Only People Who Lived During The 1950s Can Pass This Music QUIZ
In the 1950s, the world — and especially the United States — was experiencing a period of great transition after World War II. The optimistic outlook and social structures in the United States were reflected in the music at the time, with artists like Bing Crosby and styles such as Swing and Doo-wop. It was also during this time that music began to evolve and develop, giving birth to genres such as Rock and Roll and Rockabilly, as well as an overall change in popular music. The 1950s were an extremely influential decade in music history and a lot happened to make music what it is today. Do you think you remember it all? Take this quiz to find out!
What genre of music did Elvis play?
A. Pop
B. Country
C. Rythm and Blues
D. Rock and Roll
Answer: Rock and Roll
Elvis Presley is credited as the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” and rose to fame in the genre after sparking a relationship with Sam Philips, a studio owner who wanted to market “black music” to white listeners.
Which musician was blind since the age of seven?
A. Charlie Parker
B. Dean Martin
C. Patsy Cline
D. Ray Charles
Answer: Ray Charles
Called “Brother Ray” by his friends, he was blind since he was seven. He helped to pioneer soul music by combining Blues, Rhythm and Blues, and Gospel.
Who sang the hit song “A Change Is Gonna Come”?
A. Otis Redding
B. Bobby Womack
C. Al Green
D. Sam Cooke
Answer: Sam Cooke
“A Change Is Gonna Come” was inspired by various personal events that had happened throughout Cooke’s life, and most specifically after he was turned away from a “whites only” motel in Louisiana.
Which artist was referred to as “The Cry Guy” and “The Prince of Wails”?
A. Eddie Fischer
B. Frankie Laine
C. Pat Boone
D. Johnnie Ray
Answer: Johnnie Ray
Johnnie Ray was extremely popular in the 1950s and was known for his breakdowns on-stage which reflected the emotions of his predominantly teenage audience at the time.
What was the term given to male singers who were backed by a piano, a full orchestra, or a big band?
A. Front Man
B. Boomers
C. Tuners
D. Crooners
Answer: Crooners
The term “crooner” was originally an ironic term that put down the singing style that was only possible if you used a microphone.
Who was known for their pop-influenced covers of classic Rythm and Blues songs such as “Two Hearts” and “Ain’t That A Shame”?
A. Ricky Nelson
B. Bing Crosby
C. Little Richard
D. Pat Boone
Answer: Pat Boone
Pat Boone was known for his covers that outsold the original songs after he added his own flare to them, making them more appealing to radio listeners. He would later switch to covering ballads because Rythm and Blues listeners wanted to listen to the originals.
What was Bo Diddley’s real name?
A. Arthur Mitchell
B. Steve Jenkins
C. Steven Wasp
D. Ellas McDaniel
Answer: Ellas McDaniel
There are numerous different theories as to how Ellas McDaniel’s stage name of Bo Diddley came about. However, the true reason why is still unknown although people who knew him all claim they know why.
Who hosted the show American Bandstand?
A. Buddy Holly
B. Bobby Rydell
C. Mitch Miller
D. Dick Clark
Answer: Dick Clark
Dick Clark began hosting American Bandstand in 1956. The show, which featured Rock and Roll performers, helped to popularize and give a clean-cut American look to the genre and made it more socially acceptable.
Who was famous for the song “Splish Splash”?
A. Paul Anka
B. Connie Francis
C. Bobby Rydell
D. Bobby Darin
Answer: Bobby Darin
“Splish Splash” was a song co-written with DJ Murray the K who bet that Darin couldn’t start a song with “Splish Splash, I Was Taking A Bath”. It was Darin’s first hit and kicked off his career.
Who is credited with coining the term “Rock and Roll”?
A. Bruce Morrow
B. Dick Clark
C. Hy Lit
D. Alan Freed
Answer: Alan Freed
In 1951, Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed began to play Rhythm and Blues music for a multi-racial audience. He described it as Rock and Roll and has since been credited with naming the genre.
Who sang the song “The Fat Man”?
A. Big Joe Turner
B. Lee Dorsey
C. Randy Newman
D. Fats Domino
Answer: Fats Domino
“The Fat Man” was co-written with Dave Bartholomew and was a toned down version of the song “Junker Blues” which was about drug addiction. By 1951, the record had sold over one million companies and is considered one of the first Rock and Roll songs to achieve such success.
Who popularized the four-man group and made guitar the lead instrument in Rock and Roll music?
A. Buddy Holly
B. Chuck Berry
C. The Beatles
D. Elvis Presley
Answer: Elvis Presley
Elvis isn’t considered to be the “King of Rock” just because of his music. He also changed the style of the genre. One of the ways he did this was to normalize a band with four members and make the guitar the lead instrument.
Who sang the song “Tutti Frutti”?
A. Carl Perkins
B. Chuck Berry
C. Jerry Lee Lewis
D. Little Richard
Answer: Little Richard
The song “Tutti Frutti,” which came out in 1955, was considered so influential that it was included in the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress because Richard’s “unique vocalizing over the irresistible beat announced a new era in music”.
What were Frank Sinatra’s die-hard fans called?
A. Moonlight Walkers
B. The Franks
C. Sinatra’s Mafia
D. Bobby Soxers
Answer: Bobby Soxers
Bobby Soxers were fans of traditional pop music and in particular Frank Sinatra. This is because when they would listen to the music in the school gymnasium they would take off their shoes and dance in their bobby socks, which sparked the name Bobby Soxers.
Which artist was nicknamed “The Killer”?
A. Chuck Berry
B. Eddie Cochran
C. Duane Eddy
D. Jerry Lee Lewis
Answer: Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis was a major player in the development of Rock and Roll and Rockabilly music. He has also been described as Rock and Roll’s first real wild child.
What song played in the opening credits of “The Blackboard Jungle”? The movie’s premier is credited with kicking off the Rock and Roll era?
A. “Hound Dog”
B. “The Tennessee Waltz”
C. “Let the Good Times Roll”
D. “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock”
Answer: “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock”
The film used Billy Haley and His Comets’ track “(We’re Gonna Rock Around the Clock” which caused a national sensation when the film first aired and even had teenagers dancing in the aisles.
Who originally wrote and recorded the song “Johnny B. Goode”?
A. Elvis Presley
B. Muddy Waters
C. Little Richard
D. Chuck Berry
Answer: Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry wrote and recorded “Johnny B. Goode” in 1958. It peaked at No. 2 on Billboard magazine’s Hot Rythm and Blues Sides and No.8 on the Hot 100 Chart.
In which year did Buddy Holly first appear on television?
A. 1950
B. 1953
C. 1955
D. 1952
Answer: 1952
He first appeared on television in 1952 and it’s what helped make him known to the public. After that, he’d appear on television occasionally until he opened for Elvis Presley on three different occasions in 1955.
Which female country singer’s single was the first to top the U.S. country charts?
A. Dolly Parton
B. Patsy Cline
C. Loretta Lynn
D. Kitty Wells
Answer: Kitty Wells
Kitty Wells’ 1952 “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” topped the charts, and her songs started a trend of female singers who began to go against the expectations of women at the time.
