Music Trivia

If you’re like me then you love to find out new and interesting music trivia and facts that will make people sit up and listen – it may be a group of students or even at your next dinner party making general conversation.

The fact is it doesn’t matter what you use it for – the music trivia questions just need to be really INTERESTING and something that will capture everyone’s attention.

Here are a list of my top 25 “Music Trivia Gems” that I’ve found over the years. Please feel free to comment and add others.

What was the first song to be performed in outer space?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

What band was the first to sell One Million records?

THE GLEN MILLER ORCHESTRA

What famous music festival cost $24 for a ticket at the gate

WOODSTOCK

What is the stage name of Pop musician Gordon Matthew Sumner?

STING

Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and which other musician were all 27 years old when they died?

KURT COBAIN

Which beatle was rumoured to have died and replaced by a double?

PAUL MCCARTNEY

In 1957 which Rock and Roll Star was only filmed from the waist up because it was considered that his hip swinging was too suggestive?

ELVIS PRESLEY

How many songs from the beatles “Sgt peppers lonely hearts club band” were released as singles?

ZERO

What 70’s British Rock Singer changed his name from Frederick Bulsara?

FREDDIE MERCURY

What 15 year old Rock-Icon-to-be was grounded for the whole summer after sneaking out to her first concert to see David Bowie?

MADONNA

What studio did the beatles use to record 191 songs?

ABBEY ROAD

Which Led Zepellin song went down badly with the audience at its first performance in 1971?

STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN

What famous guitar player was thrown out of school for holding the hand of a white girl in class?

JIMI HENDRIX

What classical composer wrote the majority of his music when he was deaf?

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN

Who wrote the famous piano song ‘Fur Elise’?

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN

What classical composer had a piano designed with special smaller keys, as his hands were so small?

FREDERICK CHOPIN

What composer once wrote a piece that takes 18 hours to perform?

ERIK SATIE

Which composer is considered “Master of the Fugues”?

BACH

Which composer learnt to play piano before he could read?

MOZART

What City opera house does the “Phantom of the Opera” prowl?

PARIS

What country’s national orchestra is bigger than its army?

MONACO

What instrument was once known as a SACKBUT?

THE TROMBONE

What instrument was formally on the coins of Ireland?

THE HARP

Translated from the german, this member of the percussion section means “bell play”

GLOCKENSPIEL

What is the minimum number of musicians a band must have in order to be considered a “Big Band”

TEN

What musical instrument’s sales escalated from 228,000 in 1950 to 2.3 million in 1971

THE GUITAR

By the way, if you’re looking for a way to use this music trivia with your students then I have some really fun activities and worksheet games which you can find at Instant Print Music Lessons.com