It has become almost customary for musicians from a particular country to play the duduk to commemorate a tragedy of 1915.
Which country?
Armenia (the genocide)
The duduk is strongly associated with Armenia.
Swedish director Lasse Hallström who directed Chocolat and My Life as a Dog is also known for his contribution in the world of music to whom/what?
ABBA (he directed almost all of ABBA's promotional films)
What popular 1870s music composition is based on a poem of Henri Cazalis that starts with "Zig, zig, zig, Death in cadence,..."?
Danse macabre by French composer Camille Saint-Saëns
The name of what genre has its origin in what producers Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz had in their mouths when they discussed music targeting the younger crowd?
Bubblegum pop
The birth of bubblegum pop is generally dated from the success in 1968 of The Lemon Pipers' psychedelic bubblegum hit "Green Tambourine", 1910 Fruitgum Company's "Simon Says" and The Ohio Express' "Yummy Yummy Yummy."
(Acknowledgement)In 1934, a regulation promulgated in a certain country required that when the Horst-Wessel-Lied was sung, what gesture must be performed?
Hitler salute
It was the anthem of the Nazi Party. Usually, the person offering the salute would say "Heil Hitler!"
(Acknowledgement)While selling what 2007 music release did a website list a question mark where the price would normally be? If a user clicked on it, he would see "It's Up To You" and clicking again would show "It's Really Up To You."
Radiohead's In Rainbows
It became known for being initially released (in Oct 2007) via a pay-what-you-want model. A standard CD release happened in most countries in the last week of that year.
(Acknowledgement)Which person from the world of media joined R.E.M. on stage to sing "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" in a concert in New York in 1994?
Dan Rather
In 1986, as Rather was walking along Park Avenue in Manhattan to his apartment, he was attacked by a man who demanded to know, "Kenneth, what is the frequency?" The story entered popular lore and remained unsolved for some time. In 1994 R.E.M. released the song "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" on the album Monster.
(Acknowledgement)Ships of what cruise line use the tune of "When You Wish upon a Star" from Pinnochio as the melody of their horns?
Disney Cruise
They use the first seven notes of the song's melody.
(Acknowledgement)The meeting of George Harrison with whom in 1965 resulted in the introduction of a certain Indian instrument on "Norwegian Wood"?
Ravi Shankar (sitar)
According to author Lavezzoli, Harrison's introduction of the instrument on the Beatles' song "Norwegian Wood" "opened the floodgates for Indian instrumentation in rock music, triggering what Shankar would call 'The Great Sitar Explosion' of 1966-67."
(Acknowledgement)Whose March 31, 1994 appearance on Late Show with David Letterman resulted in the episode becoming the most censored in American network television talk-show history for obvious reasons?
Madonna
Madonna's language and behavior—which was provocative, seemingly random at times, full of double entendres, and ended with a refusal to leave the set—caused a large public controversy.
(Acknowledgement)Who is the American entertainer who shares her name with a West African Empire known for its symbol of Golden Stool?
Ashanti
Whose Symphony No. 1 was called "Beethoven's Tenth" by conductor Hans von Bülow?
Brahms'
It is often remarked that there is a strong resemblance between the main theme of the finale of Brahms' First Symphony and the main theme of the finale of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. Brahms himself declared that the symphony, from sketches to finishing touches, took 21 years, from 1855 to 1876.
(Acknowledgement)India's national anthem is written in what language that is also the national language of one of its neighbors?
Bengali
It was written by Tagore, Asia's first Nobel laureate. Bengali is the language of Bangladesh whose national anthem was also written by Tagore.
"Hey There" is a song from a Broadway musical in which workers of a factory making what are demanding a raise of seven-and-a-half cents?
Pajamas (The Pajama Game)
The song "Seasons of Love" from Rent has become associated with New Years Day with lyrics mentioning "Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes."
What is the significance of that number?
Number of minutes in a (non-leap) year
In a move that pissed off some people, what objects were shaped like the lips of the Rolling Stones logo at a museum dedicated to them in Germany?
Urinals!
The iconic urinals are in the shapes of a big, juicy pair of red lips -- the Rolling Stones logo.
(Acknowledgement)What album of Sting takes its title from a sonnet he quoted in response to a drunk's query, "How beautiful is the moon?"?
...Nothing Like the Sun
The title comes from Shakespeare's Sonnet #130 ("My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun").
What infamous 1983 Broadway play concerning the antics of the Holloway family has become synonymous with flops?
Moose Murders
It is now widely considered the standard of awfulness against which all Broadway failures are judged. It had its single performance on February 22, 1983.
If Michael Jackson popularized the Moonwalk, what yesteryear great is associated with the Duckwalk?
Chuck Berry
It is performed by going in the squatting position and moving forward, letting one lower leg swing back and forth in the air while playing the guitar. While the origins of the duckwalk have been traced as far back as T-Bone Walker who already during the 1930s performed dance moves while playing his guitar, it was Chuck Berry who made the duckwalk popular and who is often credited as the inventor.
The musical ensemble arrangement called 'gamelan' which often accompanies wayang puppet performances (among others) is a tradition of what Asian country?
Indonesia
Wayang is a Javanese word for particular kinds of theatre. When the term is used to refer to kinds of puppet theatre, sometimes the puppet itself is referred to as wayang.
During what landmark 1969 event was a 'freak out tent' established for those suffering from the ill-effects of drugs?
Woodstock
Which iconic figure of 20th century music is known for his "I am a Catalan" speech he gave to the UN in 1971?
Pablo Casals, the cellist
It became a popular motto among Catalan nationalism.
The 1902 guitar composition "Gran Vals" by the Spanish composer Francisco Tárrega would have remained obscure but for corporate executive Anssi Vanjoki selecting it for something in 1993. How do millions of people recognize it now?
Nokia tune
The tune, which Nokia has registered as a sound trademark in some countries was the first identifiable musical ringtone on a mobile phone. The tune is heard worldwide an estimated 1.8 billion times per day, about 20,000 times per second.
Though denied by its author as the source of his inspiration, what musical work has strong resemblance to the story of a mythical village called Germelshausen that fell under a curse and appears for only one day every century?
Brigadoon by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe
The story involves two American tourists who stumble upon Brigadoon, a mysterious Scottish village that appears for only one day every hundred years. Tommy, one of the tourists, falls in love with Fiona, a young woman from Brigadoon. Lerner, however, denied that he had based the book on an older story and stated that he didn't learn of the existence of the Germelshausen story until after he had completed the first draft of Brigadoon.
In December 1971, Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention were playing in a concert when the casino venue they were in caught fire due to an over-zealous member of the audience firing a a flare gun into the rattan covered ceiling.
This is the true origin story of what rock classic?
"Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple
The resulting fire destroyed the entire casino complex, along with all the Mothers' equipment. The "smoke on the water" that became the title of the song (credited to bass guitarist Roger Glover, who related how the title occurred to him when he suddenly woke from a dream a few days later) referred to the smoke from the fire spreading over Lake Geneva from the burning casino as the members of Deep Purple watched the fire from their hotel.
(Acknowledgement)In 2013 to encourage the use of zebra crossings, Kolkata's police employed what image from the world of music with the caption "If they can, why can't you?"?
The Beatles crossing Abbey Road
Hoardings across the city were put up with the album cover.
(Acknowledgement)In December 1989, along with "I Fought The Law" by The Clash, what hard rock song was famously used by the US Military to ferret out a hiding Noriega from the Vatican Embassy?
Van Halen's "Panama"
The Howard Stern Show was also played.
(Acknowledgement)An aversion therapy called the 'Ludovico technique' from the 1971 classic A Clockwork Orange features which composer's music? Kudos if you can name the piece too.
Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
It involved forcing a patient to watch violent images for long periods of time, while under the effect of a nausea-inducing drug. The aim of the therapy is to make the patient experience severe nausea when experiencing or even thinking about violence, thus attempting to solve societal crime. In the movie, the subject develops a severe aversion to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, one of his favorite pieces of classical music, due to its use as a background score for the films during his treatment.
Composer Philip Glass's 'Portrait Trilogy' of operas consists of Einstein on the Beach, Akhnaten and Satyagraha with the last one focusing on whom?
Mahatma Gandhi
The title refers to Gandhi's concept of non-violent resistance to injustice. The text of the opera is from the Bhagavad Gita which is sung in the original Sanskrit.
In 2010 Sony signed a $250 million deal to retain distribution rights to whose works, a fall-out from a 2009 incident?
Michael Jackson's (1958-2009)
It was the largest music contract ever.
Talking about which of his hits did Eric Clapton say the following?
"... It's no good to write a deliberate anti-___ song and hope that it will catch. Because the general thing is that people will be upset by that. It would disturb them to have someone else shoving something down their throat. So the best thing to do is offer something that seems ambiguous ..."
"Cocaine" (the missing word is "drug")
A West End theatre that opened in 1881 to perform the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan was built on the site of a palace that was called as what?
Savoy Palace
The duos work became known as the Savoy Operas as a result.
Talking about what 1977 rock classic did a band member say that his physics training helped him in designing the "stomp, stomp, clap" section of the song? Get this right or you'd have mud on your face!
Queen's "We Will Rock You"
It was written by Brian May and he wanted to create the sound of thousands of people stomping and clapping without any echo. May holds a doctorate in astrophysics.
After a premiere in 1952, the creator of a certain work said the following words. Name him.
They missed the point. There's no such thing as ... What they thought was ..., because they didn't know how to listen, was full of accidental ... You could hear the wind stirring outside during the first ... During the second, raindrops began pattering the roof, and during the third the people themselves made all kinds of interesting ... as they talked or walked out.
John Cage after the premiere of 4'33"
It was composed in 1952 for any instrument (or combination of instruments), and the score instructs the performer not to play the instrument during the entire duration of the piece throughout the three movements (which, for the first performance, were divided into thirty seconds for the first, two minutes and twenty-three seconds for the second, and one minute and forty seconds for the third).
When this classical music suite was written in the period of 1914-16, it consisted of seven parts, and not eight, for astrological reasons. When a discovery was made in 1930, the composer was urged to add an eight part but refused. In 2006 the work was said to have became complete again.
What are we talking about?
Planets by Gustav Holst
The concept of the work is astrological rather than astronomical and hence Earth is not included. Each movement is intended to convey ideas and emotions associated with the influence of the planets on the psyche, not the Roman deities. The 1930 discovery/2006 change talks about Pluto.
What is the better known name of Violin Sonata in G minor by Giuseppe Tartini that the composer said was played to him in a dream by Satan himself?
Devil's Trill sonata
It is famous for being extremely technically demanding.
In which country did the dictator Rafael Trujillo promote the merengue style of music/dance into the country's national music?
Dominican Republic
Trujillo was the dictator of the country from the 1930 to 1961. Merengue is a type of music and dance that originated in Dominican Republic.
"March of the Volunteers" was the second most played tune at the award ceremonies of what 2012 event?
London Olympics
It is the national anthem of China.
The titular object fashioned by dwarf Alberich is the focus of what monumental work of music?
Ring Cycle by Wagner
It follows the struggles of gods, heroes, and several mythical creatures over the eponymous magic ring that grants domination over the entire world. Wagner wrote them over the course of about twenty-six years, from 1848 to 1874. The four operas that constitute the Ring cycle are, in sequence: Das Rheingold (The Rhine Gold), Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), Siegfried and Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods). A full performance of the cycle takes place over four nights at the opera, with a total playing time of about 15 hours, depending on the conductor's pacing.
The cold infection of which superstar of music was the subject of Gay Talese's 1966 article for Esquire, a piece now considered a landmark in journalism?
Frank Sinatra (Frank Sinatra Has a Cold)
It was called by Vanity Fair as "the greatest literary-nonfiction story of the 20th century."
As its lyrics attest, what 1974 rock classic that celebrates a place was written in response to two songs of Neil Young that were derogatory of the American South?
"Sweet Home Alabama"
The lyrics of the song have the words "Well I heard mister Young sing about her; Well, I heard ole Neil put her down; Well, I hope Neil Young will remember; A Southern man don't need him around anyhow." Neil Young's songs are "Southern Man" and "Alabama."
What custom in the world of classical music originates from the belief that at the premiere of a Handel's musical event, King George II did so and the crowd followed suit?
Standing during the Hallelujah Chorus of Messiah
There is no convincing evidence that the king was present; the first reference to the practice of standing appears in a letter dated 1756.
According to the lyrics of a 1931 song by Noël Coward, what is it that the Japanese don't care to do, the Chinese wouldn't dare to do and the Hindus and Argentines avoid it as they sleep firmly from twelve to one?
"go out in the midday sun" ("Mad Dogs and Englishmen")
What song by The Doors that has a strong reference to the Oedipus complex got them fired from the Whisky a Go Go nightclub in West Hollywood?
"The End"
The climax of the song has the lines, "Father/ Yes son?/ I want to kill you/ Mother, I want to ..." (with the next words screamed out unintelligibly).
What musical instrument that takes its name from a muse was used in riverboats and in circuses because of its loudness?
Calliope
It produces sound by sending a gas, originally steam or more recently compressed air, through large whistles, originally locomotive whistles. Even some small calliopes are audible for miles around. The steam calliope is also known as a steam organ or steam piano.
Which 1977 musical was inspired by a magazine article about Bay Ridge kids of Brooklyn whose working class lives were said to be so empty that they lived just to dance on the weekend?
Saturday Night Fever
The movie inspired one of the best selling soundtrack of all time.
The title of what well-known piano waltz comes from the composer's specification that it must be played with both hands held sideways, little fingers down, striking the keys with a particular type motion?
"Chopsticks"
It was written in 1877 by the British composer Euphemia Allen under the pseudonym Arthur de Lulli.
In 1934 when a Broadway production As Thousands Cheer played this song, the producers were taken to court by the Hill family for using it without paying royalty as they owned the melody.
What ubiquitous song?
"Happy Birthday to You"
The melody comes from the song "Good Morning to All", which was written and composed by American siblings Patty Hill and Mildred J. Hill in 1893. According to some sources, the song is still under copyright.
In 1989, rocker Ted Nugent made a multi-million dollar bid to purchase what company to shut it down as he felt it's ubiquitous sounds were representative of everything "uncool" about music?
Muzak
It is best known for distribution of background music (best known as 'elevator music') to retail stores and other companies.
Which breakthrough hit for Queen contains the phrase "Let them eat cake", a quote often attributed to Marie Antoinette?
"Killer Queen"
When an American theater director was reading about the travels of Henry Kissinger, he came across the figure of Mao and thought "there's an opera in there." What work resulted when he proposed this idea to a composer?
Nixon in China by John Adams
The phrase "it's better to burn out than to fade away" from Neil Young's classic song "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)" became better known after being quoted in whose 1994 suicide note?
Nirvana's Kurt Cobain
Young later said that he was so shaken that he dedicated his 1994 album Sleeps with Angels to Cobain. Because of Cobain's suicide, in live concerts he now emphasizes the line "once you're gone you can't come back."
The short poem And did those feet in ancient time by William Blake that features the phrase 'dark satanic mills' is best known in what musical context?
The anthem Jerusalem
It is considered to be England's most popular patriotic song and there have even been calls to give it official status. The music for this poem was written by Sir Hubert Parry in 1916. The most famous version was orchestrated by Sir Edward Elgar in 1922 and upon hearing it for the first time, King George V said that he preferred it over God Save the King.
In 2009, a Face to Face tour featuring Elton John and Billy Joel was promoted as '___ Man meets ___ Man.' Can you fill-in the missing words?
Rocket, Piano
What is the term given to a musical that uses previously released popular songs as its musical score, examples of which are Mamma Mia! and Jersey Boys?
Jukebox musical
The term was first coined in the 1940s in reference to motion pictures consisting largely of hit recordings.
Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac avoided black clothing to distance herself from the dark arts associations surrounding her as a result of which of the band's hit song?
"Rhiannon"
Rhiannon is a prominent figure in Welsh mythology and this myth was the inspiration for the song.
"My nickname of ___ came from Giorgio Gomelsky. He coined it as a good pun. He kept saying I was a fast player, so he put together the slow handclap phrase into ___ as a play on words."
These are the words of which guitarist?
Eric Clapton ("Slowhand")
Which 90s concert tour consisting of female artists was named after the first wife of Adam in Jewish myth?
Lilith Fair
It was founded by Canadian musician Sarah McLachlan, Nettwerk Music Group's Dan Fraser and Terry McBride, and New York talent agent Marty Diamond. It took place during the summers of 1997 to 1999, and was revived in the summer of 2010.
Due to the large number of languages used in the European Union, its anthem is purely instrumental. Despite this, the German lyrics from what work of Friedrich Schiller, connected to Beethoven, are often sung when the anthem is played?
Ode to Joy
It is best known for its musical setting by Beethoven in the final movement of his Ninth Symphony.
What is a 'mondegreen', two examples of which are "there's a bathroom on the right" and "'scuse me while I kiss this guy"?
Mishearing of a phrase in a song
American writer Sylvia Wright coined the term in her essay The Death of Lady Mondegreen published in Harper's Magazine in November 1954.
The Köchel-Verzeichnis is a complete catalog of the compositions of whom?
Mozart (1756-91)
It was originally created by Ludwig von Köchel and is abbreviated K or KV. For example, Mozart's Requiem in D minor was, according to Köchel's counting, the 626th piece Mozart composed. Thus, the piece is designated K. 626 or KV 626. Köchel catalogue numbers not only attempt to establish chronology, but also give a helpful shorthand to refer to Mozart's works.
Which overture written by Felix Mendelssohn was inspired by the echoes of a Scottish sea cave that he visited in 1829 and was named for it?
"Fingal's Cave" overture
Mendelssohn's overture popularized the cave as a tourist destination. It is a sea cave on the uninhabited island of Staffa, in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Its size and naturally arched roof, and the eerie sounds produced by the echoes of waves, give it the atmosphere of a natural cathedral.
If the Julliard School is to New York, the Berklee College of Music is to which city?
Boston
It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world.
The Italian soprano Renata Tebaldi who is acclaimed as one of the most beloved opera singers of all time was known for her rivalry with which other legendary soprano?
Maria Callas
Clang! The Avedis Zildjian Company is best known for producing and popularizing what musical instruments?
Cymbals
The country singer and former convict Merle Haggard turned his life around after listening to which other great perform at San Quentin prison?
Johnny Cash
Haggard attended three of Johnny Cash's concerts at San Quentin. Seeing Cash perform encouraged Haggard to straighten up and pursue his singing. Several years later, at another Cash concert, Haggard came up to Johnny and told him, "I certainly enjoyed your show at San Quentin." Cash said "Merle, I don't remember you bein' in that show." Merle Haggard said, "Johnny, I wasn't in that show, I was in the audience."
Which 1974 song made famous by the girl group 'Labelle' is most famous for its sexually suggestive chorus of 'voulez-vous coucher avec moi (ce soir)?' that translates as 'Do you want to sleep with me (tonight)?'?
"Lady Marmalade"
The song has received many cover versions over the years. The 2001 version by singers Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mýa, and Pink was a single for the Moulin Rouge! film's soundtrack.
Bruce Springsteen's best-selling 1985 album Born in the U.S.A. produced a record-tying string of seven top 10 singles. What two other albums produced separately by a brother and sister also share this distinction?
Michael Jackson's Thriller and Janet Jackson's Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814
'Kling Klang' is the private music studio of which highly influential electronic music band from Germany?
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is currently listed as the most deserving band who has yet to receive enshrinement to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame according to the website, www.notinhalloffame.com.
The annual music festival 'Lollapalooza' was conceived and created in 1991 by singer Perry Farrell of which band as a farewell tour for his band?
Jane's Addiction
The Queen song "Radio Ga Ga" is said to be the main inspiration behind the name of what current day hit singer?
Lady Gaga
Which 1995 song of which the 'Bayside Boys Mix' became the best known version was ranked as the #1 Greatest One-Hit Wonder of all Time by VH1 in 2002?
"Macarena" by Los Del Rio
"Hail to the Chief", the march primarily associated with the President of the US has verses derived from which narrative poem of Walter Scott?
The Lady of the Lake
The lyrics of which song first put to music by Pete Seeger in 1959 and later made famous by The Byrds were taken almost entirely from the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible?
"Turn! Turn! Turn! (to Everything There is a Season)"
The lines are open to myriad interpretations, but as a song they are commonly performed as a plea for world peace, with an emphasis on the closing line: "a time for peace, I swear it's not too late." This line and the title phrase "Turn! Turn! Turn!" are the only parts of the lyric written by Seeger himself.
Which American song that remains a fundamental part of a jazz musicians' repertoire has been called 'the jazzman's Hamlet' and has also been used as an NHL team name?
"St. Louis Blues"
It was composed by W. C. Handy in the blues style. Published in September 1914 by Handy's own company, it later gained such popularity that it inspired the dance step the "Foxtrot."
Which enormously influential classical composer spent much of his career as a court musician for the wealthy Hungarian aristocratic Esterházy family?
Joseph Haydn
Isolated from other composers and trends in music until the later part of his long life, he was, as he put it, "forced to become original." He is often called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to these genres.
'The Jordanaires' are an American singing group formed in 1948 best known for backing many of whose recordings?
Elvis Presley's
They are best known across the world as the backup vocalists for a number of Elvis Presley's hit singles, with whom they performed for more than fifteen years and backed up on well over 100 different songs (singles and album cuts, on television and in a number of films).
Which 1980 supergroup consisting of George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and Bob Dylan decided to use a word with a single 'L' instead of a double 'L' in their name because the band started in America and consisted of three Americans and only two Britons?
Traveling Wilburys
"Wilburys" was a slang term coined by Harrison and Lynne during the recording of Cloud Nine as a pet name for various types of equipment in the recording studio.
Which city in Germany is famed for hosting the annual Wagner festival?
Bayreuth
Wagner himself conceived of and promoted the idea of a special festival to showcase his own works, in particular his monumental cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen and Parsifal. Performances take place in a specially designed theatre, the Festspielhaus.
Which 1944 pop standard by Frank Loesser has a man attempting to convince his date to stay with him because of the weather?
"Baby, It's Cold Outside"
The female voice in the song is called "The Mouse" and the male "The Wolf." In 1948, after years of informally performing the song at various parties, Loesser sold its rights to MGM, which inserted the song into its 1949 motion picture, Neptune's Daughter. The film featured two performances of the song: one by Ricardo Montalbán and Esther Williams and the other by Red Skelton and Betty Garrett. These performances earned Loesser an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Which power ballad from the 1981 album Escape is the most downloaded song from iTunes that is not released in the 21st century?
"Don't Stop Believing" by Journey
The song has been included in many TV shows and movies, including The Sopranos, Glee, and a cover version of the song in Family Guy, and the movies The Comebacks and Bedtime Stories.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, which song usually sung to congratulate a person is the second-most popular song following "Happy Birthday to You" in the English language?
"For He's a Jolly Good Fellow"
The tune comes from the French song "Malbrouk" which it has been claimed was composed the night after the Battle of Malplaquet (one of the main battles of the War of the Spanish Succession) in 1709.
Which rock concert held on December 6, 1969 was speculated to be a 'Woodstock West' but became infamous after it was marred by considerable violence?
Altamont Free Concert
Filmmakers Albert and David Maysles shot footage of the event and incorporated it into a documentary film entitled Gimme Shelter (1970).
In vocal jazz, what is the style in which vocal improvisation is made with random syllables or even without words?
Scat singing
Scat singing gives singers the ability to sing improvised melodies and rhythms, to create the equivalent of an instrumental solo using their voice. Ella Fitzgerald is generally considered one of the great scat singers in jazz history.
What is the name of the coronation anthem composed by Handel using texts from the King James Bible that has been sung at every British coronation service since 1727?
"Zadok the Priest"
It is one of the four Coronation Anthems that Handel composed for the coronation of George II of Great Britain in 1727.
Traditionally believed to be a set of variations from 'I know that my redeemer liveth' from Handel's Messiah, what is the most common name for a melody used by a set of clock bells to strike the hour?
"Westminster Chimes"
It was written in 1793 for a new clock in St Mary the Great, the University Church in Cambridge and there is some doubt over exactly who composed it. In the mid-19th century the chime was adopted by the clock tower at the Palace of Westminster (where Big Ben hangs), whence its fame spread. It is now possibly the most commonly used chime for striking clocks.
In the 1970s, which symbol became widely known as a sign of welcome after it was the central theme of a popular song recorded by Tony Orlando and Dawn in which it was tied around an oak tree?
Yellow ribbon ("Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Ole Oak Tree")
In the song, it was the sign a released convict requested from his wife or lover, to indicate that she still wanted him and that he would therefore be welcome to return home. He would be able to see it from the bus driving by their house, and would stay on the bus in the absence of the ribbon. He turned out to be very welcome: there were a hundred yellow ribbons. During the Iran hostage crisis, the yellow ribbon was used a symbol of support for the hostages held at the U.S. embassy in Tehran. The yellow ribbon saw renewed popularity in the United States during the Gulf War in the early 1990s.
The trio of David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash that formed the folk rock/rock supergroup known as Crosby, Stills, & Nash (CSN) originally came from which bands?
Crosby - The Byrds, Stills - Buffalo Springfield, Nash - The Hollies
The group's name is augmented to Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young (CSNY) when including occasional fourth member Neil Young.
Which musical instrument invented by the physicist Torricelli gets its name from a tradition identifying the angel who blows the horn to announce Judgment Day in Christinity?
Gabriel's horn
In the American music industry, what is the term given to the illegal practice of payment by record companies for the broadcast of recordings on music radio, in which the song is presented as being part of the normal day's broadcast?
Payola
The term has come to refer to any secret payment made to cast a product in a positive light (such as obtaining positive reviews). Under US law, a radio station can play a specific song in exchange for money, but this must be disclosed on the air as being sponsored airtime, and that play of the song should not be counted as a "regular airplay." The term gets its name as a take-off of the names of some early record-playing machines, such as Victrola or Rockola.
Which surf guitarist is best known for his rendition of "Misirlou" which plays in the titles of the movie Pulp Fiction?
Dick Dale
Which much-covered New Orleans song tells of a parade collision between two 'tribes' of Mardi Gras Indians was written under the original title "Jock-A-Mo" in 1954?
"Iko Iko"
The song was popularised by The Dixie Cups in 1965. It has also been covered by Cyndi Lauper, the Grateful Dead, Cowboy Mouth, Warren Zevon, Long John Baldry, Dave Matthews & Friends, Indigo Girls, The Ordinary Boys, Glass Candy, and Sharon, Lois & Bram among others. Aaron Carter covered the song for The Little Vampire soundtrack, and The Belle Stars' cover was featured in the film Rain Man.
The Voyager Golden Record is a phonograph record included in the two Voyager spacecraft that contains 27 selected recordings said to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth. Who is the most represented artist?
Johann Sebastian Bach
Bach's compositions comprise three of the 27 recordings chosen.
Which 20th-century German composer is most famous for his Carmina Burana whose best-known movement is "O Fortuna" referenced in numerous movies and television commercials?
Carl Orff (1895-1982)
It was hugely popular in Nazi Germany after its premiere in Frankfurt in 1937, receiving numerous performances.
(Acknowledgement)Which musical instrument named after its Russian inventor is unique in that it is designed to be played without being touched?
Theremin
The controlling section generally consists of two metal antennas to sense the relative position of the player's hands. These sensors control audio oscillator(s) for frequency from one hand, and volume from the other. The electric signals from the theremin are amplified and sent to a loudspeaker. To play the theremin, the player moves his hands around the two metal antennas, which control the instrument's frequency (pitch) and amplitude (volume). The theremin is widely associated with "alien", surreal, and eerie-sounding portamento, glissando, tremolo, and vibrato sounds, due to its use in film soundtracks such as Spellbound and The Lost Weekend.
With respect to Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list, what is specifically common to the songs "Blue Suede Shoes", "Mr. Tambourine Man", and "Walk This Way"?
Songs that made it to the list twice under different artists
1. "Blue Suede Shoes," by Carl Perkins (1956; #95), covered by Elvis Presley (1956; #423)
2. "Mr. Tambourine Man," by Bob Dylan (1965; #106), covered by The Byrds (1965; #79)
3. "Walk This Way," by Aerosmith (1975; #336), remade with Run-D.M.C. (1987; #287).Which song written by the Hungarian pianist and composer Rezső Seress in 1933 was marketed as 'Hungarian suicide song' as it was mistakenly believed to have inspired hundreds of suicides?
"Gloomy Sunday"
There have been several urban legends regarding the song over the years, mostly involving it being allegedly connected with various numbers of suicides, and radio networks reacting by purportedly banning the song.
Which protest song sung by Pete Seeger and Joan Baez became a key anthem of the US civil rights movement as well as with the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa?
"We Shall Overcome"
What is the musical term for a playing technique that involves plucking the strings of an instrument?
Pizzicato
To explore the rock and roll genre that is far removed from country music, which best selling American music star created an alter ego called Chris Gaines ?
Garth Brooks
Which famous Irish traditional song about a highwayman (usually in the Cork and Kerry mountains) was given a rock veneer by the rock band Thin Lizzy?
"Whiskey in the Jar"
In the 1985 hit song "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits, who made a cameo appearance singing the iconic falsetto introduction "I want my MTV"?
Sting
Sting has stated that his only contribution was the "I Want My MTV" line, which was sung in partial parody of his own song "Don't Stand So Close to Me", originally recorded by The Police. When Dire Straits performed "Money For Nothing" at the 1985 Live Aid Concert at Wembley Stadium, the performance featured a guest appearance by Sting. As a result of this performance, this helped launch not only the song, but Dire Straits themselves into international superstars. "Money for Nothing" won the Grammy for the Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with a Vocal in 1985 at the 28th annual Grammy Awards.
Which Swedish pop group went through the names 'Kalinin Prospect', CAD (Computer-Aided Disco) and Tech-Noir before settling on their present name as nobody could remember their previous names?
Ace of Base
They settled on Ace of Base, because they were the "masters of their studio", the basement of a car-repair shop.
Dit-dit-dit-dot. In his novel Howard's End, E. M. Forster refers to which Beethoven composition as "the most sublime noise that ever penetrated into the ear of man."?
The 5th Symphony
This symphony is one of the most popular and well-known compositions in all of European classical music, and one of the most often-played symphonies. It comprises four movements: an opening sonata allegro, an andante, and a fast scherzo which leads attacca to the finale. First performed in Vienna's Theater an der Wien in 1808, the work achieved its prodigious reputation soon afterwards.
What is the musical technique of 'word painting' (also known as tone painting or text painting)?
Music mimic the literal meaning of a song
For example, ascending scales would accompany lyrics about going up; slow, dark music would accompany lyrics about death.
Which British musician who worked on engineering projects as Paul McCartney's 'Wild Life' and Pink Floyd's' The Dark Side of the Moon' also started an eponymous progressive rock band that was active between 1975 and 1987?
Alan Parsons
Which 1968 album released by George Harrison is notable for being the first official solo album by one of The Beatles?
Wonderwall Music
Which 1982 song by the London punk rock group 'The Clash' is about Iran's outlawing of rock music, and also become the unofficial anthem for the Armed Forces during the Gulf War conflicts?
"Rock the Casbah"
The song was inspired by the banning of rock music in Iran under Ayatollah Khomeini. The song gives a fabulist account of the ban being defied by the population, who proceed to "rock the casbah." The King orders jet fighters to bomb any people in violation of the ban. The pilots ignore the orders, and instead play rock music on their cockpit radios.
Can you connect the singer Bobby McFerrin with the mystic Meher Baba?
"Don't Worry, Be Happy"
Meher Baba (1894-1969) often used the expression "Don't worry, be happy" when cabling his followers in the west. Later, in the 1960's, this well used expression by Baba was printed up on inspiration cards and even day-glo posters of the era. In 1988, Bobby McFerrin noticed a similar poster in the apartment of the jazz band Tuck & Patti in San Francisco. Inspired by the expression's charm and simplicity, McFerrin wrote the now famous song.
Which American singer/songwriter was been nominated for an Academy awards 15 times before he finally won for writing the song "If I Didn't Have You" for the movie Monsters, Inc.?
Randy Newman
Newman is noted for his practice of writing lyrics from the perspective of a "character" far removed from Newman's own biography, often utilizing the literary device of an unreliable narrator. For example, the 1972 song "Sail Away" is written as slave trader's sales pitch to attract slaves, while the narrator of "Political Science" is a U.S. nationalist who complains of worldwide ingratitude toward America and proposes a brutally ironic final solution ("Let's drop the big one").
Which 1989 music video of Madonna attracted criticism for showing images like her making love to Saint Martin de Porres, use of Catholic iconography including a scene where she develops stigmata as well as cross burning?
"Like a Prayer"
The video topped MTV's countdown of 100 Videos That Broke The Rules in 2005, and for the 25th anniversary of MTV, viewers voted the video as the Most Groundbreaking Music Video of All Time.
Which collection of orchestral movements were composed by George Frideric Handel in 1717 at the request of King George I? These are also his best known work.
"Water Music"
A legend follows that Handel composed the Water Music to regain the favour of King George I.
Which controversial 1992 song by the punk band Body Count was co-written by the group's vocalist Ice-T and provoked a national debate about freedom of speech in the US?
"Cop Killer"
Whose posthumous compilation album Legend (1984) is the best-selling reggae album ever, with sales of more than 12 million copies?
Bob Marley (1945-1981)
The first album by the rock group Pink Floyd The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967) was named after a chapter in which children's classic?
The Wind in the Willows
However, the songs on the album are not directly related to the contents of the book.
According to Opera America, what 'flutters' to the no.1 spot in the list of the 20 most-performed operas in North America?
Madama Butterfly
It is an opera in three acts (originally two acts) by Giacomo Puccini. The opera belongs essentially to the city of Nagasaki, and according to American scholar Arthur Groos was based on events that actually occurred there in the early 1890s. Japan's best-known opera singer Miura Tamaki won international fame for her performances as Cio-Cio-san and her statue, together with that of Puccini, can be found in Nagasaki's Glover Garden.
The 1967 film The Graduate features the songs of which duo as the director Mike Nichols had become obsessed with their music while shooting the film?
Simon & Garfunkel
Name the only two non-US/UK bands to achieve a #1 hit in both the UK and the US?
Men at Work for "Down Under" (1982) and ABBA for "Dancing Queen" (1976)
"Down Under" was re-released as an unofficial theme song during Australia's successful 1983 America's Cup challenge, and has become an unofficial national anthem for many Aussies.
What is the better known name of the English singer Yusuf Islam who converted to Islam in 1977 at the height of his fame?
Cat Stevens
About which manager of his group did Paul McCartney say "If anyone was the Fifth Beatle, it was ___ ___."?
Brian Epstein
He also managed numerous other groups like Gerry & The Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, and solo artists like Cilla Black.
By his own request, which Austrian composer was buried next to Beethoven in 1828?
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
He wrote some 600 Lieder, seven completed symphonies, the famous Unfinished Symphony, liturgical music, operas, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music. He is particularly noted for his genius for original melodic and harmonic writing.
'The Doors' generated a controversy with the single "Hello, I Love You" in 1968 when the press pointed out it's resemblance to the 1965 hit "All Day and All of the Night" of which band?
The Kinks
Members of the Kinks have concurred with music critics: Kinks guitarist Dave Davies has been known to add snippets of "Hello, I Love You" during solo live performances of "All Day and All of the Night" as a sarcastic commentary on the subject.
What musical work, the only one in that genre by an all-time great, tells the story of Leonore rescuing her husband Florestan from death in a prison?
The opera Fidelio by Beethoven
The opera is a central work of Beethoven's so-called "middle period," and like much of Beethoven's music of this time it emphasizes heroism.
Which rock group's name comes from the UK Social Security form for unemployment benefit?
UB40 (UB40 = Unemployment Benefit, Form 40)
UB40 are arguably the number one reggae act of all time in terms of record sales (over 55 million), chart positions and touring schedule.
Which iconic opera stereotype plays in the background as helicopters swoop in to annihilate a village in one of the opening scenes of the movie Apocalypse Now?
"Ride of the Valkyries"
The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time was a special issue of Rolling Stone published in 2003 which had Jimi Hendrix at no.1. Which American Southern Rock band was the most represented with 4 of its guitarists making the list?
Allman Brothers Band
Duane Allman (2nd), Warren Haynes (23rd), Dickey Betts (58th), and Derek Trucks (81st).
What is the title of Led Zeppelin's concert film that was taken from a song on their album Houses of the Holy?
The Song Remains the Same
The recording of the film took place during three nights of concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York in 1973, during the band's Houses of the Holy tour.
Presidency of the United States is important. In Billy Joel's song "We Didn't Start The Fire", who are the only two people mentioned twice?
JFK and Nixon
The song was a huge commercial success and provided Billy Joel with his third, and final, Billboard #1 hit. Although the song ranked #1 in the US, and #7 in the UK, Blender magazine ranked "We Didn't Start the Fire" #44 on its list of the 50 worst songs ever.
Which set of 30 keyboard techniques were written by Johann Sebastian Bach to reportedly cure insomnia?
"The Goldberg Variations" published in 1741
It was once seen as a boring technical exercise but is today considered one of the most important examples of its form. Today, the emotional content and range of the work is increasingly realised, and it has become a favorite work of many classical music listeners. The Variations are widely performed and recorded, and have been the subject of many articles, books and analytical studies.
In the movie The Bridge on the River Kwai what was the tune whistled by Colonel Nicholson and his men?
"Colonel Bogie's March"
What song was written and performed by Billy Joel to underscore the plight of fishermen on Long Island?
"The Downeaster Alexa"
It is from the album Storm Front that also had the hits "We didn't start the fire", "I Go To Extremes", "Leningrad" and the ballad "And So It Goes."
Which punk band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 but refused to attend the induction calling the museum a "piss stain"? Maybe they did not find any 'filthy lucre' there!
Sex Pistols
Although their initial career lasted only three years and produced only four singles and one studio album, the Sex Pistols have been described by the BBC as "the definitive English punk rock band." The Pistols are widely credited with initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and creating the first generation gap within rock and roll.
A famous remark often attributed to Brian Eno is that while only a few thousand people bought a record of this band, almost every single one of the purchasers was inspired to start their own band. Which influential rock band was Eno referring to?
Velvet Underground
Jimi Hendrix presented the broken parts of the guitar that he destroyed on-stage at the 1968 Miami Pop Festival to whom? Not sure if the recipient named it Moon Unit.
Frank Zappa
After Hendrix's death in 1970, Zappa rebuilt the instrument and played it extensively during the 1970s and 1980s.