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Quizzes > Entertainment & Pop Culture > Music

Music Fan Quiz: How Well Do You Really Know Your Tunes?

Think you can ace this music trivia quiz? Dive in and prove your fandom!

Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art style illustration of music quiz elements vinyl record microphone headphones and notes on golden yellow background

This music fan quiz helps you see how well you know songs, artists, lyrics, and album covers across genres. Play quick questions from pop hits to deep cuts, have fun, and pick up a fact or two; for more, check out more on famous artists.

Which singer is known as the "King of Pop"?
Justin Bieber
Prince
Michael Jackson
Elvis Presley
Michael Jackson earned the nickname "King of Pop" due to his groundbreaking music, record?breaking sales, and iconic performances. His influence spans dance, music videos, and global culture. Elvis Presley is often called the "King of Rock and Roll," while Prince and Justin Bieber have their own distinctive titles.
What is the highest selling album of all time?
Thriller by Michael Jackson
Back in Black by AC/DC
The Bodyguard Soundtrack by Whitney Houston
The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd
Michael Jackson's "Thriller" is the best?selling album in history, with estimated sales over 66 million copies worldwide. Its mix of pop, rock, and R&B, along with iconic music videos, propelled its success. Other albums like AC/DC's "Back in Black" and Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon" are also among the top sellers.
Who composed the Four Seasons?
Johann Sebastian Bach
Ludwig van Beethoven
Antonio Vivaldi
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
The Four Seasons is a group of four violin concertos composed by Antonio Vivaldi in 1723. Each concerto evokes a different season of the year and is one of the most popular Baroque works. Vivaldi's innovative use of programmatic elements made these concertos famous.
The Beatles originated from which city?
London
Manchester
Birmingham
Liverpool
The Beatles formed in Liverpool in 1960, where they honed their craft performing in local clubs. Their hometown played a key role in their early career and musical influences. Liverpool now celebrates the band's legacy with museums and landmarks.
Which band released the song "Stairway to Heaven"?
Led Zeppelin
The Rolling Stones
Pink Floyd
AC/DC
"Stairway to Heaven" was released by Led Zeppelin on their 1971 album "Led Zeppelin IV." It is widely considered one of the greatest rock songs ever recorded. The track's blend of folk, hard rock, and mystical lyrics contributed to its legendary status.
What instrument has 88 keys?
Piano
Harpsichord
Accordion
Organ
The modern piano typically has 88 keys, spanning seven octaves plus a minor third. This range allows for a wide variety of musical expression in classical, jazz, and popular music. Organs and harpsichords have different key counts and mechanisms.
What pop star sang "Like a Virgin"?
Britney Spears
Madonna
Whitney Houston
Celine Dion
Madonna released "Like a Virgin" in 1984, and it became one of her signature hits. The song topped charts worldwide and helped cement her status as a pop icon. Its provocative lyrics and music video sparked widespread attention.
Which genre is characterized by improvisation and swing?
Jazz
Hip hop
Classical
Rock
Jazz is known for its emphasis on improvisation, swing rhythms, and blue notes. It emerged in the early 20th century within African?American communities. Styles like swing, bebop, and fusion exemplify jazz's diversity.
How many strings does a violin have?
Two
Six
Four
Eight
A standard violin has four strings tuned in perfect fifths. The tuning is G, D, A, E from lowest to highest. These four strings allow for the instrument's wide melodic range.
What symbol indicates to play a note one semitone higher?
Flat (b)
Sharp (#)
Bass clef (??)
Natural (?)
The sharp symbol (#) raises a note by one semitone. Flats lower a note by one semitone, while the natural sign cancels previous accidentals. This notation is fundamental in Western music theory.
Which album features the song "Smells Like Teen Spirit"?
Superunknown by Soundgarden
Badmotorfinger by Soundgarden
Nevermind by Nirvana
Ten by Pearl Jam
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" is the lead single from Nirvana's 1991 album "Nevermind." The song helped bring grunge to a mainstream audience. It is often cited as one of the greatest rock songs of all time.
What record label did The Beatles famously sign with in the UK?
Columbia
Apple Records
Parlophone
Decca
The Beatles signed with Parlophone Records in 1962 under producer George Martin. Decca famously rejected them earlier that year. Apple Records was their own label formed later, in 1968.
Who is often called the "Father of the Blues"?
B.B. King
W.C. Handy
Robert Johnson
Muddy Waters
W.C. Handy is known as the "Father of the Blues" for publishing and popularizing the blues in the early 20th century. His compositions like "St. Louis Blues" helped bring the genre to wider audiences. Later artists such as B.B. King and Robert Johnson built on his legacy.
What is the time signature most commonly associated with a waltz?
4/4
3/4
6/8
2/4
A waltz is typically written in 3/4 time, giving it the characteristic "one-two-three" dance rhythm. Each measure has three quarter?note beats. Other dances, like the polka, use different time signatures.
Which composer wrote the opera "The Magic Flute"?
Richard Wagner
Gioachino Rossini
Giuseppe Verdi
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Mozart composed "The Magic Flute" (Die Zauberflöte) in 1791. It is a seminal work in the German singspiel tradition, blending spoken dialogue and sung passages. The opera remains a staple of the standard repertoire.
Who holds the record for the most Grammy Awards won by an individual?
Quincy Jones
Beyoncé
Sir Georg Solti
Adele
Conductor Sir Georg Solti holds the record with 31 Grammy wins, primarily for his classical recordings. He surpassed other prolific winners like Quincy Jones. Beyoncé now has the most wins for a female artist but trails Solti overall.
The term "Bossa Nova" originated in which country?
Argentina
Brazil
Spain
Portugal
Bossa Nova is a Brazilian music style that emerged in the late 1950s. It fuses samba rhythms with elements of jazz harmony. Artists like João Gilberto and Antônio Carlos Jobim popularized the genre.
Which singer performed the hit "Rolling in the Deep"?
Katy Perry
Adele
Sia
Lady Gaga
Adele released "Rolling in the Deep" in 2010 as the lead single from her album "21." The song topped charts worldwide and won multiple Grammy Awards. Its powerful vocals and soulful production helped define her career.
Which classical composer became almost completely deaf by the end of his life?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Johann Sebastian Bach
Ludwig van Beethoven
Franz Schubert
Beethoven began losing his hearing in his late twenties and was nearly deaf by the 1810s. Despite this, he continued to compose masterpieces like his Ninth Symphony. His struggle with deafness is legendary in music history.
Who wrote the song "Hallelujah", first released in 1984?
Bob Dylan
Joni Mitchell
Leonard Cohen
Paul Simon
Leonard Cohen wrote and originally released "Hallelujah" on his 1984 album "Various Positions." The song gained widespread popularity through covers by Jeff Buckley and others. Its religious imagery and emotional depth have made it a modern classic.
Which composer is known for pioneering the twelve-tone technique?
Béla Bartók
Arnold Schoenberg
Igor Stravinsky
Claude Debussy
Arnold Schoenberg developed the twelve-tone technique in the early 20th century to structure atonal music. It uses a tone row of all twelve pitches in a particular order. This method influenced many modern composers.
Who composed the jazz standard "Take Five"?
Dave Brubeck
Paul Desmond
John Coltrane
Miles Davis
"Take Five" was written by saxophonist Paul Desmond and performed by the Dave Brubeck Quartet. It appeared on the 1959 album "Time Out" and is known for its unusual 5/4 time signature. The piece became one of the best?selling jazz singles.
Which producer is often referred to as the "Fifth Beatle" for his work with The Beatles?
Allen Klein
George Martin
Phil Spector
Brian Epstein
George Martin produced almost all of The Beatles' recordings and contributed orchestral arrangements. His creative input was so significant that he earned the nickname "Fifth Beatle." Phil Spector produced some of their later work but is less associated.
Which subgenre of electronic dance music originated in Detroit in the mid-1980s?
Techno
House
Dubstep
Trance
Techno emerged in Detroit in the mid?1980s through artists like Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson. It features repetitive four-on-the-floor beats and electronic sounds. House music, by contrast, originated in Chicago.
Who composed the ballet "The Firebird"?
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Sergei Prokofiev
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky composed "The Firebird" for the Ballets Russes in 1910. It was his first major success and marked a turning point in his career. The work blends Russian folk melodies with modern orchestration.
What is the title of Pink Floyd's last studio album released before Roger Waters left the band?
The Final Cut
Wish You Were Here
The Wall
Animals
"The Final Cut" (1983) was the last Pink Floyd studio album to feature Roger Waters. Waters departed the band shortly after its release. Though Waters appears on later reissues, this remains his final primary contribution.
Which 1960s folk singer-songwriter wrote "Blowin' in the Wind"?
Bob Dylan
Phil Ochs
Joan Baez
Pete Seeger
"Blowin' in the Wind" was written and first recorded by Bob Dylan in 1962. The song became an anthem for the civil rights movement. Its simple, poignant questions resonated widely.
In music notation, what term describes the speed of the beat?
Meter
Tempo
Dynamics
Key signature
Tempo indicates how fast or slow the beat of a piece of music is played. It is usually marked in beats per minute (BPM) or with Italian terms like allegro or adagio. Dynamics refer to volume, while meter refers to grouping of beats.
What was the first music video played on MTV when it launched in 1981?
Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles
Sweet Dreams by Eurythmics
Take On Me by A-ha
Thriller by Michael Jackson
The first video aired on MTV on August 1, 1981, was The Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star." MTV famously opened with the clip, symbolizing a new era of music television. The song laments technology's impact on radio.
What is the musical term for gradually increasing volume?
Crescendo
Staccato
Diminuendo
Fortissimo
A crescendo indicates that the music should gradually get louder. The opposite, diminuendo (or decrescendo), means to gradually get softer. Fortissimo means very loud, and staccato refers to detached notes.
Who composed the opera "L'Orfeo", considered one of the earliest works of opera?
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Henry Purcell
Claudio Monteverdi
Jean-Baptiste Lully
Claudio Monteverdi's "L'Orfeo," premiered in 1607, is one of the first operas still regularly performed today. It marks the transition from Renaissance to Baroque musical aesthetics. Monteverdi's use of orchestration and drama paved the way for future opera composers.
Which composer wrote the famous orchestral piece "Boléro"?
Claude Debussy
Maurice Ravel
Camille Saint-Saëns
Gabriel Fauré
Maurice Ravel composed "Boléro" in 1928 as a one?movement orchestral piece. It is famed for its persistent snare drum rhythm and gradual crescendo over repeating melodies. Debussy and Saint?Saëns were contemporaries but did not compose this work.
Who is credited with composing the earliest known opera "Dafne" around 1598?
Girolamo Frescobaldi
Francesco Cavalli
Jacopo Peri
Claudio Monteverdi
Jacopo Peri's "Dafne," first performed circa 1598, is considered the earliest surviving opera. Although the music is mostly lost, historical accounts credit Peri's work as foundational to the genre. Monteverdi's later operas built upon Peri's innovations.
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Study Outcomes

  1. Identify Iconic Songs and Artists -

    After completing the music fan quiz, you will be able to match chart-topping hits to their performers, sharpening your recall of classic and contemporary tracks.

  2. Recall Memorable Lyrics -

    Engage with the music trivia quiz to accurately finish famous song lines, testing your lyric recognition and deepening your connection to key verses.

  3. Differentiate Musical Genres -

    Use descriptive clues in the quiz to distinguish between genres like rock, pop, hip-hop, and EDM, enhancing your genre identification skills.

  4. Analyze Pivotal Moments in Music History -

    Explore questions about landmark events and albums to understand their cultural impact and appreciate the evolution of music styles.

  5. Gauge Personal Music Expertise -

    Assess your performance to determine whether you're a casual listener or the ultimate music aficionado, giving you clear bragging rights.

  6. Apply Trivia Knowledge Under Pressure -

    Tackle timed questions in this music quiz challenge to improve your accuracy and speed when recalling fun facts and statistics.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Genre Essentials -

    Understanding the defining traits of major styles like pop, rock, jazz, and hip-hop is crucial on a music fan quiz. For instance, jazz utilizes swing rhythms and improvisation techniques, while pop emphasizes catchy hooks and verse-chorus forms (Berklee College of Music). A simple mnemonic "PRoJoH" (Pop, Rock, Jazz, Hip-hop) makes genre recall a breeze in any quiz round.

  2. Chord Progressions -

    Classic sequences like the I - IV - V blues progression or the I - V - vi - IV pop loop form the backbone of countless hits and often surface in a music trivia quiz. The 12-bar blues formula (I × 4 bars, IV × 2 bars, I × 2 bars, V × 1 bar, IV × 1 bar, I × 2 bars) is a staple for harmonic recognition (Oxford Music Online). Remember "I Feel Very…" (I, IV, V) to lock in blues basics fast.

  3. Chart Metrics -

    Billboard Hot 100 rankings combine streaming data, radio airplay, and sales to create one of the music industry's most cited charts (Billboard.com). Knowing this formula helps you test your music knowledge and understand why certain songs dominate vs. underperform. Tip: tracking weekly streaming surges can predict breakout hits before they pop up on the next chart update.

  4. Iconic Lyrics Mnemonics -

    Memorizing standout lyrics from landmark songs can be simplified with word-association tricks, such as linking "Imagine all the people…" to themes of unity when taking a music quiz challenge. Frequently referenced lines - like Queen's "stomp-stomp-clap" hook in "We Will Rock You" - often reappear in lyric ID rounds. Practice reciting these hooks aloud to cement them for rapid-fire trivia.

  5. Artist Milestones Timeline -

    Charting key debut years, award wins, and album releases for top artists (e.g., ABBA's first Billboard #1 in 1974) is essential for the "are you a music fan quiz" spotlight questions. Official sources like the Recording Academy archives and artist discographies on Grammy.com offer verified timelines. Create a simple visual timeline to spot landmark events and boost your recall speed under pressure.

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