How Much Do You Know About Music? Take This Music Quiz

Music is everywhere. You hear it in films, on the radio, in shops, at concerts, on your phone and probably in your headphones more often than you realise. But listening to music and actually knowing your music are two different things.

Do you know which band released a famous album? Can you recognise important instruments? Do you remember legendary singers, music genres and some of the biggest songs in history?

This music quiz covers a bit of everything. You'll find questions about singers, bands, songs, albums, instruments, genres and music history. Some should be easy, while a few might make you stop and think.

So turn up the volume, trust your memory and see how many you can get right.

How to Play the Music Quiz

There are 50 multiple-choice questions in this quiz. Each question has four possible answers, but only one is correct.

Try answering the questions before checking the answers. Give yourself 1 point for every correct answer and keep track of your score as you go.

Don't worry if you miss a few. Some of the harder questions are designed to catch out even people who listen to music every day.

Before You Take the Music Quiz

Want to warm up first? Try this music quiz video and see how many songs you can recognise before starting the 50-question challenge.

Finished the video? Now let's see how much you really know about music.

Music Quiz: 50 Questions

1. Which band released the album Abbey Road?

A) The Rolling Stones
B) The Beatles
C) Queen
D) Pink Floyd

Answer: B) The Beatles

2. Which instrument has 88 keys on a standard piano?

A) Violin
B) Guitar
C) Piano
D) Organ

Answer: C) Piano

3. Who was the lead singer of Queen?

A) Freddie Mercury
B) Elton John
C) David Bowie
D) George Michael

Answer: A) Freddie Mercury

4. Which singer released the album Thriller?

A) Prince
B) Michael Jackson
C) Stevie Wonder
D) Lionel Richie

Answer: B) Michael Jackson

5. Which musical instrument normally has six strings?

A) Trumpet
B) Guitar
C) Flute
D) Saxophone

Answer: B) Guitar

6. Which genre is strongly associated with artists such as Louis Armstrong?

A) Jazz
B) Heavy metal
C) Reggae
D) Disco

Answer: A) Jazz

7. Which band recorded the song Bohemian Rhapsody?

A) Queen
B) ABBA
C) The Beatles
D) Bon Jovi

Answer: A) Queen

8. Which singer is known for the song Rolling in the Deep?

A) Adele
B) Rihanna
C) Beyoncé
D) Katy Perry

Answer: A) Adele

9. Which instrument belongs to the woodwind family?

A) Trumpet
B) Violin
C) Flute
D) Trombone

Answer: C) Flute

10. Which band released Dark Side of the Moon?

A) Pink Floyd
B) The Who
C) Metallica
D) Coldplay

Answer: A) Pink Floyd

11. Who composed Für Elise?

A) Mozart
B) Beethoven
C) Bach
D) Vivaldi

Answer: B) Beethoven

12. Which singer was known as the "King of Pop"?

A) Elvis Presley
B) Michael Jackson
C) Frank Sinatra
D) Elton John

Answer: B) Michael Jackson

13. Which group had members including John Lennon and Paul McCartney?

A) The Beatles
B) ABBA
C) Queen
D) U2

Answer: A) The Beatles

14. What type of instrument is a violin?

A) Brass
B) Percussion
C) String
D) Woodwind

Answer: C) String

15. Which singer released the album 25?

A) Adele
B) Taylor Swift
C) Lady Gaga
D) Sia

Answer: A) Adele

16. Which band recorded Hotel California?

A) Eagles
B) Fleetwood Mac
C) Bon Jovi
D) Aerosmith

Answer: A) Eagles

17. Which of these is a percussion instrument?

A) Drum
B) Violin
C) Clarinet
D) Trumpet

Answer: A) Drum

18. Which singer is famous for the song Like a Prayer?

A) Madonna
B) Cher
C) Celine Dion
D) Mariah Carey

Answer: A) Madonna

19. Which genre originated in Jamaica and became internationally popular through artists such as Bob Marley?

A) Reggae
B) Country
C) Opera
D) Blues

Answer: A) Reggae

20. Which band released the album Nevermind?

A) Nirvana
B) Metallica
C) Radiohead
D) Green Day

Answer: A) Nirvana

21. Who is often called the "King of Rock and Roll"?

A) Elvis Presley
B) Chuck Berry
C) Johnny Cash
D) Little Richard

Answer: A) Elvis Presley

22. Which instrument is commonly associated with country music?

A) Banjo
B) Oboe
C) Harpsichord
D) Timpani

Answer: A) Banjo

23. Which singer performed Hips Don't Lie?

A) Shakira
B) Jennifer Lopez
C) Rihanna
D) Dua Lipa

Answer: A) Shakira

24. Which band released the song Stairway to Heaven?

A) Deep Purple
B) Led Zeppelin
C) The Doors
D) AC/DC

Answer: B) Led Zeppelin

25. Which famous composer became deaf later in his life?

A) Beethoven
B) Mozart
C) Chopin
D) Handel

Answer: A) Beethoven

26. Which singer is known for the song Bad Guy?

A) Billie Eilish
B) Olivia Rodrigo
C) Lorde
D) Halsey

Answer: A) Billie Eilish

27. Which band recorded Sweet Child o' Mine?

A) Guns N' Roses
B) Bon Jovi
C) Aerosmith
D) Def Leppard

Answer: A) Guns N' Roses

28. What is the name of the symbol that raises a musical note by a semitone?

A) Flat
B) Sharp
C) Rest
D) Clef

Answer: B) Sharp

29. Which singer released Shape of You?

A) Ed Sheeran
B) Sam Smith
C) Shawn Mendes
D) Justin Bieber

Answer: A) Ed Sheeran

30. Which group is known for songs such as Dancing Queen and Mamma Mia?

A) ABBA
B) Roxette
C) The Carpenters
D) Boney M.

Answer: A) ABBA

31. Which genre is traditionally associated with artists such as Muddy Waters and B.B. King?

A) Blues
B) Punk
C) Disco
D) Reggaeton

Answer: A) Blues

32. Which singer released the album Future Nostalgia?

A) Dua Lipa
B) Ariana Grande
C) Selena Gomez
D) Miley Cyrus

Answer: A) Dua Lipa

33. Which band released Back in Black?

A) AC/DC
B) Metallica
C) Black Sabbath
D) Iron Maiden

Answer: A) AC/DC

34. Which instrument does a drummer normally play?

A) Drums
B) Cello
C) Clarinet
D) Harp

Answer: A) Drums

35. Which singer is known for the song Firework?

A) Katy Perry
B) Pink
C) Kelly Clarkson
D) Britney Spears

Answer: A) Katy Perry

36. Which famous band released the song Yellow?

A) Coldplay
B) Keane
C) Oasis
D) Muse

Answer: A) Coldplay

37. What does a conductor usually lead during an orchestral performance?

A) A choir or orchestra
B) A single guitarist
C) A DJ set
D) A solo pianist only

Answer: A) A choir or orchestra

38. Which singer is known for Single Ladies?

A) Beyoncé
B) Rihanna
C) Alicia Keys
D) Nicki Minaj

Answer: A) Beyoncé

39. Which band recorded the song Smells Like Teen Spirit?

A) Nirvana
B) Pearl Jam
C) Soundgarden
D) Foo Fighters

Answer: A) Nirvana

40. Which musical term means a piece performed by one person?

A) Solo
B) Duet
C) Trio
D) Chorus

Answer: A) Solo

41. Which singer is famous for Rocket Man?

A) Elton John
B) Billy Joel
C) Rod Stewart
D) Phil Collins

Answer: A) Elton John

42. Which band released the album Rumours?

A) Fleetwood Mac
B) Eagles
C) The Police
D) Journey

Answer: A) Fleetwood Mac

43. Which instrument is strongly associated with Miles Davis?

A) Trumpet
B) Piano
C) Violin
D) Saxophone

Answer: A) Trumpet

44. Which singer released the song Someone Like You?

A) Adele
B) Sia
C) Amy Winehouse
D) Florence Welch

Answer: A) Adele

45. Which group is famous for the song Take on Me?

A) a-ha
B) Duran Duran
C) Depeche Mode
D) Wham!

Answer: A) a-ha

46. Which genre is known for its strong connection to hip-hop culture and rhythmic spoken vocals?

A) Rap
B) Opera
C) Classical
D) Bluegrass

Answer: A) Rap

47. Who composed The Four Seasons?

A) Antonio Vivaldi
B) Johann Sebastian Bach
C) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
D) Franz Schubert

Answer: A) Antonio Vivaldi

48. Which singer is known for the song Uptown Funk alongside Mark Ronson?

A) Bruno Mars
B) The Weeknd
C) Usher
D) Jason Derulo

Answer: A) Bruno Mars

49. Which band released the song We Will Rock You?

A) Queen
B) Kiss
C) Bon Jovi
D) The Rolling Stones

Answer: A) Queen

50. Which of these is a string instrument?

A) Cello
B) Trumpet
C) Flute
D) Clarinet

Answer: A) Cello

How Did You Score?

Now that you've reached the end, add up your correct answers and see where you stand.

• 45–50: Music Master — you clearly know your way around music.
• 35–44: Serious Music Fan — you've got a very solid knowledge of music.
• 25–34: Good Listener — you know plenty, but there are still a few gaps.
• 15–24: Casual Music Fan — you know the familiar names and songs, but some questions caught you out.
• 0–14: Time for a New Playlist — don't worry, you've got plenty of music left to discover.

Final Thoughts

Music is one of those subjects where you can know a lot without realising it. You might remember the name of a singer but forget the album, recognise a song within seconds but have no idea when it was released, or know a melody without remembering who performed it.

That's what makes music quizzes so much fun. There is always another artist, genre, instrument or song to discover.

How many did you get right? Share your score with your friends and challenge them to beat it. And if you enjoyed this quiz, come back for more quizzes covering different topics.