Country Music Quiz

1. Country music is closely associated with which US city, known as the heart of the industry?

1. Austin
2. Memphis
3. Nashville
4. New Orleans

2. Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson collaborated as which country supergroup?

1. The Highwaymen
2. The Nashville Rebels
3. The Outlaws
4. The Roadmen

3. Dolly Parton wrote 'I Will Always Love You' as a farewell to her mentor. Who was that mentor?

1. Buck Owens
2. Chet Atkins
3. Johnny Cash
4. Porter Wagoner

4. The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville first broadcast on radio in which year?

1. 1919
2. 1925
3. 1931
4. 1940

5. Shania Twain's 'Come On Over' (1997) is the best-selling album by a female solo artist. How many copies has it sold?

1. 20 million
2. 30 million
3. 40 million+
4. 50 million+

6. What is 'outlaw country' and which artists are most associated with it?

1. A 1970s movement of artists rejecting Nashville's polished sound for raw, personal music — Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson
2. An underground illegal concert circuit
3. Country music performed in prisons
4. Country music with heavy metal influences

7. Garth Brooks is the best-selling solo music artist in US history, outselling even Elvis. True or false?

1. False — Elvis has more US sales
2. False — Michael Jackson has more
3. True — Garth Brooks has certified more US album sales than any other solo artist
4. True, but only when digital sales are excluded

8. Taylor Swift began her career as a country artist. Which was her debut country single (2006)?

1. Love Story
2. Our Song
3. Teardrops on My Guitar
4. Tim McGraw

9. Which country music legend is known as 'The Man in Black' and performed a famous concert at Folsom Prison in 1968?

1. Hank Williams
2. Johnny Cash
3. Merle Haggard
4. Waylon Jennings

10. Lil Nas X's 'Old Town Road' caused controversy by being removed from the Billboard Country chart. Why?

1. Billboard ruled it didn't contain enough country elements despite its banjo sample and country aesthetics
2. Country radio stations refused to play it
3. Lil Nas X requested its removal
4. The song wasn't popular enough to count

11. Hank Williams Sr. is considered the first great country star. He died at age 29 in what year?

1. 1949
2. 1951
3. 1953
4. 1955

12. The Country Music Hall of Fame is located in which city?

1. Austin, Texas
2. Bakersfield, California
3. Memphis, Tennessee
4. Nashville, Tennessee

13. What is 'bro-country' — a term coined in the early 2010s?

1. A subgenre of mainstream country heavy on trucks, beer, girls, and summer parties, criticised as formulaic
2. Country music made specifically for brothers performing together
3. Country music produced in Nashville vs. Austin (the 'bro' being Nashville producers)
4. Hip-hop influenced country music

14. Patsy Cline's 'Crazy' (1961) is one of the most beloved country songs. Who wrote it?

1. Hank Williams Jr.
2. Patsy Cline herself
3. Roger Miller
4. Willie Nelson

15. What is the 'Bakersfield Sound' in country music?

1. A raw, honky-tonk alternative to the polished Nashville Sound, developed in Bakersfield, California by Buck Owens and Merle Haggard
2. Country music produced in bakeries in Nashville
3. Country music with Pacific Coast themes
4. Electronic country music developed in California

16. Carrie Underwood's breakthrough came after winning which TV competition?

1. American Idol Season 4
2. Nashville Star Season 3
3. The Voice Season 1
4. X Factor USA Season 1

17. Kenny Rogers' biggest hit was 'The Gambler' (1978). What is the song's famous advice about life?

1. 'Life is a gamble — never fold too early'
2. 'Play every hand like it's your last'
3. 'The best hand is always the one you're dealt'
4. 'You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, know when to run'

18. Which female country star was dubbed 'The Queen of Country Music'?

1. Both Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette are given this title
2. Dolly Parton
3. Loretta Lynn
4. Tammy Wynette

19. Morgan Wallen had his biggest commercial success despite being dropped by his label over a video of him using a racial slur. What album broke records?

1. Both Dangerous and One Thing at a Time broke records
2. Dangerous: The Double Album
3. If I Know Me
4. One Thing at a Time

20. What makes the CMA (Country Music Association) Awards different from the ACM (Academy of Country Music) Awards?

1. The ACM focuses on album sales; the CMA focuses on radio performance
2. The CMA is based in Nashville and voted by members; the ACM is LA-based and awards shows are held in Las Vegas
3. The CMA is voted by industry professionals; the ACM is fan-voted
4. They are the same organisation with different names