2010s Music Quiz

Question 1

Adele's '21' (2011) became one of the best-selling albums of the decade. Which single from it became her signature ballad?

Accepted Answer

Someone Like You

Answer

Hello

Answer

Rolling in the Deep

Answer

Skyfall

Question 2

Taylor Swift re-recorded her early albums starting from 2021, labelling them '(Taylor's Version)'. Why?

Accepted Answer

Her original label (Big Machine) was sold, giving the buyer control of masters she didn't own — so she re-recorded to own new versions

Answer

She lost the original master recordings in a fire

Answer

She wanted to update the production with modern sound

Answer

A legal dispute over copyright infringement forced re-recording

Question 3

Drake's 'Take Care' (2011) and 'Nothing Was the Same' (2013) helped define which hybrid genre?

Accepted Answer

Melodic rap / emo rap blending hip-hop with R&B and singing

Answer

Trap music

Answer

Mumble rap

Answer

UK drill

Question 4

Lorde was just 16 when she released her debut single 'Royals' (2013). Where is she from?

Accepted Answer

New Zealand

Answer

Australia

Answer

Canada

Answer

South Africa

Question 5

Which artist's 'Lemonade' (2016) was a groundbreaking visual album exploring race, infidelity, and Black womanhood?

Accepted Answer

Beyoncé

Answer

Rihanna

Answer

Solange Knowles

Answer

Janelle Monáe

Question 6

PSY's 'Gangnam Style' (2012) became the first YouTube video to do what?

Accepted Answer

Reach 1 billion views

Answer

Reach 100 million views

Answer

Top the Billboard Hot 100

Answer

Win a Grammy Award

Question 7

Ed Sheeran's 'Shape of You' (2017) broke records on Spotify. What record did it set?

Accepted Answer

Most-streamed song of the decade on Spotify

Answer

First song to reach 1 billion streams

Answer

First song to debut at #1 in 60 countries simultaneously

Answer

All of the above are true

Question 8

Kendrick Lamar's 'To Pimp a Butterfly' (2015) drew on which musical traditions?

Accepted Answer

Jazz, funk, soul, and spoken word poetry — a radical departure from contemporary rap trends

Answer

Purely trap and modern hip-hop

Answer

Gospel and country music

Answer

Electronic dance music and hip-hop

Question 9

Rihanna's 'Anti' (2016) was released how, breaking music industry conventions?

Accepted Answer

As a free download exclusively through a Samsung app deal before its commercial release

Answer

Released without any singles or advance notice, exclusively on Tidal

Answer

Dropped simultaneously on all platforms at midnight with no warning

Answer

Released as a streaming-only album, never on physical media

Question 10

Justin Bieber was discovered through YouTube videos at age 13. Which music executive signed him?

Accepted Answer

Scooter Braun and Usher

Answer

L.A. Reid

Answer

Simon Cowell

Answer

Jimmy Iovine

Question 11

What was the 'SoundCloud rap' movement of the mid-2010s?

Accepted Answer

A generation of DIY hip-hop artists who used SoundCloud to self-release music, characterised by emo-influenced aesthetics and mumbled delivery

Answer

A movement to bring classical music to SoundCloud

Answer

A sampling culture based on remixing SoundCloud tracks

Answer

Producers sharing beats on SoundCloud for rappers to use for free

Question 12

Billie Eilish became the youngest artist to do what at the 2020 Grammy Awards?

Accepted Answer

Win all four main Grammy categories (Record, Album, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist) in one night

Answer

Win a Grammy Award at all

Answer

Win a Grammy for Best New Artist

Answer

Win Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album

Question 13

The Weeknd's 'Blinding Lights' (2019/2020) broke which record on the Billboard Hot 100?

Accepted Answer

Most weeks on the Hot 100 chart ever — over 90 weeks

Answer

Longest-running #1 in Hot 100 history

Answer

First song to reach #1 in 70+ countries simultaneously

Answer

Fastest song to reach 1 billion streams

Question 14

Bruno Mars's '24K Magic' era drew heavily on which musical tradition?

Accepted Answer

1980s funk, new jack swing, and R&B — a retro sound celebrating Black music of the 80s

Answer

1990s grunge

Answer

1970s disco and classic soul

Answer

Early 2000s pop-punk

Question 15

What was significant about Childish Gambino's 'This Is America' (2018)?

Accepted Answer

Its music video, directed by Hiro Murai, delivered a powerful commentary on gun violence and racism in America

Answer

It was the first rap song to top the Billboard Hot 100

Answer

It was the first music video to premiere at the Super Bowl

Answer

It was banned in multiple countries for its content

Question 16

Which band's 2012 album 'El Camino' helped revive interest in straightforward rock and roll?

Accepted Answer

The Black Keys

Answer

Arctic Monkeys

Answer

The White Stripes

Answer

Queens of the Stone Age

Question 17

What was 'streaming' doing to the music industry throughout the 2010s?

Accepted Answer

Shifting music consumption from ownership to access, collapsing album sales while growing overall listening and industry revenue by the end of the decade

Answer

Increasing album sales across the industry

Answer

Destroying all revenue for musicians

Answer

Having no significant effect — CD sales remained stable

Question 18

Ariana Grande's 'Thank U, Next' (2019) broke which records?

Accepted Answer

Broke the Spotify single-day streaming record and debuted at #1 on the Hot 100

Answer

First song to debut at #1 in 60 countries

Answer

Fastest song to reach 1 billion YouTube views

Answer

First solo female artist to have 5 simultaneous top 10 hits

Question 19

Florence + the Machine released 'Lungs' (2009) and 'Ceremonials' (2011). Florence Welch's voice was described as:

Accepted Answer

A dramatic, gospel-inflected operatic mezzo-soprano delivering powerful emotional performances

Answer

A soft, whispery indie pop vocal

Answer

A classic 1960s girl-group style

Answer

A punk-influenced growl

Question 20

Which 2013 song by Robin Thicke (featuring T.I. and Pharrell) became both one of the biggest hits of the year and one of the most controversial?

Accepted Answer

Blurred Lines

Answer

Get Lucky

Answer

Happy

Answer

Talk Dirty