The Best Music Trivia Games to Play with Everyone from College Roommates to Family Elders
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Everyone loves music, of course, but some people just love it a little more than others, you know. The best music trivia games, from the friendly pub-style competitions of “name that song,” to rock-themed quizzes, are a fun way to test your friends and earn some bragging rights. Music trivia is also fun because it’s something that everyone has at least some familiarity with.
What Are the Best Music Trivia Games?
We rounded up some of our favorite music trivia games that you can buy online. Keep in mind that some music games are better-suited for certain situations than others. Are you entertaining friends, trying to start an after dinner conversation, or trying to launch a music education program? Here’s what to keep in mind when looking for a good music trivia game.
For Parties: A silly, simple game that covers a broad range of genres and eras is great for groups. That way, no matter what type of music a party guest listens to, they’ll at least know something. And easy-to-learn, fast-paced games are always best.
For Low-Key Gatherings: If your party is a little less noisy and a little more civilized, you can also pull out a set of music trivia cards for a quiet activity over drinks, or as a conversation starter during appetizers.
For Buffs: Serious music history scholars might prefer trivia that’s a little more challenging, so we included at least one game that actually tests your knowledge. Just make sure you’re not making non-experts compete with the real buffs, as this can only lead to tears.
1. Rolling Stone: The Music Trivia Game Where Legends are Made
This trivia game from is “for anyone who’s ever heard a song,” with cards for over 150 well-known artists from the sixties through to the more recent decade, meaning no music-buff gatekeeping to enjoy this party game. All genres are covered here too, from rock and pop to hip-hop and R&B.
This is the kind of party game that works best with big groups. The game’s two rounds: “Head-to-Head” and “Charades” are both easy to learn and fast-paced, with lots of opportunities for shouting, singing, and general hilarity. Everything in housed inside a collectible box designed to mimic the spine and cover of this iconic music publication.
2. MTV Music Throwback Party Quiz Board Game
This MTV music trivia game might as well be the millennial music trivia game, hitting payers hard with the nostalgia by focusing on music of the eighties, nineties and aughts. Players compete in eight categories: Award-Winning Videos, Best of Unplugged, Pop Anthems, Headbangers, Teenage Angst, Hip-Hop Hips, Queens of MTV, and Across the Pond, and the first team to win in all eight genres wins the game and a date with Carson Daly (just kidding about the last part).
3. After Dinner Amusements: Name That Tune!
As an “after dinner game,” this set of music trivia cards is a little more civilized than our top two picks, while still providing a great time. People like the wide variety and number of question cards, which prompt you to “name that tune” and shout out the titles of popular songs. There are also special “challenge” cards, which add to the fun.
We like the fact that the cards are kept in portable little tins, making this an easy game to take with you to a party, campsite, for a road trip and yes, for playing at home too. A bonus: we find these cards an especially useful game for starting conversations at a dinner party.
4. Helvetiq MusicIQ Trivia Game
The MusicIQ game is for serious music buffs only, with much more challenging and wide-ranging trivia questions. This game comes with 400 multiple choice questions covering the Sixties up to the present, and can be played with anywhere from two to 12 players. This is our pick if you want a real test of your musical knowledge.