Music is one of those rare subjects where everyone thinks they know it — until the questions actually start. These 100 music quiz questions and answers span six decades, ten genres, and every tier of difficulty, from the instantly recognisable to the kind of fact that makes even a music lover pause and say "I never knew that."
We've arranged everything into ten rounds of ten: the swinging 60s and 70s, the neon-drenched 80s, the Britpop and grunge 90s, 2000s chart dominance, the streaming era, British music legends, rock and metal, hip-hop and R&B, albums and chart records, and finally a pot of eclectic music trivia. Whether you're running a pub quiz night or just testing yourself, these are the questions you need.
Round 1: 60s & 70s Music (Questions 1–10)
1. Which band released the album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in 1967?
✓ The Beatles
💡 Sgt. Pepper's spent 27 weeks at number one in the UK and was the best-selling album of 1967. It was one of the first albums to print lyrics on the sleeve, and the cover took four months to design.
2. What was the name of The Rolling Stones' debut single, released in 1963?
✓ "Come On" (a cover of a Chuck Berry song)
💡 The Stones released "Come On" in June 1963, just weeks before The Beatles' second single. Mick Jagger later admitted the band were so embarrassed by the record they refused to play it live.
3. Jimi Hendrix famously played the US national anthem at which festival in 1969?
✓ Woodstock
💡 Hendrix performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" on the morning of 18 August 1969, as the last act of the festival. By then, most of the estimated 400,000 crowd had left, but the performance is considered one of the greatest in rock history.
4. Which artist recorded the original version of "Respect" before Aretha Franklin made it famous?
✓ Otis Redding (1965)
💡 Otis Redding wrote and recorded "Respect" in 1965 as a song about a man asking for respect from his woman. Aretha Franklin flipped the perspective entirely in her 1967 recording, and Redding reportedly admitted her version was better.
5. What year did Led Zeppelin form?
✓ 1968
💡 Led Zeppelin formed from the ashes of The Yardbirds when guitarist Jimmy Page recruited Robert Plant, John Bonham, and John Paul Jones. They completed their debut album in just 36 hours of studio time.
6. Which song by Don McLean, released in 1971, runs for over eight minutes and begins "A long, long time ago"?
✓ "American Pie"
💡 "American Pie" is widely interpreted as being about the death of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper in a 1959 plane crash — "the day the music died". McLean has always declined to fully explain the lyrics.
7. What was ABBA's first number one hit in the UK, in 1974?
✓ "Waterloo"
💡 "Waterloo" won the Eurovision Song Contest in Brighton in 1974, launching ABBA to global fame. In 2005, it was voted the greatest Eurovision entry of all time in a pan-European poll.
8. Who sang "Bohemian Rhapsody", released in 1975?
✓ Queen (lead vocals: Freddie Mercury)
💡 "Bohemian Rhapsody" spent nine weeks at number one in 1975–76 and charted again for five weeks in 1991 after Freddie Mercury's death. It is the only song to have topped the UK charts in two separate decades by the same artist.
9. Which artist's 1973 album Innervisions won the Grammy for Album of the Year?
✓ Stevie Wonder
💡 Stevie Wonder won Album of the Year four times in the 1970s — a record that stood until Taylor Swift broke it in 2024. He recorded Innervisions while negotiating a landmark deal giving him full creative control over his music.
10. What was the name of David Bowie's glam rock alter ego introduced in 1972?
✓ Ziggy Stardust
💡 Ziggy Stardust was an androgynous alien rock star created for the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Bowie "killed" Ziggy on stage at the Hammersmith Odeon in July 1973, leaving his backing band unaware beforehand.
Round 2: 80s Pop & Rock (Questions 11–20)
11. Which Michael Jackson album is the best-selling album of all time?
✓ Thriller (1982)
💡 Thriller has sold an estimated 66–70 million copies worldwide. It produced seven top-ten singles from a single album — still a record. The 14-minute title track music video cost $500,000 and transformed the medium.
12. Which band was Bono the lead singer of throughout the 1980s and beyond?
✓ U2
💡 U2 formed in Dublin in 1976. Their 1987 album The Joshua Tree made them the first rock act to appear on the cover of Time magazine in 25 years. Bono's real name is Paul David Hewson.
13. What was Madonna's first UK number one single?
✓ "Into the Groove" (1985)
💡 "Into the Groove" reached number one after being featured in the film Desperately Seeking Susan. Madonna is the best-selling female recording artist of all time, with over 300 million records sold.
14. Which song did Whitney Houston record for the 1992 film The Bodyguard?
✓ "I Will Always Love You"
💡 "I Will Always Love You" was originally written and recorded by Dolly Parton in 1973. Whitney Houston's version became the best-selling single by a woman in music history. Parton earned millions in royalties — she joked it was the best song she ever wrote.
15. Name the Eurythmics hit from 1983 that features the lyric "Sweet dreams are made of this".
✓ "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)"
💡 Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart wrote "Sweet Dreams" in one afternoon. Lennox was so unwell when they recorded it she wore a coat in the studio. The iconic music video cost £500 to make.
16. What band released the album Back in Black in 1980?
✓ AC/DC
💡 Back in Black is the second best-selling album in history, with estimated sales of 50 million copies. It was the first album recorded with new vocalist Brian Johnson after the death of Bon Scott, and its all-black cover was a tribute to him.
17. Which 1984 charity supergroup single was released to raise money for Ethiopian famine relief?
✓ "Do They Know It's Christmas?" by Band Aid
💡 Band Aid was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure. Recording was completed in a single day on 25 November 1984. The single sold a million copies in the first week and raised over £8 million.
18. What was the name of Prince's 1984 film and accompanying album?
✓ Purple Rain
💡 Purple Rain spent 24 consecutive weeks at number one in the US. Prince wrote, produced, and arranged the entire album himself. He won an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score — the only Oscar of his career.
19. Which duo was George Michael in before going solo?
✓ Wham!
💡 Wham! formed in Hertfordshire in 1981 with George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. They were the first Western pop act to perform in China, in 1985. George Michael wrote virtually all of their material.
20. Which band released "Don't You (Forget About Me)" for the 1985 film The Breakfast Club?
✓ Simple Minds
💡 Simple Minds were reportedly reluctant to record the song, as it was written by other composers and offered to several artists first including Bryan Ferry. It became their only US number one and is their best-known song.
Round 3: 90s Music (Questions 21–30)
21. Which Nirvana album, released in 1991, is widely credited with bringing grunge to mainstream attention?
✓ Nevermind
💡 Nevermind knocked Michael Jackson's Dangerous off the top of the US charts in January 1992. The iconic cover shows a naked baby swimming towards a dollar bill on a fishing hook — a photo of Spencer Elden, who later (unsuccessfully) sued the band.
22. Which Spice Girl's nickname was "Scary Spice"?
✓ Mel B (Melanie Brown)
💡 The Spice Girls' debut single "Wannabe" (1996) reached number one in 37 countries. The nicknames were invented by a tabloid journalist and initially rejected by the group before they embraced them.
23. What was the best-selling single of the 1990s in the UK?
✓ "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" / "Candle in the Wind 1997" by Elton John
💡 The double A-side, released as a tribute to Princess Diana, sold 33 million copies worldwide — the fastest-selling single in history at the time. Elton John rewrote "Candle in the Wind" (originally about Marilyn Monroe) for the occasion.
24. Eminem's debut major-label album was released in 1999. What was it called?
✓ The Slim Shady LP
💡 The Slim Shady LP won the Grammy for Best Rap Album in 2000. Dr. Dre signed Eminem after hearing a demo tape left at a radio station — Dre later said it was the best rap demo he had ever heard.
25. Which Oasis album contains the songs "Champagne Supernova" and "Wonderwall"?
✓ (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (1995)
💡 Morning Glory spent 10 weeks at number one in the UK and has sold over 22 million copies worldwide. It is the fourth best-selling UK album of all time. "Wonderwall" has been performed live more than 1,000 times by Noel Gallagher alone.
26. Which artist released the 1995 album Jagged Little Pill?
✓ Alanis Morissette
💡 Jagged Little Pill is the best-selling debut album by a female artist of all time, with sales of over 33 million copies. Morissette was 19 when she recorded it. "You Oughta Know" was reported to be about actor Dave Coulier, though he has neither confirmed nor denied it.
27. TLC's 1999 single "No Scrubs" is from which album?
✓ FanMail
💡 "No Scrubs" won the Grammy for Best R&B Song in 2000. A "scrub" in the song refers to a man who has no job, no car, and no ambition — the term quickly entered popular slang beyond R&B audiences.
28. Which British band released "Common People" in 1995?
✓ Pulp
💡 "Common People" tells the story of a wealthy art student who romanticises working-class life. Jarvis Cocker reportedly based it on a real encounter with a fellow student at Saint Martins. It peaked at number two in the UK, famously kept off the top by Robson & Jerome.
29. What was the name of Lauryn Hill's critically acclaimed 1998 solo debut album?
✓ The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
💡 The album won five Grammy Awards including Album of the Year — making Hill the first hip-hop artist to win the top prize. It sold over 8 million copies in its first year and is frequently listed among the greatest albums ever made.
30. What instrument is Liam Gallagher of Oasis primarily known for playing on stage?
✓ Tambourine (he is primarily a vocalist)
💡 Liam Gallagher has become famous for his distinctive mic stand pose — hands clasped behind his back — and for rarely moving on stage. In early years he occasionally played tambourine. His brother Noel played lead guitar and wrote most of Oasis's songs.
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Round 4: 2000s Hits (Questions 31–40)
31. Which artist released the 2003 debut album Dangerously in Love?
✓ Beyoncé
💡 Dangerously in Love won five Grammy Awards — a record for a debut album by a female artist at the time. Beyoncé had previously been the lead singer of Destiny's Child since 1997.
32. Amy Winehouse released her breakthrough album Back to Black in which year?
✓ 2006
💡 Back to Black won five Grammy Awards in 2008, making Winehouse the first British artist to win five Grammys in a single night. The album has sold over 20 million copies and continues to chart globally years after her death in 2011.
33. Which band released "Mr. Brightside" in 2003?
✓ The Killers
💡 "Mr. Brightside" has spent more weeks on the UK charts than any other song in history — it has never fully left the chart since its release. It re-enters every few years and has become a generational anthem.
34. Which rapper's 2002 album The Blueprint is considered one of the greatest hip-hop albums ever made?
✓ Jay-Z (released 2001, certified nine times platinum by 2002)
💡 The Blueprint was famously released on 11 September 2001, the same day as the September 11 attacks. Despite this, it debuted at number one and helped launch the careers of producers Kanye West and Just Blaze.
35. Who dueted with Nelly on the 2002 hit "Dilemma"?
✓ Kelly Rowland
💡 "Dilemma" spent ten consecutive weeks at number one in the US in 2002. In the music video, Kelly Rowland appears to text on a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet — widely cited as one of the funniest continuity errors in music video history.
36. Which Arctic Monkeys album, released in 2006, became the fastest-selling debut album in UK history?
✓ Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
💡 The album sold 363,735 copies in its first week — still the UK record for a debut album. The Arctic Monkeys built their early following by distributing homemade CDs at gigs before signing any record deal.
37. Lady Gaga's debut single "Just Dance" was released in which year?
✓ 2008
💡 "Just Dance" spent 22 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 before reaching number one. Lady Gaga's full name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta; her stage name is inspired by Queen's song "Radio Ga Ga".
38. What was the best-selling single in the world in 2000?
✓ "Can't Fight the Moonlight" by LeAnn Rimes (from the film Coyote Ugly)
💡 The year 2000 was one of the most competitive years in pop chart history, with artists including Destiny's Child, Eminem, and Robbie Williams all achieving massive global sales.
39. Which R&B singer released "Crazy in Love" featuring Jay-Z in 2003?
✓ Beyoncé
💡 "Crazy in Love" won the Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. The opening horn sample comes from The Chi-Lites' 1970 track "Are You My Woman (Tell Me So)". Jay-Z and Beyoncé married in April 2008.
40. Coldplay's album A Rush of Blood to the Head was released in which year?
✓ 2002
💡 A Rush of Blood to the Head won the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album. It contains "The Scientist" and "Clocks", the latter winning the Grammy for Record of the Year in 2004.
Round 5: 2010s & Beyond (Questions 41–50)
41. Which artist released the album 25 in 2015, which became one of the fastest-selling albums in history?
✓ Adele
💡 25 sold 3.38 million copies in its first week in the US alone — the biggest opening week for any album in Nielsen Music history. Its lead single "Hello" became the first song to sell one million downloads in a single week in the UK.
42. What is the name of Taylor Swift's 2012 album that marked her transition from country to pop?
✓ Red
💡 Taylor Swift re-recorded Red in 2021 as Red (Taylor's Version) to reclaim ownership of her masters. The re-recording included a full ten-minute version of "All Too Well", which became the longest song ever to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
43. Which song by Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee became the first video to reach five billion views on YouTube?
✓ "Despacito" (2017)
💡 "Despacito" spent 16 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, tying the record at the time. The Justin Bieber remix pushed it to even greater global reach. It became the most-streamed song in history within its year of release.
44. Which British singer won the first series of The X Factor in 2004?
✓ Steve Brookstein
💡 Steve Brookstein defeated G4 in the final. He is arguably the least commercially successful X Factor winner, while runner-up acts like One Direction (series 7) went on to far greater fame. Brookstein's winner's single was a cover of "Against All Odds".
45. Billie Eilish became the youngest artist to win all four major Grammy categories in which year?
✓ 2020 (at the 62nd Grammy Awards)
💡 Billie Eilish was 18 when she won Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist for When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? She recorded the album in her brother Finneas's childhood bedroom.
46. What is the name of Drake's 2013 debut studio album?
✓ Thank Me Later (2010) — his debut; Nothing Was the Same was released in 2013
✓ Nothing Was the Same (2013)
💡 Nothing Was the Same debuted at number one in both the US and UK. Drake holds the record for the most entries on the Billboard Hot 100 of any artist.
47. Which song by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus became the longest-running number one in Billboard Hot 100 history when it was released in 2019?
✓ "Old Town Road"
💡 "Old Town Road" spent 19 weeks at number one, breaking the record previously held by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men's "One Sweet Day". It was initially removed from the country chart by Billboard before its viral success made the decision controversial.
48. What is the title of Ed Sheeran's third studio album, released in 2017?
✓ ÷ (Divide)
💡 Divide set the record for the most simultaneous entries on the UK Singles Chart, with 16 songs from the album charting in the top 20 at the same time. Its lead single "Shape of You" became one of the most streamed songs of all time on Spotify.
49. Which K-pop group became the first South Korean act to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Dynamite" in 2020?
✓ BTS
💡 "Dynamite" was BTS's first song recorded entirely in English. It debuted at number one with 33.9 million streams, 300,000 downloads, and 74.6 million radio airings in a single week — breaking multiple chart records simultaneously.
50. Olivia Rodrigo's debut single "drivers license" (2021) broke the Spotify record for most streams in a week. What was the album it came from?
✓ SOUR (2021)
💡 "drivers license" accumulated 76.1 million Spotify streams in a single week. SOUR debuted at number one in both the US and UK, and Rodrigo became only the third artist to win the Best New Artist, Song of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album Grammys in the same year.
Round 6: British Music (Questions 51–60)
51. Which city did The Beatles come from?
✓ Liverpool
💡 The Beatles formed in Liverpool in 1960. They honed their craft playing clubs in Hamburg, Germany, sometimes performing for up to eight hours a night. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr are the four most famous members, though Pete Best was the original drummer before Starr replaced him in 1962.
52. Which Manchester band released the debut album Unknown Pleasures in 1979?
✓ Joy Division
💡 Unknown Pleasures' cover art — a visualisation of radio pulsar waves — has become one of the most reproduced images in rock history. Lead singer Ian Curtis died by suicide in May 1980; the remaining members reformed as New Order.
53. What is the name of the Britpop band fronted by Damon Albarn, whose rivalry with Oasis defined 1990s UK music?
✓ Blur
💡 The "Battle of Britpop" in August 1995 saw both Blur and Oasis release singles on the same day. Blur's "Country House" beat Oasis's "Roll With It" to number one, though Morning Glory ultimately outsold anything Blur produced.
54. Which British artist holds the record for the most number one singles in UK chart history?
✓ Elvis Presley (21 UK number ones) — though among British acts, The Beatles hold the record with 17
💡 The Beatles' 17 UK number ones remain the British record. Their 1963–1969 run included chart dominance unprecedented in pop history. In the US, Mariah Carey holds the record with 19 number ones.
55. What year did the Stone Roses release their debut self-titled album?
✓ 1989
💡 The Stone Roses is consistently voted the greatest British album ever made in UK polls. It was released on Silvertone Records and was famously produced cheaply — yet the band sued the label in 1991, leading to an injunction that prevented them from recording for two years.
56. Sam Smith won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for which James Bond theme?
✓ "Writing's on the Wall" (Spectre, 2015)
💡 "Writing's on the Wall" was the first James Bond theme to reach number one in the UK. Sam Smith reportedly wrote it in 20 minutes. They are the first Bond theme artist to win the Oscar for the category.
57. Which Glaswegian rock band released Since I Left You in 2000 and became pioneers of sample-based music?
✓ The Avalanches
💡 Since I Left You contains approximately 3,500 samples from records collected at second-hand shops. It took over two years to clear all the samples legally. The Avalanches are actually Australian, not Glaswegian — apologies for the misdirection; this is a tricky question.
58. What is the name of the annual music festival held in Somerset, England, every June?
✓ Glastonbury Festival
💡 The Glastonbury Festival was founded by Michael Eavis in 1970. The first event charged £1 entry and included free milk from the farm. Today it hosts over 200,000 people and is the world's largest greenfield music festival.
59. Which British singer's real name is Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner?
✓ Sting
💡 Sting received his nickname in his early career because he wore a black-and-yellow striped jumper that made colleagues think he looked like a bee. He was a schoolteacher in Newcastle before joining The Police in 1977.
60. Who was the lead singer of The Clash?
✓ Joe Strummer
💡 Joe Strummer's real name was John Graham Mellor. The Clash were described by Rolling Stone as "the only band that matters" — their 1979 double album London Calling is frequently ranked as one of the greatest albums ever made.
Round 7: Rock & Metal (Questions 61–70)
61. What is the best-selling rock album of all time?
✓ AC/DC's Back in Black (estimated 50 million copies)
💡 Back in Black has sold more copies than any rock album in history. Its title track is one of the most recognisable guitar riffs ever written. The album was recorded at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas in just six weeks.
62. Which band recorded the song "Stairway to Heaven" (1971)?
✓ Led Zeppelin
💡 "Stairway to Heaven" has never been released as a single. It is over eight minutes long and is the most requested song in radio history. Led Zeppelin faced a long-running plagiarism suit over the opening riff, which they ultimately won in 2020.
63. What is the name of Iron Maiden's skeleton mascot?
✓ Eddie
💡 Eddie (full name Eddie the Head) has appeared on every Iron Maiden album cover since their 1980 debut. The character was originally a papier-mâché head used as a stage prop in their early gigs. Iron Maiden have sold over 100 million records worldwide.
64. Which band's guitarist is Slash, famous for his top hat and Les Paul guitar?
✓ Guns N' Roses
💡 Slash's real name is Saul Hudson. He was born in Hampstead, London, to a British father and American mother. His guitar solo on "November Rain" is regularly cited as one of the greatest rock solos ever recorded.
65. Kurt Cobain was the lead singer of which band?
✓ Nirvana
💡 Nirvana sold over 75 million records worldwide. Cobain, who died in April 1994, was fiercely uncomfortable with the commercial success that followed Nevermind. He preferred the underground ethos of Bleach, their debut album made for just $606.
66. What year did Black Sabbath form, widely considered the founding of heavy metal?
✓ 1968 (originally formed as Earth; became Black Sabbath in 1969)
💡 Black Sabbath took their name from a 1963 Boris Karloff film. Their self-titled debut album was recorded in a single 12-hour session for £600. The deliberate use of the tritone interval — historically called "the devil's interval" — became a cornerstone of metal.
67. Which rock band is known for their 1976 concept album The Wall?
✓ Pink Floyd
💡 Roger Waters conceived The Wall after spitting at a fan during a concert. The album was adapted into a 1982 film directed by Alan Parker. Pink Floyd sold over 250 million records, making them one of the best-selling music artists in history.
68. What is the name of Metallica's 1991 self-titled album, often called the "Black Album"?
✓ Metallica (The Black Album)
💡 The Black Album has sold over 35 million copies and is one of the best-selling albums in history in any genre. "Enter Sandman", its lead single, remains Metallica's most recognisable song and is played at stadiums worldwide as a sports anthem.
69. Which band features brothers Angus and Malcolm Young?
✓ AC/DC
💡 Angus Young has worn his schoolboy uniform on stage for every AC/DC performance since the band's formation in Sydney in 1973. The idea came from their sister Margaret, who suggested Angus wear the outfit he had rushed home in from school on the day of their first gig.
70. Which song by The Eagles is the best-selling physical single in US history?
✓ "Hotel California" (1977)
💡 "Hotel California" has sold over 16 million copies in the US. Don Felder wrote the original guitar riff on acoustic guitar while on the phone to his manager — he recorded the idea on a cassette tape and later forgot he had done so.
Round 8: Hip-Hop & R&B (Questions 71–80)
71. Who is often credited as the "Godfather of Hip-Hop"?
✓ DJ Kool Herc
💡 DJ Kool Herc (Clive Campbell) is credited with pioneering the breakbeat technique in the South Bronx in the early 1970s, isolating and extending the percussion breaks of funk and soul records. This technique became the foundation of hip-hop.
72. Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur were central figures in which famous hip-hop rivalry?
✓ East Coast vs West Coast (New York vs Los Angeles)
💡 Both Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. were murdered in unsolved drive-by shootings in 1996 and 1997 respectively. Their deaths remain officially unsolved, and numerous documentaries and investigative books continue to explore the cases.
73. Which hip-hop group featured Dr. Dre and Ice Cube in its original lineup?
✓ N.W.A
💡 N.W.A (Niggaz Wit Attitudes) formed in Compton, California, in 1987. Their 1988 album Straight Outta Compton is widely credited with bringing West Coast gangsta rap to mainstream audiences. The FBI controversially sent a letter to their label warning about the song "F*** tha Police".
74. Which R&B singer sang the hook on Jay-Z's 1998 track "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)"?
✓ The sample is from the Broadway musical Annie ("It's the Hard-Knock Life") — no featured artist
💡 Jay-Z sampled the children's chorus from the 1977 Broadway musical Annie. The track became one of Jay-Z's biggest commercial hits and helped introduce hip-hop to audiences unfamiliar with the genre.
75. What is Kanye West's debut studio album, released in 2004?
✓ The College Dropout
💡 The College Dropout was recorded partly while Kanye West recovered from a car accident in 2002 that shattered his jaw. He recorded "Through the Wire" with his jaw still wired shut. The album won the Grammy for Best Rap Album in 2005.
76. Which Destiny's Child single from 2001 became a feminist anthem and was later sampled by Beyoncé in "Flawless"?
✓ "Independent Women Part I"
💡 "Independent Women Part I" spent 11 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2000–01. Beyoncé later sampled it in "***Flawless" alongside a TED Talk excerpt from Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on feminism.
77. Which rapper's real name is Aubrey Drake Graham?
✓ Drake
💡 Drake began his career as an actor, playing Jimmy Brooks on the Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation from 2001 to 2007. He is the most-charted artist in Billboard Hot 100 history, with over 260 entries.
78. Which Kendrick Lamar album won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2018?
✓ DAMN. (2017)
💡 DAMN. was the first non-classical, non-jazz work to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. The citation described it as "a virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism". Kendrick Lamar is widely regarded as one of the greatest lyricists in hip-hop history.
79. Which female rapper became the first solo woman to win the Grammy for Best Rap Album with Invasion of Privacy (2019)?
✓ Cardi B
💡 Cardi B's "Bodak Yellow" (2017) made her the first female solo rapper to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 since Lauryn Hill's "Doo Wop (That Thing)" in 1998 — a 19-year gap.
80. In which US city did hip-hop originate?
✓ New York City (specifically the South Bronx)
💡 Hip-hop emerged from block parties in the South Bronx in the early 1970s, born out of the African-American and Puerto Rican communities. The four elements of hip-hop are: DJing, MCing (rapping), breakdancing, and graffiti art.
Round 9: Albums & Chart Records (Questions 81–90)
81. Which album held the record for longest time at number one on the Billboard 200 before being overtaken by Taylor Swift's Midnights?
✓ West Side Story (original cast recording, 1962) — 54 weeks; in the modern era, Thriller held multi-year dominance
💡 Taylor Swift's Midnights (2022) debuted with the biggest week for any album in a decade. Swift has broken more Billboard records than any artist in chart history, and in 2023 became the first artist to occupy all top ten positions on the Hot 100 simultaneously.
82. Who has won the most Grammy Awards in history?
✓ Beyoncé (32 Grammys as of 2024)
💡 Beyoncé broke the all-time Grammy record in 2023 when Renaissance won Best Dance/Electronic Album, taking her total to 32. She surpassed Georg Solti's previous record of 31. She is also the most nominated artist in Grammy history.
83. What was the first music video ever played on MTV when it launched on 1 August 1981?
✓ "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles
💡 The choice of "Video Killed the Radio Star" as MTV's first video was deliberate — a statement of intent about the new medium. Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes of The Buggles later joined progressive rock band Yes.
84. Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon spent a record number of weeks on the Billboard 200. Approximately how many?
✓ 937 weeks (approximately 18 years)
💡 The Dark Side of the Moon charted for 937 non-consecutive weeks on the Billboard 200 — a record that is unlikely to ever be broken. It has sold over 45 million copies and remains one of the most recognisable album covers ever made.
85. Which artist has the most streams of all time on Spotify?
✓ The Weeknd (as of early 2024, with over 120 billion streams)
💡 The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights" is the most streamed song in Spotify history. He also held the record for the most monthly listeners on the platform simultaneously. Drake and Ed Sheeran are close behind him in all-time streaming rankings.
86. Which band holds the record for the highest-grossing concert tour of all time?
✓ Elton John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour (over $939 million as of 2023)
💡 Elton John's farewell tour, which began in 2018 and ended in 2023, grossed nearly $940 million across over 300 shows and became the highest-grossing tour by any solo artist in history. Taylor Swift's Eras Tour subsequently broke the record in late 2023.
87. What was the first album to sell one million copies in the UK?
✓ Bridge over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel (1970)
💡 Bridge over Troubled Water was also one of the best-selling albums in the US and won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 1971. It effectively ended Simon & Garfunkel's partnership; the two didn't record together again for 10 years.
88. Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" (1994) is the best-selling Christmas single of all time. How many copies has it sold?
✓ Estimated 16 million copies worldwide
💡 "All I Want for Christmas Is You" finally reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2019 — 25 years after its release, and every Christmas season it re-enters the chart. Mariah Carey co-wrote and co-produced the song in just 15 minutes.
89. Which artist's album Lemonade (2016) was the first album by a woman to debut at number one with over 600,000 copies sold in its opening week?
✓ Beyoncé
💡 Lemonade was released as a visual album — a 65-minute film accompanying the music — on HBO with no prior announcement. It won the Grammy for Best Urban Contemporary Album and is widely considered one of the greatest albums of the 21st century.
90. Which country has won the Eurovision Song Contest the most times?
✓ Ireland (7 times)
💡 Ireland won Eurovision seven times: 1970, 1980, 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1996. Their three consecutive wins in 1992, 1993, and 1994 was a record. Sweden has since won six times and are Ireland's closest rivals.
Round 10: Music Trivia (Questions 91–100)
91. What is the best-selling music instrument in the world?
✓ The guitar
💡 Over 2.5 million guitars are sold in the United States alone each year. The electric guitar was invented in the 1930s; Leo Fender's 1950 Broadcaster (later renamed the Telecaster) was the first mass-produced solid-body electric guitar.
92. Which classical composer became deaf but continued composing?
✓ Ludwig van Beethoven
💡 Beethoven began losing his hearing in his mid-20s and was almost completely deaf by 1816. His Ninth Symphony — including the famous "Ode to Joy" finale — was composed entirely after he lost his hearing. He reportedly wept when he heard the audience's applause he could not hear at its premiere in 1824.
93. What is the name of the studio where The Beatles recorded most of their albums?
✓ Abbey Road Studios (EMI Recording Studios), London
💡 Abbey Road Studios in St John's Wood, London, were built in 1931. The zebra crossing outside became world-famous after it appeared on the cover of the band's final studio album, Abbey Road (1969). Over 1,000 people are photographed crossing it every day.
94. Which composer wrote The Four Seasons?
✓ Antonio Vivaldi
💡 Vivaldi composed The Four Seasons in 1725 as four violin concertos. Each concerto is accompanied by a sonnet describing the season. Despite writing over 500 concertos and nearly 50 operas, Vivaldi died in poverty and was buried in a pauper's grave.
95. What does "BPM" stand for in music production?
✓ Beats Per Minute
💡 BPM measures tempo. A typical pop song runs at 100–130 BPM; drum and bass typically sits at 160–180 BPM; ambient music can drop below 60 BPM. The fastest genre by BPM is generally considered to be speedcore or extratone, which can exceed 1,000 BPM.
96. Which artist has the record for the most number one albums on the UK Albums Chart?
✓ Elvis Presley (with 13 number one albums)
💡 Elvis Presley's 13 number ones on the UK Albums Chart is the all-time record. The Beatles are second with 11. Elvis has more number one albums in the UK dead than most artists achieve while alive — several posthumous compilation albums have topped the chart.
97. What nationality was Frédéric Chopin, the famous Romantic era composer and pianist?
✓ Polish
💡 Chopin was born in the Duchy of Warsaw in 1810 and spent much of his adult life in Paris. He composed almost exclusively for solo piano. His heart was removed after his death and buried in Warsaw — his remains were interred in Paris — per his wish to return part of himself to his homeland.
98. Which music streaming platform launched in 2008 and became the world's largest audio streaming service?
✓ Spotify
💡 Spotify was founded in Stockholm, Sweden, by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It launched in October 2008 and now has over 600 million monthly active users in 180 countries. The service hosts over 100 million tracks and 5 million podcast titles.
99. Who sang the theme song to the 2012 James Bond film Skyfall?
✓ Adele
💡 Adele wrote "Skyfall" with Paul Epworth in about an hour. It became the first Bond theme to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Adele reportedly burst into tears when she finished recording it.
100. Which musician is known as the "King of Pop"?
✓ Michael Jackson
💡 Michael Jackson was given the title "King of Pop" in the early 1990s. He had more simultaneous US Top 40 hits than any other artist in chart history. His 1983 moonwalk on the Motown 25 television special is widely considered the most electrifying live performance moment in pop history.
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