Can you match obscure facts to iconic musicians?
Think you know your rock stars? Prepare to have your obscure music knowledge put to the ultimate test!
Did you know that one legendary rock frontman once earned a cool eight dollars an hour by participating in a UCLA science experiment… where he simply smoked cigarettes? If you immediately thought of Axl Rose, then congratulations, you’ve got some seriously deep rock trivia in your arsenal!
But Axl isn’t the only musician with a bizarre, little-known fact attached to their name. Are you ready to dive deeper into the annals of rock history and identify more artists by their most abstruse bits of trivia? Take our quiz and prove your expertise right now!
Hint No. 1
He’s a Grammy-winning artist and producer who initially made a name for himself behind the boards.
Answer: Kanye West
Kanye West (or Yea, or Yeezus, or Yeezy) dropped out of college at age 20 to pursue a music career. He was awarded the honorary doctorate for his contributions to fashion, music, and popular culture.
Hint No. 2
He is best known as the iconic lead vocalist for a legendary British heavy metal band, famous for his wide-ranging operatic vocal style and energetic stage presence.
Answer: Bruce Dickinson
Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson is a fully qualified commercial pilot and he used to fly the band from city to city on tour. Sadly, at 65, he has reached mandatory retirement age and can no longer perform this service.
Hint No. 3
He was known for his distinctive raspy vocals, his aggressive Rickenbacker bass playing, and his instantly recognizable stage presence
Answer: Lemmy Kilmister
Lemmy Kilmister, frontman for the heavy metal band Motörhead, used to lug gear around for the greatest guitar player who ever lived. He founded Motörhead after being kicked out of the psychedelic group Hawkwind.
Hint. No. 4
This English Celtic punk band, famously fused traditional Irish music with raw punk rock energy.
Answer: The Pogues
The Pogues were formed in London in 1982. Prior to that, their singer Shane MacGowan made a living digging graves, something we have no trouble believing
Hint No. 5
This American singer, songwriter, and actress is famous for her constant image reinventions and versatility across music, fashion, and film.
Answer: Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga, known to her family as Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, originally wanted to be a designer but went into music instead. She kept up with her fashionista dreams by designing dresses made out of meat instead.
Hint No. 6
She rose to fame in the early 2000s, carving out a niche with her pop-rock anthems and often rebellious attitude.
Answer: P!nk
P!nk (or Pink), started her musical history by joining a band called Basic Instinct while she was a teenager. The band never took off, possibly because it’s named after a terrible movie.
Hint No. 7
Their early sound was influenced by progressive rock and heavy metal, but they later embraced arena rock and pop rock.
Answer: Queen
All of the members of Queen were preternaturally talented, but guitarist Brian May has them all beat with his degree in astrophysics. He also happens to be one of the greatest rock guitar players who ever lived.
Hint No. 8
He was a pioneering American singer, songwriter, and pianist, known for his electrifying, flamboyant stage presence and powerful vocals.
Answer: Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman – otherwise known as Little Richard – was both an outrageous performer and deeply religious, two things that often contradicted one another. He left show business in the 1970s to turn to evangelism full-time, but he turned back the next decade.
Hint no. 9
He is most recognized as the distinctive lead singer of a highly influential British progressive rock band, which he co-founded in 1968.
Answer: Jon Anderson
Yes singer Jon Anderson was quite fond of castling and putting his opponents in check. He was so fond of it, in fact, that he wrote a whole song, “I’ve Seen All Good People,” whose lyrics are full of references to the game.
Hint No. 10
His band is known for their emotive lyrics. He is also a prominent philanthropist and activist, particularly vocal about fair trade (campaigning with Oxfam) and environmental sustainability in live music.
Answer: Chris Martin
Coldplay singer Chris Martin is quite an academically accomplished person, holding degrees in subjects that are quite intellectually rigorous. He was also married to Gwyneth Paltrow before “consciously uncoupling” from her in 2016.
Hint No. 11
He is best known as the co-founder, bassist, and primary songwriter for a notorious heavy metal, glam metal band that rose to fame in the 1980s.
Answer: Nikki Sixx
Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx held several jobs as an aspiring rocker, including selling vacuum cleaners. We are sad to report that he did it over the phone and was not a door-to-door salesman, which would have been hilarious to see.
Hint No. 12
His famous nickname, Slowhand, was coined because audiences would do a slow handclap while he changed broken guitar strings on stage.
Answer: Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton wrote “Layla” about Patti Boyd, who was married to the ex-Beatle before leaving him for Clapton. That marriage didn’t last either – in fact, Harrison and Boyd were married for one year longer than she was married to Clapton.
Hint No. 13
His thunderous style was noted for its incredible speed, power, fast single-footed kick drumming, and a distinctive groove.
Answer: John Bonham
Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham is acknowledged as one of the greatest rock drummers ever to walk the earth. He was also a raging alcoholic who drank superhuman amounts of alcohol, eventually leading to his death from pulmonary aspiration in 1980.
Hint No. 14
He is a British musician best known as the original slide guitarist and pianist in a legendary rock band formed in the late 1960s.
Answer: Jeremy Spencer
Jeremy Spencer co-founded the band in 1967 but left in 1971 to join the Children of God, which is now known as the Family International. We’re not going to call it a “cult,” but plenty of its former members did, so we don’t have to.
Hint No. 15
This American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1971, became one of the best-selling music artists of all time, selling over 200 million records worldwide.
Answer: The Eagles
Glenn Frey and Don Henley of the Eagles started out as members of Ronstadt’s band, playing guitar and drums respectively. The two of them eventually decided to launch their own band, which would become the massively successful Eagles of “Hotel California” fame.
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