Music History Trivia Questions
Total Questions: 384
Which group appeared without their makeup on the cover of their 1983 album 'Lick It Up'?
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kiss
Which Motown star 'Presents The Jackson 5', the title of their first album?
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diana ross
In 1985, which Spanish-born Cuban bandleader published the book 'Rumba is My Life'?
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xavier cugat
Which last name belongs to Utah brothers Alan, Merrill, and Wayne, who co-wrote their 1972 hit 'Crazy Horses'?
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osmonds
Which composer took his own composition, 'Superstition', to #1 on the pop charts in 1973?
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stevie wonder
Which bass tuba was suggested by & named for a turn of the century American bandmaster and march king?
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sousaphone
Who is the bandmaster that wrote instruction books for trumpet and drum, and a 1928 autobiography titled 'Marching Along'?
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john philip sousa
Which band released the albums 'Rocket to Russia', 'Road to Ruin', and 'Animal Boy'?
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ramones
Which composer experienced a noted failure with his opera 'Tannhauser' in Paris, prompting Charles Gounod to wish for a similar 'failure'?
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richard wagner
In 1978, which group earned Motown its first million seller in the U.K. with the song containing the lyrics: 'You're once, twice, three times a lady, and I love you...''?
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commodores
What big band leader took sole control of the band after his brother exited the stage during a 1935 performance?
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jimmy dorsey
Which band, led by Trent Reznor, had their album 'The Downward Spiral' debut at No. 2 on the charts in 1994?
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nine inch nails
On which impresario's 'Rock Concert' did Led Zeppelin make a U.S. TV appearance in 1976?
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don kirshner
Which swing band from North Carolina named themselves after a peanut-flavored candy?
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squirrel nut zippers
Which group originally reached No. 3 with the song 'California Girls' 20 years before David Lee Roth did in 1985?
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beach boys
Who was in his 70s when he composed 'Otello' in 1887 and 'Falstaff' in 1893?
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giuseppe verdi
Which Memphis-based record label was sold by Sam Phillips to Shelby Singleton in 1969?
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sun records
Which lyricist was heartbroken in 1969 when her husband left her for Mia Farrow?
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dory previn
Which crooner hit the Top 40 in the 1960s with the songs 'And Roses and Roses' and 'Days of Wine and Roses'?
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andy williams
Which 1966 hit by The New Vaudeville Band was inspired by a photo of a medieval English church?
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winchester cathedral
In 1970, which 'World's Greatest Blues Singer' received a gravestone paid for by Janis Joplin?
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bessie smith
What word, paired with 'leather' in a duet with Don Henley, contributed to the success of Stevie Nicks' 'Bella Donna' album?
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lace
For which large, triangular stringed instrument is the composer Krumpholz best remembered?
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harp
What piece of blacksmith equipment has been used for musical effects since 1528 and is famously featured in Verdi's 1853 'Chorus'?
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anvil
Who wrote reviews for New Musical Express before becoming the lead singer of The Pretenders?
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chrissie hynde
Which record label, after selling Elvis to RCA, found a new star in Johnny Cash in 1956?
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sun records
What did Robbie Robertson's group, initially known as The Hawks when they first backed Bob Dylan in the '60s, later become known as?
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band
What 1955 hit by Tennessee Ernie Ford mentions owing his soul to the company store?
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sixteen tons
Which composer known for 'Oh! Susanna' has a library and museum devoted to him at the University of Pittsburgh?
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stephen foster
Which Memphis label, founded by Sam Phillips in 1952, became known for recording R&B and country artists?
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sun records
Which composer, known for the song 'Camptown Races,' has his death commemorated on January 13?
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stephen foster
Whose bandleader's theme song was 'Take the "A" Train'?
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duke ellington
Which composer was given the nickname the 'March King' for his repertoire of about 140 military marches?
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john philip sousa
Which cellist formed his own orchestra in Barcelona in 1919?
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pablo casals
Which group, named after an open-air market in Orlando, Florida, became famous for their song 'Boys'?
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backstreet boys
Which band leader did a trombonist in The Herd tape a rare session with Charlie Parker in 1951?
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woody herman
Which '50s rock star, famous for the song 'R-O-C-K', would respond with 'no comet' if asked if he was alone on his stamp?
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bill haley
Which artist released an album called 'Off the Wall' in 1979, the same year Pink Floyd released 'The Wall'?
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michael jackson
Which plucked keyboard instrument did Wanda Landowska help revive in the 20th century?
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harpsichord
Which musician had a No. 1 hit with the theme song to 'Welcome Back, Kotter' after leaving the Lovin' Spoonful?
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john sebastian
What is the surname of siblings Jimmy and Edgar, which is also associated with a season?
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winter
Which onetime drummer with Benny Goodman was portrayed by Sal Mineo in a 1959 film biography?
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gene krupa
Which group did Michael McDonald join in 1975 after being a member of Steely Dan?
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doobie brothers
Which classical composer is associated with the work 'Fingal's Cave,' also known as the 'Hebrides Overture'?
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felix mendelssohn
What song, first published in 1917, was written by 'Banjo' Paterson and is known as a 'bush ballad' from Australia?
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waltzing matilda
Liz Phair's debut album 'Exile in Guyville' was a loose response to which group's 'Exile on Main Street'?
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rolling stones
What genre of music did Louis Armstrong imply you would never understand if you had to ask for its definition?
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jazz
Which member of The Mamas & The Papas also co-wrote some of their songs besides singing?
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michelle phillips
Which British band, known for their first U.S. hit 'Glad All Over', appeared on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' 12 times?
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dave clark five
Which group sang 'Blame it on the Rain' in 1989?
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milli vanilli
What group had their first Top 10 hit in 1969 with the song featuring the lyrics 'One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do / Two can be as bad as one'?
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three dog night
Which trio did Cindy Birdsong join in 1967, replacing Florence Ballard?
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supremes
What 16-hour rock concert for African relief was broadcast worldwide from London and Philadelphia in the 1980s?
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live aid
What song did Patti Page popularize in the 1950s that later became the state song of Tennessee?
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tennessee waltz
Which song, introduced to the public by Kate Smith in 1938, was originally written in 1918?
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god bless america
With which famous bandleader, known as the 'King of Swing', did Peggy Lee record her first big hit, 'Why Don't You Do Right?'
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benny goodman
Which Canadian artist had his first No. 1 hit in 1957 with a song inspired by his teenage crush, Diana Ayoub?
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paul anka
What was the name of the all-day rock telethon organized by Bob Geldof in 1985 that featured some of the hottest acts in music?
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live aid
In which Austrian city did Haydn become a choirboy at St. Stephen's Cathedral at the age of 8?
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vienna
Which famous Italian tenor was in San Francisco to perform when the 1906 earthquake struck?
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enrico caruso