Classic rock & legendary albums (easy-medium)
Start with the canon. These are the songs and albums almost everyone has heard at least once — but the trivia behind them often surprises even fans.
Q1.Which song is NOT by singer Tom Jones?Tap to reveal
Answer: Never Gonna Give You Up
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Easy.
Q2.Which band is the longest active band in the world with no breaks or line-up changes?Tap to reveal
Answer: U2
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Hard.
Q3.What French artist/band is known for playing on the midi instrument "Launchpad"?Tap to reveal
Answer: Madeon
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.
Q4.Pete Townshend collaborated with which famous guitarist for an event at Brixton Academy in 1985?Tap to reveal
Answer: David Gilmour
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Hard.
Q5.Which of these artists has NOT been a member of dancehall group Major Lazer?Tap to reveal
Answer: Skrillex
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.
Q6.Which of the following is an album by punk rock band Anti-Flag?Tap to reveal
Answer: For Blood And Empire
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Easy.
Q7.Which of the following bands is Tom DeLonge not a part of?Tap to reveal
Answer: +44
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.
Q8.When was the Prince album "Purple Rain" released?Tap to reveal
Answer: 1984
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.
Q9.The 2023 Beatles song "Now and Then" originated from an unfinished demo recorded by which Beatle?Tap to reveal
Answer: John Lennon
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.
Q10.Which album was released by Kanye West in 2013?Tap to reveal
Answer: Yeezus
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Hard.
Q11.In Kendrick Lamar's 2012 album, "Good Kid, M.A.A.D City", the album's story takes place in which city?Tap to reveal
Answer: Compton
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Hard.
Q12.What is the best selling album of all time from 1976 to 2018?Tap to reveal
Answer: Thriller
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Easy.
Q13.Ozzy Osbourne was the lead singer for what metal band?Tap to reveal
Answer: Black Sabbath
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Easy.
Q14.Which member of the Foo Fighters was previously the drummer for Nirvana?Tap to reveal
Answer: Dave Grohl
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Easy.
Q15.What is the name of the second studio album released by American rapper Post Malone in 2018?Tap to reveal
Answer: Beerbongs & Bentleys
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.
Q16.Which rapper had an album that went double platinum with no features?Tap to reveal
Answer: J. Cole
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.
Q17.Who was walking like an Egyptian in 1981?Tap to reveal
Answer: The Bangles
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.
Hip-hop & R&B trivia (medium)
Hip-hop trivia tests two things: how well you know the music, and how well you know the business behind it. These questions hit both angles.
Q1.Who is the frontman of Muse?Tap to reveal
Answer: Matt Bellamy
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.
Q2.Björk's "Unison" contains a sample of which Oval song?Tap to reveal
Answer: Aero Deck
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Hard.
Q3.How many semitones are in an octave?Tap to reveal
Answer: 12
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.
Q4.Which of these women is not a member of the Korean girl group TWICE?Tap to reveal
Answer: Kang Seulgi
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.
Q5.Which of these artists has Lil A collaborated with?Tap to reveal
Answer: Lil Fortnite
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Easy.
Q6.Who was the original drummer for The Beatles?Tap to reveal
Answer: Tommy Moore
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Hard.
Q7.Which singer was featured in Jack Ü (Skrillex & Diplo)'s 2015 song 'Where Are Ü Now'?Tap to reveal
Answer: Justin Bieber
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Easy.
Q8.In 2015, David Hasselhof released a single called...Tap to reveal
Answer: True Survivor
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.
Q9.How many members are in the Japanese rock band SCANDAL?Tap to reveal
Answer: 4
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.
Q10.Which of these is NOT the name of an album released by Miami-based producer DJ Khaled?Tap to reveal
Answer: Don't Ever Play Yourself
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.
Q11.Rick Astley's hit song "Never Gonna Give You Up" was released in what year?Tap to reveal
Answer: 1987
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.
Q12.Which of the following rappers were NOT part of the hip-hop group Odd Future?Tap to reveal
Answer: Vince Staples
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.
Q13.Which song previously recorded by Elvis Presley was covered by UB40 with a reggae beat?Tap to reveal
Answer: Can't Help Falling in Love
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.
Q14.What is Fergie's debut album called?Tap to reveal
Answer: The Dutchess
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.
Q15.In what film was the Michael Jackson song "Will You Be There" featured?Tap to reveal
Answer: Free Willy
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.
Q16.Which Beatle led the way across the zebra crossing on the Abbey Road album cover?Tap to reveal
Answer: John
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.
Q17.'The Safety Dance' was the biggest hit single for which Canadian act?Tap to reveal
Answer: Men Without Hats
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Easy.
Pop, one-hit wonders & guilty pleasures (medium-hard)
The fun ones — the songs everyone knows from a single moment, even if they can't name the artist. These trivia questions reveal who actually paid attention to the credits.
Q1.What was Britney Spears' debut single?Tap to reveal
Answer: ...Baby One More Time
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.
Q2.Which song by Swedish electronic musician Avicii samples the song "Something's Got A Hold On Me" by Etta James?Tap to reveal
Answer: Levels
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.
Q3.What M83 was featured in Grand Theft Auto V's radio?Tap to reveal
Answer: Midnight City
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.
Q4.Which artist curated the official soundtrack for "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1"?Tap to reveal
Answer: Lorde
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.
Q5.Who had a 1976 hit with the song 'You Make Me Feel Like Dancing'?Tap to reveal
Answer: Leo Sayer
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.
Q6.Which iconic album cover features the pulsar waves of CP 1919 placed in the center of the cover?Tap to reveal
Answer: Unknown Pleasures
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Hard.
Q7.What genre of music did the band Type O Negative play?Tap to reveal
Answer: Gothic Metal
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Easy.
Q8."Sleepyhead" is the debut single from which Electronic band?Tap to reveal
Answer: Passion Pit
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Easy.
Q9.The key of sharps does the key of G# minor contain?Tap to reveal
Answer: 5
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Hard.
Q10.Which Daft Punk album is the song "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" from?Tap to reveal
Answer: Discovery
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Easy.
Q11.Which song in rapper Kanye West's album "The Life of Pablo" features Rihanna?Tap to reveal
Answer: Famous
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Hard.
Q12.Which of these is the name of an American psychedelic rock band formed in 2002 by Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden?Tap to reveal
Answer: MGMT
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.
Q13.Which of the Beatles band members is barefoot on the front cover of the 'Abbey Road' album?Tap to reveal
Answer: Paul McCartney
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.
Q14.Who had a US and UK number 1 hit in 1962 with the instrumental, 'Telstar'?Tap to reveal
Answer: The Tornados
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.
Q15.Which popular jazz standard begins with the line "Someday, when I'm awfully low"?Tap to reveal
Answer: The Way You Look Tonight
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.
Q16.Which Disney character sings the song "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes"?Tap to reveal
Answer: Cinderella
Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Easy.
How to host a music trivia night
The hardest part of music trivia is not picking too narrow a category. If you go "all 90s rock", half the room is out. Mix decades and genres aggressively — start every round with one universal song everyone knows, then layer in deeper cuts.
A good ratio: 60% mainstream chart-toppers, 25% genre deep cuts, 15% true obscurities. Anything more obscure and you lose engagement.
For instant 5-question music quizzes that you can play head-to-head with a friend, the Trivio.NET app has a Music category with 859 quiz packs covering bands, genres and chart history. Free to install, no setup needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are good music trivia question categories?
Classic rock, hip-hop golden era (1990s-2000s), Motown classics, one-hit wonders, movie soundtracks, and chart #1s by decade. Mix categories to keep different age groups engaged.
How many music trivia questions should I prepare?
For a 60-minute trivia night, plan 30-40 questions across 3 rounds, with bonus tiebreakers. That gives breathing room for audience discussion.
Where can I find more music trivia questions?
The Trivio.NET Music category has 859 curated quiz packs — by band, genre, decade, or chart era. Free in the app.
What's the difference between music trivia and a music quiz?
Trivia asks about facts behind the music (album years, recording details, biographies). A music quiz often involves identifying songs from audio clips. Trivio.NET has both modes — text trivia for daily play, audio quizzes in dedicated packs.
