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Music Quiz Questions

46.	What is the world's best-selling music album of all time?
	Thriller by Michael Jackson Sales estimated at 104 million copies.

45.	Which Arabic singer was referred to as the 'Lady' by Charles De Gaulle and as the 'Incomparable Voice' by Maria Callas and has been a significant influence on a number of musicians, both in the Arab world and beyond?
	Umm Kulthum (1898-1975) Umm Kulthum is remembered in the Arab world as one of the greatest singers and musicians who have ever lived and even today, she has retained a near mythical status amongst young Arabs. Her funeral was attended by over 4 million mourners.

44.	The rock band 'The Doors' generated a controversy with the single 'Hello, I Love You' in 1968, when the rock press pointed out the song's musical resemblance to 1965 hit 'All Day and All of the Night' of which other popular band?
	The Kinks Members of the Kinks have concurred with music critics: Kinks guitarist Dave Davies has been known to add snippets of 'Hello, I Love You' during solo live performances of 'All Day and All of the Night' as a sarcastic commentary on the subject.

43.	Whom did Paul McCartney refer to when he said "If anyone was the Fifth Beatle, it was X."?
	Brian Epstein, the manager of The Beatles. He also managed numerous other groups like Gerry & The Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, and solo artists like Cilla Black.

42.	Which composer of the 20th century is widely known as “the dean of American composers"?
	Aaron Copland (1900 - 1990) Copland's music achieved a difficult balance between modern music and American folk styles, and the open, slowly changing harmonies of many of his works are said to evoke the vast American landscape. Aside from composing, Copland taught, presented music-related lectures, wrote books and articles, and served as a conductor.

41.	Whose posthumous compilation album Legend (1984) is the best-selling reggae album ever, with sales of more than 12 million copies?
	Bob Marley (1945-1981)

40.	The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time was a cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone magazine published in August 2003 and Jimi Hendrix was no.1 on the list. Who followed at no.2?
	Duane Allman of the 'Allman Brothers Band' followed by B. B. King, Eric Clapton and Robert Johnson. The most represented band was The Allman Brothers Band with 4 guitarists: Duane Allman (2nd), Warren Haynes (23rd), Dickey Betts (58th), and Derek Trucks (81st).

39.	Jimi Hendrix presented the burnt and broken parts of the Fender Stratocaster guitar that he destroyed onstage at the 1968 Miami Pop Festival to whom?
	Frank Zappa After Hendrix's death in 1970, Zappa rebuilt the instrument and played it extensively during the 1970s and 1980s.

38.	Which fiesty 1960's country singer was known for her outspokenness and had many songs banned, including "Rated X", about the double standards divorced women face, "Wings Upon Your Horns", about the loss of teenage virginity, and "The Pill", about a wife and mother becoming liberated via the birth control pill?
	Loretta Lynn Her song "Dear Uncle Sam", released in 1966, was an early protest of the Vietnam War, and was added to live sets during the current Iraq War.

37.	Which iconic music figure was recognized by a plethora of (mostly self-bestowed) titles, including Soul Brother Number One, Mr. Dynamite, The Hardest Working Man in Show Business, and the best-known, the Godfather of Soul?
	James Brown (1933-2006) As a prolific singer, songwriter, bandleader, and record producer, Brown was a pivotal force in the evolution of gospel and rhythm and blues into soul and funk. He left his mark on numerous other musical genres, including rock, jazz, disco, dance and electronic music, reggae and hip hop.

36.	What is the nickname given to a group of popular entertainers who were most active between the mid-1950s and mid-1960s and whose line-up featured Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop?
	The Rat Pack Despite its reputation as a masculine group, the Rat Pack did have female participants, such as movie icons Shirley MacLaine, Lauren Bacall, and Judy Garland.

35.	Who, along with Beethoven and Bach, is part of the 3 B's of music?
	Brahms (1883-1897) Brahms wrote, among others, a number of major works for orchestra, including four symphonies, two piano concertos, and the pair of orchestral overtures. Despite his reputation as a serious composer of complex musical designs, some of Brahms's commercially successful compositions were aimed at the large contemporary market of domestic music making, and are small-scale and popular in intention.

34.	Although the likes of Kraftwerk had earlier pioneered all-electronic music, it has been said that this is the first disco-style song recorded with an entirely synthesized backing track, and has been enormously influential in the development of disco, electronica and techno music, thanks to Giorgio Moroder's innovative production. Which song?
	'I feel love' by Donna Summer Donna Summer is best known for a string of dance hits in the 1970s that earned her the title 'Queen of Disco' and as one of the few disco-based artists to have longevity on the charts into the late-1980s.

33.	By his own request, which Austrian composer was buried next to Beethoven, whom he had adored all his life, in 1828?
	Franz Schubert (1797-1828) He wrote some 600 Lieder, seven completed symphonies, the famous "Unfinished Symphony", liturgical music, operas, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music. He is particularly noted for his genius for original melodic and harmonic writing.

32.	Which song, whose lyrics were written in 1895 by the poet and nationalist Banjo Paterson, is Australia's most widely known folk song?
	Waltzing Matilda There have been persistent calls for the establishment of "Waltzing Matilda" as the national anthem instead of the current national anthem, "Advance Australia Fair". The song is recognisable and easily sung, but its lyrics, narrating the story of a swagman, the Australian equivalent of a tramp, render it unlikely to ever gain acceptance in official circles.

31.	Which 1892 song about a gambler was made famous by Charles Coburns, and is also famously sung by Peter O'Toole in an echo canyon in the movie 'The Lawrence of Arabia'?
	"The man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo" by Fred Gilbert. It was probably inspired by the exploits of Charles Wells, who broke the bank on many occasions on the first two of his three trips.

30.	Which instrumental song, played on screen by Ronny Cox and Billy Redden, won the 1974 Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance?
	Dueling Banjos from Deliverance The song was originally composed by Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith and Don Reno as Feuding Banjos in 1955. In the film, the boy Lonny eventually outplays Drew Ballinger.

29.	Released on 8 May 1970, what is the twelfth and final original album by The Beatles?
	Let It Be Previously this site incorrectly listed 'Abbey Road' (1969) as the last released album. It was in fact the last album started by The Beatles although its release preceded that of 'Let It Be'.(Many thanks to Andrew H for sending in the correction.)

28.	Which iconic opera stereotype plays in the background as helicopters swoop in to annihilate a village in one of the opening scenes of the movie 'Apocalypse Now'?
	Ride of the Valkyries

27.	In Billy Joels' song 'We didn't start the fire', who are the only 2 people mentioned twice?
	JFK and Nixon The song was a huge commercial success and provided Billy Joel with his third, and final, Billboard #1 hit. Although the song ranked #1 in the US, and #7 in the UK, Blender magazine ranked "We Didn't Start the Fire" #44 on its list of the 50 worst songs ever.

26.	What is the better known name of the English singer Yusuf Islam, who released an album titled 'An Other Cup' in 2006?
	Cat Stevens

25.	Which Pink Floyd single provided the band's only number-one hit in the UK, the US, West Germany and many other countries?^New!
	Part II of 'Another brick in the wall'. It is best known for the line "We Don't Need No Education". It is a protest song against rigid schooling in general and boarding schools in particular which has led to the song being banned in several countries. This single also gave Pink Floyd a Grammy nomination for Best Performance by a Rock Duo or Group but they lost to Bob Seger's "Against the Wind".

24.	Which band were officially inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, but they refused to attend the induction, calling the museum a "Hall of Shame" and comparing it with a "piss stain"?
	The Sex Pistols Although their initial career lasted only three years and produced only four singles and one studio album, the Sex Pistols have been described by the BBC as "the definitive English punk rock band." The Pistols are widely credited with initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and creating the first generation gap within rock and roll.

23.	What is the title of Led Zeppelin's concert film?
	The Song Remains the Same The recording of the film took place during three nights of concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York in 1973, during the band's Houses of the Holy tour. "The Song Remains the Same" is also a Led Zeppelin song from their 1973 album Houses of the Holy.

22.	Who are the only non-US/UK band to achieve a #1 hit in both the UK and the US?
	Men at Work for 'Down Under' in 1982 It was re-released as an unofficial theme song during Australia's successful 1983 America's Cup challenge, and has become an unofficial national anthem for many Aussies.

21.	Which controversial 1992 song by Hardcore punk band Body Count was co-written by Ice-T, the group's vocalist and provoked a national debate about freedom of speech in the US?
	Cop Killer

20.	Which term describes someone who makes or repairs stringed instruments?
	A luthier The word luthier comes from the French (its word for lute is "luth"). The makers that originally built lutes eventually built violins and other string instruments as well, but the appellation remained.

19.	Which genre of music, often regarded as the first truly American musical form, is identified with the composer Scott Joplin?
	Ragtime The defining characteristic of ragtime music is a specific type of syncopation in which melodic accents fall between metrical beats. This results in a melody that seems to be avoiding some metrical beats of the accompaniment by emphasizing notes that either anticipate or follow the beat. The intended effect on the listener is actually to accentuate the beat, thereby inducing the listener to move to the music.

18.	Which American composer is best known for his composition 4'33'', whose three movements are performed without a single note being played?^New!
	John Cage (1912-1992) Though he remains a controversial figure, he is generally regarded as one of the most important composers of his era. Cage was a long-term collaborator and romantic partner of choreographer Merce Cunningham. In addition to his composing, Cage was also a philosopher, writer, printmaker, and avid amateur mycologist and mushroom collector.

17.	A famous remark, often attributed to Brian Eno, is that while only a few thousand people bought a record of this band upon their initial release, almost every single one of the purchasers was inspired to start a band. What is this influential rock band?
	The Velvet Underground

16.	Which collection of orchestral movements were composed by George Frideric Handel in 1717 at the request of King George I? These are also his best known work.
	Water Music A legend follows that Handel composed the Water Music to regain the favour of King George I.

15.	According to 'Opera America', what is the most often-performed opera in North America?
	Madama Butterfly It is an opera in three acts (originally two acts) by Giacomo Puccini. The opera belongs essentially to the city of Nagasaki, and according to American scholar Arthur Groos was based on events that actually occurred there in the early 1890s. Japan's best-known opera singer Miura Tamaki won international fame for her performances as Cio-Cio-san and her statue, together with that of Puccini, can be found in Nagasaki's Glover Garden.

14.	Bruce Springsteen won an academy award for which song/film in 1994?
	Streets of Philadelphia/Philadelphia The song, along with the film, was applauded by many for its sympathetic portrayal of a gay man dying of AIDS. The music video for the song shows Springsteen's actual vocal performance, recorded using a hidden microphone, to a prerecorded instrumental track. This was a technique developed on the "Brilliant Disguise" video.

13.	The 1967 film 'The Graduate' features music of which duo, as the director Mike Nichols had become obsessed with their music while shooting the film?
	Simon & Garfunkel's

12.	What is the term given to the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera?
	Libretto It is an Italian word which translates literally as "little book." It is distinct from a synopsis or scenario of the plot. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass and requiem.

11.	The first album by the rock group Pink Floyd 'The Piper at the Gates of Dawn' (1967) was named after a chapter in which children's classic?
	The Wind in the Willows However, the songs on the album are not directly related to the contents of the book.

10.	In the movie "Bridge on the River Kwai" what tune was being whistled by Colonel Nicholson and his men?
	Colonel Bogie's March

9.	Which 1968 rock album is seen as the peak of Jimi Hendrix's mastery of the electric guitar, and also features a cover version of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" and "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)", a staple of both radio and guitar repertoire?
	Electric Ladyland In 2005 Q magazine readers voted Electric Ladyland the 38th greatest album of all time; in 2003 the TV network VH1 placed it at number 72. In 2003, Rolling Stone declared it the 54th greatest album of all time.

8.	What piece of music, a set of 30 keyboard techniques by Johann Sebastian Bach, was reportedly written to cure insomnia?
	The Goldberg Variations published in 1741 It was once seen as a boring technical exercise but is today considered one of the most important examples of its form. Today, the emotional content and range of the work is increasingly realised, and it has become a favorite work of many classical music listeners. The Variations are widely performed and recorded, and have been the subject of many articles, books and analytical studies.

7.	Which iconic American contralto is best remembered for her performance on Easter Sunday, 1939 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.?
	Marian Anderson On January 27, 2005, a commemorative U.S. postage stamp honored Marian Anderson as part of the Black Heritage series.

6.	Which musical, adapted from a French novel by Gaston Leroux is now the longest running Broadway show in history?
	The Phantom of the Opera It is also the most lucrative entertainment enterprise of all time, with its worldwide box office over the past 20 years out-grossing even the highest grossing film in history, Titanic. The story is about a man named Erik, the Phantom of the Opera, an eccentric, physically deformed genius who terrorizes the Opera Garnier in Paris, France. He builds his home beneath it and takes the love of his life, a beautiful soprano, under his wing.

5.	Which pioneer of rock & roll music, famous for the songs 'Johnny B. Goode', Maybellene' and 'Rock & Roll Music', was praised by John Lennon as: "If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it 'X'? ^New!
	Chuck Berry Berry was among the first musicians to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on its opening in 1986. He received Kennedy Center Honors in 2000 in a "class" with Mikhail Baryshnikov, Plácido Domingo, Angela Lansbury, and Clint Eastwood. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Chuck Berry #5 on their list of The Immortals: 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. He was also ranked 6th on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.

4.	What song was written/performed by Billy Joel to underscore the plight of fishermen on Long Island who are barely able to make ends meet?
	The Downeaster Alexa It is from the album Storm Front that also had the hits "We didn't start the fire", "I Go To Extremes", "Leningrad" and the ballad "And So It Goes".

3.	Which rock group's name comes from the UK Social Security form for unemployment benefit?
	UB40 (UB40 = Unemployment Benefit, Form 40). UB40 are arguably the number one reggae act of all time in terms of record sales (over 55 million), chart positions and touring schedule.

2.	Which Beethoven's only opera tells how Leonore, disguised as a prison guard, rescues her husband Florestan from death in a political prison?
	Fidelio The opera is a central work of Beethoven's so-called "middle period," and like much of Beethoven's music of this time it emphasizes heroism.

1.	Which former Beatle was a disciple of the Indian sitar maestro Ravi Shankar?
	George Harrison

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