Music History Trivia Questions
Total Questions: 384
Which British group did Kenney Jones join as the drummer after Keith Moon's death in 1978?
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who
What group did Smokey Robinson have 14 Top 20 hits with from 1961 to 1971?
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miracles
Which artist had his show dropped by Trinity Broadcasting after appearing on the American Music Awards dressed in an unusual outfit?
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pat boone
Who is the American composer known for writing 'Rhapsody in Blue' in 1924 and 'Second Rhapsody' in 1931?
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george gershwin
Which 19th-century American composer might have been inspired by his wife Jane to write the song 'Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair'?
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stephen foster
Which Boomtown Rat organized Band Aid?
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bob geldof
Which band did Decca Records reject in 1962, claiming 'We don't like their sound and guitar music is on the way out'?
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beatles
Which rock singer, born in Tupelo, Mississippi, has a birthplace preserved in a small park named after him?
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elvis presley
In what city were U2's members still in high school in 1978 when they won a talent show?
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dublin
Which pop artist released her second album, 'Oops!...I Did It Again,' in May 2000?
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britney spears
Which German opera composer planned the Bayreuth Festival, first held in 1876, to perform his own works?
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richard wagner
What was Dorothy Fields' first big hit song in 1928 titled 'I Can't Give You Anything But'?
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love
Who was the drummer for Rory Storm and the Hurricanes before joining The Beatles?
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ringo starr
Which musical group had a career revival in 1997 with a new CD and an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?
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bee gees
In March 2001, gun charges in New York against which rap impresario were dismissed?
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sean combs
Which famous record label did Sam Harris sign with after his victory on 'Star Search'?
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motown
Who was the 39-year-old singer who had a baby girl with wife Debbie Rowe in 1998?
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michael jackson
Who had the No. 1 album of the year in 1983 with 'Thriller'?
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michael jackson
Which musician's 1966 'Albert Hall' concert was officially released in 1998 after years of being distributed as bootlegs?
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bob dylan
Which composer is known for creating the 1899 piece 'Maple Leaf Rag', the most famous instrumental rag?
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scott joplin
In which Austrian city did Carl Czerny start teaching at the age of 15, with Beethoven's nephew as one of his students?
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vienna
Which widow of John Lennon composed the opera titled 'New York Rock,' which is a love story ending in a murder?
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yoko ono
For which medium did Gian Carlo Menotti write the opera 'The Old Maid and the Thief' in 1939?
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radio
Which girl group consisted of Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, and Diana Ross from 1963 to 1967?
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supremes
Who is the composer whose 100th birthday TV special in 1988 won an Emmy, despite never winning a Grammy?
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irving berlin
Which composer of 'The Threepenny Opera' studied under Engelbert Humperdinck, the composer?
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kurt weill
Who was the lead singer of R.E.M. from 1980 to 1997, alongside guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and drummer Bill Berry?
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michael stipe
Which band, featuring Lauren Hill, gained popularity for their reggae-rap album 'The Score'?
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fugees
Who was the lead singer of The Doors who was buried in the Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris in 1971?
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jim morrison
Who was born in Brooklyn in 1898 and had the real name Jacob Gershwin?
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george gershwin
Which folk musician caused a sensation by going electric at the 1965 Newport Festival?
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bob dylan
Which future superstar's record was first aired by Memphis DJ Dewey Phillips in July 1954?
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elvis presley
Which singer, known for the song 'La Bamba', died in a plane crash alongside Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper on February 3, 1959?
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ritchie valens
Which band's first album featured Dave Grohl playing all of the instruments?
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foo fighters
Which composer wrote the song 'Oh! Susanna,' popular among the gold-seeking forty-niners?
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stephen foster
Which pop icon wore a red leather jacket designed by Claude Montana in the music video for 'Beat It'?
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michael jackson
Which famous jazz musician's 1957 4-album set was titled 'Satchmo: A Musical Autobiography'?
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louis armstrong
In 1989, which singer toured for the first time in her career without the Pips?
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gladys knight
Which artist's last Top 10 hit in 1964 was 'Oh, Pretty Woman' before reaching No. 9 in the charts again with 'You Got It' in 1989?
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roy orbison
In which city did Icicle Works form more than 20 years after The Beatles?
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liverpool
What record company was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. to cater to a market for black music among whites in the 20th century?
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motown
Which group, starting with 'Where Did Our Love Go', earned 12 No. 1 hits, the most of any act on the Motown label?
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supremes
What is the musical instrument that was named after its inventor, Adolphe Sax?
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saxophone
Which Jerry Garcia-led group, known for its psychedelic rock, changed its name from The Warlocks in 1966?
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grateful dead
Which 'Big Bad' swing band performed for sports fans at the 1999 Super Bowl?
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big bad voodoo daddy
What is the choral form named after a chapel in a church, where it was originally developed?
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oratorio
In 1977, Randy Owen's group named themselves after which U.S. state that is also their home?
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alabama
Which rock musician famously burned his guitar during a performance at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival?
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jimi hendrix
Which group had Mike Love give the acceptance speech when they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?
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beach boys
In which city did The 3 Tenors first perform together in 1990 at the Baths of Caracalla?
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rome
Who won a 1962 Grammy for the song that contains the lyrics 'I can't stop loving you, I've made up my mind'?
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ray charles
Who is the composer who wrote 'Rhapsody In Blue' for jazz conductor Paul Whiteman's orchestra?
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george gershwin
What was the sweet nickname under which Ferdinand Morton recorded the blues in the Roaring '20s?
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jelly roll morton
Which singing siblings celebrated the 40th anniversary of their first No. 1 hit, 'Wake Up Little Susie,' in 1997?
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everly brothers
Which singer cut his 'Black or White' video after complaints it was lewd and too violent?
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michael jackson
Which artist's first Top 40 album was 1970's 'Sweet Baby James'?
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james taylor
Which composer, after his quarrel with W.S. Gilbert, wrote the 1891 opera 'Ivanhoe' without him?
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arthur sullivan
Which composer of 'Always' offered Gershwin a job as his musical secretary but advised him to refuse it?
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irving berlin
Which star of 'Your Hit Parade' received his nickname from the Irving Berlin song 'Snooky-Ookums'?
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snooky lanson
What type of music includes the styles bop and bebop, which emerged in the 1940s?
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jazz
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