Record-breaking albums, legendary artists, hidden instrument facts and stories you never knew. Music holds more surprises than most people expect.
Record sales, hidden instrument facts, artists with surprising real names... This quiz will challenge a few assumptions about the music world.
Pick your level
Music is one of the most universal forms of human expression, but behind the scenes it is full of unexpected details. Did you know a piano has more strings than a harp? Or that the first song ever played in space was a Christmas tune? Every era and every genre has its own hidden records and overlooked stories.
This quiz covers best-selling albums, legendary bands, instruments that hide more than they show, and a few numbers that will make you look twice. Good for music lovers and curious minds alike.
All ten easy level questions, with the answer and the reasoning behind it.
Correct answer: 4
Four, tuned G, D, A and E.
Correct answer: Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin, in 1971, and guitar shops have never recovered.
Correct answer: Madonna
Madonna, who has been reinventing herself since the early 1980s.
Correct answer: ABBA
ABBA, for Sweden, and it went rather well for them afterwards.
Correct answer: Woodwinds
Woodwinds, even though most modern flutes are made of metal.
Correct answer: Prince
Prince, with a film of the same name to go with it.
Correct answer: 4
Four: John, Paul, George and Ringo.
Correct answer: Adele
Adele, who names her albums after her age at the time.
Correct answer: Jazz
Jazz, on the trumpet and with that unmistakable voice.
Correct answer: The drums
The drums, and he got by with a little help from his friends.
Want to warm up before playing or double-check something? Open any question to reveal the correct answer and a short explanation.
Correct answer: Thriller (Michael Jackson)
Thriller by Michael Jackson, released in 1982, is the best-selling album in history with an estimated 66 to 70 million copies sold worldwide. It also won 8 Grammy Awards at a single ceremony, a record matched by Santana in 2000.
Correct answer: 88
A standard concert piano has 88 keys: 52 white and 36 black. This configuration became the norm in the 19th century. Some modern concert grands have 97 or even 102 keys, but 88 remains the worldwide standard.
Correct answer: 1970
Queen was founded in London in 1970 by Freddie Mercury, Brian May and Roger Taylor. John Deacon joined in 1971. Their self-titled debut album came out in 1973. The band went on to become one of the greatest rock acts in history.
Correct answer: Jingle Bells
In December 1965, astronauts Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford played Jingle Bells aboard Gemini 6 using a harmonica and bells they had smuggled on board. It was the first music played on instruments aboard a spacecraft.
Correct answer: Jamaica
Reggae was born in Jamaica in the late 1960s, evolving from ska and rocksteady. Bob Marley is its most iconic figure. In 2018, UNESCO added reggae to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Correct answer: Paul
Bono's real name is Paul David Hewson. He was born in Dublin in 1960. His stage name came from a hearing aid shop called Bono Vox, derived from the Latin for "good voice". He is a founding member of U2, formed in 1976.
Correct answer: The piano (~230 strings)
The piano has approximately 230 strings, far more than the harp which has 47. Lower bass notes use a single string per key, while mid-range and high notes use two or three strings per key, struck simultaneously to produce a richer, fuller sound.
Correct answer: 1970
Paul McCartney announced his departure from the group in April 1970, a month before the Let It Be album came out. The legal dissolution process was not completed until 1975.
Correct answer: Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift's Eras Tour (2023-2024) became the highest-grossing concert tour in history, with around 2 billion dollars in revenue. It overtook the previous record held by Elton John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour at 939 million dollars.
Correct answer: Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven began losing his hearing around age 26. He was almost completely deaf when he composed his famous 9th Symphony, completed in 1824. He never heard it performed: at its premiere, another conductor had to step in to lead the orchestra.
Stuck on one, or just curious how nasty it gets? Every hard mode question is here with its answer and the reasoning behind it.
Correct answer: Vivaldi
Antonio Vivaldi, the red-haired priest of Venice.
Correct answer: The Magic Flute
The Magic Flute, whose famous aria climbs to a very high F.
Correct answer: Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner, and it takes around fifteen hours to perform.
Correct answer: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, with Peter Blake and Jann Haworth behind the collage.
Correct answer: John Bonham
John Bonham. The band split after his death in 1980.
Correct answer: Gradually get louder
Gradually get louder. Its opposite is diminuendo.
Correct answer: Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones, who also produced Off the Wall and Bad.
Correct answer: Dave Grohl
Dave Grohl, moving from behind the drums to the front of the stage.
Correct answer: George Gershwin
George Gershwin, in 1924, opening with that famous clarinet slide.
Correct answer: The double bass
The double bass, usually an octave below the cellos.