History of Music Trivia

1. This song is said to be the most recognised song in the English language. The melody was written in the US by the Hill sisters in 1893, while the combination of melody and lyrics dates to about 1911. What is its title?

From Quiz Famous Songs and Melodies

Answer: Happy Birthday to You

I would think that everyone reading this quiz knows this song and I'm sure they'll all have happy memories of the occasions on which it was sung, either to them or by them. My best memory of it is of Marilyn Monroe, sewn into her dress, singing it at President Kennedy's birthday party in 1962! The "Guinness Book of Records" states that this is the most recognisable song in the English language, followed by "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow".

From Quiz Music Hall Songs

Answer: After the Ball

"After the Ball" was written in 1891 by Charles Harris for a production of a minstrel show during the music hall era. Following its success, it sold an astonishing two million copies of the sheet music by the following year. This lovely old number relates the story of an old man telling his niece why he never married. Many years ago he had been at a ball and spied his sweetheart kissing another man. When she tried to explain why this was so, he wouldn't listen to her, and broke off their relationship. He never married, but years later when he was an old man, he found out that his sweetheart had died. Then, to his deep regret and sorrow, he subsequently found out that the man she had kissed at the ball had been her brother. This song has been revived several times since it was first introduced. Perhaps the most well known version of this can be seen in the 1951 musical "Show Boat" in which it is performed beautifully by the film's star, actress and coloratura soprano, Kathryn Grayson, in her role as the lead singer on a show boat on the Mississippi river.

From Quiz The Day the Music Died

Answer: Winter Dance Party

The "Winter Dance Party" tour started on January 23, Milwaukee, Wisconsin and was scheduled to end February 15 in Springfield, Illinois. There were 24 cities involved with only one venue being cancelled which was on February 1, Appleton, Wisconsin.

From Quiz More Obscure 19th Century Songs, with Hints

Answer: The Arkansas Traveler

There are endless variations of The Arkansas Traveler, from the mid 19th Century to, probably, yesterday. The earlier versions are about a city slicker traveling in Arkansas, where he meets an old squatter playing the fiddle. The city slicker offers to play the second half of the same song, and suddenly, with something in common, the two become friends. Currier and Ives published lithographs in 1870, based on 1859 paintings by E. P. Washburn. One shows the old squatter playing to the listening city slicker on horseback, while the second shows the squatter happily dancing as the traveler, still on horseback, finishes the fiddle tune. Sanford C. (Sandy) Faulkner (1806-1874), an Arkansas politician, fiddler and teller of tall tales, is supposedly the original author, basing it on something that happened while he was campaigning, or he may just have made the song famous. There are other claims of early singers and/or originators. Many versions of the song center around the joke that a man can't fix his roof when it's raining, and when it's sunny, it doesn't leak. Hints: razorback hogs/team, little rock(s) city, diamond/state nickname.

From Quiz Obscure 19th Century US Songs--But with Hints!

Answer: Old King Crow

Famous in its day, "Old King Crow" was published in 1847 by George P. Reed of Boston, "as sung by the Virginia Minstrels," along with several other songs. The interlude about Jenny and her hoecake also allowed one of the men to sing falsetto, sometimes dressing entirely as Jenny, or even rarer, a female Jenny might perform. I hope that all the "cawing" in the question led one toward the answer that included a crow.

From Quiz 19th Century Songs, Including Stephen Foster's

Answer: Beautiful Dreamer

This was published as the last song Foster wrote before he died in 1864, but a copyright date of 1862 introduces some doubt. The song makes the most of the sentimentality of the period, and was a more respectable "parlor" song than others which were suitable for the stage. Currier & Ives published a colored lithograph with the same title, capitalizing on the song's popularity. It showed a young women propped in bed, holding a book at her side, her eyes attractively half open, daydreaming.

From Quiz Old-time US Songs: Stephen Foster and Others

Answer: Blue-Tail Fly

There were different versions, but one that's familiar to modern people was "Jim Crack Corn or the Blue tail Fly," published in Baltimore by F. D. Benteen in 1846. Many believe that version was written by Dan Emmett, but it could even have been a true folk song published as sheet music. Abraham Lincoln is supposed to have liked it, calling it "that buzzing song," and there's room to imitate the buzzing of a fly with a banjo or other instrument between verses. The meaning has been widely debated. It's just close enough to nonsense to be unclear, but real-sounding enough that it ought to have meaning, even if coded. The fly somehow was involved in the master's death--that's about all we know.

From Quiz The Roots of Rhythm

Answer: Gregorian chant

Though named after Pope Gregory I, he did not devise it. Gregorian chant was a blend of several plainchants (monophonic singing) developed around the ninth century. It was generally sung a cappella and could be voiced by priests who were not good singers.

From Quiz I Love Rock And Roll... But Pre-Rock Matters, Too!

Answer: The Ames Brothers

The Ames Brothers - Joe, Gene, Vic and Ed - sang popular tunes in the 1950s. Their parents, David and Sarah Urick, were Ukrainian Jewish immigrants. Originally known as the "Amory Brothers", they had simply adopted Vic's middle name as the name of their group. Although they disbanded in the early 1960s, Ed went on with a successful singing and acting career in his own right, and on the '60s television series "Daniel Boone", he played the part of the native American, Mingo.

From Quiz Music - Stone Age to 18th Century

Answer: Using a bow.

The Rebec is a bowed string instrument with one to five strings played on the arm or under the chin. It is an ancestor of the violin.

From Quiz Please Present Your Ticket

Answer: Paris

Alan had visited Le Caveau de la Huchette in Paris and been impressed by the acoustics in the underground cellars. He decided that he could recreate this ambience in the tunnels under Liverpool's street, which had been used as air raid shelters during the war. The Cavern had three vaults , joined by archways, and had originally been the cellar of a warehouse. The first band to top the bill there was called The Merseysippi Jazz Band and the opening night attracted six hundred fans, with hundreds more unable to gain entrance.

From Quiz Rock and Roll Firsts

Answer: Good Rockin' Tonight

"Good Rockin' Tonight" was written in Texas by Roy Brown, a New Orleans native. He later was nicknamed Good Rocking Brown. A young Elvis had seen him perform and in 1954 covered this song.

From Quiz Red Rocks Arena: A Historic Music Venue

Answer: It was the only show on the tour which was not sold out.

Legend has it the arena was full for the Beatles performance due to the lack of proper security in preventing non-ticketholders from entering. Eyewitnesses say the 2000 unsold seats were all filled.

From Quiz Composers Datebook 2006

Answer: Massenet

The other three wrote operas too, but not this opera.

From Quiz The Four Periods of Music History

Answer: c. 1600-1750

The Baroque Period lasted from about 1600 until about 1750.

From Quiz Music Hath Charms

Answer: Music that is not written down

Prehistoric (more commonly called primitive) music is the name given to all music that was made in preliterate cultures. While the music of native North Americans and the Aborigines of Australia could be called prehistoric, the term more usually refers to the music of European prehistoric cultures before the invention of writing.

From Quiz Urban Legends: Music

Answer: Manson threw an adorable puppy in the crowd and announced he would not start the show until they stomped it to death

According to the legend, Manson would throw a puppy or a bag of kittens into the audience and demand they be killed. This goes along with his 'evil incarnate' image, but it never happened. The ASPCA wouldn't stand for it. This legend is sometimes told about Ozzy Osbourne or Alice Cooper. Other Marilyn Manson rumors are that he used to play the nerdy character Paul on TV's "The Wonder Years"; that he was a nice Christian boy until he was shunned by a church youth group; and that he's had several ribs removed so he can perform unnatural physical acts.

From Quiz New Rhythms

Answer: Portugal

Fado most likely emerged as a mixture of musical elements from Portuguese traditional songs, African rhythms and Arabic music. The genre is characterized by melancholic tunes and sorrowful lyrics - expressing a nostalgic mood known in Portuguese as "saudade". There are two styles of fado - one developed in Lisbon and the other in Coimbra. Famous fado artists include: Amalia Rodriguez - who successfully promoted fado to the international stage, Arthur and Carlos Paredes, Carlos de Carmo, Jose Alfonso, Mafalda Arnauth, Dulce Pontes.

From Quiz Songwriters' Inspirations No. 1

Answer: Madison Square Garden

Nelson appeared in New York City in 1971 and everyone at Madison Square Garden expected him to play his old hit songs. Instead, he played his newer songs and was badly booed.

From Quiz Gregorian Chant

Answer: Jewish communal meals

The most distinctive services of the early Church were not Christianized synagogue or Temple gatherings, but rather the common meals attended by groups of disciples and the family-centered meals similar to the Sabbath meal and the Passover seder.

From Quiz Music History 101

Answer: unmetered

Pope Gregory I had the chants organized. Most were written by anonymous monks. Research shows that the unmetered style (no steady pulse) of the chants facilitates deep breathing and relaxation in the listener. Some of our oldest written music is considered "New Age" today because of its stress relieving qualities. Chants are sung "a cappella" (no instruments) and in unison (no harmony). Good example: Alleluia: vidimus stellam.

From Quiz Music History 101

Answer: Balakirev

The Russian Five were also known as Big 5, Mighty Handful, and Mighty Fist. The five were: Balakirev, Borodin, Cui, Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov.

From Quiz Music Legends

Answer: Holiday Inn

Der Bingle. Ba-ba-ba-boo, ba-ba-ba-boo. Great voice. 'Interesting' family life.

From Quiz The History Of Music

Answer: Pope Gregory I

All chants came from the Jewish and Byzantine religious chants. A Gregorian Chant is a 'single melody without any harmonic support or accompaniment'. The melodies are light and airy. As these chants became popular in Europe, many people took the chants and added or changed things to their particular liking. Pope Gregory I reigned as Pontiff from 590A.D. until his death in 604A.D, what his actual contribution was remains a mystery. The Gregorian Chants remains one of the most spiritually uplifting music in the western world.

From Quiz Yo! Goin' Baroque an More

Answer: Baroque

The Baroque era was not as rigid and 'idiomatic' as the Renaissance era. Form was everything during the 'ars perfecta' (perfect art) of the Renaissance (Palestrina is a good example)....things loosened up a bit during the Baroque period.

From Quiz Industrial Power

Answer: William S. Burroughs

The general basics of Burroughs' "cut-up" technique is the employing of an existing piece of written material, cutting it up and re-assembling it as a new creation. Burroughs used this extensively in putting together the novels "The Soft Machine" (1961), "The Ticket That Exploded" (1962) and "Nova Express" (1964). This was Burroughs' way of freeing himself from control. This feature appealed to the ideology of industrial music artists, who were looking for ways to subvert control, and it became evident in their own creations through the use of sampling, tape splitting, shouted vocals and the adoption of other media in their works such as white noise and feedback. Burroughs saw merit in the approach of the industrial musicians and ventured into collaborations with them. The most notable of these was the 1981 recording with UK band Throbbing Gristle "Nothing Here Now But The Recordings".

From Quiz The Day the Music Died

Answer: Surf Ballroom

The Surf Ballroom was opened in 1933, burnt down in 1947 but re-opened across the street in 1948. It has a seating capacity of 2,100 and a 6,300 sq.ft (590 sq.m) dance floor. Since that day in 1959 performers such as The Temptations, The Righteous Brothers and the Beach Boys have performed there. The Clear Lake Music Hall and the Clear Lake Arts Center are current buildings but the Lady of the Lake is actually a ferry that traverses the lake.

From Quiz Obscure 19th Century US Songs--But with Hints!

Answer: The Glendy Burk

Stephen Foster wrote the song, published in 1860, about a real boat named the Glendy Burke (with a final E), which ran on the Mississippi River from 1851 to 1855, when it sank near Cairo, Illinois. The boat may have been named for Glen D. Burke, a New Orleans investor, politician, and public school booster. He made and lost two fortunes, one in the panic of 1837 and the other in the Civil War. Most sources say the boat was named for him because he was mayor of New Orleans, but he only served as mayor after Stephen Foster's death, for three weeks in 1865. If the boat was named for him, it was surely for his earlier activities. For more on Burke and the boat, see http://www.neworleanspast.com/todayinneworleanshistory/june21.html The only clue here was the "odd title," when none of the other choices are odd as song titles or apt to be a boat's name.

From Quiz 19th Century Songs, Including Stephen Foster's

Answer: Old Uncle Ned

The song was full of words that are offensive to modern ears, but it also contained accurate observation, such as "His fingers were long like de cane in de brake," describing an elderly man's fingers with arthritic knuckles like the joints of the stems in the southern canebreak. Reversing the cliche, master weeps openly: "Massa take it mighty hard, De tears run down like de rain;" while mistress hides her feelings: "Old Missus turn pale and she gets berry sad..." The poem is thick with dialect and cliches, but consistently avoids the outright mockery and funny nonsense of most minstrel songs, mourning old Ned as much as possible within a context that allowed very few serious emotions.

From Quiz Old-time US Songs: Stephen Foster and Others

Answer: Hard Times

Published in 1854, the song tapped into the love of sentimentality that seemed a guarantee of success. In the song, poor people endure stoically, wishing that hard times would not come again, while "we," who are comfortable, "seek mirth and beauty and music light and gay." During the Civil War, the title was perfect for a parody, "Hard Crackers [or Hard Tack] Come Again No More," complaining of the tough, bland staple of the soldiers' mess.

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Last Updated Apr 13 2024 5:45 AM

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