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1. The Stranglers released "Don't Bring Harry" in 1979. Who or what, was Harry?


answer Answer: Heroin

Interesting Information:
"Don't Bring Harry" was released as part of an EP in 1979, reaching number 41 in the UK charts. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
The bands tour manager, Alcohol, Bassist JJ Burnell's wife

2. Which member of "The Who" rock band died in 1978?


answer Answer: Keith Moon

Interesting Information:
Keith Moon was the drummer and died of a drug overdose on the 7th September. He was replaced by Kenney Jones. Difficulty: Average.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Brian Jones, Randy Rhoads, Ronnie Van Zant

3. Which of Shakespeare's plays is Taylor Swift's song "Love Story" about?


answer Answer: Romeo and Juliet

Interesting Information:
"Love Story" is sung by Taylor Swift. It is on her CD "Fearless" (2008). The song makes many references to the play, except in the song the two lovers live happily ever after. Difficulty: Very Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Hamlet, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream

4. Nena had a US number 2 hit with "99 Luftballons" in 1984. What nationality is she?


answer Answer: German

Interesting Information:
Nena, one of the most successful artists of the German New Wave, had a number 1 hit in Germany with "99 Luftballons" in 1983. The German version also reached number 2 in the USA in 1984, the English version "99 red balloons" reached number 1 in the UK. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Austrian, Swiss, Luxembourger

5. What is the full birth name of Boy George?


answer Answer: George Alan O'Dowd

Interesting Information:
Boy George, born in 1961, performed with the group Bow Wow Wow, before hitting it big with Culture Club. George and former Culture Club drummer, Jon Moss, had a secret love affair for many years. Difficulty: Very Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
George Patrick O'Casey, Patrick George Ryan, George Casey O'Toole

6. Who sings the song "The Climb", from the film "Hannah Montana: The Movie"?


answer Answer: Miley Cyrus

Interesting Information:
"The Climb" is a song sung by Miley Cyrus in the movie "Hannah Montana: The Movie". It is the eighth single on "Hannah Montana: Movie" soundtrack. The album was released in March 2009. A music video was filmed for this song which shows Miley holding her guitar walking along the road whilst singing the song. When it begins to rain, she removes her jacket. Scenes from "Hannah Montana: The Movie" are also shown in the music video. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Vanessa Hudgens, Demi Lovato, Emily Osment

7. The Bee Gees had a younger brother who occasionally toured with them. What was his name?


answer Answer: Andy Gibb

Interesting Information:
Two of his hits: "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" in 1976, and "(Our Love) Don't Throw It All Away" in 1978. Difficulty: Average.
 
Some incorrect choices:
John Gibb, Leon Gibb, Adam Gibb

8. What "tasty" entertainer was born in 1890s New Orleans and was known for his blues and ragtime works?


answer Answer: Jelly Roll Morton

Interesting Information:
Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton was best known for his "Jelly Roll Blues". At the age of 14, he played piano in a brothel, which he later told the religious great-grandmother which he lived with, that he was working in a barrel factory. Difficulty: Very Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Johnny the Cabbage James, Lemon Larry Harrison, Craig Olive Sandhurst

9. What band's hit songs include "You Give Love a Bad Name," and "Wanted Dead or Alive"?


answer Answer: Bon Jovi

Interesting Information:
Another hit by Bon Jovi is "Livin' on a Prayer". They were a very popular '80s rock band. Difficulty: Very Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Ratt, Finger Eleven, Soundgarden

10. What male singer that recorded a cover of "Putting on the Ritz" in 1982 shares the same name as a food dish?


answer Answer: Taco

Interesting Information:
Taco Ockerse from Holland was the man that revived Irvin Berlin's "Putting on the Ritz". Even though it was recorded in 1982, it didn't gain fame in the U.S. until 1983, when it reached number four in the "Hot 100" billboard. Difficulty: Hard.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Burrito, Lasagna, Omelette

11. What Canadian band could be classified as "catastrophically in fashion" ?


answer Answer: Tragically Hip

Interesting Information:
The Tragically Hip hail from Kingston, Ontario and in 2005 were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Difficulty: Average.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Rush, Nirvana, Alexis on Fire

12. Rossini's opera "La Gazza Ladra" could possibly be translated into English as "The Thieving Pica pica". How is it more usually presented?


answer Answer: The Thieving Magpie

Interesting Information:
"La Gazza Ladra" was first performed in 1817. The plot revolves around the theft of a spoon which it ultimately transpires has been stolen by a magpie.
Magpies (and other crows) are well known for liking shiny objects and often will take silver paper and more valuable objects back to their nests. Difficulty: Hard.
 
Some incorrect choices:
The Thieving Jackdaw, The Thieving Raven, The Thieving Rook

13. Which major recording artist had the nickname of "the man in black"?


answer Answer: Johnny Cash

Interesting Information:
Johnny Cash wore black for the hungry, downtrodden, hopeless and the poor and prisoners who have long served their time but who were victims of the times. Difficulty: Very Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, Kenny Rogers

14. Classical rock combinations: which two artists might have collaborated on the fictional song, "The True Blue Danube"?


answer Answer: Madonna and Johann Strauss II

Interesting Information:
"True Blue" was an album title track and a successful single for Madonna in 1986.
"The Blue Danube" is a waltz composed by 'The Waltz King' Johann Strauss II in 1866. Difficulty: Hard.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Cher and Richard Strauss, Tiffany and Joseph Haydn, Dido and Johannes Brahms

15. How many strings are there on a cello?


answer Answer: 4

Interesting Information:
Although the cello may be seen as a solo instrument in some cases, it is most often used as part of the strings section of an orchestra along with violins, violas and double basses. The cello is the second largest of these stringed instruments (after the double bass) but is also available in smaller sizes for the shorter cellist. Difficulty: Hard.
 
Some incorrect choices:
6, 2, 8

16. Concert pianist Paul Wittgenstein lacked which rather important body part?


answer Answer: Right hand

Interesting Information:
Wittgenstein was born in Vienna in 1887. He made his debut as a concert pianist in 1913. His right arm was amputated after injuries received in World War I. After the war, Wittgenstein commisioned pieces especially written for the left hand. Several noted composers rose to this challenge, but probably the most famous composition written for him was Ravel's Piano Concerto for the left hand. Difficulty: Hard.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Left eye, Right leg, Both kidneys

17. It's a beautiful warm day outside and it is like a song. What is the missing word in the title of a John Denver classic: "_________ on my Shoulders?"


answer Answer: Sunshine

Interesting Information:
"Sunshine on my Shoulders" was a number one hit for John Denver in 1974. The song appeared on the "Poems, Prayers and Promises" album. The song came about when Denver, stuck inside during a dreary spring day, thought about how nice it was when he was outside and the sun was shining. Difficulty: Very Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Moonshine, A Bird, Wind

18. John Lennon wrote the beautifully haunting song "Julia" about whom?


answer Answer: His mother

Interesting Information:
Although John was raised by his mother's sister, Mimi Smith, in a middle class suburb of Liverpool, he became close to his mother Julia when he was a teenager. Tragically, however, she was hit by a car and killed when John was only 17. The song is on the Beatles "White Album". Difficulty: Average.
 
Some incorrect choices:
His sister, His pet dog, Yoko's daughter

19. "All You Need is Love": To which of The Beatles was Linda Eastman married?


answer Answer: Paul McCartney

Interesting Information:
Linda McCartney, nee Eastman, was born in September 1941 in New York and died in Tucson Arizona in April 1998. She met The Beatles through her job as a photographer and married McCartney in March 1969. They had three children of their own, and McCartney adopted his wife's daughter by her first marriage. Linda joined his band, Wings, and they toured and recorded until her death. Linda Eastman McCartney was also devoted to animal rights, and produced her own brand of meat-free products. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr

20. What is the name of the band that periodically tours with Bruce Springsteen?


answer Answer: E Street Band

Interesting Information:
The E Street Band have been involved with many bands over the last 30 years. Associated acts include, Meat Loaf, Peter Gabriel, Sting and many more artists. The band was officially named in 1974, although the band had been together since 1972. The first album the band was involved in was "Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.", released by Bruce Springsteen in 1973. Difficulty: Very Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
B Street Band, C Street Band, D Street Band

21. In music, what "colorful" adjective defines a scale ascending or descending by half-steps?


answer Answer: Chromatic

Interesting Information:
A chromatic scale (from the Greek word "khroma" for "color") is a musical scale consisting of twelve pitches proceeding by equal intervals called half-tones (or semitones).

Pioneered at the time of Johann Sebastian Bach, the chromatic scale is the basis of all other musical scales, and is used in all genres, from pop to rock, from jazz to opera.
Difficulty: Hard.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Diatonic, Platonic, Major

22. Which rock band made it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame despite having only one U.S. top ten hit?


answer Answer: The Grateful Dead

Interesting Information:
The Grateful Dead were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994. Although they were a very popular draw on the concert circuit, they actually only had one top ten hit - "Touch of Gray" in 1987.

Difficulty: Hard.
 
Some incorrect choices:
The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Bee Gees

23. In the 1980s, which British group had hits with "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" and "Last Christmas"?


answer Answer: Wham!

Interesting Information:
Wham! was a British duo formed in 1981 by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. They parted ways in 1986. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Culture Club, Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet

24. They say "Every Picture Tells a Story". Which rock star has many stories of him kicking soccer balls to the audience during his concerts?


answer Answer: Rod Stewart

Interesting Information:
"Every Picture Tells a Story" is the album Rod released in 1971 and contains "Reason to Believe" and "Maggie May". If you happen to see him at Jones Beach in Wantagh, NY, bring an umbrella, because he has said it rains every time he is there and it did the night I saw him there. Difficulty: Average.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Adam Ant, Johnny Rotten, Simon LeBon

25. Miley Cyrus' father is a singer in his own right. What song catapulted him to fame?


answer Answer: Achy Breaky Heart

Interesting Information:
Miley's dad is Billy Ray Cyrus. The song "Achy Breaky Heart" was originally called "Don't Tell My Heart" which is the line that proceeds the new title. It appeared on Cyrus' 1992 debut album "Some Gave All". It had been released the year before as "Don't Tell My Heart" on the Marcy Brothers' second album "The Marcy Brothers". Difficulty: Very Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
How Forever Feels, Should've Been a Cowboy, Walkin' In Memphis

26. Which band gave the advice to "fight for your right to party"?


answer Answer: Beastie Boys

Interesting Information:
"(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)" (1987),was the first single from the Beastie Boys' debut album "Licensed to Ill". It reached number 7 in the US charts. It's been a party anthem ever since. Difficulty: Hard.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Sex Pistols, Ramones, Public Enemy

27. 'Sporty', 'Baby', 'Ginger', 'Scary' and 'Posh', are collectively known as?


answer Answer: The Spice Girls

Interesting Information:
Melanie Jayne Chisholm, known as 'Mel C', 'Sporty Spice', Emma Lee Bunton 'Baby Spice', Melanie Janine Brown, known as 'Mel B', 'Scary Spice' Geri Halliwell, 'Ginger Spice' and Victoria Beckham (formerly Adams), 'Posh Spice'. Difficulty: Very Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
S Club 7, Girls Aloud, Bananarama

28. Which instrument was played by American Bandleader Glenn Miller?


answer Answer: Trombone

Interesting Information:
The distinctive sound of the Glenn Miller Orchestra was highly successful in the late 1930s and early 1940s, with hit songs like 'In The Mood', 'String Of Pearls' and 'Moonlight Serenade'.

In 1942 he volunteered to help the war effort. In December 1944, he was traveling to entertain troops in France when his plane went missing. His body was never recovered. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Violin, Piano, Guitar

29. In the ABBA song 'Dancing Queen' - How old was the Dancing Queen?


answer Answer: 17

Interesting Information:
"You are the Dancing Queen
young and sweet only seventeen"

This verse caused a little consternation amongst certain sections of the public, as the whole song was considered somewhat provocative, and the dancing queen was legally a minor (under 18)! Difficulty: Very Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
16, 18, 21

30. Novax, Rickenbacker, Steinberger, Höfner, Gibson, Gretsch etc. are all makers of what instrument?


answer Answer: Guitars

Interesting Information:
A guitar typically has six strings, but there are also four, seven, eight, ten, twelve and eighteen string guitars. Guitars are one of the primary instruments in flamenco, jazz, blues, country, mariachi, rock, and many forms of pop music.
Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Flutes, Clarinets, Trumpets

31. Which band did Dave Grohl form after the break-up of Nirvana?


answer Answer: Foo Fighters

Interesting Information:
He formed the band in 1995, initially as a way of recording some of the songs he wrote during his time in Nirvana that didn't fit in with that band's style. The video for their song 'Learn To Fly' (which featured appearances by Jack Black and Kyle Gass of Tenacious D) won a Grammy for Best Short Form Video in 2001. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
The Beatles, Aerosmith, Red Hot Chili Peppers

32. Which British pop group had hits with "Always On My Mind", "Rent" and "It's a Sin"?


answer Answer: Pet Shop Boys

Interesting Information:
Pet Shop Boys have sold more than 50 million records worldwide. Since 1986, they have had 42 Top 30 singles and 22 Top 10 hits in the UK, including four Number Ones: "West End Girls," "It's a Sin," "Always on My Mind," and "Heart."

Difficulty: Hard.
 
Some incorrect choices:
The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Duran Duran

33. Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, and Brian Jones all died at what age?


answer Answer: 27

Interesting Information:
They all have the dubious distinction of belonging to rock 'n' roll's "27 Club." According to his sister, Cobain had aspired to joining this elite group ever since he was a child. Difficulty: Hard.
 
Some incorrect choices:
30, 24, 29

34. Which US group had hits with "California Dreamin'", "Monday, Monday" and "Dedicated to the One I Love"?


answer Answer: The Mamas and the Papas

Interesting Information:
The Mamas and the Papas were a 1960s pop group. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
The Beach Boys, The Who, The Animals

35. What animal did David Bowie have that was a 'diamond', Lobo have called 'Boo' and Aerosmith 'walk'?


answer Answer: Dog

Interesting Information:
'Diamond Dogs', was both an album and a single for David Bowie, which were released in 1974. 'Me and You and a Dog Named Boo', was a number four hit in the UK in 1971, and Aersosmith were 'Walkin' the Dog', on their 1973 album 'Aerosmith'. This was first a hit for Rufus Thomas in 1963. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Horse, Cat, Fish
But that's just the start! Here are more great Music trivia questions:

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