20 Music Quiz Questions and Answers
Music quiz - 20 questions
Round 1 (1-5) is the warm-up, round 2 (6-15) is the main course, round 3 (16-20) is for the table that thinks it knows everything. Accept the artist name as written below.
Which Oasis album features "Wonderwall"?
(What’s the Story) Morning Glory? - 1995. The single reached number two in the UK; "Roll With It" kept it off number one.
Who had a UK number one with "Rolling in the Deep"?
Adele - 2010, from the album 21.
"Bohemian Rhapsody" was a hit for which band?
Queen - 1975, from A Night at the Opera.
Who is the lead singer of Coldplay?
Chris Martin.
Which Liverpool band released "Hey Jude"?
The Beatles - 1968. Written by Paul McCartney for Julian Lennon.
"Dancing Queen" was a hit for which Swedish group?
ABBA - 1976.
Who sang "Someone Like You"?
Adele - 2011.
Which artist released the album "Divide" in 2017?
Ed Sheeran - the album is written as a division sign, "÷".
"Sweet Caroline" is associated with which singer?
Neil Diamond - 1969. The "so good, so good, so good" singalong came later, from Boston Red Sox crowds.
Which band released "Mr Brightside" in 2004?
The Killers - from Hot Fuss. It spent years in the UK charts without ever leaving.
Who had a hit with "I Will Always Love You" in 1992?
Whitney Houston - written and first released by Dolly Parton in 1974. Give half a point for Parton.
Which group had a 1996 number one with "Wannabe"?
Spice Girls - their debut single.
Who released the album "Back to Black" in 2006?
Amy Winehouse.
Which band is fronted by Thom Yorke?
Radiohead.
Who wrote and sang the original "Candle in the Wind" in 1973?
Elton John, with lyrics by Bernie Taupin. The 1997 version was rewritten for Diana, Princess of Wales.
Which artist had a long-running UK chart hit with "Blinding Lights"?
The Weeknd - 2019/2020. It set a record as the longest-running top-10 single in the UK chart.
"Song 2" - the one with the "woo-hoo" chorus - is by which band?
Blur - 1997, from the album Blur.
Which group released "Don't Look Back in Anger"?
Oasis - 1996, from (What's the Story) Morning Glory?. Sung by Noel Gallagher, not Liam.
Who released "Anti-Hero" in 2022?
Taylor Swift - from Midnights.
Which British band released the album "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not" in 2006?
Arctic Monkeys - the fastest-selling debut album in UK chart history at the time.
Answers are facts, so a dispute is settled by the year, not by opinion. If a team argues, check the artist first, then the year.
How to Run a Music Quiz Night
Three rounds of seven questions works better than twenty in one block: teams stay awake, and a bad round can be clawed back. Read the question, give ten seconds, then move on - do not read it twice, or the loudest table wins by default. Collect papers between rounds and mark them while the next round runs.
Scoring people get wrong: award one point per question and keep the tie-breakers (below) as the only sudden death. Never let two teams share a prize if you can avoid it - someone will feel cheated.
Music Picture Round Ideas
A picture round needs images you are licensed to use, so keep it to two safe options: album titles spelled out as anagrams on the answer sheet (no images needed), or your own photographs of a guitar, a vinyl sleeve or a festival wristband. If you print images from the web you are using someone else's copyright, which is not worth it for a pub quiz.
Tie-Breaker Questions
Numbers only, so there is one correct answer:
- How many UK number one singles did the Beatles have? - 17.
- In what year was the first Glastonbury Festival held? - 1970.
- How many strings does a standard bass guitar have? - 4.
Closest answer wins; if the closest answer is also exact, the first team that handed it in takes it.
FAQ
Can I print these questions?
Yes - the questions above are ours, so print the page, or copy them onto an answer sheet. Keep the answers on a separate sheet.
What is a good mix of difficulties for a pub quiz?
Roughly a quarter easy, half medium and a quarter hard. If the winning score is under 50 per cent, the quiz was too hard; over 90 per cent and it was too easy.
How long should a music quiz last?
Twenty questions with marking takes about 45 minutes. Three rounds plus two tie-breakers fills an hour.
Are these questions suitable for a family quiz?
Yes. Nothing here is explicit, and the first five are answerable by most teenagers.
