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Music Trivia for Seniors (With Answers)

October 6, 202612 minEmily Chen
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In this article
  1. 1.How to use these questions
  2. 2.The 1950s: rock and roll arrives
  3. 3.The 1960s: the Beatles, Motown and folk
  4. 4.The 1970s: disco, rock and singer-songwriters
  5. 5.The 1980s: MTV and the superstars
  6. 6.Bonus round: the great standards
  7. 7.Tips for running music trivia in care homes and senior centres
  8. 8.Making your own version
  9. 9.Frequently Asked Questions
  10. 10.Related reading

TL;DR. Below are 70 music trivia questions for seniors, with answers, grouped by decade from the 1950s to the 1980s and covering rock and roll, Motown, country and the great standards. Read them aloud, play a short clip if you can, and use large-print answer sheets so everyone can join in.

How to use these questions

The questions are grouped by decade so you can run one decade per round, or mix them for a general music round. Answers follow each question. Most can be asked as "Who sang...?" or turned around ("Which song did ... sing?") to make them easier or harder.

Looking for more oldies? See oldies music trivia for the 60s, 70s and 80s and the broader music trivia questions.

The 1950s: rock and roll arrives

  • Which song gave Elvis Presley his first number one hit in the United States in 1956?

    • Answer: Heartbreak Hotel

  • Which band recorded "Rock Around the Clock"?

    • Answer: Bill Haley and His Comets

  • Who sang and wrote "Johnny B. Goode"?

    • Answer: Chuck Berry

  • Which singer, known for his glasses, recorded "Peggy Sue"?

    • Answer: Buddy Holly

  • Who recorded "Great Balls of Fire"?

    • Answer: Jerry Lee Lewis

  • Which singer opened "Tutti Frutti" with a famous "A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop"?

    • Answer: Little Richard

  • Who wrote and first recorded "Blue Suede Shoes"?

    • Answer: Carl Perkins

  • Who sang "I Walk the Line"?

    • Answer: Johnny Cash

  • Which teenage singer had a hit with "La Bamba" in 1958?

    • Answer: Ritchie Valens

  • Which vocal group recorded "Only You" and "The Great Pretender"?

    • Answer: The Platters

  • Which brothers sang "Bye Bye Love" and "Wake Up Little Susie"?

    • Answer: The Everly Brothers

  • Who had a big hit with "Mack the Knife" in 1959?

    • Answer: Bobby Darin

  • Which actress and singer introduced "Que Sera, Sera" in a 1956 Alfred Hitchcock film?

    • Answer: Doris Day

  • Who recorded "Hound Dog" before Elvis Presley made it famous?

    • Answer: Big Mama Thornton

  • Which three musicians died in the plane crash of February 1959, later called "the day the music died"?

    • Answer: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper

  • Which singer was nicknamed "Ol' Blue Eyes"?

    • Answer: Frank Sinatra

    The 1960s: the Beatles, Motown and folk

  • Which English city were the Beatles from?

    • Answer: Liverpool

  • Who was the Beatles' drummer?

    • Answer: Ringo Starr

  • On which American television programme did the Beatles make their famous first live US appearance in February 1964?

    • Answer: The Ed Sullivan Show

  • Which band had a hit with "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"?

    • Answer: The Rolling Stones

  • In which city did Berry Gordy found Motown Records?

    • Answer: Detroit

  • Who was the lead singer of the Supremes?

    • Answer: Diana Ross

  • Which group sang "My Girl"?

    • Answer: The Temptations

  • Whose 1968 version of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" became a number one hit?

    • Answer: Marvin Gaye

  • Which singer, known as the Queen of Soul, had a hit with "Respect"?

    • Answer: Aretha Franklin

  • Which band recorded "Good Vibrations"?

    • Answer: The Beach Boys

  • In what year was the Woodstock festival held?

    • Answer: 1969

  • Who sang "Stand By Me"?

    • Answer: Ben E. King

  • Which singer started a dance craze with "The Twist"?

    • Answer: Chubby Checker

  • Which Motown star was first billed as "Little" when he started out as a child?

    • Answer: Stevie Wonder

  • Who wrote "Blowin' in the Wind"?

    • Answer: Bob Dylan

  • Patsy Cline had a hit with "Crazy". Which country star wrote it?

    • Answer: Willie Nelson

  • Who sang "Oh, Pretty Woman"?

    • Answer: Roy Orbison

  • Which girl group recorded "Be My Baby"?

    • Answer: The Ronettes

  • Who wrote and sang "Sweet Caroline"?

    • Answer: Neil Diamond

    The 1970s: disco, rock and singer-songwriters

  • Which Swedish group sang "Dancing Queen"?

    • Answer: ABBA

  • With which song did ABBA win the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974?

    • Answer: Waterloo

  • Which group sang most of the songs on the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack, including "Stayin' Alive"?

    • Answer: The Bee Gees

  • Which band recorded "Bohemian Rhapsody"?

    • Answer: Queen

  • Who sang the disco anthem "I Will Survive"?

    • Answer: Gloria Gaynor

  • Which band recorded "Hotel California"?

    • Answer: The Eagles

  • Who wrote the lyrics for most of Elton John's hits?

    • Answer: Bernie Taupin

  • Which band released the album "Rumours" in 1977?

    • Answer: Fleetwood Mac

  • Who recorded the album and song "Born to Run"?

    • Answer: Bruce Springsteen

  • Who wrote and sang "Jolene"?

    • Answer: Dolly Parton

  • Which group had a hit with "Y.M.C.A."?

    • Answer: Village People

  • Who sang "Superstition"?

    • Answer: Stevie Wonder

  • Who sang "Let's Stay Together"?

    • Answer: Al Green

  • Who sang "American Pie"?

    • Answer: Don McLean

  • Who sang "Take Me Home, Country Roads"?

    • Answer: John Denver

  • Which former Beatle released "Imagine" in 1971?

    • Answer: John Lennon

  • What were the first names of the brother and sister who made up the Carpenters?

    • Answer: Karen and Richard

    The 1980s: MTV and the superstars

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  • Which Michael Jackson album, released in 1982, includes "Billie Jean" and "Beat It"?

    • Answer: Thriller

  • Who sang "Like a Virgin"?

    • Answer: Madonna

  • Which Bruce Springsteen song and album of 1984 is often mistaken for a simple patriotic anthem?

    • Answer: Born in the U.S.A.

  • Which singer starred in the film "Purple Rain"?

    • Answer: Prince

  • In what year were the Live Aid concerts held in London and Philadelphia?

    • Answer: 1985

  • Which two singers wrote "We Are the World"?

    • Answer: Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie

  • Which duo sang "Islands in the Stream"?

    • Answer: Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton

  • Which band recorded "Every Breath You Take"?

    • Answer: The Police

  • Who sang "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"?

    • Answer: Cyndi Lauper

  • Which band recorded "Livin' on a Prayer"?

    • Answer: Bon Jovi

  • Which band recorded "Don't Stop Believin'"?

    • Answer: Journey

  • Who sang "What's Love Got to Do with It"?

    • Answer: Tina Turner

  • Who sang "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)"?

    • Answer: Whitney Houston

  • MTV launched in 1981. Which song by the Buggles was the first video it played?

    • Answer: Video Killed the Radio Star

    Bonus round: the great standards

  • Whose recording of "White Christmas" became one of the best-selling singles of all time?

    • Answer: Bing Crosby

  • Judy Garland sang "Over the Rainbow" in which film?

    • Answer: The Wizard of Oz

  • Who sang "What a Wonderful World"?

    • Answer: Louis Armstrong

  • Which trumpeter and singer was nicknamed "Satchmo"?

    • Answer: Louis Armstrong

    Tips for running music trivia in care homes and senior centres

  • Large print. Print answer sheets and any question cards in at least 16 to 18 point, with high contrast (black on white or cream). Leave plenty of space to write.
  • Play a clip. Ten to fifteen seconds of the song's opening often does more than the question itself. "Name that tune" rounds are usually the favourite.
  • Read slowly and twice. Face the room, speak clearly, and repeat each question.
  • Slow the pace. Allow a minute or more per question. Nobody should feel rushed.
  • Accept partial answers. If someone remembers the singer but not the song, that still counts as a win for the group.
  • Use teams or a whole-room format. Calling out answers together keeps it social and avoids putting anyone on the spot.
  • Invite memories. Ask "Where were you when this came out?" The conversation is often the best part.
  • Mix the decades. Groups span a wide age range, so cover several decades in each session.
  • Check hearing and sight needs before you start, and seat people who need it nearer the speaker or screen.

    • Making your own version

    If your group has favourite artists, you can build a custom round. A trivia quiz maker can draft questions on a topic such as "1960s Motown" in a minute; edit them, check every answer, and print the quiz in a large font for the session.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What music trivia works best for seniors?

    Songs from the 1950s to the 1970s usually get the most response, especially rock and roll, Motown, country and the great standards. Playing a short clip helps everyone join in.

    How many questions should a seniors music quiz have?

    Twenty to thirty questions is plenty for a one-hour session, with time for conversation between rounds.

    How do you make trivia easier for people with memory loss?

    Use multiple choice, play the song, accept partial answers, and treat it as a group sing-along rather than a competition.

    Where can I find 70s and 80s music trivia questions and answers?

    This list has more than 30 questions from the 1970s and 1980s, with answers. There are more in our oldies music trivia post.

    Related reading

  • Oldies music trivia questions: 60s, 70s and 80s
  • Music trivia questions
  • Generational trivia questions
  • How to host a trivia night
  • Printable test maker

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    Emily Chen

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