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Crime and Punishment in Songs Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
Crime and Punishment in Songs Quizzes, Trivia

Crime and Punishment in Songs Trivia

Crime and Punishment in Songs Trivia Quizzes

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Fun Trivia
22 quizzes and 220 trivia questions.
1.
  Looking for Clues at Mythical Music Murder Scenes editor best quiz   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Joe "I'm Just Looking for Clues at the Scene of the Crime" Walsh left music to join MUSIC - Murders Unsolved Special Investigation Corps. Ten of his most famous cases; could you have solved them?
Average, 10 Qns, Mutchisman, Nov 15 18
Average
Mutchisman
Nov 15 18
26985 plays
2.
  Murderous Music!   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Nobody gets out of this quiz alive! A mixture of malicious murders, horrible homicides and awful assassinations.
Easier, 10 Qns, ozzz2002, Mar 31 20
Easier
ozzz2002 gold member
Mar 31 20
382 plays
3.
  Big Star In The Big House Vol. 3   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A look at some musical heroes who have found that playing bars and being behind bars are two completely different things.
Easier, 10 Qns, 480154st, Dec 27 21
Easier
480154st gold member
Dec 27 21
723 plays
4.
  Bad Blood   popular trivia quiz  
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
You're hoppin' n a-boppin' and you're singing it proud but did you know you were singing about... murder? For your penance you must match the heinous act with the artist who delivered it.
Average, 10 Qns, pollucci19, Nov 15 18
Average
pollucci19 gold member
Nov 15 18
283 plays
5.
  Prison and Jailhouse Songs   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Songs about prison and jails through the years.
Average, 10 Qns, shanteyman, Sep 14 19
Average
shanteyman
Sep 14 19
1459 plays
6.
  He's in the Jailhouse Now   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
There are a lot of songs about prison life, mostly country songs but others as well. Can you do the time to release the songs or artists here?
Average, 10 Qns, CmdrK, Apr 06 20
Average
CmdrK gold member
Apr 06 20
183 plays
7.
  Ten 'Killer' Songs    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Ten songs about murder! A mixture of questions, name the act, who wrote it etc. Most were hit singles in the UK plus some famous album tracks. Not sure if 'enjoy' is appropriate. Not for the squeamish.
Tough, 10 Qns, Mutchisman, Nov 15 18
Tough
Mutchisman
Nov 15 18
2142 plays
8.
  Shooting up the Charts   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz deals with US pop and rock songs that involved shooting in the title or lyrics.
Tough, 10 Qns, shanteyman, Nov 15 18
Tough
shanteyman
Nov 15 18
543 plays
9.
  Lyrical Legalities   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz is about musicians and songs involved in lawsuits.
Difficult, 10 Qns, MotherGoose, Jul 20 22
Difficult
MotherGoose editor
Jul 20 22
412 plays
10.
  Stealing The Show    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Many artists have been accused of plagiarism. We're going to look at some of better known examples of maybe stealing the song, if not the show.
Average, 10 Qns, 480154st, Jul 20 22
Average
480154st gold member
Jul 20 22
242 plays
trivia question Quick Question
In 1959, Lloyd Price released a hit version of "Stagger Lee". Who did Stagger Lee shoot in the lyrics of the song?

From Quiz "Shooting up the Charts"




11.
  More Songs About Crime    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Something about crime just fascinates a lot of people. That may be why there are so many songs about crime.
Average, 10 Qns, DrLoveGun, Nov 15 18
Average
DrLoveGun
Nov 15 18
271 plays
12.
  Jailhouse Rock   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A quiz about crime and related subjects in songs.
Tough, 10 Qns, kino76, Feb 15 17
Tough
kino76 gold member
283 plays
13.
  FT Detectives: The Case of the Radio Rampage   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Welcome, Detectives! Authorities worldwide need your help in solving a number of cases. Please help us solve this backlog of musical mayhem.
Average, 10 Qns, kscleaves, Nov 15 18
Average
kscleaves
Nov 15 18
281 plays
14.
  Music's Crimes and Punishments    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Songs about crimes and punishments. Covering almost 40 years of rock's fascination with crime. This is my first quiz, so comments are welcomed.
Tough, 10 Qns, airmda, Sep 19 10
Tough
airmda
4101 plays
15.
  Musical Mayhem    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Top 40 music wasn't all malt shops and dreamy eyes. Here we have questions about songs with violence, crime and punishment, and a few selected neer-do-wells! But they're easy to dance to. Any chart info is Billboard U.S. Enjoy.
Tough, 10 Qns, JRooowe, Nov 15 18
Tough
JRooowe gold member
Nov 15 18
682 plays
16.
  Tragedy in Songs, Part 7: Criminals and Prison   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
"I fought the law, and the law won." --Sonny Curtis. Can you answer these questions about crime, outlaws, and prison?
Tough, 10 Qns, Czolgolz, Nov 15 18
Tough
Czolgolz
Nov 15 18
580 plays
17.
  Without Consent    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
All of these songs mention a man or men who had sex with a woman or women without their consent. How many do you know?
Average, 10 Qns, DrLoveGun, Dec 22 18
Average
DrLoveGun
Dec 22 18
134 plays
18.
  Tragedy in Songs, Part 5: Gunfights and Shootings    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A Smith and Wesson beats four aces every time. Can you name these songs about being at the wrong end of a gun?
Average, 10 Qns, czolgolz, Nov 15 18
Average
czolgolz
Nov 15 18
1562 plays
19.
  Homicidal Rock    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
I was listening to the radio one morning and I started thinking about how many rock songs involve murder. I was surprised how many songs are out there. This is my first quiz. I had fun writing it. I hope you enjoy it too.
Average, 10 Qns, sara90, Nov 15 18
Average
sara90
Nov 15 18
578 plays
20.
  Songs About Crime    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
All of these songs are about some kind of crime. How many do you know?
Tough, 10 Qns, DrLoveGun, Nov 12 18
Tough
DrLoveGun
Nov 12 18
209 plays
21.
  Songs involving crime    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
I'll supply a crime-ridden lyric, you guess the artist.
Tough, 10 Qns, tracyb555, Jul 19 22
Tough
tracyb555
Jul 19 22
1851 plays
22.
  Child Abuse in Popular Music    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Another sad subject that is touched on frequently in popular music. See if you can identify these songs and/or artists.
Tough, 10 Qns, genacov, Nov 15 18
Tough
genacov
Nov 15 18
764 plays
Related Topics
  Criminals [People] (216 quizzes)

  Crime and Punishment [History] (56 quizzes)

  Innocent or Guilty? [People] (21 quizzes)

  Partners in Crime [People] (14 quizzes)

  Tragedy in Songs [Music] (33 quizzes)

  US Criminal Law [World] (14 quizzes)


Crime and Punishment in Songs Trivia Questions

1. Quickly written as a silly throw-away song, "Jailhouse Rock" has often been listed as one of the top 100 rock and roll songs of all time. Who had the original recording?

From Quiz
He's in the Jailhouse Now

Answer: Elvis Presley

If anyone could make prison life sound like fun it would likely be Elvis. Jerry Leiber and Mike Stroller wrote the song for Elvis's third movie, "Jailhouse Rock" but his straight rock delivery sent the single (backed with "Treat Me Nice") to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 list.

2. In 1991, a popular song called "Date Rape" was released. Which band originally made this song?

From Quiz Without Consent

Answer: Sublime

Sublime were a popular ska-punk band from the 1990s. Their first hit tells the story of a man who raped a woman, then got sentenced to 25 years in prison, where he got raped by his cell mate and the guards ignored his screaming. This song is a warning to all potential rapists out there. Supposedly the band hated this song. However, many music fans love it. It was one of the most requested songs on Los Angeles's KROQ station and it was one of the most requested songs at Sublime's live shows. Personally, despite the band's hatred of this song, I think it's the best song they ever did.

3. There is a song on the Beatles' last-recorded album about a man who kills people with a hammer. What's his name?

From Quiz More Songs About Crime

Answer: Maxwell

"Bang bang Maxwell's silver hammer came down on his head. Bang bang Maxwell's silver hammer made sure he was dead." "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" has a catchy beat and happy sounding music, but the lyrics are, well, not too happy. Paul McCartney wrote it and wanted it on the "White Album." The rest of the Beatles decided it was even worse than "Revolution 9" and "Wild Honey Pie," so they kept it off the album. However, it ended up their album "Abbey Road," which has sold over 30 million copies worldwide.

4. This song, popularized by the Kingston Trio, is about the murder of a woman named Laura Foster. What is the song called?

From Quiz Songs About Crime

Answer: Tom Dooley

In 1866, Laura Foster was murdered. Her fiancee, Tom Dula, was blamed and ultimately hanged for the crime. A poet named Thomas C. Land wrote a song about this murder and hanging. The song went on to be covered by many musicians. The musicians who recorded the most well-known version of the song are one of my favorite musical groups: The Kingston Trio. Their version of the song became a number one hit in five different countries in 1958 and it propelled the Kingston Trio to superstardom. The Kingston Trio were one of the most popular musical groups in the world from 1958-1964, then the Beatles came to the U.S. and the Kingston Trio were forgotten. However, their influence is legendary, having been an influence on bands such as the Eagles, ABBA, the Bee Gees, and David Crosby. Some people believe that Dula wasn't actually the murderer. Foster had a cousin named Anne Melton, who once dated Dula and was jealous that Foster was engaged to Dula. Melton was tried for the crime and acquitted because Dula said she was innocent Some people believe that Melton was actually the killer and Dula was just sacrificing himself for her.

5. Which Beach Boys hit from 1963 gives a song writing credit to Chuck Berry, as it uses the music of one of his better known tracks?

From Quiz Stealing The Show

Answer: Surfin' U.S.A.

"Surfin' U.S.A." uses the music from Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen" (1958) and inadvertently helped keep Berry in the public eye, as when the Beach Boys released it, he was in prison for transporting a minor across state lines. "Surfin' U.S.A." mentions 16 surf spots in the lyrics, of which two are in Hawaii, (Waimea Bay and Sunset), one is in Australia, (Narrabeen) and the rest are in California.

6. In December 1988, "The Hardest Working Man In Show Business" became inmate number 155413 as he began a six year sentence for failing to stop for a police officer and aggravated assault. Who was this "Godfather of Soul"?

From Quiz Big Star In The Big House Vol. 3

Answer: James Brown

Brown had several run- ins with the law before his spell in the big house but 1988 was a busy year for him. He was arrested in April for assault, in May on drugs and weapon charges and then again in September for the offences that led to his jail time. He served three years of his six year sentence. Brown died in 2006.

7. How many murders did Maxwell commit in The Beatles song "Maxwell's Silver Hammer"?

From Quiz Jailhouse Rock

Answer: Three

"Maxwell's Silver Hammer" was recorded by The Beatles for their 1969 "Abbey Road" album. Maxwell commits three murders in the song. First he kills Joan, then the teacher, then the judge. "Bang, bang, Maxwell's silver hammer Came down upon her head Do do do do do Bang, bang, Maxwell's silver hammer Made sure that she was dead"

8. Which Procol Harum song became the subject of a lawsuit nearly 40 years after it was released?

From Quiz Lyrical Legalities

Answer: A Whiter Shade of Pale

"A Whiter Shade of Pale" is one of the most well known and popular Procol Harum songs, and it was also their debut single. It reached number one on the UK charts within a month of its release in May 1967 and stayed there for six weeks. Originally the song was credited to Gary Brooker (founder of the group) and Keith Reid (songwriter). In 2005, Matthew Fisher (former Procol Harum organist) filed a lawsuit, claiming he co-wrote the music for the song. His lawsuit was successful in July 2009, awarding him a share of future (but not past) royalties, dating from 2005 when he first filed suit. Contrary to the information contained on a number of websites, Fisher did not really wait 40 years to file suit - he made a number of attempts during the intervening years but was repeatedly advised that he didn't stand a chance.

9. In Johnny Cash's 1955 single "Folsom Prison Blues", where did the singer relate that he shot a man "just to watch him die"?

From Quiz Shooting up the Charts

Answer: Reno

The lyrics state "I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die. When I hear that whistle blowing, I hang my head and cry". Cash composed "Folsom Prison Blues" while still in the army in Germany. He watched a movie titled "Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison" (1951) and while writing the lyrics he tried to think of the most evil reason someone would have for killing another person. He released the single while he was with Sun Records in 1955. The song became increasingly popular when Johnny Cash performed concerts in prisons in the sixties.

10. In 1959, according to the Everly Brothers, who needed to be contacted after the stagecoach incident?

From Quiz Musical Mayhem

Answer: Mary

The Everly's requested we "Take a Message to Mary" but not to tell her of the jail time being served due to the "shot from a careless gun." After almost 20 years off the music charts the boys had a 1984 hit "On the Wings of a Nightingale" which was written by Paul McCartney.

11. 'Delia's Gone,' is a haunting folk song, told from a murderer's point of view. What many don't realize, however, was that the story was based on an actual crime. What was the real life Delia's last name?

From Quiz Tragedy in Songs, Part 7: Criminals and Prison

Answer: Green

Delia Green, 1886-1900, was a girl murdered by her fifteen-year-old lover on Christmas Eve. The killer, Mose Houston, served twelve years for the crime. The song 'Delia's Gone' is attributed to folk singer 'Blind Blake' Higgs, and has been covered by Johnny Cash and Pete Seeger.

12. Which Disturbed song has a VERY disturbing verbal interlude in the middle where you can hear the artist begging "Please don't hit me again, mommy. I'll be a good boy.."?

From Quiz Child Abuse in Popular Music

Answer: Down With the Sickness

This portion was cut from the song on radio airplay, and can only be heard on the unedited CD.

13. In 1957, Elvis Presley released a movie and one of the first songs about going to jail. What was it?

From Quiz Music's Crimes and Punishments

Answer: jailhouse rock & jail house rock

His third film 'Jailhouse Rock' premiered in Memphis on October 17, 1957 and quickly went to number 5 at the box office

14. 'Bang, bang! Shoot 'em up the party never ends. You can't think of dying when the bottle's your best friend'

From Quiz Songs involving crime

Answer: Skid Row

from '18 and Life'

15. Bob Dylan wrote and recorded a song about a boxer who was sent to prison for murder, which he denied committing. What is the name of that song?

From Quiz He's in the Jailhouse Now

Answer: Hurricane

Dylan wrote the song about middleweight boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, who, along with another man, was convicted of a triple murder in New Jersey in 1966. Dylan and Jacques Levy co-wrote the song in 1975 after several allegations were made that Carter did not receive a fair trial. The success of the song caused a retrial, at which Carter was again found guilty. Finally, in 1985, a federal judge overturned the verdict, citing racism and concealing of evidence as factors.

16. 'The Killing of Georgie (Parts I and II)' was released by Rod Stewart in 1976. It is about a friend of his that was killed in New York City. What was the apparent motive for the killing?

From Quiz Murderous Music!

Answer: Georgie was killed in a random attack

He was attacked by a group of men, in 1974. The gang's aim was to 'roll some innocent passer-by'. It is not clear in the lyrics whether the perpetrators were brought to justice. The song, off the album, 'A Night on the Town', reached Number Two on the UK charts, but did not perform as well on the other side of the Atlantic.

17. In 2002, a folk rock band released a song called "Odalisque." What was the name of this band?

From Quiz Without Consent

Answer: Decemberists

Although Colin Meloy calls himself a hard-core feminist, early in his career he wrote songs about rape. One of these songs was "Odalisque" on the Decemberists' album "Castaways and Cutouts." An odalisque is a female sex slave in Turkey. The Decemberists song tells the story of a woman who tried to escape the harem, but she was caught, and the story does not end well. To make matters worse, the line "Lazy lady had a baby and a sweet sound it made" is repeated twice in the song. Presumably, the first time, it's talking about how the odalisque's mother unwillingly had her as that part of the song tells the back story of the odalisque. When the line is repeated at the end of the song, it likely implies that just as her mother did, the odalisque gave birth to another daughter she unwillingly had, and possibly it goes on and on like this forever.

18. In this song, Bon Jovi sings that he is "What Cain was to Abel." Which song is that?

From Quiz More Songs About Crime

Answer: Blaze of Glory

"I'm what Cain was to Abel, Mr. Catch-Me-If-You-Can." Cain was Abel's murderer, therefore if you're what Cain was to Abel, you'd be a murderer. Bon Jovi wrote this song because Emilio Estevez asked him if he could use "Wanted Dead or Alive" for the movie "Young Guns 2." Bon Jovi refused, because "Wanted Dead or Alive" is really about life as a touring band, not really a song about crime. Instead, Bon Jovi wrote "Blaze of Glory" specifically for the movie. "Blaze of Glory" was a number one hit in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and it charted in the top 20 in several other places.

19. This song by Social Distortion is about a man who killed his fiancee and went to prison for it. What's it called?

From Quiz Songs About Crime

Answer: 99 to Life

"99 to Life" is an interesting song. At first it leads you to believe that the narrator just broke up with his girlfriend because she cheated on him("I'm broken-hearted, I'm a broken man. Driven by anger, on that night I ran. I had me a woman, I thought she'd be true."). Then you learned that she died, and the narrator may have been wrongfully blamed for her death ("Now she's gone and left me, you know her life is through. Lonely weekends, baby lonely nights. The judge he gave me 99 to Life"). Then finally, the narrator admits that he did it ("I killed my baby, I killed her with my knife"). Social Distortion have sold more than three million albums worldwide, making them one of the best-selling punk rock bands of all time. Most of their songs are about hard times. Singer/songwriter Mike Ness has said that he had a rough childhood and he's lucky to be alive and not in prison while many of his friends ended up in prison or dead.

20. Led Zeppelin added another songwriter to the credits of their 1969 track "Whole Lotta Love" in 1985. Who was the new addition?

From Quiz Stealing The Show

Answer: Willie Dixon

"Whole Lotta Love" was recorded for the band's 1969 album "Led Zeppelin II" and listed the songwriters as the four members of the band, however similarities were noted right from the start between this track and "You Need Loving" (1966) by Small Faces, which was in turn a very thinly veiled reworking of the Muddy Waters hit "You Need Love" (1962), written by Willie Dixon. Dixon eventually sued Led Zeppelin in 1985 and the band settled out of court and gave Dixon a songwriting credit on all future releases. Strangely, Dixon never sued Small Faces, although as Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant said, "You only get caught if you're successful."

21. Which former Beatle spent ten days in a Japanese jail before being deported, for bringing eight ounces of cannabis into the country in 1980?

From Quiz Big Star In The Big House Vol. 3

Answer: Paul McCartney

McCartney was arrested at the Tokyo airport after flying in to begin a tour of Japan with Wings. He has also been arrested for cannabis possession in Sweden, Scotland, USA and Barbados and is a long time advocate of cannabis legalisation. In 2015, after almost 50 years of smoking cannabis, he decided to quit in order to set a good example to his grand children.

22. Which artist was involved in a lawsuit for allegedly plagiarising himself?

From Quiz Lyrical Legalities

Answer: John Fogerty

John Fogerty became involved in a lawsuit brought about by Saul Zaentz who owned the rights to Creedence Clearwater Revival songs. Zaentz claimed Fogerty's song "The Old Man Down the Road" sounded too much like the CCR song, "Run Through the Jungle". Both songs were written by John Fogerty. The case set a legal precedent when the judge ruled that an artist cannot plagiarise himself. Fogerty claims he successfully demonstrated in court that the two compositions were not the same. The incorrect answer options are derived from a quote by Fogerty: "I proved that, no, I didn't copy myself, I invented something new that really sounds a lot like me. Do you find fault with Elvis for sounding like Elvis? When McCartney sounds like McCartney or Dylan sounds like Dylan? No one else ever had to go through that."

23. Why did Bobby Vee hit the guy "in the cafeteria?"

From Quiz Musical Mayhem

Answer: He made up stories about Bobby's crush

We learn in "Stayin' In" that "he was saying things that weren't true about her, so I let him have it in the cafeteria." Song made number 33 on the U.S. Billboard charts in 1961. Before they both became successful in the music industry Bob Dylan played piano in Bobby's band.

24. A 1970 R. Dean Taylor song deals with a fugitive who misses his wife, child, and home state of ____?

From Quiz Tragedy in Songs, Part 7: Criminals and Prison

Answer: Indiana

'Indiana Wants Me' hit number five on the U.S. Billboard, and number two in the UK. It deals with a young man who's on the run after killing a man who insulted his wife. The song includes police sirens in the background. When the song was first played on the radio, motorists reported pulling over, thinking that there was an emergency vehicle behind them.

25. The Kingston Trio had a hit song about being jailed south of the border. Where are they imprisoned in the song?

From Quiz Prison and Jailhouse Songs

Answer: Tijuana

"Tijuana Jail" reached number 12 on the charts in 1959. Denny Thompson composed this Kingston Trio hit about an ill-fated trip to Mexico. The boys get locked up for gambling and write to ask friends to send their bail to the Tijuana jail. The Kingston Trio was formed in 1957 in the Palo Alto, California, area by Dave Guard, Bob Shane, and Nick Reynolds. The group's first hit was a version of a traditional folk song called "Tom Dooley", a story of an actual hanging. It garnered a Gold Record in 1958 and launched their career. During the early sixties the group had four albums in the top the Billboard Top Ten. Despite numerous top selling albums the boys only had ten top-forty singles.

26. "I used to love her; But I had to kill her I used to love her; But I had to kill her. I knew I'd miss her; So I had to keep her; She's buried right in my backyard!" I think that is called a full confession. Who is the guilty party?

From Quiz Ten 'Killer' Songs

Answer: Guns and Roses

A light-hearted (I hope) take on how to deal with a nagging partner by Guns and Roses. "Used To Love Her" is found on the "G&R Lies" album. Although never released as a single it was a popular number at Guns and Roses concerts.

27. Who sang "Murder by Numbers"?

From Quiz Homicidal Rock

Answer: Sting

Sting, whose real name is Gordon Sumner, wrote this song. He was the lead singer of the reggae/new wave band The Police.

28. Another hit by Marty Robbins, we hear the story of a stranger in the town of Agua Frias. What does he carry on his hip?

From Quiz Tragedy in Songs, Part 5: Gunfights and Shootings

Answer: Big Iron

The Arizona Ranger leaves the outlaw dead in the street.

29. The song by Primer55 says, "This isn't what you wanted. Someone to bring you down every ... day".

From Quiz Child Abuse in Popular Music

Answer: This Life

"This is not the life you wanted--someone to make you, someone to break you..."

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