50 Music Trivia Questions (Medium/Hard Difficulty)

August 20, 2024
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You found our list of Music-themed trivia questions & answers.

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Music Trivia Questions

1. What 1980s pop singer won a 2013 Tony for Best Original Score for the musical "Kinky Boots"?

Answer: Cyndi Lauper

a) Madonna

b) Cyndi Lauper

c) Whitney Houston

d) Pat Benatar

2. What Bernstein musical, set in 1950s New York, was based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet?

Answer: West Side Story

a) My Fair Lady

b) Porgy and Bess

c) The Sound of Music

d) West Side Story

3. Which is not a vocal part in an all-male barbershop quartet?

Answer: Alto

a) Tenor

b) Alto

c) Baritone

d) Bass

4. In Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical The Phantom of the Opera, with whom does the Phantom fall in love?

Answer: Christine

a) Meg

b) Carlotta

c) Christine

d) Madame Giry

5. Which composer, known for his extensive body of work including the Brandenburg Concertos and The Well-Tempered Clavier, had 20 children?

Answer: Johann Sebastian Bach

a) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

b) Ludwig van Beethoven

c) Johann Sebastian Bach

d) Franz Schubert

6. Who composed the music to the ballets The Nutcracker and Swan Lake?

Answer: Tchaikovsky

a) Tchaikovsky

b) Stravinsky

c) Debussy

d) Prokofiev

7. Ladies attending the crowded premiere of Handel's "Messiah" in 1742 were asked to leave what at home?

Answer: Hoop Skirts

a) Wigs

b) Hoop Skirts

c) Fans

d) Gloves

8. The La Scala Opera House is located in which Italian city?

Answer: Milan

a) Rome

b) Florence

c) Venice

d) Milan

9. Who is not a character in the musical Les Misérables?

Answer: Mario

a) Mario

b) Jean Valjean

c) Fantine

d) Javert

10. Who composed the opera The Marriage of Figaro?

Answer: Mozart

a) Wagner

b) Verdi

c) Rossini

d) Mozart

11. According to Deee-Lite, in what bodily organ does "groove" reside? 

Answer: Heart

a) Brain

b) Liver

c) Heart

d) Stomach

12. In what band would you find members will.i.am and apl.de.ap? 

Answer: The Black Eyed Peas

a) The Black Eyed Peas

b) OutKast

c) Linkin Park

d) The Roots

13. In what rock band would you find Paul Hewson and David Evans? 

Answer: U2

a) Coldplay

b) U2

c) The Rolling Stones

d) Radiohead

14. The bands Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Nirvana were part of a "scene" in which U.S. city? 

Answer: Seattle

a) Los Angeles

b) Chicago

c) New York

d) Seattle

15. What Beatles song was downloaded the most in the United States the first day iTunes began selling their music in 2010? 

Answer: "Here Comes the Sun"

a) "Here Comes the Sun"

b) "Let It Be"

c)  "Hey Jude"

d) "Yesterday"

16. What Beatles song ranked number one on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the top 100 Fab Four tunes? 

Answer: "A Day in the Life"

a) "Come Together"

b) "A Hard Day's Night"

c) "A Day in the Life"

d) "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"

17. What Black Eyed Peas song was the most downloaded song of all time on iTunes when Apple announced the list in 2010? 

Answer: I Gotta Feeling

a) "Boom Boom Pow"

b) "I Gotta Feeling"

c) "Where Is the Love?"

d) "Pump It"

18. What Canadian singer was "Rockin' in the Free World" with the release of his 1989 album Freedom? 

Answer: Neil Young

a) Leonard Cohen

b) Gordon Lightfoot

c) Neil Young

d) Bryan Adams

19. What classic record label boasted the acts Diana Ross & The Supremes and Marvin Gaye? 

Answer: Motown Records

a) Atlantic Records

b) Capitol Records

c) Sun Records

d) Motown Records

20. What pop singer refers to her fans as "little monsters"? 

Answer: Lady Gaga

a) Katy Perry

b) Lady Gaga

c) Beyoncé

d) Rihanna

21. What R&B crooner born in Honolulu was an Elvis impersonator at 4 years old? 

Answer: Bruno Mars

a) Bruno Mars

b) Justin Timberlake

c) Usher

d) John Legend

22. What famed country singer never wore a cowboy hat on stage? 

Answer: George Jones

a) Willie Nelson

b) George Jones

c) Johnny Cash

d) Merle Haggard

23. Who was the subject of Elton John’s original song "Candle in the Wind"?

Answer: Marilyn Monroe

a) Marilyn Monroe

b) Princess Diana

c) Judy Garland

d) Audrey Hepburn

24. What rap artist makes a guest appearance on Katy Perry's single "California Gurls"? 

Answer: Snoop Dogg

a) Dr. Dre

b) Jay-Z

c) Kanye West

d) Snoop Dogg

25. What singer performed "Forget You" with Gwyneth Paltrow at the 2011 Grammy Awards wearing brightly colored feathers?

Answer: CeeLo Green

a) Bruno Mars

b) Usher

c) CeeLo Green

d) Pharrell Williams

26. What singer, who scored a 2011 viral hit with her song "Friday," released its sequel, "Saturday," in 2013?

Answer: Rebecca Black

a) Rebecca Black

b) Katy Perry

c) Miley Cyrus

d) Lady Gaga

27. Whose debut album was Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.?

Answer: Bruce Springsteen

a) Neil Young

b) Bob Dylan

c) Bruce Springsteen

d) Tom Petty

28. Which band was not part of the "Big Four Tour" of thrash metal in 2010 and 2011?

Answer: Iron Maiden

a) Slayer

b) Metallica

c) Megadeth

d) Iron Maiden

29. Which of these artists sang with Beyoncé in the 2003 single "Crazy in Love"?

Answer: Jay-Z

a) Jay-Z

b) Usher

c) Pharrell Williams

d) Kanye West

30. Which rock tune was on Voyager I's data disc to acquaint other worlds with our culture? 

Answer: "Johnny B. Goode"

a) "Stairway to Heaven"

b) "Bohemian Rhapsody"

c) "Imagine"

d) "Johnny B. Goode"

31. Which two Beatles have kids that were born on the same day?

Answer: Paul & Ringo

a) John & George

b) Paul & Ringo

c) Paul & George

d) John & Ringo

32. Who sang at the wedding reception of Bill and Melinda Gates in Hawaii in 1994?

Answer: Willie Nelson

a) Willie Nelson

b) Elton John

c) Paul McCartney

d) Stevie Wonder

33. What's the name of the house band on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon? 

Answer: The Roots

a) The Tonight Groove

b) The Tonight Band

c) The Tonight Players

d) The Roots

34. What British rock group released a debut album called Parachutes? 

Answer: Coldplay

a) Oasis

b) Coldplay

c) Radiohead

d) Blur

35. Which musical is set in a high school and features the song “Summer Nights” as part of its soundtrack? 

Answer: Grease

a) West Side Story

b) Grease

c) Hairspray

d) Mamma Mia!

36. Which musical features the character of Maria, an aspiring nun who becomes a governess in Austria?

Answer: The Sound of Music

a) The Sound of Music

b) Fiddler on the Roof

c) Carousel

d) My Fair Lady

37. Which musical set in the 1920s features the song “Razzle Dazzle” and follows the story of a lawyer and his schemes?

Answer: Chicago

a) 42nd Street

b) Cabaret

c) Anything Goes

d) Chicago

38. What is the best-selling album of all time?

Answer: Thriller by Michael Jackson

a) Back in Black by AC/DC

b) Thriller by Michael Jackson

c) The Wall by Pink Floyd

d) Rumours by Fleetwood Mac

39. Which instrument is Yo-Yo Ma famous for playing?

Answer: Cello

a) Flute

b) Violin

c) Piano

d) Cello

40. What is the highest vocal range for a female singer?

Answer: Soprano

a) Soprano

b) Mezzo-Soprano

c) Contralto

d) Alto

41. Which band’s drummer, John Bonham, was known for his powerful style?

Answer: Led Zeppelin

a) Cream

b) The Who

c) Deep Purple

d) Led Zeppelin

42. Who composed the film score for "Star Wars"?

Answer: John Williams

a) Hans Zimmer

b) John Williams

c) Danny Elfman

d) Howard Shore

43. Which traditional Japanese stringed instrument has 13 strings and is known for its use in classical Japanese music?

Answer: Koto

a) Koto

b) Shamisen

c) Biwa

d) Guzheng

44. Fill in the blank: “It was all a dream, I used to read ____.”

Answer: Word Up! magazine (The Notorious B.I.G., Juicy)

a) Word Up! magazine

b) Source magazine

c) Vibe magazine

d) XL magazine

45. Which rap group had hits including “Fight the Power” and “911 Is a Joke”?

Answer: Public Enemy

a) N.W.A

b) Public Enemy

c) De La Soul

d) Cypress Hill

46. Which producer teamed up with Justin Timberlake for the hit single SexyBack?

Answer: Timbaland

a) Pharrell Williams

b) Timbaland

c) David Guetta

d) Kanye West

47. What was the title of the Beyoncé and Shakira collaboration in 2007?

Answer: Beautiful Liar

a) Crazy in Love

b) Beautiful Liar

c) Deja Vu

d) La La La

48. Who released the hit "Back at One" in 1999, becoming a staple of 90s R&B ballads?

Answer: Brian McKnight

a) Brian McKnight

b) Usher

c) R. Kelly

d) Joe

49. What was the first hip-hop record label founded by a hip-hop artist, established by Sylvia Robinson in 1979?

Answer: Sugar Hill Records

a) Def Jam

b)So So Def Recordings

c) Sugar Hill Records

d) Roc-A-Fella Records

50. OutKast originated from which U.S. city?

Answer: Atlanta, Georgia

a) Miami, Florida

b) New Orleans, Louisiana

c) Compton, California

d) Atlanta, Georgia

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