

  133. 133What is the highest female singing voice?

  134. 134Which composer wrote the music for West Side Story?

  135. 135From which Andrew Lloyd Webber musical does the song 'Memory' come?

  136. 136How many keys are on a standard modern piano?

  137. 137How many lines are in a standard musical staff?

  138. 138Which instrument did Mozart reportedly call 'the king of instruments'?

  139. 139Which instrument is Yo-Yo Ma famous for playing?

  140. 140Antonio Stradivari is famous for making which instruments?

  141. 141Even though it is made of brass, the saxophone belongs to which instrument family?

  142. 142A standard concert pedal harp has seven pedals and roughly how many strings?

  143. 143The ukulele was developed from a Portuguese instrument in which U.S. state?

  144. 144The steelpan (steel drum) was invented in which country?

  145. 145Which Italian tempo marking means 'very fast'?

  146. 146What does the dynamic marking 'fortissimo' tell a musician to do?

  147. 147The treble clef is also known as which clef?

  148. 148What is a group of eight musicians called?

  149. 149What is the choppy offbeat guitar strum at the heart of reggae called?

  150. 150Bob Marley made which genre famous around the world?

  151. 151Which instrument does 'Weird Al' Yankovic famously play?

  152. 152Celine Dion's 'My Heart Will Go On' was the love theme from which 1997 film?

  153. 153'Let It Go' is the breakout song from which Disney film?

  154. 154'We Don't Talk About Bruno' comes from which 2021 Disney film?

  155. 155Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper won an Oscar for 'Shallow' from which film?

  156. 156Which composer scored Star Wars, Jaws and E.T.?

  157. 157Survivor's 'Eye of the Tiger' was written for which movie?

  158. 158Who sang 'Danger Zone' on the Top Gun soundtrack?

  159. 159Who recorded the theme song for the 1984 film Ghostbusters?

  160. 160What was the first music video played on MTV when it launched in 1981?

  161. 161The music streaming service Spotify was founded in which country?

  162. 162The electronic duo Daft Punk came from which country?

  163. 163ABBA won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with which song?

  164. 164Who wrote the lyrics of 'The Star-Spangled Banner'?

  165. 165Which bandleader, known as 'The March King,' composed 'The Stars and Stripes Forever'?

  166. 166Who wrote 'God Bless America'?

  167. 167The South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival is held every year in which city?

  168. 168The Coachella festival takes place in which state?

Answer Key

  1. 1. Madonna
  2. 2. Thriller
  3. 3. Billie Jean
  4. 4. Adele
  5. 5. 21
  6. 6. Lady Gaga
  7. 7. Katy Perry
  8. 8. Usher
  9. 9. Sia
  10. 10. 1989
  11. 11. The Eras Tour
  12. 12. Beyoncé
  13. 13. Cowboy Carter
  14. 14. Ed Sheeran
  15. 15. drivers license
  16. 16. One Direction
  17. 17. *NSYNC
  18. 18. Barbados
  19. 19. BTS
  20. 20. 19
  21. 21. Her brother, Finneas O'Connell
  22. 22. Billie Eilish
  23. 23. Blinding Lights
  24. 24. 2019
  25. 25. Despacito
  26. 26. PSY
  27. 27. Cher
  28. 28. ...Baby One More Time
  29. 29. Cyndi Lauper
  30. 30. Tina Turner
  31. 31. Debbie Harry
  32. 32. I Will Always Love You
  33. 33. Whitney Houston
  34. 34. The Beatles
  35. 35. Bohemian Rhapsody
  36. 36. Freddie Mercury
  37. 37. Astrophysics
  38. 38. Live Aid
  39. 39. Eagles
  40. 40. Eagles' Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975)
  41. 41. Abbey Road
  42. 42. The Quarrymen
  43. 43. Peter Blake
  44. 44. Pink Floyd
  45. 45. Led Zeppelin
  46. 46. Deep Purple
  47. 47. Black Sabbath
  48. 48. Back in Black
  49. 49. Rumours
  50. 50. Tommy
  51. 51. Paul Stanley
  52. 52. Guns N' Roses
  53. 53. Slash
  54. 54. Eddie Van Halen
  55. 55. Steven Tyler
  56. 56. New Jersey
  57. 57. Pearl Jam
  58. 58. Kurt Cobain
  59. 59. Nevermind
  60. 60. Soundgarden
  61. 61. Dave Grohl
  62. 62. Athens, Georgia
  63. 63. U2
  64. 64. Oasis
  65. 65. Toto
  66. 66. Journey
  67. 67. John Pasche
  68. 68. Bill Wyman
  69. 69. Bruce Springsteen
  70. 70. Cleveland
  71. 71. 1969
  72. 72. The Star-Spangled Banner
  73. 73. Elvis Presley
  74. 74. 1977
  75. 75. Graceland
  76. 76. Memphis
  77. 77. Chuck Berry
  78. 78. American Pie
  79. 79. Brian Wilson
  80. 80. The Graduate
  81. 81. Bob Dylan
  82. 82. Aretha Franklin
  83. 83. Otis Redding
  84. 84. James Brown
  85. 85. Detroit
  86. 86. The Supremes
  87. 87. Stevie Wonder
  88. 88. What's Going On
  89. 89. Georgia on My Mind
  90. 90. Gloria Gaynor
  91. 91. Prince
  92. 92. Lionel Richie
  93. 93. The Sugarhill Gang
  94. 94. The Bronx
  95. 95. Run-DMC
  96. 96. Eminem
  97. 97. The Notorious B.I.G.
  98. 98. Jay-Z
  99. 99. Beats
  100. 100. The College Dropout
  101. 101. DAMN.
  102. 102. Toronto
  103. 103. Lin-Manuel Miranda
  104. 104. Johnny Cash
  105. 105. Folsom Prison Blues
  106. 106. Dolly Parton
  107. 107. Nashville
  108. 108. Garth Brooks
  109. 109. Shania Twain
  110. 110. Willie Nelson
  111. 111. Carrie Underwood
  112. 112. Kelly Clarkson
  113. 113. Banjo
  114. 114. This Land Is Your Land
  115. 115. Louis Armstrong
  116. 116. New Orleans
  117. 117. Jazz
  118. 118. The First Lady of Song
  119. 119. Kind of Blue
  120. 120. Lucille
  121. 121. Scott Joplin
  122. 122. George Gershwin
  123. 123. Antonio Vivaldi
  124. 124. Ludwig van Beethoven
  125. 125. Ode to Joy
  126. 126. Salzburg
  127. 127. Don Giovanni
  128. 128. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
  129. 129. Richard Wagner
  130. 130. Maurice Ravel
  131. 131. Messiah
  132. 132. An aria
  133. 133. Soprano
  134. 134. Leonard Bernstein
  135. 135. Cats
  136. 136. 88
  137. 137. Five
  138. 138. The pipe organ
  139. 139. Cello
  140. 140. Violins and other string instruments
  141. 141. Woodwind
  142. 142. 47
  143. 143. Hawaii
  144. 144. Trinidad and Tobago
  145. 145. Presto
  146. 146. Play very loudly
  147. 147. The G clef
  148. 148. An octet
  149. 149. The skank
  150. 150. Reggae
  151. 151. Accordion
  152. 152. Titanic
  153. 153. Frozen
  154. 154. Encanto
  155. 155. A Star Is Born
  156. 156. John Williams
  157. 157. Rocky III
  158. 158. Kenny Loggins
  159. 159. Ray Parker Jr.
  160. 160. Video Killed the Radio Star
  161. 161. Sweden
  162. 162. France
  163. 163. Waterloo
  164. 164. Francis Scott Key
  165. 165. John Philip Sousa
  166. 166. Irving Berlin
  167. 167. Austin
  168. 168. California

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