Music quizzes always sound easy until somebody asks a question about a 1960s TV show or a one-hit wonder your parents somehow still know every single word to.
One minute you’re confidently singing along in your head, and the next you suddenly cannot remember which band Boy George was actually in. This quiz jumps between old-school pop, movie soundtracks, Christmas songs, musicals, guitars, and random music facts that will either make you feel incredibly clever or completely ancient.
1. Which British singer reached number one in America with Sunshine Superman in 1966?
This singer became one of the most recognisable voices of the psychedelic 1960s.
a) Cat Stevens
b) Donovan
c) Rod Stewart
d) Tom Jones
2. Where was love in Wet Wet Wet’s huge hit song?
This song seemed to play absolutely everywhere during the 1990s.
a) In Your Eyes
b) Around The World
c) All Around
d) In The Air
3. Which 1997 film featured the song My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion?
Even people who have never seen the film usually know this song instantly.
a) Ghost
b) Titanic
c) Armageddon
d) The Bodyguard
4. Blowin’ In The Wind became a huge hit for which trio?
Bob Dylan wrote the song, but another group helped turn it into an international success.
a) Simon, Paul, and Art
b) Peter, Paul, and Mary
c) Crosby, Stills and Nash
d) The Kingston Trio
5. Which New Seekers song was later used in a Coca-Cola advert?
This song became famous far beyond the charts thanks to television advertising.
a) I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing
b) Morningtown Ride
c) Beg, Steal Or Borrow
d) Look What They’ve Done To My Song
6. Which Irish girl group scored four UK number ones in 1998 and 1999?
This group became famous for double denim, catchy pop songs, and chaotic energy.
a) The Corrs
b) B*Witched
c) Girls Aloud
d) All Saints
7. Which girl group worked with Fun Boy Three on It Ain’t What You Do?
Source: Unsplash This became one of the best-known collaborations of the 1980s.
a) Eternal
b) Sugababes
c) Bananarama
d) The Bangles
8. Which Christmas song begins with the line, “Are you hanging up your stocking on the wall?”
This festive anthem still dominates British Christmas playlists every year.
a) Merry Xmas Everybody
b) Fairytale Of New York
c) Last Christmas
d) Step Into Christmas
9. Which band first made Boy George famous?
This group became one of the defining acts of 1980s pop music.
a) Duran Duran
b) Wham!
c) Culture Club
d) Spandau Ballet
10. Which musical includes the song Food, Glorious Food?
Even people who have never watched the full musical usually recognise this famous tune.
a) Annie
b) Oliver!
c) Cats
d) Grease
11. Which singer released albums including Hunky Dory and The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust?
This legendary artist completely changed rock music and pop culture during the 1970s.
a) Freddie Mercury
b) Elton John
c) David Bowie
d) Marc Bolan
12. Which vocal group was led by Frankie Valli?
This group became famous for huge harmonies and songs like December, 1963.
a) The Drifters
b) The Four Seasons
c) The Platters
d) The Temptations
13. How many strings does a Spanish guitar have?
This is one of those questions that sounds ridiculously easy right until you second-guess yourself.
a) Four
b) Five
c) Six
d) Eight
14. How many valves does a trumpet have?
Brass instruments suddenly become much harder once pub quiz questions get involved.
a) Two
b) Three
c) Four
d) Five
15. Gaz Coombes was the lead singer of which 1990s band?
This band became one of the biggest names of the Britpop era.
a) Blur
b) Pulp
c) Supergrass
d) Ocean Colour Scene
16. What colour was Hawkwind’s 1972 machine?
This is either a brilliant music question or a complete nightmare depending on your age.
a) Gold
b) Black
c) Silver
d) Blue
17. Which Christmas song begins with the line, “Come they told me, pa rum pum pum pum”?
This song has become a festive classic despite sounding slightly strange when you actually read the lyrics out loud.
a) Silent Night
b) Little Drummer Boy
c) O Holy Night
d) Do They Know It’s Christmas?
18. In Winter Wonderland, who do we pretend the snowman is?
This Christmas song contains one of the most random festive lyrics ever written.
a) Father Christmas
b) Jack Frost
c) Parson Brown
d) Frosty
19. Which 1992 film famously used Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen?
One particular car scene helped introduce the song to a whole new generation.
a) Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure
b) Wayne’s World
c) The Mask
d) Sister Act
The answers
1. Donovan
2. All Around
3. Titanic
4. Peter, Paul, and Mary
5. I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing
6. B*Witched
7. Bananarama
8. Merry Xmas Everybody
9. Culture Club
10. Oliver!
11. David Bowie
12. The Four Seasons
13. Six
14. Three
15. Supergrass
16. Silver
17. Little Drummer Boy
18. Parson Brown
19. Wayne’s World
If you flew through this without getting stuck on the older questions, your music knowledge is probably far broader than most people’s. If some of these made you stare blankly into the distance while hearing songs vaguely playing in your head, welcome to the strange chaos of music quizzes.
