Music History Trivia Questions
Total Questions: 81
Which ragtime composer's restored home located at 2658A Delmar Blvd. in St. Louis is open for tours?
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scott joplin
Which famous singer's fourth wife, Marianne, used to be a regular on the TV show 'Hee Haw'?
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kenny rogers
Who is the singer whose 15-year-old son, Sean, wrote new lyrics for his song 'Give Peace A Chance' in 1991?
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john lennon
What word completes the title of the 1912 Norton & Burnett tune that begins, 'Come to me my melancholy'?
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baby
Which rock 'n' roll legend released his first records under the name Charles Berryn?
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chuck berry
Which island's musical evolution included ska, rock steady, and later reggae?
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jamaica
Which famous musician was fatally shot on December 8, 1980, in New York City?
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john lennon
For which famous crooner was the band Frankie Goes to Hollywood named?
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frank sinatra
Who was the lead singer and frontman of the band Talking Heads?
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david byrne
What Buddy Holly hit was originally titled 'Cindy Lou'?
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peggy sue
Who composed the 'Fig Leaf Rag' in 1908?
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scott joplin
Who is the singer that the Off-Broadway musical 'Bessie Speaks,' which opened in 1994, is about?
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bessie smith
Which state is mentioned in the popular 1940s songs 'Tennessee Waltz' and 'Deep In The Heart Of'?
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texas
What musical instrument, often called a 'squeeze box,' was invented in 1829 and operates on the same principle as the harmonica?
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accordion
Which Irving Berlin song has been referred to as 'the nation's unofficial second national anthem'?
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god bless america
Which group was honored with stamps featuring 'Night Fever', 'Words', and 'Massachusetts' by the Isle of Man in 1999?
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bee gees
Which artist had a Top 40 hit in 1967 titled 'Kentucky Woman'?
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neil diamond
Which singer, known for the song 'Unforgettable', was born on March 17, 1919?
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nat king cole
Which great Baroque composer passed away in 1750, marking the end of the Baroque period?
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johann sebastian bach
What keyboard instrument did Johann Christian Bach give the first public recital on in 1768?
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piano
In 1890, which composer began work on 'Suite Bergamasque' for piano, which includes the celebrated 'Clair de Lune'?
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claude debussy
In 1955, Herbert von Karajan was awarded a lifetime conductor position with the Philharmonic of which German city?
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berlin
Which composer was commissioned by Ida Rubinstein in 1928 to write a ballet, resulting in the creation of 'Bolero'?
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maurice ravel
Who had her first major hit in 1938 with Chick Webb's band performing the song 'A-Tisket A-Tasket'?
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ella fitzgerald
Who did Shadoe Stevens replace as host of American Top 40 in 1988?
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casey kasem
Which composer was working on songs for a stage version of 'Victor/Victoria' when he died in 1994?
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henry mancini
Who was the manager of The Beatles and also managed Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas?
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brian epstein
What is the name of the label founded by the Beatles that released the 3 double CDs of the Beatle 'Anthology' series?
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apple
Which group of 'long-haired freaks' won the 1964 Grammy for Pop Vocal Group, causing Grampa to stop watching the show?
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beatles
Who met Elton John when both responded to an ad placed by Liberty Records in 1967?
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bernie taupin
What girl group originally known as the Primettes changed its name after signing with Motown?
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supremes
Which drummer's 1969 album 'Buddy and Soul' was nominated for a Grammy?
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buddy rich
What Helen Reddy hit celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1997 and features the phrase 'hear it roar'?
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i am woman
Who is the Big Band clarinetist that wrote the 1939 autobiography titled 'The Kingdom of Swing'?
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benny goodman
Which superstar, whose 1990 CD 'No Fences' is the biggest-selling country album of all time, did Trisha Yearwood once open concerts for?
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garth brooks
Which artist references 'Wheel Of Fortune' in the 1989 hit song 'We Didn't Start The Fire'?
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billy joel
In which song that hit No. 1 in 1968 was Joe DiMaggio, also known as 'Joltin' Joe,' immortalized?
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mrs. robinson
Which artist turned the experience of being booed at Madison Square Garden into the hit song 'Garden Party'?
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ricky nelson
Who was the first English composer elevated to the peerage with the title Baron Britten of Aldeburgh?
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benjamin britten
Before becoming a tenor, in which vocal range did Placido Domingo initially sing?
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baritone
Which girl group achieved their first No. 1 hit with the song 'Where Did Our Love Go?' in 1964?
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supremes
Which composer was inspired by a trip to Europe to write the 1928 piece 'An American in Paris'?
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george gershwin
What is the name of the form of light opera with spoken dialogue that evolved from the opera comique and led to the musical?
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operetta
Which singer had a 1960 hit with his version of the French song 'La Mer', titled 'Beyond the Sea'?
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bobby darin
Which artist released the No. 1 album titled 'Still Crazy After All These Years'?
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paul simon
What French court dance's music became the standardized third movement of symphonies by Haydn and Mozart?
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minuet
In which country did Heitor Villa-Lobos help develop a national style of music?
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brazil
What song, featuring the lyrics 'Yeah, Yeah, Yeah,' was The Beatles' second No. 1 hit in the U.S. after 'I Want to Hold Your Hand'?
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she loves you
What instrument, developed by Robert A. Moog in the 1960s, is used in both classical and pop music?
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synthesizer
Who composed both 'Old Dog Tray' and 'My Old Kentucky Home'?
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stephen foster
Which group, featuring Bobby Brown, reunited in 1996 for a new album called 'Home Again'?
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new edition
What band dissolved after Annie Lennox took a break from music?
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eurythmics
Which tenor saxophonist, along with vocalist Astrud Gilberto, had a No. 5 pop hit in 1964 with 'The Girl from Ipanema'?
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stan getz
Which musician served as the lead vocalist on Van Halen's song 'Why Can't This Be Love'?
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sammy hagar
Which artist had a No. 1 album titled 'Forever Your Girl'?
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paula abdul
On October 9, 1990, when this musician would have turned 50, his song 'Imagine' was broadcast on radio in 130 countries. Who is this musician?
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john lennon
Who is the Israeli violinist who made his American debut as a teenager on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' in 1958?
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itzhak perlman
Who is the singer whose then-husband James Taylor played guitar on her 1974 hit "Haven't Got Time For The Pain"?
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carly simon
In which Austrian city did Carl Czerny teach his student Liszt?
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vienna
Which band created the rock opera albums 'Tommy' and 'Quadrophenia' that were both turned into films?
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who
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