When you think of the word music, what comes to mind? Likely hundreds of different songs and artists that are completely different from what the next person thought of. That’s because music is so broad as it has consistently evolved for hundreds of years. Over this past century, music has undergone a remarkable evolution, reflecting the changing cultural, social and technological landscapes of society.
The early 1900s saw the rise of jazz, blues and ragtime, emanating from Black American communities and shaping the sound of the Roaring Twenties. The mid-20th century brought the explosion of rock and roll, with artists like Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Little Richard revolutionizing popular music and sparking a cultural revolution. The latter half of the century witnessed the emergence of genres like funk, disco, hip-hop and electronic dance music, each creating their own culture and impact. Alongside these developments, advancements in technology, particularly the advent of recording, radio, television, and later the internet, democratized access to music and transformed how it was created, distributed and consumed.
How familiar are you with these notable names and moments in music? Find out here with these 75+ music trivia questions.
General Music Trivia Questions
- Question: What is the best-selling album of all time?
- Answer: Thriller by Michael Jackson.
- Question: What was the name of the concert held in 1985 to raise funds for Ethiopian famine relief, featuring performances by Queen, U2 and Madonna, among others?
- Answer: Live Aid.
- Question: What was The Beatles’ final album released before they disbanded?
- Answer: Let It Be.
- Question: Which legendary guitarist is known for his iconic rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Woodstock?
- Answer: Jimi Hendrix.
- Question: What song holds the record for the longest time at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart?
- Answer: Old Town Road by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus.
- Question: Who was the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
- Answer: Aretha Franklin.
- Question: What is the name of Beyoncé’s debut solo album?
- Answer: Dangerously in Love.
- Question: Who performed at the halftime show of Super Bowl XLIX in 2015?
- Answer: Katy Perry.
- Question: What was the first music video ever played on MTV?
- Answer: Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles.
- Question: Who wrote the song Bohemian Rhapsody?
- Answer: Freddie Mercury (performed by Queen).
- Question: Which album won the Album of the Year at the 2021 Grammy Awards?
- Answer: Folklore by Taylor Swift.
- Question: Who is the lead vocalist of the band U2?
- Answer: Bono (real name: Paul David Hewson).
- Question: What is the name of the lead singer of The Rolling Stones?
- Answer: Mick Jagger.
- Question: Which song did Adele win Record of the Year for at the 2017 Grammy Awards?
- Answer: Hello.
- Question: What is the real name of rapper Eminem?
- Answer: Marshall Bruce Mathers III.
- Question: Which iconic pop star sang the national anthem at the 1991 Super Bowl?
- Answer: Whitney Houston.
- Question: Which city is known as the birthplace of jazz?
- Answer: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
- Question: Which famous singer-songwriter was born as Robert Zimmerman?
- Answer: Bob Dylan.
- Question: Which artist is known for the hit songs Uptown Funk and 24K Magic?
- Answer: Bruno Mars.
- Question: Who performed the halftime show at Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004, causing controversy with a wardrobe malfunction during the performance?
- Answer: Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake.
- Question: Who was the first artist to have a number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in four different decades?
- Answer: Mariah Carey.
- Question: Which band’s album “The Dark Side of the Moon” holds the record for the longest time on the Billboard 200 chart?
- Answer: Pink Floyd.
- Question: What was the first music video played on MTV Europe?
- Answer: “Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits.
- Question: Which singer’s real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta?
- Answer: Lady Gaga.
- Question: Who was the first female artist to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with her debut single?
- Answer: Lauryn Hill with “Doo Wop (That Thing)”.
- Question: Which rapper is known for the album “The College Dropout”?
- Answer: Kanye West.
- Question: Which artist won the Grammy for Best New Artist in 1994?
- Answer: Toni Braxton.
- Question: What is the name of the record label founded by Dr. Dre and Suge Knight?
- Answer: Death Row Records.
- Question: What was the first rap single to hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100?
- Answer: “Ice Ice Baby” by Vanilla Ice.
Music Trivia Questions All Throughout the Decades
- Question: Who was known as the “Empress of the Blues” during the 1920s?
- Answer: Bessie Smith.
- Question: What was the name of the first commercially successful blues recording, released in 1920?
- Answer: Crazy Blues by Mamie Smith.
- Question: Who was one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 1920s, known for his virtuosic trumpet playing?
- Answer: Louis Armstrong.
- Question: Which legendary jazz singer, known for her unique vocal style, was nicknamed “Lady Day”?
- Answer: Billie Holiday.
- Question: What was the name of the influential jazz pianist and composer who composed classics like Take the ‘A’ Train and It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)?
- Answer: Duke Ellington.
- Question: What was the name of the iconic nightclub in Harlem that became a hub for African American performers during the Harlem Renaissance?
- Answer: The Cotton Club.
- Question: Which iconic singer was known as the “First Lady of Song”?
- Answer: Ella Fitzgerald.
- Question: Who was the pioneering rhythm and blues singer known for hits like Tutti Frutti and Long Tall Sally?
- Answer: Little Richard.
- Question: What was the name of the iconic record label founded by Berry Gordy Jr. in 1959, which became synonymous with the Motown sound?
- Answer: Motown Records.
- Question: Who was the lead singer of The Temptations, one of the most successful vocal groups of the 1960s and 1970s?
- Answer: David Ruffin (later replaced by Dennis Edwards).
- Question: Who was the lead guitarist of the band Queen?
- Answer: Brian May.
- Question: What was the name of the iconic festival held in 1969, which became a symbol of the counterculture movement?
- Answer: Woodstock.
- Question: What is the name of the lead singer of the band Led Zeppelin?
- Answer: Robert Plant.
- Question: What was the name of the influential DJ who is credited with popularizing hip-hop music in the Bronx during the 1970s?
- Answer: DJ Kool Herc (Clive Campbell).
- Question: Who was the lead vocalist of the funk band Sly and the Family Stone?
- Answer: Sly Stone (Sylvester Stewart).
- Question: Which iconic singer-songwriter released the album What’s Going On in 1971, addressing social and political issues of the time?
- Answer: Marvin Gaye.
- Question: Who was known as the “Queen of Disco”?
- Answer: Donna Summer.
- Question: What was the name of Prince’s backup band during the 1980s?
- Answer: The Revolution.
- Question: Who was the first Black woman to win an Oscar for Best Original Song?
- Answer: Irene Cara, for “Flashdance… What a Feeling” in 1984.
- Question: Which artist holds the record for the most Grammy Awards won in a single night?
- Answer: Michael Jackson, with 8 Grammy Awards in 1984.
- Question: Who was the first female rapper to release a full-length album, titled All Hail the Queen, in 1989?
- Answer: Queen Latifah.
- Question: Which song by Nirvana became an anthem for Generation X in the 1990s?
- Answer: Smells Like Teen Spirit.
- Question: Who was the influential rap group known for hits like Fight the Power and Bring the Noise?
- Answer: Public Enemy.
- Question: Which artist released the hit single Rehab?
- Answer: Amy Winehouse.
- Question: What year did Britney Spears release her debut single “…Baby One More Time”?
- Answer: 1999.
Legendary Black Artists Music Trivia Questions
- Question: Who is often referred to as the “Godfather of Soul”?
- Answer: James Brown.
- Question: Which iconic jazz saxophonist was known for his improvisational genius and contributed greatly to bebop?
- Answer: Charlie Parker.
- Question: What legendary band was Jimi Hendrix the lead guitarist for and front man for?
- Answer: The Jimi Hendrix Experience.
- Question: Which Motown artist released the hit songs My Girl and Ain’t Too Proud to Beg with The Temptations?
- Answer: David Ruffin.
- Question: Who is the “King of Pop”?
- Answer: Michael Jackson.
- Question: Which blues guitarist is known for his hits like The Thrill Is Gone and Lucille?
- Answer: B.B. King.
- Question: Who is often called the “High Priestess of Soul” and released an album of the same name?
- Answer: Nina Simone.
- Question: Which influential rapper released the album Illmatic in 1994?
- Answer: Nas (Nasir Jones).
- Question: Who was the lead singer of the iconic soul group The Supremes?
- Answer: Diana Ross.
- Question: Which artist sang the iconic protest song A Change Is Gonna Come?
- Answer: Sam Cooke.
- Question: Which rapper is known for the albums The Chronic and Doggystyle?
- Answer: Snoop Dogg (Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr.).
- Question: Which soul singer is known for hits like Respect and Natural Woman?
- Answer: Aretha Franklin.
- Question: Who was the lead vocalist of the funk band Parliament-Funkadelic?
- Answer: George Clinton.
- Question: Which rapper, actor and activist is known for his album To Pimp a Butterfly?
- Answer: Kendrick Lamar.
- Question: Who is the lead singer of the rock band Living Colour?
- Answer: Corey Glover.
- Question: Which artist released the hit single Superstition in 1972?
- Answer: Stevie Wonder.
- Question: Who is often called the “Father of Rock and Roll”?
- Answer: Chuck Berry.
- Question: Which hip-hop group released the album Straight Outta Compton?
- Answer: N.W.A (Niggaz Wit Attitudes).
- Question: Which singer-songwriter is known for her powerful voice and hits like I Will Always Love You?
- Answer: Whitney Houston.
- Question: Who is known for his role in bringing reggae music to the mainstream with albums like Catch a Fire and Exodus?
- Answer: Bob Marley.
- Question: Who was the first rapper to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
- Answer: Tupac Shakur.
- Question: Who was the first Black artist to win the Grammy for Album of the Year?
- Answer: Stevie Wonder, for “Innervisions” in 1974.
- Question: Who was the first African American woman to headline Coachella?
- Answer: Beyoncé, often referred to as “Beychella.”
- Question: Who is the first female rap artist to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame?
- Answer: Missy Elliott.
Music Trivia Questions on the Hit Makers of Today
- Question: Who is the Canadian singer-songwriter known for hits like Blinding Lights and Can’t Feel My Face?
- Answer: The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye).
- Question: What was the name of the song by Jawsh 685 and Jason Derulo that dominated TikTok in 2020 and became a viral dance craze?
- Answer: Savage Love.
- Question: What is the name of the South Korean boy band that achieved global success with songs like Dynamite and Butter?
- Answer: BTS.
- Question: Who released the hit single drivers license, which broke several streaming records upon its release in 2021?
- Answer: Olivia Rodrigo.
- Question: Which rapper released the album Certified Lover Boy in 2021?
- Answer: Drake
- Question: What is the name of the English singer-songwriter known for her soulful voice and hits like Someone Like You and Rolling in the Deep?
- Answer: Adele.
- Question: Who won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2021?
- Answer: Megan Thee Stallion.
- Question: Who became the first solo female rapper to win the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in 2019?
- Answer: Cardi B.
- Question: Who is the rapper known for hits like Sicko Mode and Highest in the Room?
- Answer: Travis Scott.
- Question: Who is the R&B singer-songwriter known for hits like Exchange and Don’t?
- Answer: Bryson Tiller.
- Question: Who became the first rapper to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2018?
- Answer: Kendrick Lamar.
- Question: Which singer-songwriter released the album Ctrl in 2017, earning critical acclaim for its exploration of modern love and relationships?
- Answer: SZA (Solána Rowe).
- Question: Which R&B singer-songwriter released the album Dirty Computer in 2018, exploring themes of identity and sexuality?
- Answer: Janelle Monáe.
- Question: Who is the rapper and actor known for his roles in Moonlight and Green Book, as well as his music?
- Answer: Mahershala Ali.
- Question: Who sang the theme song for the James Bond film “Skyfall”?
- Answer: Adele.
- Question: Which song by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee became a global hit in 2017 and broke several streaming records?
- Answer: “Despacito”.
- Question: Who is known for the 2020 hit song “Watermelon Sugar”?
- Answer: Harry Styles.
- Question: Which female rapper collaborated with Megan Thee Stallion on the song “WAP”?
- Answer: Cardi B.
- Question: Who won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 2021 for “I Can’t Breathe”?
- Answer: H.E.R.
- Question: Who is known for the 2021 hit single “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)”?
- Answer: Lil Nas X.
- Question: Who is known for the 2020 hit song “Rockstar” featuring Roddy Ricch?
- Answer: DaBaby.
- Question: Which artist won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2020?
- Answer: Billie Eilish.
- Question: Who is known for the 2020 hit song “Rockstar” featuring Roddy Ricch?
- Answer: DaBaby.
- Question: Who is known for the 2020 hit song “Savage Love”?
- Answer: Jawsh 685 and Jason Derulo.
