Music History Trivia Questions
Total Questions: 100
What percussion instrument do some people believe was man's first musical instrument?
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drum
Who is the Tijuana Brass leader who now markets a women's perfume called 'Listen'?
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herb alpert
Which 'Rocket Man' founded Rocket Records in the 1970s?
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elton john
Which woman, along with her group the Pips, was the first act to appear on 'Soul Train'?
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gladys knight
What record label was named after a nickname of Detroit?
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motown
Which record company's Detroit museum attracts music fans inspired by the song 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough'?
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motown
Who gave his last live concert at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis on June 26, 1977?
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elvis presley
Who did George Harrison mention would need to be dead for him to consider a Beatles reunion?
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john lennon
Which artist's 1984 hit 'I Just Called To Say I Love You' was his first to reach No. 1 in both the U.S. and the U.K.?
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stevie wonder
In 1970, which group said 'Hello, Goodbye' with their film 'Let It Be' documenting their breakup?
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beatles
Which swing band leader and clarinetist did Aaron Copland write a clarinet concerto for in 1948?
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benny goodman
Which pop artist released the solo double-CD set 'HIStory: Past, Present And Future, Book One' in June 1995?
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michael jackson
Who rejoined the Heartbreakers in 1991 to work on a new album?
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tom petty
Which singer, known for the song 'So Emotional,' holds the record for the most consecutive No. 1 singles in history?
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whitney houston
Who composed a 1-act jazz opera called 'Blue Monday' 13 years before 'Porgy & Bess'?
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george gershwin
Who was the bandleader that accompanied Caruso for some concerts and was once married to Charo?
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xavier cugat
Which prestigious award in music did Ellen Taaffe Zwilich win in 1983 for her Symphony No. 1, becoming the first woman to receive it?
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pulitzer prize
In which U.S. state did Frederick Delius manage an orange plantation at the age of 20?
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florida
What breakfast beverage is the Bach cantata named after?
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coffee
Who was dubbed 'Count' by a Kansas City radio announcer?
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count basie
Which British rock band's 1971 album 'Sticky Fingers' features cover art designed by Andy Warhol?
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rolling stones
Who is the Vienna-born composer best known for collaborating with Alan Jay Lerner?
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frederick loewe
Who was the singer of the No. 1 hit song 'Chances Are' in 1957?
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johnny mathis
What instrument did Irving Berlin play in only one key, using a special gadget to switch keys?
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piano
Which rock group, featuring brothers Eddie and Alex, once parachuted into a stadium to start a show?
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van halen
Which singer, alongside her sister Lucy, performed folk songs as the Simon Sisters in the early '60s?
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carly simon
Which band celebrated the 20th anniversary of the album 'Tommy' with a series of special performances in 1989?
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who
On January 30, 1969, on the roof of which record company's London offices did the Beatles give their last public performance?
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apple records
Which artist hit No. 1 twice in 1971, once solo with 'Go Away Little Girl' and once with his brothers with 'One Bad Apple'?
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donny osmond
Which member of The Jacksons shocked fans in 1996 by marrying his pregnant friend Debbie Rowe?
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michael jackson
In which capital city did Berlioz neglect his medical studies to spend his nights at the opera?
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paris
What musical form, derived from the Latin word 'matricale' meaning 'in the mother tongue', originated during the Renaissance?
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madrigal
In 1960, who had 3 No. 1 hits including 'It's Now Or Never' following his discharge from the Army?
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elvis presley
Which performer purchased ATV, the owner of much of the Beatles' catalog, for over $40 million in 1985?
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michael jackson
Which performer was featured on a Mastercard issued by the Leader Federal Bank in Memphis in 1995, with three images of him on it?
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elvis presley
In July 1960, King Phumiphon of Thailand joined which famous jazz musician, also known as the 'King of Swing', in a jam session?
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benny goodman
Which rocker's 1988 album 'Tina Live in Europe' won a Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance?
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tina turner
Which iconic Motown group consisted of Diana Ross, Florence Ballard, and Mary Wilson?
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supremes
Which Roy Orbison song lost at the Grammys in 1964 but won in 1991 after being featured in a Julia Roberts film?
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pretty woman
Who wrote the song 'To All the Girls I've Loved Before' after parting ways with Burt Bacharach?
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hal david
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