Music Trivia Quiz: 40 Questions and Answers From Pop and Rock to Afrobeats
Music is the one thing every group of friends argues about. Who's the greatest of all time? Which song started the trend? Who sang that? This quiz settles a few of those arguments.
Here are 40 music trivia questions with answers, covering pop legends, rock icons, hip-hop, Latin hits, K-pop and Africa's biggest sounds, from Afrobeats to Amapiano. Guess first, then tap "Show answer", and keep score for your rating at the end.
Pop and rock legends
1. Who is known as the "King of Pop"?
Show answer
Michael Jackson.
2. Which Michael Jackson album is widely reported to be the best-selling album of all time?
Show answer
Thriller (1982).
3. Who is known as the "Queen of Pop"?
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Madonna.
4. Which city did The Beatles come from?
Show answer
Liverpool, England.
5. Who was the drummer in The Beatles?
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Ringo Starr.
6. Freddie Mercury was the lead singer of which band?
Show answer
Queen.
7. Who is known as "The King of Rock and Roll"?
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Elvis Presley.
8. Adele's albums are named after what?
Show answer
Her age when she made them: 19, 21, 25 and 30.
9. Which group was Beyoncé part of before her solo career?
Show answer
Destiny's Child.
10. Which Taylor Swift tour became the highest-grossing concert tour of all time?
Show answer
The Eras Tour.
Hip-hop, R&B and Latin hits
11. What is Eminem's real name?
Show answer
Marshall Mathers.
12. Rihanna comes from which Caribbean country?
Show answer
Barbados.
13. Which Colombian singer performed "Waka Waka" for the 2010 World Cup?
Show answer
Shakira.
14. Who sang "Despacito" with Daddy Yankee?
Show answer
Luis Fonsi.
15. Which music genre is Daddy Yankee's "Gasolina" a classic of?
Show answer
Reggaeton.
16. Which British singer had a massive worldwide hit with "Shape of You"?
Show answer
Ed Sheeran.
17. "Gangnam Style" was the first YouTube video to reach how many views?
Show answer
One billion.
18. BTS come from which country?
Show answer
South Korea.
African music
19. Fela Kuti is known as the pioneer of which genre?
Show answer
Afrobeat, which he created in Nigeria in the 1970s.
20. Which Nigerian star won a Grammy for the album Twice as Tall?
Show answer
Burna Boy, for Best Global Music Album in 2021.
21. Which Nigerian singer is featured on Drake's worldwide hit "One Dance"?
Show answer
Wizkid.
22. Which Nigerian singer won a Grammy for her feature on Future's "Wait for U"?
Show answer
Tems.
23. Which American star joined Rema on the remix of "Calm Down"?
Show answer
Selena Gomez.
24. In which country did Amapiano begin?
Show answer
South Africa.
25. Bongo Flava is the popular music of which country?
Show answer
Tanzania.
26. Diamond Platnumz is a superstar from which country?
Show answer
Tanzania.
27. Sauti Sol is a famous band from which country?
Show answer
Kenya.
28. Which South African singer was known as "Mama Africa"?
Show answer
Miriam Makeba.
29. Angélique Kidjo, a multiple Grammy winner, comes from which country?
Show answer
Benin.
30. Lucky Dube was a legend of which genre?
Show answer
Reggae. He was one of Africa's best-selling reggae artists.
Music knowledge
31. Bob Marley came from which country?
Show answer
Jamaica.
32. How many keys does a standard piano have?
Show answer
88.
33. How many strings does a standard guitar have?
Show answer
Six.
34. Which composer kept writing music after becoming deaf?
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Ludwig van Beethoven.
35. What nationality was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart?
Show answer
Austrian (he was born in Salzburg).
36. Which Swedish band won Eurovision in 1974 with "Waterloo"?
Show answer
ABBA.
37. In which country was Spotify founded?
Show answer
Sweden.
38. What object is the Grammy trophy shaped like?
Show answer
A gramophone.
39. Which genre did Bob Marley help make famous around the world?
Show answer
Reggae.
40. What do you call a group of three musicians?
Show answer
A trio.
How did you score?
- 0–12: Radio listener. You know the hits when you hear them.
- 13–24: Playlist curator. Your friends trust your aux cord.
- 25–34: Music nerd. You read the album credits.
- 35–40: Walking jukebox. Nobody can beat you at music night.
Challenge your friends to a music quiz
Think your group can beat your score? Play the Music pack in Trivia Showdown. Make a room, share the code, and everyone answers on their own phone against the clock. It's free and works anywhere in the world.
Love quizzes? Try our 50 movie trivia questions, the 40 hard trivia questions or the Daily Challenge, with five new questions every day.
Which question caught you out? Tell us in the comments.
Music trivia FAQ
What is the best-selling album of all time?
Michael Jackson's Thriller is widely reported as the best-selling album of all time.
What is the difference between Afrobeat and Afrobeats?
Afrobeat (no "s") is the 1970s style created by Fela Kuti, mixing jazz, funk and West African rhythms. Afrobeats is the modern pop sound of artists like Wizkid, Burna Boy and Tems.
Where did Amapiano come from?
South Africa, where it grew in popularity in the mid-2010s.
Where can I play a music quiz online with friends?
Try the free Music pack in Trivia Showdown.