Music Quiz Questions: 100+ Questions for the Ultimate Quiz Night

Looking for the best music quiz questions for your next quiz night? You've come to the right place. This collection of 100+ music quiz questions covers every decade from the 1960s to today, spanning pop, rock, hip-hop, country, and everything in between. Whether you're hosting a pub quiz, a party game night, or a virtual quiz, these questions will keep every player entertained.

All answers are included at the end of each section — no cheating!

1960s Music Quiz Questions

Questions:

1. Which band released "A Hard Day's Night" in 1964?
2. Who sang "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" in 1968?
3. What was the name of The Rolling Stones' debut UK single?
4. Which artist is known as "The Godfather of Soul"?
5. What year did The Beatles play their last live concert?
6. Who sang "Son of a Preacher Man" in 1968?
7. Which band had a hit with "Good Vibrations" in 1966?
8. What was Simon & Garfunkel's first US number one?
9. Who wrote and originally recorded "Twist and Shout"?
10. Which Motown artist released "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" in 1968?

Answers:

1. The Beatles
2. Otis Redding
3. "Come On"
4. James Brown
5. 1966 (Candlestick Park, San Francisco)
6. Dusty Springfield
7. The Beach Boys
8. "The Sound of Silence"
9. The Top Notes (later made famous by The Isley Brothers and The Beatles)
10. Marvin Gaye

1970s Music Quiz Questions

Questions:

11. Which band released "Bat Out of Hell" in 1977?
12. Who sang "I Will Survive" in 1978?
13. What was David Bowie's alter ego on the "Ziggy Stardust" album?
14. Which group had a hit with "Dancing Queen" in 1976?
15. Who released "Tapestry", one of the best-selling albums of the 1970s?
16. What was the first punk single to reach number one in the UK?
17. Which band released "Rumours" in 1977?
18. Who sang "Jolene" in 1973?
19. What was Elton John's first UK number one single?
20. Which artist released "Off the Wall" in 1979?

Answers:

11. Meat Loaf
12. Gloria Gaynor
13. Ziggy Stardust
14. ABBA
15. Carole King
16. "Mull of Kintyre" by Wings (punk era, though not punk itself — the first punk number one was "God Save the Queen" by the Sex Pistols, which was controversially kept off the top spot)
17. Fleetwood Mac
18. Dolly Parton
19. "Crocodile Rock" (1973)
20. Michael Jackson

1980s Music Quiz Questions

Questions:

21. Which band sang "Don't You Want Me" in 1981?
22. Who played guitar on Michael Jackson's "Beat It"?
23. What was Madonna's first UK number one single?
24. Which artist released "Purple Rain" in 1984?
25. Who sang "Total Eclipse of the Heart" in 1983?
26. Which band had a hit with "Come On Eileen" in 1982?
27. What was George Michael's first solo UK number one?
28. Which duo released "Ebony and Ivory" in 1982?
29. Who sang "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" in 1983?
30. Which band released "The Joshua Tree" in 1987?

Answers:

21. The Human League
22. Eddie Van Halen
23. "Into the Groove" (1985)
24. Prince
25. Bonnie Tyler
26. Dexys Midnight Runners
27. "Careless Whisper" (1984)
28. Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder
29. Cyndi Lauper
30. U2

1990s Music Quiz Questions

Questions:

31. Which band released "Nevermind" in 1991?
32. Who sang "Killing Me Softly" in 1996?
33. What was the Spice Girls' second single?
34. Which artist released "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" in 1998?
35. Who had a hit with "Wonderwall" in 1995?
36. What was Destiny's Child's first UK number one?
37. Which band sang "Common People" in 1995?
38. Who released "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" in 1991?
39. What was the best-selling UK single of the 1990s?
40. Which artist had a hit with "Gangsta's Paradise" in 1995?

Answers:

31. Nirvana
32. Fugees
33. "Say You'll Be There"
34. Lauryn Hill
35. Oasis
36. "Say My Name" (2000, though recorded in 1999)
37. Pulp
38. Bryan Adams
39. "Something About the Way You Look Tonight / Candle in the Wind 1997" by Elton John
40. Coolio (featuring L.V.)

2000s Music Quiz Questions

Questions:

41. Which artist released "The Eminem Show" in 2002?
42. Who sang "Crazy in Love" in 2003?
43. What was the best-selling album of 2001?
44. Which band released "Is This It" in 2001?
45. Who had a hit with "Yeah!" in 2004?
46. What was Nelly Furtado's comeback hit in 2006?
47. Which artist released "Back to Black" in 2006?
48. Who sang "Toxic" in 2003?
49. What was the first song to be downloaded legally one million times in the UK?
50. Which band released "American Idiot" in 2004?

Answers:

41. Eminem
42. Beyoncé (featuring Jay-Z)
43. "Songs in A Minor" by Alicia Keys
44. The Strokes
45. Usher (featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris)
46. "Maneater"
47. Amy Winehouse
48. Britney Spears
49. "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley (2006)
50. Green Day

2010s Music Quiz Questions

Questions:

51. Which artist released "21" in 2011?
52. Who sang "Somebody That I Used to Know" in 2011?
53. What was PSY's viral hit in 2012?
54. Which band released "AM" in 2013?
55. Who had a hit with "Shake It Off" in 2014?
56. What was Ed Sheeran's first UK number one album?
57. Which artist released "Lemonade" in 2016?
58. Who sang "Shape of You" in 2017?
59. What was the best-selling UK single of 2019?
60. Which band had a hit with "Mr. Brightside" (re-entering the charts throughout the 2010s)?

Answers:

51. Adele
52. Gotye (featuring Kimbra)
53. "Gangnam Style"
54. Arctic Monkeys
55. Taylor Swift
56. "+" (Plus) (2011)
57. Beyoncé
58. Ed Sheeran
59. "Someone You Loved" by Lewis Capaldi
60. The Killers

2020s Music Quiz Questions

Questions:

61. Which artist released "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" in 2021?
62. Who had a hit with "Easy On Me" in 2021?
63. What was the best-selling UK single of 2022?
64. Which artist released "Midnights" in 2022?
65. Who sang "Flowers" in 2023?
66. What was Harry Styles' first UK number one single?
67. Which artist released "Renaissance" in 2022?
68. Who had a viral hit with "Running Up That Hill" after its use in Stranger Things in 2022?
69. What was the best-selling album of 2023 in the UK?
70. Which artist had a hit with "Escapism" in 2022?

Answers:

61. Lil Nas X
62. Adele
63. "As It Was" by Harry Styles
64. Taylor Swift
65. Miley Cyrus
66. "Watermelon Sugar" (2020)
67. Beyoncé
68. Kate Bush
69. "1989 (Taylor's Version)" by Taylor Swift
70. RAYE (featuring 070 Shake)

Genre Specialist Rounds

Classic Rock Questions:

71. Which band released "Dark Side of the Moon" in 1973?
72. Who is the lead singer of Aerosmith?
73. What was AC/DC's first album after Brian Johnson replaced Bon Scott?
74. Which band sang "Livin' on a Prayer"?
75. Who played bass in The Beatles?

Answers:

71. Pink Floyd
72. Steven Tyler
73. "Back in Black" (1980)
74. Bon Jovi
75. Paul McCartney

Pop Questions:

76. Which artist has the most Spotify streams of all time?
77. Who sang "Baby One More Time" in 1998?
78. What is Katy Perry's real name?
79. Which artist released "Thriller", the best-selling album of all time?
80. Who sang "Poker Face" in 2008?

Answers:

76. The Weeknd (as of 2024)
77. Britney Spears
78. Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson
79. Michael Jackson
80. Lady Gaga

Hip-Hop Questions:

81. Which rapper's real name is Aubrey Drake Graham?
82. Who released "The Blueprint" in 2001?
83. What city is Kendrick Lamar from?
84. Which group had a hit with "Jump" in 1992?
85. Who sang "Lose Yourself" in 2002?

Answers:

81. Drake
82. Jay-Z
83. Compton, California
84. Kris Kross
85. Eminem

One-Hit Wonders:

86. Who sang "Mambo No. 5" in 1999?
87. Which artist had a hit with "Tubthumping" in 1997?
88. Who sang "Who Let the Dogs Out" in 2000?
89. Which band released "Come On Eileen" — their only major hit?
90. Who sang "Macarena" in 1995?

Answers:

86. Lou Bega
87. Chumbawamba
88. Baha Men
89. Dexys Midnight Runners
90. Los Del Rio

Bonus Hard Round

Questions:

91. Which artist has won the most Brit Awards?
92. What was the first CD ever pressed commercially?
93. Which band's name is an anagram of "Master Plan"?
94. Who sang backing vocals on "Young Guns (Go for It)" by Wham!?
95. What is the best-selling physical single of all time in the UK?
96. Which artist holds the record for the most weeks at number one on the UK singles chart?
97. What was the first music video ever shown on MTV Europe?
98. Which band was originally called "The Pendletones"?
99. Who wrote "My Way", made famous by Frank Sinatra?
100. What is the longest song ever to reach number one in the UK?

Answers:

91. Robbie Williams (18 Brit Awards)
92. "The Visitors" by ABBA (1982)
93. Maroon 5 (anagram of "Norma's Loot" — trick question! The actual answer is debated)
94. Shirlie Holliman and D.C. Lee
95. "Something About the Way You Look Tonight / Candle in the Wind 1997" by Elton John
96. Elvis Presley (80 weeks total at number one)
97. "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits (1987)
98. The Beach Boys
99. Paul Anka (French lyrics by Claude François and Jacques Revaux)
100. "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen (5 minutes 55 seconds)

How to Use These Music Quiz Questions

Structuring Your Quiz:

• Aim for 5-6 rounds of 10 questions each for a 2-hour event
• Mix decades and genres within rounds to keep all ages engaged
• Use the specialist genre rounds as themed bonus rounds
• Save the Hard Round for last — it makes a great finale
• Award 1 point per correct answer, 2 for the Hard Round

Keeping It Fair:

• Mix questions from different decades so all age groups have strengths
• Team formats balance individual knowledge gaps
• Read questions clearly and allow 30 seconds per answer
• Have a tiebreaker question ready for joint winners

Adding Music Bingo:

• Play a Music Bingo round between quiz sections for variety
• Use decade-themed bingo games to match your quiz theme
• Award bonus points for bingo winners to keep scores competitive
• It gives players a break from writing and keeps energy high

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions should a music quiz have?

For a 2-hour event, aim for 50-60 questions across 5-6 rounds. This allows time for answers, scoring, and breaks between rounds. Shorter events work well with 30-40 questions across 3-4 rounds.

What's the best format for a music quiz?

Teams of 3-6 players work best — large enough to cover different musical eras, small enough that everyone contributes. Decade-based rounds are the most popular format as they give every age group a chance to shine.

How do I make a music quiz more interactive?

Add music clip rounds where players identify songs from a short snippet, include picture rounds featuring album covers or artists, and combine with Music Bingo for a full music-themed evening.

Can I use these questions for a virtual quiz?

Absolutely. Share questions via screen share or read them aloud on Zoom, collect answers via chat or a shared Google Form, and use digital gift cards as prizes. Virtual music quizzes work brilliantly for remote teams and distant friends.

The Ultimate Music Night

A great music quiz brings people together through shared memories, friendly competition, and the joy of music. Whether you're a seasoned quiz host or running your first event, these 100+ questions give you everything you need for an unforgettable night.

For the complete music night experience, combine your quiz with a round of Music Bingo — it's the perfect way to keep energy high and give every player a chance to win.

Related Reading

• Music Trivia Questions: 100+ Questions Across All Decades
• How to Host a Music Bingo Night: Complete Party Planning Guide
• Creative Prize Ideas for Your Music Bingo Event
• 300 Songs for Music Bingo: The Ultimate Song List