Music trivia has a way of humbling people who own a lot of records. These run from warm-up to genuinely tricky — cover the answers, commit out loud, and keep score.
Which legendary band was originally called The Quarrymen?
The Beatles — John Lennon started the group under that name in Liverpool in the late 1950s.
How many keys does a standard modern piano have?
88 — 52 white and 36 black.
What is the best-selling album of all time?
Michael Jackson's Thriller (1982), and it isn't close.
Which composer kept writing symphonies after losing his hearing?
Ludwig van Beethoven — his Ninth premiered when he was almost completely deaf.
Which country gave the world ABBA?
Sweden.
What does "a cappella" literally mean?
"In the manner of the chapel" — Italian for singing without instruments.
How many strings does a standard violin have?
Four.
Who was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Aretha Franklin, in 1987.
The 1969 Woodstock festival was actually held on what kind of property?
A dairy farm — Max Yasgur's, in Bethel, New York.
What instrument made Louis Armstrong famous?
The trumpet.
What song collected royalties for decades until a 2016 settlement put it in the public domain?
"Happy Birthday to You."
Which Beethoven piano sonata got the nickname "Moonlight" — after his death?
Piano Sonata No. 14. A poet coined the nickname five years after Beethoven died.
If you knew The Quarrymen and that Thriller still reigns, you're allowed to control the aux cord tonight.
