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Quiz about New Zealand Music
Quiz about New Zealand Music

New Zealand Music Trivia Quiz


For a small country at the bottom of the world, we have had a wealth of national and international talent over the years. Here are a few questions to test and some lyrics to tease.

A multiple-choice quiz by Dizrythmia Man. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
109,440
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
20
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
12 / 20
Plays
904
Last 3 plays: Guest 31 (17/20), Guest 122 (3/20), Guest 125 (11/20).
- -
Question 1 of 20
1. Name the band that is New Zealand's most international act with top ten hits in Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Hint


Question 2 of 20
2. What is the name of the label that pioneered the "Dunedin Sound"? Hint


Question 3 of 20
3. Which of the following bands are not part of the Flying Nun stable? Hint


Question 4 of 20
4. Who was the mainstay and song writer for the Chills? Hint


Question 5 of 20
5. In 1985 NME chose as their Single Of The Week a song that fused traditional Maori lyrics with the hip hop style of the day. Performed by the Patea Maori Club, the song was called Hint


Question 6 of 20
6. Just over ten years after the success of the Patea Moari Club, another Polynesian act stormed the UK with a song called "How Bizarre". What was the name of the act? Hint


Question 7 of 20
7. Still with a Polynesian theme, the Pacific reggae band Herbs had a song banned due to to its lyrical content questioning French nuclear testing in the Pacific. What was the title of the song? Hint


Question 8 of 20
8. In 1958 New Zealand's first rock n roll superstar, Johnny Devlin, covered a song by composer Lloyd Price that had also been covered by Elvis Presley. Devlin outsold the "King" in New Zealand. Name the song. Hint


Question 9 of 20
9. During the 1970's, a local act, Bunny Walters, scored a minor US coup when his version of a recently-released song appeared on Kasey Casam's "American Top Forty" syndicated show. What was the song? Hint


Question 10 of 20
10. Named after a Japanese car, these guys became darlings of the British music scene and saviours of rock n roll alongside The Strokes, The Hives, and The White Stripes. They are who? Hint


Question 11 of 20
11. What band recently had to change its name for album release in the American market because it bore a resemblance to the Arabic word meaning "holy war"? Hint


Question 12 of 20
12. True or false: The new name of Pacifier (previously Shihad) came from a song title on their previous album, "The General Electric."


Question 13 of 20
13. Who is the internationally-known New Zealand artist who played with Johnny Marr (The Smiths), Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam), Ed O'Brien and Johnny Greenwood (Radiohead), and Wendy Melvoin (Wendy and Lisa, Prince) as part of his backing band? Hint


Question 14 of 20
14. Pearl Jam has covered plenty of songs in their career to date, but they wear the Split Enz influence on their sleeves when Eddie includes which song in the Neil Finn set? Hint


Question 15 of 20
15. True or false: The Split Enz song "Six Months In A Leaky Boat" was banned from airplay in the UK during the Falklands War.


Question 16 of 20
16. Some lyric lines to finish with. Please name the following songs.
"Creases on your white dress
Bruises on your bare skin
Looks like another fine mess
You've got yourself into"
Hint


Question 17 of 20
17. "Walking round the room singing 'Stormy Weather'
At 57 Mount Pleasant Street
Now it's the same room but everything is different
You can fight the sleep but not the dream"
Hint


Question 18 of 20
18. "In a sleepy little town
Where soft breezes blow
There's a lovely little
Maori miss I used to know"
Hint


Question 19 of 20
19. "Each evening the sun sets in five billion places
Seen by ten billion eyes set in five billion faces
Then they close in a daze and wait for the dawning"
Hint


Question 20 of 20
20. "Rock is dead or so it's said
And now it's all a part of history
Lost the thread and lost its head
Well I dunno, it seems okay to me
Jim Morrison, Brian Jones, Marc Bolan, Jimi Hendrix
Lying at the bottom of your swimming pool
Don't let Creem, Crawdaddy, Rip It Up, New Musical Express
Call you a fool, because I really care"
Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 25 2024 : Guest 31: 17/20
Mar 24 2024 : Guest 122: 3/20
Mar 21 2024 : Guest 125: 11/20
Mar 17 2024 : Guest 203: 17/20
Mar 11 2024 : Guest 124: 18/20
Feb 22 2024 : Guest 58: 10/20
Feb 11 2024 : Guest 82: 7/20

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Name the band that is New Zealand's most international act with top ten hits in Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

Answer: Split Enz

The theatrical Split Enz hit the UK shores at the same time as punk broke and were everything the punks despised about the music of the time.
2. What is the name of the label that pioneered the "Dunedin Sound"?

Answer: Flying Nun

Low fi and garage rock is alive and well and living in NZ.
3. Which of the following bands are not part of the Flying Nun stable?

Answer: Th' Dudes

Th' Dudes were succesful in their own right, with main songwriters Ian Morris and Dave Dobbyn having success as solo artists; lead singer Peter Urlich is responsible for the current worldwide phenomenon of creating pop groups made on TV.
4. Who was the mainstay and song writer for the Chills?

Answer: Martin Phillipps

College favourites in the US, The Chills and Martin Phillipps have created an influential sound still influencing bands of today.
5. In 1985 NME chose as their Single Of The Week a song that fused traditional Maori lyrics with the hip hop style of the day. Performed by the Patea Maori Club, the song was called

Answer: Poi E

The Patea Maori Club travelled the world following the success of this song.
6. Just over ten years after the success of the Patea Moari Club, another Polynesian act stormed the UK with a song called "How Bizarre". What was the name of the act?

Answer: OMC

The OMC was an acronym for the Otara Millionaires Club, a lower socio- economic area of New Zealand's largest city, Auckland.
7. Still with a Polynesian theme, the Pacific reggae band Herbs had a song banned due to to its lyrical content questioning French nuclear testing in the Pacific. What was the title of the song?

Answer: French Letter

Herbs continued to follow the political theme during their career, making them a Pacific favorite. All of the answers are Herbs songs dealing with themes from 245T to nuclear testing.
8. In 1958 New Zealand's first rock n roll superstar, Johnny Devlin, covered a song by composer Lloyd Price that had also been covered by Elvis Presley. Devlin outsold the "King" in New Zealand. Name the song.

Answer: Lawdy Miss Clawdy

Devlin continued to record covers and was known as "New Zealand's Elvis Presley".
9. During the 1970's, a local act, Bunny Walters, scored a minor US coup when his version of a recently-released song appeared on Kasey Casam's "American Top Forty" syndicated show. What was the song?

Answer: Brandy

"Brandy" was a hit for Barry Manilow, and Casam decided to play both versions on his show. Despite this, Bunny's only radio hits were in his home country.
10. Named after a Japanese car, these guys became darlings of the British music scene and saviours of rock n roll alongside The Strokes, The Hives, and The White Stripes. They are who?

Answer: The Datsuns

This band formed in 2000.
11. What band recently had to change its name for album release in the American market because it bore a resemblance to the Arabic word meaning "holy war"?

Answer: Shihad

Recently lead singer Jon Togood was descibed as having the "most rock torso since Iggy Pop". These guys really rock.
12. True or false: The new name of Pacifier (previously Shihad) came from a song title on their previous album, "The General Electric."

Answer: True

While the name might have changed, the music has stayed the same. "The General Electric" album and constant touring have made them one of the most popular bands on the Australian and New Zealand circuit.
13. Who is the internationally-known New Zealand artist who played with Johnny Marr (The Smiths), Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam), Ed O'Brien and Johnny Greenwood (Radiohead), and Wendy Melvoin (Wendy and Lisa, Prince) as part of his backing band?

Answer: Neil Finn

Also on the gig was Neil's son, Liam, with his band Betchadupa.
14. Pearl Jam has covered plenty of songs in their career to date, but they wear the Split Enz influence on their sleeves when Eddie includes which song in the Neil Finn set?

Answer: I See Red

Eddie Vedder almost became part of permanent folklore when he had to be rescued from the surf at one of Auckland's notorious West Coast beaches.
15. True or false: The Split Enz song "Six Months In A Leaky Boat" was banned from airplay in the UK during the Falklands War.

Answer: True

While banned in Britain, it did not stop the song from being a hit in New Zealand and Australia.
16. Some lyric lines to finish with. Please name the following songs. "Creases on your white dress Bruises on your bare skin Looks like another fine mess You've got yourself into"

Answer: Maxine

Covers of Sharon's songs have been done in Cantonese. She has also shared songwriting credits with Robert Palmer and penned songs for the New Zealand band Dragon.
17. "Walking round the room singing 'Stormy Weather' At 57 Mount Pleasant Street Now it's the same room but everything is different You can fight the sleep but not the dream"

Answer: Weather With You

Neil and Tim Finn briefly joined forces on the Crowded House album "Woodface", once again delighting the world with melodies and harmonies.
18. "In a sleepy little town Where soft breezes blow There's a lovely little Maori miss I used to know"

Answer: Cheryl Moana Marie

Co-written by John Rowles, this was his biggest US hit. Rowles went on to perform in Las Vegas with his own show and long-term contracts. The song is named after his sister.
19. "Each evening the sun sets in five billion places Seen by ten billion eyes set in five billion faces Then they close in a daze and wait for the dawning"

Answer: Heavenly Pop Hit

Martin Phillipps wrote this for the Submarine Bells album, proving that the Dunedin sound was not all low-tech and creating an enduring pop song.
20. "Rock is dead or so it's said And now it's all a part of history Lost the thread and lost its head Well I dunno, it seems okay to me Jim Morrison, Brian Jones, Marc Bolan, Jimi Hendrix Lying at the bottom of your swimming pool Don't let Creem, Crawdaddy, Rip It Up, New Musical Express Call you a fool, because I really care"

Answer: Swimming Pool

Written in 1978 by the members of the Enemy, who then went on to form Toy Love. They included lo-fi artist and US college favourite Chris Knox, who has recorded some New Zealand gems under his own name.
Source: Author Dizrythmia Man

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