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Mathematical Music Trivia Quiz

Many songs contain mathematical references (some intentionally, some not). Can you recognise these songs and bands?

A multiple-choice quiz by miranda101. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
miranda101

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
308,415

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
281

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Which New Zealand band sang the song: 'Why Does Love Do This To Me?" Hint

The Indices

The Exponents

The Powers

The Square Roots

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Question 2 of 10

2. The line "Mathematically turning the page, unequivocally showing my age" is a line from the song "Black Math". A colour also appears in the name of the band that performed it. What colour is it? Hint

black

puce

red

white

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Question 3 of 10

3. The song "Particle Man" by They Might be Giants contains the line: "Triangle man hates particle man. They have a fight..." Did triangle man win?

Yes

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Question 4 of 10

4. What word completes this line from a System of a Down song: "Tell the people that arrive, we don't need to ..." Hint

subdivide

multiply

integrate

differentiate

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Question 5 of 10

5. Fill in the missing word in the Cure album title: "Three ... Boys" Hint

Natural

Whole

Imaginary

Complex

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Question 6 of 10

6. Which band tried to break new mathematical ground with the song "2 + 2 = 5"? Hint

Arcade Fire

Muse

Radiohead

Coldplay

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Question 7 of 10

7. The Offspring showed some novel arithmetic skill when they counted to six in Spanish at the start of "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)". They counted off seven numbers on their way to six. Which number did they repeat? Hint

tres

seis

cuatro

cinco

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Question 8 of 10

8. In 1966, Love released the single "7 and 7 is". What was the B-side? Hint

No. Fourteen

No. Twelve

No. Thirteen

No. Eleven

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Question 9 of 10

9. Which Tool song (from the album Lateralus) draws heavily on the Fibonacci Sequence? Hint

Lateralus

Fibber Island

Sequins and Pearls

1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8

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Question 10 of 10

10. "The Tide is High" was a number one hit for Blondie in 1980 and for Atomic Kitten in 2002. Complete the lyric: The tide is high but I'm holding on, I'm gonna be your..." Hint

complex root

definite integral

number one

sine curve

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Which New Zealand band sang the song: 'Why Does Love Do This To Me?"

Answer: The Exponents

From the album "Something Beginning With C". The Australasian Performing Right Association rated it as the 47th best kiwi song ever. It has become something of an anthem and is sung with gusto by 35000 merry fans every year at the Wellington Rugby Sevens tournament.

Answer: white

From the White Stripes' critically acclaimed 2003 album "Elephant". The album also features the track "Seven Nation Army" which topped the charts in both the UK and the US.

3. The song "Particle Man" by They Might be Giants contains the line: "Triangle man hates particle man. They have a fight..." Did triangle man win?

Answer: Yes

From the 1990 album "Flood". Triangle man also has a fight with (and defeats) person man. One suspects he might have a tougher time with Universe man, although this is not revealed in the song.

4. What word completes this line from a System of a Down song: "Tell the people that arrive, we don't need to ..."

Answer: multiply

From the 2001 SOAD breakthrough album "Toxicity". You find mathematics in the strangest of places, don't you?

5. Fill in the missing word in the Cure album title: "Three ... Boys"

Answer: Imaginary

The band's 1979 debut. A different version entitled "Boys Don't Cry" was released in the US. Imaginary numbers are no more made up than any other numbers but get their name from the fact they are not part of the 'Real' numbers. They come about throught taking the square root of a negative number.

6. Which band tried to break new mathematical ground with the song "2 + 2 = 5"?

Answer: Radiohead

A track from 2003's "Hail to the Thief", Radiohead's sixth album.

Answer: cinco

From the 1998 album Americana. For many years I assumed that people from Spanish-speaking countries had hyperdactyly and counted in base eleven.

8. In 1966, Love released the single "7 and 7 is". What was the B-side?

Answer: No. Fourteen

...of course! "7 and 7 Is" has been covered by the Ramones among others.

9. Which Tool song (from the album Lateralus) draws heavily on the Fibonacci Sequence?

Answer: Lateralus

Lateralus uses the Fibonnacci sequence in the lyrics, the stucture and even the time signature.
Fibber Island is a song by They Might Be Giants.
Sequins and Pearls is not a song that I've heard.
1,1,2,3,5,8 are the first digits in the Fibonacci Sequence... add any two consecutive numbers to get the next number in the sequence.

10. "The Tide is High" was a number one hit for Blondie in 1980 and for Atomic Kitten in 2002. Complete the lyric: The tide is high but I'm holding on, I'm gonna be your..."

Answer: number one

"The Tide is High" was originally performed by the Paragons in 1967.

Source: Author miranda101

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ertrum before going online.
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