FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Berry Chuck Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
Berry Chuck Quizzes, Trivia

Chuck Berry Trivia

Chuck Berry Trivia Quizzes

  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. Music Trivia
  6. »
  7. Music A-C

Fun Trivia
9 Chuck Berry quizzes and 90 Chuck Berry trivia questions.
1.
  Chuck Berry by Other Artists    
Collection Quiz
 10 Qns
Chuck Berry's songs created much of the template for Rock and Roll. His songs have been recorded by many artists. Below are some of them.
Average, 10 Qns, Desimac, Oct 22 23
Average
Desimac gold member
Oct 22 23
293 plays
2.
  Song by Song: "Johnny B. Goode"   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Coming in at number seven on Rolling Stone magazine's 2004 list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" is "Johnny B. Goode." Learn a bit more about the song.
Easier, 10 Qns, skylarb, Nov 05 21
Easier
skylarb
Nov 05 21
330 plays
3.
  Chuck Berry B. Goode   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
See if you can identify these Chuck Berry gems from their lyrics.
Average, 10 Qns, deputygary, Jan 16 11
Average
deputygary
1855 plays
4.
  Song by Song: "Maybellene"   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Test your knowledge of this rocking Chuck Berry song.
Average, 10 Qns, skylarb, Nov 05 21
Average
skylarb
Nov 05 21
191 plays
5.
  Lyrics of Chuck Berry    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Between 1955 and 1964, Chuck Berry had 18 songs in the "top 40" on one or more of these Billboard Charts: Top 100/Hot100, R&B, Best Seller, Juke Box, and Jockey. From the lyrics given, can you identify ten of those songs?[All songs listed are by Berry.]
Easier, 10 Qns, lowtechmaster, Jul 27 17
Easier
lowtechmaster
Jul 27 17
457 plays
6.
  Anatomy of a Song: "The Promised Land"   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
When rock and roll music was 'born' in the late 1950s, Chuck Berry was there at the bedside. See what you remember about one of his best-known songs.
Average, 10 Qns, darksplash, Apr 27 12
Average
darksplash
165 plays
7.
  Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Series: Chuck Berry    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Chuck Berry was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum on January 23, 1986. This quiz pays tribute to the man many credit as the "father of rock and roll".
Average, 10 Qns, ralzzz, Oct 20 15
Average
ralzzz gold member
1234 plays
8.
  The Great Chuck Berry    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Here are 10 quick questions on the legendary rock and roll pioneer Chuck Berry. Enjoy!
Tough, 10 Qns, REDBOSOX, Jul 24 09
Tough
REDBOSOX
998 plays
9.
  Chuck Berry And His Rockin' Girls    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Chuck Berry's classic songs often mentioned the names of girls. See what you know about these girls by the clues and questions given here. Rock on!
Tough, 10 Qns, oscarguy, Jun 23 17
Tough
oscarguy
Jun 23 17
805 plays
trivia question Quick Question
In his song "The Promised Land", Chuck Berry sang about a trip from coast to coast. Where was his 'home'?

From Quiz "Anatomy of a Song: "The Promised Land""





Chuck Berry Trivia Questions

1. The groove for "Maybellene" was inspired by what Western swing song recorded in 1938 by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys?

From Quiz
Song by Song: "Maybellene"

Answer: Ida Red

"Ida Red" is a song that dates back to the 19th century, but it was, according to Rolling Stone magazine, the Bob Wills version that inspired Chuck Berry. The song, which describes a man chasing his unfaithful girlfriend in a car, was recorded on May 21, 1955. It was released as a single in July of 1995 and eventually included on "The Anthology" by Chess Records.

2. In his song "The Promised Land", Chuck Berry sang about a trip from coast to coast. Where was his 'home'?

From Quiz Anatomy of a Song: "The Promised Land"

Answer: Norfolk, Virginia

"I left my home in Norfolk Virginia..." "The Promised Land" was on Berry's 1964 album "St. Louis to Liverpool". The track was released as a single the following year.

3. Chuck Berry was born October 18, 1926 in which US city?

From Quiz Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Series: Chuck Berry

Answer: St. Louis

Charles Edward Anderson Berry was born in St. Louis, MO. Berry was a bright student who loved poetry, a love that fueled some of the most creative hits in rock and roll music.

4. Out of fear that his girl might be stolen away by another dancin' guy, Chuck promises to learn to dance . He even takes her to a little joint where they can jump and shout. Who is this girl with the dance requirements for her boyfriends?

From Quiz Chuck Berry And His Rockin' Girls

Answer: Carol

"Carol" has proven to be a very durable 50's rock number. Tommy Roe took it to the charts in 1964. The Rolling Stones included it on their U.S. premiere LP, "The Rolling Stones", and then performed it live on their 1969 tour. You can hear it on "Get Your Ya-Ya's Out".

5. What was Chuck's first recorded song (released May 21, 1955)?

From Quiz The Great Chuck Berry

Answer: Maybellene

The great "Maybellene" was his first song, along with "Wee Wee Hours."

6. According to Rolling Stone magazine, the song's title was inspired by what product?

From Quiz Song by Song: "Maybellene"

Answer: A mascara box

When performing the song live, Chuck Berry had previously called it "Ida Mae," but producer Leonard Chess thought the name to be too rural. According to Rolling Stone magazine, "Leonard Chess came up with the title, inspired by a Maybelline mascara box lying on the floor at the Chess studio." The spelling was altered slightly (with an e substituted for the i) to avoid legal issues.

7. Which studio initially released "Johnny B. Goode"?

From Quiz Song by Song: "Johnny B. Goode"

Answer: Chess

The "Johnny B. Goode" single was produced by Leonard and Phil Chess with "Around and Around" on the B-side. Chess Records was known as home to the sound of the electric blues. It began as a small recording studio but grew to seven different locations throughout Chicago. Founded in 1950, Chess Records was the source of many records not only by Chuck Berry, but by blues and jazz greats such as Muddy Waters, Etta James, and Howlin' Wolf.

8. When Chuck Berry sang about a coast to coast journey in "The Promised Land", where was the destination?

From Quiz Anatomy of a Song: "The Promised Land"

Answer: California

"I left my home in Norfolk Virginia California on my mind..." Berry claimed to have written the song while in prison for transporting a girl across state lines "for immoral purposes".

9. What was Berry's first hit single?

From Quiz Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Series: Chuck Berry

Answer: Maybelline

On May 21, 1955, Chuck Berry took the old hillbilly standard, "Ida Red", made a few changes to it and the classic "Maybelline" was born. "Maybelline" was recorded on Chess Records at the same time that Bo Diddley's "Bo Diddley" was recorded, although the Diddley track was moved to the partner label, Checker Records.

10. She moves around like a wayward summer breeze. Chuck saw her getting in a yellow cab heading uptown. Later, she suspiciously started walking toward a coffee-colored Cadillac. Busy, busy. Who is she?

From Quiz Chuck Berry And His Rockin' Girls

Answer: Nadine

Chuck kept up with the go-go era with "Nadine" in 1964. Incredibly, his 1955 hit, "Maybelline" made a comeback at the same time because you could dance the frug to it. These two hits with names of girls recorded nine years apart go to show the timelessness of Chuck Berry songs.

11. What year was "Johnny B. Goode" written?

From Quiz The Great Chuck Berry

Answer: 1955

Though it was of course released in 1958, and a top hit that year.

12. What is the subject of "Johnny B. Goode"?

From Quiz Song by Song: "Johnny B. Goode"

Answer: Rock and roll stardom

Rolling Stone magazine says the song "was the first rock & roll hit about rock & roll stardom. It is still the greatest rock & roll song about the democracy of fame in pop music." The magazine also reports that "the essence of Berry's tale," which is about a backwoods, unknown guitar player going to the big city and hitting it big, "is autobiographical." The magazine rated the song number seven on its 2004 list of the "500 Greatest Rock and Roll Songs of All Time" and number one on its 2008 list of the "100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time."

13. From which Chuck Berry song come these lyrics: "I got the rockin' pneumonia, I need a shot of rhythm and blues. I caught the rollin' arthritis Sittin' down at a rhythm review."

From Quiz Lyrics of Chuck Berry

Answer: Roll Over Beethoven

"Roll Over Beethoven" (1956) was a number 29 hit on the Billboard Top 100 and number 2 on the R&B chart. "Wee Wee Hours" was a number ten in 1955 on the R&B chart. In 1959, "Little Queenie" reached number 80 on the Hot 100. And in 1964, "Little Marie" got to number 54 on the Hot 100.

14. In "The Promised Land", how did Chuck Berry set off to travel coast-to-coast?

From Quiz Anatomy of a Song: "The Promised Land"

Answer: Greyhound bus

"I straddled that Greyhound And rode on into Raleigh And on across Caroline..." Among those to cover "The Promised Land" were The Band, James Taylor and Elvis Presley, who took it to Number 14 in the US charts and Number Nine in the UK in 1974.

15. What is the name of the radio disc jockey who was very instrumental in getting Chuck Berry exposed to a white audience?

From Quiz Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Series: Chuck Berry

Answer: Alan Freed

Alan Freed was involved in a huge payola scandal that ended his run as the most successful disc jockeys of his era. Freed received song writing credits, which resulted in payouts, for songs that he played over the radio and at dances. Freed is probably the first person to use the phrase "rock and roll".

16. This little girl was only nine years old and sweet as she could be. In addition to having a lot of famed autographs, she could dress up like a downtown Christmas tree. Who is this rockin' gal?

From Quiz Chuck Berry And His Rockin' Girls

Answer: Her name is not mentioned in the song.

She does not have a specific name, just what the song title tells us, "Sweet Little Rock 'n Roller". The hard-driving classic was admirably covered in 1979 by Rod Stewart.

17. When was Chuck Berry born?

From Quiz The Great Chuck Berry

Answer: October 18, 1926

Sources used to say that he was born January 15, 1926 but it later became clear that October 18, 1926 is the correct date.

18. What DJ traded radio playtime for this song in return for co-credit and royalties in a "payola scandal" that eventually destroyed his career?

From Quiz Song by Song: "Maybellene"

Answer: DJ Alan Freed

Alan Freed was an influential DJ in the 1950s who promoted country, blues, and R&B music. His career was destroyed when it came to light that he had accepted money from record companies to give their songs airtime. In some cases, he took co-writing credit and royalties, as with "Maybellene." This further created a conflict of interest, because the more he promoted the song, the more royalties he got. Although this practice was not illegal until the government made it so in 1959, at the time, Freed's refusal to admit to it destroyed his career.

19. Where was Johnny B. Goode from?

From Quiz Song by Song: "Johnny B. Goode"

Answer: Louisiana

Johnny B. Goode is from "deep down in Louisiana close to New Orleans" where he lived in a cabin "way back up in the woods among the evergreens." Despite the semi-autobiographical nature of this song, Chuck Berry came from St. Louis, Missouri rather than from Louisiana. In 2005, the U.K. popular music magazine Q rated this song 42 on its list of the "100 Greatest Guitar Tracks."

20. In which 1958 Chuck Berry song are these lines found? "She's the daughter of a well-respected man Who taught her how to judge and understand Since she became a rock-roll music fan."

From Quiz Lyrics of Chuck Berry

Answer: Sweet Little Rock & Roller

On Billboard charts in 1958, "Sweet Little Rock & Roller" was number 13 on R&B and number 47 on Hot 100. In 1959, "Almost Grown" got to number three on R&B and number 32 on Hot 100. "Merry Christmas Baby" peaked at number 71 on the Hot 100 in 1958. And "Let It Rock" reached number 64 on the Hot 100 in 1960.

21. Chuck Berry famously sang about a journey across America, but had a spot of bother. Where did his means of transport break down?

From Quiz Anatomy of a Song: "The Promised Land"

Answer: Birmingham, Alabama

"We had motor trouble that turned into a struggle Halfway across Alabam' Well that hound broke down and left us all stranded In downtown Birmingham..." The British rocker Dave Edmunds had a Number Five hit in Australia hit with the song in 1972. (This was the first version I ever heard).

22. "Two, three the count with nobody on He hit a high fly into the stand Rounding third he was headed for home.." Who was headed for home?

From Quiz Chuck Berry B. Goode

Answer: Brown Eyed Handsome Man

The first line here always bugged me. In baseball, the correct order is balls then strikes. So a full count like this would be "three two the count." But then Chuck Berry has made a lot more money writing songs than I have.

23. What was the name of Chuck Berry's long time piano player, who played with him from 1954 to 1973?

From Quiz Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Series: Chuck Berry

Answer: Johnnie Johnson

Johnnie Johnson was the bandleader of the small combo that Berry joined in 1954. It didn't take long for Berry to take over and the combo became the Chuck Berry Trio. The band played every St. Louis night club possible. The only band that put up much competition was Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm. The Chuck Berry Trio soon became the house band at the Cosmopolitan Club, making way for huge popularity. The song "Johnny B. Goode" is written for and about Johnson.

24. As Anthony Boy was leaving school, who were Betty and Barbara, and Jeannie and Jane yakety-yakkin' with in the vestibule about some things that Anthony had told her over the telephone?

From Quiz Chuck Berry And His Rockin' Girls

Answer: Joan

From the album "Chuck Berry is on Top", Chuck charted in 1959 with "Anthony Boy". Liner notes from the CD of that album indicate that Bo Diddley probably was second guitar on that song. Funny, but very few people talk about vestibules any more.

25. Which song was Chuck's first #1 hit?

From Quiz The Great Chuck Berry

Answer: My Ding-A-Ling

Unfortunately it took 17 years before Chuck scored his first and only #1 with "My Ding-A-Ling" in 1972. "Johnny B. Goode" only made it to #8! "Sweet Little Sixteen" held #2 for 3 weeks. "Roll Over Beethoven" made it to a mere #29.

26. What vehicle was Maybellene driving in this song?

From Quiz Song by Song: "Maybellene"

Answer: A Coupe de Ville

Maybellene drives a Coupe de Ville while the singer tries to catch up to her in his V8 Ford. "As I was motivatin' over the hill I saw Maybellene in a Coupe de Ville A Cadillac arollin' on the open road Nothin' will outrun my V8 Ford." "Maybellene" peaked at number five on the Billboard pop chart and number one on the R&B chart. By the end of 1955, it had sold a million copies. The song has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and is included on NPR's 1999 list of the "one hundred most important American musical works of the 20th century."

27. "There stood a log cabin made of earth and wood / Where lived a country boy named Johnny B. Goode." What did the original lyrics of this song say instead of "country boy"?

From Quiz Song by Song: "Johnny B. Goode"

Answer: colored boy

Chuck Berry told Rolling Stone magazine in a 1972 interview that Johnny B. Goode, on some level, represents Chuck Berry himself: "That little colored boy could play." However, throughout the song, Chuck Berry changed "colored boy" to "country boy," he told Rolling Stone, "or else it wouldn't get on the radio."

28. In what 1957 Chuck Berry song do these lyrics appear? "With the one you love you're makin' romance. All day long you've been wantin' to dance. Feelin' the music from head to toe, 'Round and 'round and 'round you go."

From Quiz Lyrics of Chuck Berry

Answer: School Day (Ring ! Ring! Goes The Bell)

"School Day (Ring! Ring! Goes The Bell" was a megahit for Chuck Berry on the Billboard charts. It was number one on R&B, number five on Best Seller, number six on Juke Box, number 13 on Jockey, and, surprisingly, only number 42 on the Top 100. "Little Star" and "Mad Lad" (both 1960), and "Go-Go-Go" (1961) failed to chart.

29. Having been left stranded by a mechanical defect, Chuck Berry picked up another mode of transport. What was it?

From Quiz Anatomy of a Song: "The Promised Land"

Answer: Train

"Right away I brought me a through train ticket Ridin' across Mississippi clean And I was on that midnight flyer out of Birmingham Smoking into New Orleans.." Berry claimed to have used an atlas to plot his journey from East to West.

30. What song are these lyrics from? "The motor cooled down the heat went down And that's when I heard that highway sound The Cadillac asittin' like a ton of lead A hundred and ten half a mile ahead"

From Quiz Chuck Berry B. Goode

Answer: Maybellene

"Maybellene" was Chuck's first single and his first hit. Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song #18 on their list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, between Hendrix' "Purple Haze" and Elvis' "Hound Dog."

This is category 11200
Last Updated Mar 18 2024 2:08 PM
play trivia = Top 5% Rated Quiz, take trivia quiz Top 10% Rated Quiz, test trivia quiz Top 20% Rated Quiz, popular trivia A Well Rated Quiz
new quizzes = added recently, editor pick = Editor's Pick editor = FunTrivia Editor gold = Gold Member

Teachers / educators: FunTrivia welcomes the use of our website and quizzes in the classroom as a teaching aid or for preparing and testing students. See our education section. Our quizzes are printable and may be used as question sheets by k-12 teachers, parents, and home schoolers.

 ·  All questions, answers, and quiz content on this website is copyright FunTrivia, Inc and may not be reproduced without permission. Any images from TV shows and movies are copyright their studios, and are being used under "fair use" for commentary and education.