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Test your basic knowledge |
Music Appreciation
Start Test
Study First
Subjects
:
performing-arts
,
music
Instructions:
Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
If you are not ready to take this test, you can
study here
.
Match each statement with the correct term.
Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.
This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. The most important woman in the history of hip-hop - in terms of both her commercial success and her effectiveness in establishing a feminist beachhead on the male-dominated field of rap music.
Napster
hardcore
gangsta rap
Queen Latifah
2. The 'Godfather of Soul.' He was known for his acrobatic physicality and remarkable charisma on stage. No other single musician has proven to be as influential on the sound and style of black music as James Brown.
Led Zeppelin
Jimi Hendrix
Beastie Boys
James Brown
3. Hip-hop artist whose work is a self-conscious alternative to the violence and sexism in the work of rap stars such as Dr. Dre - the Notorious B.I.G. - and 2Pac Shakur. Her commitment to female empowerment builds on the ground-breaking example of Quee
soft soul
Lauryn Hill
rave
Prince
4. Extreme variation of punk - pioneered during the early 1980s by bands in San Francisco (the Dead Kennedys) and Los Angeles (the Germs - Black Flag - X - and the Circle Jerks).
hip-hop
hardcore
The Sex Pistols
world music
5. Publicly traded corporation that owns more than 1 -200 radio stations - 39 television stations - 100000 advertising billboards - and 100 live performance venues - ranging from huge amphitheaters to dance clubs - enabling them to present more than 70
bluegrass
Paul Simon
Clear channel
Kenny Rogers
6. -one of the forerunners of the Grunge genre - originally part of the 'no wave' scene in NY -Many alternative bands such as Nirvana looked up to them -album 'Daydream Nation' was well-received by critics - and then they were signed to Geffen Records -
N.W.A.
Willie Nelson
Queen Latifah
Sonic Youth
7. Springsteen's music and personal image evoked the rebellious rock 'n' rollers of the 1950s and the socially conscious folk rockers of the 1960s. His songs reflected his working-class origins and sympathies.
Bruce Springsteen
Tupac Shakur
rave
N.W.A.
8. Hip-hop culture - forged by African American and Caribbean American youth in New York City - included distinctive styles of visual art (graffiti) - dance (an acrobatic solo style called breakdancing and an energetic couple dance called the freak) - m
house music
hip-hop
Grateful Dead
Paul Simon
9. Band that originated in the 1960s San Francisco rock scene. Their career spanned more than three decades.
Tupac Shakur
disco
Nirvana
Grateful Dead
10. Rapper from Oakland - California; hit the charts in 1990 with Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em - which held the Number One position for twenty-one weeks and sold over ten million copies - becoming the bestselling rap album of all time.
Prince
Vanilla Ice
M.C. Hammer
Janis Joplin
11. Singer and guitarist who founded the alternative rock band Nirvana. His recordings broke through to the commercial mainstream and popularized grunge rock. He shot himself in Seattle in 1994.
psychedelic rock
Kurt Cobain
Sonic Youth
Tupac Shakur
12. In progressive country - performers wrote songs that were more intellectual and liberal in outlook than their contemporaries and were more concerned with testing the limits of the country music tradition than with scoring hits. The key artists includ
progressive country
Ray Charles
heavy metal
sequencer
13. Device that enables musicians to create or 'synthesize' musical sounds. Began to appear on rock records during the early 1970s.
synthesizer
urban folk
urban folk
funk music
14. The most influential and economically successful member of N.W.A. He founded an independent record label (Death Row/Interscope) - cultivated a number of younger rappers - and continued to develop a distinctive hip-hop production style - christened 'G
Andre (Dr. Dre) Young
synthesizer
disco
Napster
15. Marketing category that emerged around 1990; it is most often used to describe bands like are.E.M. - Sonic Youth - the Dead Kennedys - and Nirvana.
alternative rock
Jimi Hendrix
M.C. Hammer
country pop
16. CEO of the New York independent label Bad Boy Records.
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17. African American musical style rooted in R&B and gospel that became popular during the 1960s.
soul music
reggae
Led Zeppelin
Andre (Dr. Dre) Young
18. Singer and guitarist who founded the alternative rock band Nirvana. His recordings broke through to the commercial mainstream and popularized grunge rock. He shot himself in Seattle in 1994.
Ray Charles
Kurt Cobain
M.C. Hammer
analog recording
19. Internet-based software program that enabled computer users to share and swap files - specifically music - through a centralized file server. A federal court injunction forced Napster to shut down operations in February 2001.
Dolly Parton
Napster
The Sex Pistols
rap
20. Country music style involving polished arrangements and a sophisticated approach to vocal presentation. The recordings of Patsy Cline were among the most important manifestations of the Nashville sound.
Queen Latifah
pop rock
urban folk
nashville sound
21. Internet-based software program that enabled computer users to share and swap files - specifically music - through a centralized file server. A federal court injunction forced Napster to shut down operations in February 2001.
Napster
alternative music
David Bowie
Carole King
22. Genre that developed out of hard rock in the 1970s and achieved mainstream success in the 1980s.
hip-hop
country pop
heavy metal
Paul Simon
23. From the late 1980s through the 1990s - Madonna's popularity was second only to Michael Jackson's. She created controversial songs and music videos - including 'Papa Don't Preach' (1986) - 'Express Yourself' (1989) - and 'Like a Prayer' (1989).
Def Jam
psychedelic rock
Madonna
Donna Summer
24. 'Glam rock' pioneer who established the character of Ziggy Stardust.
MIDI
David Bowie
Janis Joplin
RIAA
25. 'The Queen of Soul -' she began singing gospel music at an early age and had several hit records with Atlantic - including 'Respect' in 1967 and 'Think' in 1968.
alternative rock
alternative music
RIAA
Aretha Franklin
26. Born in the impoverished shantytowns of Kingston - Jamaica - reggae first became popular in the United States in 1973 - after the release of the Jamaican film The Harder They Come and its soundtrack album. The heart of reggae music consists of 'riddi
funk music
James Brown
Vanilla Ice
reggae
27. Parton was born in the hill country of Tennessee and began her recording career at age eleven. She moved to Nashville in 1964 and built her career with regular appearances on country music radio and television.
soft soul
Dolly Parton
Vanilla Ice
Paul Simon
28. Ice's first album - To the Extreme (1990) - monopolized the Number One position for sixteen weeks in early 1991 - selling seven million copies. When it was discovered that Van Winkle - raised in reasonably comfortable circumstances in a middle-class
analog recording
Vanilla Ice
Public Enemy
Janis Joplin
29. Began his performing career as a member of the Jackson Five. He achieved unprecedented success with his 1982 album Thriller - and his elaborately produced music videos helped boost the new medium of music videos. Jackson became the first African Amer
psychedelic rock
Kenny Rogers
Ray Charles
Michael Jackson
30. Prince is one of the most talented musicians ever to achieve mass commercial success in the field of popular music. He has sold almost forty million recordings. Between 1982 and 1992 - he placed nine albums in the Top 10 - reaching the top of the cha
Prince
pop rock
Bob Marley
Run-D.M.C.
31. The term 'alternative'—like the broadly equivalent terms 'underground' and 'independent'—is used across a wide range of popular genres - including rock - rap - adult contemporary - dance - folk - and country music. It is used to describe music that c
alternative music
disco
Prince
The Sex Pistols
32. Veteran of folk pop groups such as the New Christy Minstrels and the First Edition - star of made-for-TV movies. One of the main beneficiaries of country pop's increasing mainstream appeal.
Michael Jackson
Janis Joplin
breakdancing
Kenny Rogers
33. The most original - inventive - and influential guitarist of the rock era - and the most prominent African American rock musician of the late 1960s.
Prince
Tupac Shakur
Jimi Hendrix
Andre (Dr. Dre) Young
34. Heterogeneous category that includes artists from Africa - the Near East - and Asia—the ultimate margins of the American music industry.
MIDI
Patsy Cline
disco
world music
35. British hard rock band that formed in London in 1968. Zeppelin's sledgehammer style of guitar-focused rock music drew on various influences - including urban blues - San Francisco psychedelia - and the virtuoso guitar playing of Jimi Hendrix.
gangsta rap
disco
Led Zeppelin
Jimi Hendrix
36. Variant of MPEG; MP3 enables sound files to be compressed to as little as one-twelfth of their original size.
MP3
Paul Simon
soul music
Michael Jackson
37. Centered on the creation of a strong rhythmic momentum or groove - with the electric bass and bass drum often playing on all four main beats of the measure - the snare drum and other instruments playing equally strongly on the second and fourth beats
funk music
MP3
hardcore
Paul Simon
38. From the late 1980s through the 1990s - Madonna's popularity was second only to Michael Jackson's. She created controversial songs and music videos - including 'Papa Don't Preach' (1986) - 'Express Yourself' (1989) - and 'Like a Prayer' (1989).
Madonna
Willie Nelson
Def Jam
Kenny Rogers
39. The most outrageous—and therefore famous—punk band - formed in 1975 in London. They were the creation of Malcolm McAllen - owner of a London boutique called Sex - which specialized in leather and rubber clothing.
Def Jam
soft soul
David Bowie
The Sex Pistols
40. Slick variety of rhythm & blues - often with lush orchestral accompaniment: the O'Jays - the Spinners - Al Green - Barry White.
MIDI
hip-hop
soft soul
Prince
41. Born in Texas - Nelson was one of the most influential figures in the progressive country movement. Nelson's rise to national fame came in the mid-1970s - through his association with a group of musicians collectively known as 'the Outlaws.'
Janis Joplin
rap
Willie Nelson
Prince
42. Founded in 1982 - Public Enemy was organized around a core set of members who met as college students - drawn together by their interest in hip-hop culture and political activism. The group included the standard hip-hop configuration of two MCs—Chuck
Public Enemy
rave
M.C. Hammer
Jimi Hendrix
43. The leader of the Wailers and a national hero in his native Jamaica - Marley was reggae's most effective international ambassador. His songs of determination - rebellion - and faith - rooted in the Rastafarian belief system - found a worldwide audien
gangsta rap
Bob Marley
bluegrass
The Ramones
44. Born in Texas - Nelson was one of the most influential figures in the progressive country movement. Nelson's rise to national fame came in the mid-1970s - through his association with a group of musicians collectively known as 'the Outlaws.'
Willie Nelson
Beastie Boys
Bruce Springsteen
heavy metal
45. One of the biggest stars to emerge from disco in the 1970s. She sang on several disco classics - including 'Love to Love You Baby' (1976) and 'Good Times' (1979).
psychedelic rock
Donna Summer
Carole King
reggae
46. Form of dance music popular in the late 1970s - characterized by elaborate studio production and an insistent beat: Donna Summer - Chic - the Village People - the Bee Gees.
Patsy Cline
disco
countrypolitan
sequencer
47. The first commercially successful white act in hip-hop. Their early recordings represent a fusion of the youth-oriented rebelliousness of hardcore punk rock—the style they began playing in 1981—with the sensibility and techniques of hip-hop.
Nirvana
Beastie Boys
Madonna
David Bowie
48. Heterogeneous category that includes artists from Africa - the Near East - and Asia—the ultimate margins of the American music industry.
world music
sequencer
Prince
disco
49. Rapper from Oakland - California; hit the charts in 1990 with Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em - which held the Number One position for twenty-one weeks and sold over ten million copies - becoming the bestselling rap album of all time.
Patsy Cline
MP3
M.C. Hammer
art rock
50. Publicly traded corporation that owns more than 1 -200 radio stations - 39 television stations - 100000 advertising billboards - and 100 live performance venues - ranging from huge amphitheaters to dance clubs - enabling them to present more than 70
Patsy Cline
Clear channel
heavy metal
analog recording