A good music quiz should give the person humming every chorus and the person memorizing liner notes a chance to save their team.
These 90 music trivia questions move through pop, rock, hip-hop, soul, country, global hits, classical pieces, and instruments without making one particular playlist the price of admission.
Before you start: Give one point per correct answer, and read carefully when a question asks for a songwriter instead of a performer. The questions name particular recordings or releases where a song has several well-known versions.
Pop Music: The Sing-Along Round
Start with recognizable singles and albums, then see who remembers the credits behind the chorus.
- What was Britney Spears’s debut single?
Answer: “…Baby One More Time.” - Which artist released “bad guy” in 2019?
Answer: Billie Eilish. - Who recorded the hit single “Call Me Maybe”?
Answer: Carly Rae Jepsen. - Which Taylor Swift album originally released in 2014 is named after her birth year?
Answer: 1989. - Who released Future Nostalgia in 2020?
Answer: Dua Lipa. - Which song did Whitney Houston record for The Bodyguard that became one of her signature performances?
Answer: “I Will Always Love You.” - Who wrote and originally recorded “I Will Always Love You” before Whitney Houston’s version?
Answer: Dolly Parton. The famous cover and the original composition have different performers. - Which boy band released “I Want It That Way”?
Answer: Backstreet Boys. - Which British group released “Wannabe” in 1996?
Answer: Spice Girls. - Which K-pop group released the English-language single “Dynamite” in 2020?
Answer: BTS. - Who recorded “Blinding Lights”?
Answer: The Weeknd. - Who sings with Lady Gaga on “Shallow” from the 2018 A Star Is Born?
Answer: Bradley Cooper. - Which singer is featured on Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk”?
Answer: Bruno Mars. - What is the title of Olivia Rodrigo’s debut studio album?
Answer: SOUR. - Which singer released “Flowers” in January 2023?
Answer: Miley Cyrus.
Rock, Bands, and Album-Shelf Favorites
This round rewards the people who know the band, the album, and occasionally the person who actually wrote the song.
- Which Queen member wrote “Bohemian Rhapsody”?
Answer: Freddie Mercury. - Which band released the album and song Hotel California?
Answer: Eagles. - On which Nirvana album does “Smells Like Teen Spirit” appear?
Answer: Nevermind. - Which Nirvana drummer went on to found Foo Fighters?
Answer: Dave Grohl. - In which year was Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon released?
Answer: 1973. - In which year did the Beatles release Abbey Road?
Answer: 1969. - Which came out later: Abbey Road or Let It Be?
Answer: Let It Be. Recording order and release order are not the same thing. - Which two Led Zeppelin members are credited with writing “Stairway to Heaven”?
Answer: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. - What is the title of Guns N’ Roses’ debut studio album?
Answer: Appetite for Destruction. - What is Pearl Jam’s debut studio album called?
Answer: Ten. - Which musician created the Ziggy Stardust persona?
Answer: David Bowie. - Which band released Rumours in 1977?
Answer: Fleetwood Mac. - Who released The Joshua Tree?
Answer: U2. - Which band released “Mr. Brightside”?
Answer: The Killers. - What are the first names of the two members of the White Stripes?
Answer: Jack and Meg.
Hip-Hop, R&B, and Soul
There are album questions, collaborations, and a pair of songwriting credits worth keeping separate from the recordings that made them famous.
- Which Kendrick Lamar album won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music?
Answer: DAMN. The album was released in 2017; the award followed in 2018. - Who released Illmatic in 1994?
Answer: Nas. - What is the title of Lauryn Hill’s 1998 solo studio album?
Answer: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. - Which group included Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Pras Michel?
Answer: The Fugees. - Which two performers make up OutKast?
Answer: André 3000 and Big Boi. - Which hip-hop group released “C.R.E.A.M.”?
Answer: Wu-Tang Clan. - Which film features Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” on its soundtrack?
Answer: 8 Mile. - What was Jay-Z’s debut studio album?
Answer: Reasonable Doubt. - Who released the album Supa Dupa Fly?
Answer: Missy Elliott. - Which actor and musician performs as Childish Gambino?
Answer: Donald Glover. - Who released Songs in A Minor as her debut studio album?
Answer: Alicia Keys. - Who wrote and first released “Respect” in 1965?
Answer: Otis Redding. - Who released the celebrated 1967 version of “Respect”?
Answer: Aretha Franklin. - Which two singers recorded the 1998 duet “The Boy Is Mine”?
Answer: Brandy and Monica. - Who released Songs in the Key of Life?
Answer: Stevie Wonder.
Country and Folk Favorites
Bring the road-trip singers into this round, but do not assume the best-known voice on a song is always its writer.
- Which singer is associated with the nickname “The Man in Black”?
Answer: Johnny Cash. - Who wrote and recorded “Jolene”?
Answer: Dolly Parton. - Who wrote “Crazy,” the song made famous by Patsy Cline?
Answer: Willie Nelson. - Which Willie Nelson song shares its title with a phrase about traveling again?
Answer: “On the Road Again.” - Which singer recorded the 1971 hit “Take Me Home, Country Roads”?
Answer: John Denver. - Which state is named in the chorus of “Take Me Home, Country Roads”?
Answer: West Virginia. - Who recorded “Friends in Low Places”?
Answer: Garth Brooks. - Which Canadian singer released Come On Over in 1997?
Answer: Shania Twain. - Which country singer made “The Gambler” one of his signature recordings?
Answer: Kenny Rogers. - Who joins Kenny Rogers on the 1983 recording of “Islands in the Stream”?
Answer: Dolly Parton. - On which 1999 album by the group then known as the Dixie Chicks does “Goodbye Earl” appear?
Answer: Fly. - Who recorded “Before He Cheats”?
Answer: Carrie Underwood. - Who released Golden Hour in 2018?
Answer: Kacey Musgraves. - What is Chris Stapleton’s debut solo studio album called?
Answer: Traveller. - Who wrote and released the original “Fast Car” in 1988?
Answer: Tracy Chapman. Later recordings are covers of her song.
Global Hits and International Artists
This round travels across countries and languages, with the performers identified carefully when a producer and a vocalist share the same hit.
- From which country did ABBA emerge?
Answer: Sweden. - Which Italian band won Eurovision in 2021?
Answer: Måneskin. - Which South Korean solo performer released “Gangnam Style”?
Answer: PSY. PSY is a performer, not the name of a group. - Which Spanish duo originally recorded “Macarena”?
Answer: Los del Río. - Which Puerto Rican singer released “Despacito” featuring Daddy Yankee?
Answer: Luis Fonsi. - Which reggaeton artist released “Gasolina”?
Answer: Daddy Yankee. - What Shakira song was selected as the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup?
Answer: “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” featuring Freshlyground. - Which Japanese singer released “Automatic” as part of a 1998 debut single?
Answer: Hikaru Utada. - From which country is the singer Anitta?
Answer: Brazil. - Which vocalist features on David Guetta’s “Titanium”?
Answer: Sia. - Who sings on Master KG’s original recording of “Jerusalema”?
Answer: Nomcebo Zikode. - Which Norwegian band recorded “Take On Me”?
Answer: a-ha. - Which French electronic duo released Random Access Memories in 2013?
Answer: Daft Punk. - What is the widely used name for BTS’s fan community?
Answer: ARMY. - Which Caribbean country was Bob Marley from?
Answer: Jamaica.
Classical Music, Instruments, and Musical Terms
The final round steps away from singles and albums, so the musicians in the room finally get to use the vocabulary they have been patiently keeping to themselves.
- Who composed the violin concertos collectively called The Four Seasons?
Answer: Antonio Vivaldi. - Which numbered Beethoven symphony includes the choral “Ode to Joy” finale?
Answer: Symphony No. 9. - Who composed the opera The Magic Flute?
Answer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. - Who composed the ballet score for The Nutcracker?
Answer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. - Who composed the orchestral suite The Planets?
Answer: Gustav Holst. - How many keys are on a standard full-size modern piano?
Answer: Eighty-eight. Some specialized pianos have more, so “standard” matters. - Despite usually being made of brass, a saxophone belongs to which orchestral instrument family?
Answer: Woodwinds, because of how it produces sound with a reed. - How many strings does a standard violin have?
Answer: Four. - What is another name for orchestral kettledrums?
Answer: Timpani. - To which instrument family does the trumpet belong?
Answer: Brass. - Does an oboe normally use a single reed or a double reed?
Answer: A double reed. - What does pianissimo instruct a musician to do?
Answer: Play very softly. - What does crescendo mean?
Answer: Gradually get louder, not faster. - What does forte mean in a musical score?
Answer: Loud or strongly. - What musical feature is commonly measured in beats per minute?
Answer: Tempo.
Sources and Music-Credit Notes
The Country Music Hall of Fame profiles of Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson help separate songwriting from famous cover recordings. The Beatles’ own Abbey Road history explains its recording and release sequence, while the Pulitzer record identifies DAMN. and the year of its award.
For instrument details, Yamaha’s guides explain the 88-key piano and the saxophone’s classification. Release years here refer to the original version named in the question, not a later remix, re-recording, or reissue.
Please report a correction with the question number and specific recording when a credit or version needs clarification. You should not have to guess which of several legitimate covers the host had in mind.
Choose Your Encore
Go deeper with Taylor Swift trivia, switch to movie trivia, or build a mixed game from bar trivia.
Looking for another round? Browse the Music trivia topic guide for related quizzes with answers.
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