Music Icons & Legends Quiz

1. Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' (1982) is the best-selling album of all time. Approximately how many copies has it sold?

1. 100 million+
2. 30 million
3. 50 million
4. 66 million+

2. David Bowie created many alter egos throughout his career. What was the name of his first famous character, debuted in 1972?

1. Aladdin Sane
2. Major Tom
3. The Thin White Duke
4. Ziggy Stardust

3. Elvis Presley is known as the 'King of Rock and Roll'. What was his nickname for his private jet?

1. The Blue Suede Jet
2. The Graceland Eagle
3. The Lisa Marie
4. The Memphis Belle

4. Madonna is known as the 'Queen of Pop'. Which 1984 performance introduced her iconic 'Like a Virgin' moment?

1. American Bandstand
2. Saturday Night Live
3. The first MTV Video Music Awards
4. The Super Bowl halftime show

5. Freddie Mercury was the lead vocalist of Queen. What was his birth name?

1. Farrokh Bulsara
2. Freddie Bulsara
3. Frederick Mercury
4. Frederick Williams

6. Which iconic rock star was born Robert Allen Zimmerman and changed his name in tribute to a poet?

1. Bob Dylan
2. Bono
3. Jim Morrison
4. Lou Reed

7. Prince famously changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol in 1993. Why?

1. As a marketing strategy for his new album
2. As a tribute to the ancient Egyptian symbol
3. For spiritual reasons
4. In protest against his record label Warner Bros., who he felt owned his name and artistic output

8. Aretha Franklin was known as the 'Queen of Soul'. Her signature song 'Respect' was originally written by whom?

1. Curtis Mayfield
2. James Brown
3. Otis Redding
4. Sam Cooke

9. Johnny Cash's 'Man in Black' persona was deliberate. He explained wearing black as a symbol of what?

1. His affiliation with the Hell's Angels
2. His preference for simple, understated clothing
3. Mourning for his first wife
4. Solidarity with the poor, downtrodden, and those suffering in prisons and on death row

10. Jimi Hendrix died in London in 1970 at age 27. What is the '27 Club'?

1. A group of extraordinarily influential musicians who all died at age 27
2. A jazz club in New York
3. A music awards ceremony for artists under 30
4. The age at which rock stars typically achieve their greatest commercial success

11. Lady Gaga's debut single 'Just Dance' (2008) was initially rejected by many record labels. From which US state does she come?

1. California
2. Florida
3. New York
4. Texas

12. Whitney Houston's version of 'I Will Always Love You' (1992) is considered one of the greatest vocal performances ever. Who originally wrote and recorded the song?

1. Celine Dion
2. Diana Ross
3. Dolly Parton
4. Mariah Carey

13. U2's The Joshua Tree (1987) is one of the best-selling albums ever. The album was inspired by the landscape of which US state?

1. Arizona
2. California
3. California and Arizona (Mojave Desert / Joshua Tree National Park)
4. Nevada

14. David Bowie had a distinctive physical feature that many believed was due to heterochromia (two different coloured eyes). What was the real explanation?

1. He was born with heterochromia
2. He wore a tinted contact lens in one eye
3. His left pupil was permanently dilated after a fight in his teens damaged the muscle controlling it
4. One eye was glass following a car accident

15. Tina Turner survived an abusive marriage to Ike Turner and staged one of music's greatest comebacks. Which 1984 single made her a global superstar in her own right?

1. Private Dancer
2. Proud Mary
3. River Deep, Mountain High
4. What's Love Got to Do with It

16. Bruce Springsteen is nicknamed 'The Boss'. The nickname came from where?

1. A Bruce Lee comparison by a music journalist
2. A Rolling Stone magazine feature
3. He paid his band members in cash and divided the money himself — making him literally 'the boss'
4. His domineering stage presence described by a New York Times critic

17. Eminem is the best-selling hip-hop artist of all time. What is his real name?

1. Eminem Marcus Reed
2. Marshall Bruce Mathers III
3. Marshall Matthers III
4. Slim Shady Williams

18. The Rolling Stones are the highest-grossing touring band in history. Their classic logo — the lips and tongue — was designed by whom?

1. Andy Warhol
2. Hipgnosis design studio
3. John Pasche
4. Peter Blake

19. Beyoncé holds the record for the most Grammy wins by any artist in history. Approximately how many has she won as of 2024?

1. 22
2. 28
3. 32
4. 32+

20. Bob Marley is the best-selling reggae artist of all time. In which year did he die, and from what cause?

1. 1976, shot at his home
2. 1977, motorcycle accident
3. 1981, melanoma (skin cancer)
4. 1983, heart attack