Quiz of the Day
Queen & the Age of Rock
Saturday, 5 September 2026
Freddie Mercury was born on 5 Sep 1946 — questions on Queen, classic rock bands, iconic anthems and legendary frontmen.
1. Who was the lead singer of the rock band Queen?
- Roger Daltrey
- Robert Plant
- Freddie Mercury
- Rod Stewart
Freddie Mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara on 5 September 1946 on the island of Zanzibar. He fronted Queen from 1970 until his death in 1991 and was celebrated for his flamboyant stage presence and a remarkable vocal range. His stage name 'Mercury' was inspired by a line in the Queen song 'My Fairy King'.
2. Which Queen song features an operatic middle section and is over five minutes long?
- Killer Queen
- Don't Stop Me Now
- Bohemian Rhapsody
- Somebody to Love
'Bohemian Rhapsody' was released in 1975 on the album 'A Night at the Opera' and runs about five minutes and 55 seconds. Its unusual structure blends a ballad, an operatic passage and a hard-rock section with no repeating chorus. It topped the UK charts twice — once on release and again in 1991 after Freddie Mercury's death.
3. What instrument did Queen's Brian May famously play?
- Drums
- Bass guitar
- Keyboards
- Electric guitar
Brian May played a distinctive homemade electric guitar known as the 'Red Special', which he built with his father from spare parts including an old fireplace mantel. He is also an accomplished astrophysicist and earned a PhD from Imperial College London in 2007. His layered guitar harmonies became a signature of Queen's sound.
4. Which Queen anthem is a staple at sports stadiums, often paired with 'We Are the Champions'?
- Under Pressure
- We Will Rock You
- Radio Ga Ga
- Fat Bottomed Girls
'We Will Rock You' was written by Brian May in 1977 and is built around a stomp-stomp-clap rhythm designed for crowd participation. It appears on the album 'News of the World' and is frequently played back-to-back with 'We Are the Champions'. The two songs were deliberately written to engage live audiences.
5. Which British band recorded the epic anthem 'Stairway to Heaven'?
- Deep Purple
- Led Zeppelin
- The Rolling Stones
- The Who
'Stairway to Heaven' was recorded by Led Zeppelin and released on their untitled fourth album in 1971. Written primarily by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, the roughly eight-minute track builds from a gentle acoustic opening to a soaring electric climax. It became one of the most requested songs on FM radio despite never being released as a single in the UK or US.
6. Queen performed a legendary set at which 1985 charity concert held at Wembley Stadium?
- Woodstock
- Farm Aid
- The Concert for Bangladesh
- Live Aid
Queen's roughly 20-minute set at Live Aid on 13 July 1985 is often ranked among the greatest live performances in rock history. The concert, organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, raised money for famine relief in Ethiopia. Freddie Mercury's command of the 72,000-strong Wembley crowd, including the famous call-and-response, became the stuff of legend.
7. Who was the lead vocalist of The Rolling Stones?
- Bill Wyman
- Keith Richards
- Mick Jagger
- Charlie Watts
Mick Jagger co-founded The Rolling Stones in 1962 and became famous for his energetic showmanship and distinctive voice. He formed a legendary songwriting partnership with guitarist Keith Richards, producing hits like '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction'. The Rolling Stones are one of the longest-running and best-selling rock bands of all time.
8. The 1981 hit 'Under Pressure' was a collaboration between Queen and which artist?
- David Bowie
- Michael Jackson
- Elton John
- George Michael
'Under Pressure' was recorded by Queen with David Bowie in 1981 and became a UK number-one single. Its instantly recognisable bassline was later sampled in Vanilla Ice's 1990 hit 'Ice Ice Baby'. The song largely came together through an improvised studio jam session in Switzerland.
9. Which of these was NOT a member of the classic Queen lineup?
- John Bonham
- Roger Taylor
- Brian May
- John Deacon
John Bonham was the drummer for Led Zeppelin, not Queen. Queen's classic four-piece lineup was Freddie Mercury on vocals, Brian May on guitar, Roger Taylor on drums and John Deacon on bass. This lineup remained unchanged from 1971 until Mercury's death in 1991.
10. Queen's bassist John Deacon wrote which of these hit singles?
- Bohemian Rhapsody
- Another One Bites the Dust
- We Are the Champions
- Somebody to Love
'Another One Bites the Dust', written by John Deacon, was released in 1980 on the album 'The Game' and became one of Queen's best-selling singles. Its funky, disco-influenced bassline was inspired by the band Chic. The song reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and broadened Queen's American audience.
11. Which frontman led the American band Nirvana during the grunge era?
- Eddie Vedder
- Layne Staley
- Kurt Cobain
- Chris Cornell
Kurt Cobain was the singer, guitarist and principal songwriter of Nirvana, which he co-founded in 1987. The band's 1991 album 'Nevermind', featuring 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', propelled grunge into the mainstream. Cobain became a reluctant icon of Generation X before his death in 1994.
12. The 2018 biographical film about Freddie Mercury and Queen was titled what?
- Bohemian Rhapsody
- Rocketman
- The Dirt
- A Star Is Born
'Bohemian Rhapsody' (2018) starred Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury, a role that won him the Academy Award for Best Actor. The film climaxes with a recreation of Queen's Live Aid performance. It became one of the highest-grossing music biopics ever made.
13. Which band did guitarist Jimi Hendrix front as the lead act?
- The Doors
- Cream
- The Jimi Hendrix Experience
- The Yardbirds
The Jimi Hendrix Experience formed in London in 1966 with Hendrix on guitar and vocals, Noel Redding on bass and Mitch Mitchell on drums. Hendrix revolutionised electric guitar playing with his use of feedback, distortion and the wah-wah pedal. His fiery performance at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival helped launch his fame.
14. Freddie Mercury had a famous 1987 duet, 'Barcelona', with which opera singer?
- Kiri Te Kanawa
- Maria Callas
- Luciano Pavarotti
- Montserrat Caballé
Freddie Mercury recorded 'Barcelona' with Spanish operatic soprano Montserrat Caballé in 1987, blending rock and opera. The song was later associated with the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics, though it was not the official anthem. Mercury deeply admired Caballé's voice and considered the collaboration a career highlight.
15. What was the name of Queen's debut studio album, released in 1973?
- Sheer Heart Attack
- A Night at the Opera
- Jazz
- Queen
Queen's self-titled debut album 'Queen' was released in July 1973 and showcased their early hard-rock and progressive sound. It featured the single 'Keep Yourself Alive', written by Brian May. Although modestly received at first, the album laid the groundwork for the band's rapid rise to fame over the following years.