8 Folk Trivia Questions with Answers
8 public questions with answers, drawn from the well. How many can you answer?
Folk trivia spans singer-songwriters, rootsy pop, acoustic anthems, and the crossover hits that brought folk influences to mainstream radio. This set moves from Sinead O'Connor and Linda Ronstadt to Jackson Browne, Paul Simon, Kenny Loggins, Jim Croce, and the Indigo Girls.
Questions may test chart history, album-era context, music videos, lyrics, and collaborations. You might identify Linda Ronstadt’s first number-one single, name the actor in Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al” video, or recall what Galileo was accused of in the Indigo Girls’ song. It suits music-focused game nights, pub quizzes, and classroom activities on popular music history.
What was Linda Ronstadt's first #1 single?
Answer
You're No Good
What magazine was Linda Ronstadt on the cover of in 1975?
Answer
Rolling Stone
What actor starred in the video for Paul Simon's "You Can Call Me Al"?
Answer
Chevy Chase
According to the Jim Croce song, what is Leroy Brown meaner than?
Answer
A Junkyard Dog
According to the Indigo Girls song "Galilieo", what was Galileo's crime?
Answer
...Looking Up The Truth
Folk trivia — quick answers
What are good folk music trivia questions?
Good folk trivia questions connect artists, lyrics, chart history, music videos, albums, and collaborations. Examples include identifying Linda Ronstadt’s first number-one single, dating Jackson Browne’s “Running on Empty,” and naming the actor featured in Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al” video.
How hard is folk trivia?
This folk trivia set is moderate in difficulty. Some questions concern widely known songs and performers, while others require familiarity with year-end charts, specific music videos, recording details, or lyrics from artists such as Jim Croce and the Indigo Girls.
What kind of music does folk trivia cover?
Folk trivia commonly covers traditional folk, folk rock, singer-songwriters, acoustic pop, and roots-influenced music. It can include artists, songs, albums, lyrics, instruments, chart performance, historical context, and the ways folk music crossed into mainstream popular culture.
Who appeared in Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al” video?
Actor and comedian Chevy Chase starred with Paul Simon in the music video for “You Can Call Me Al.” The video is known for its deliberately playful performance, with Chase using exaggerated gestures and expressions while Simon sings and plays instruments beside him.
What is “Running on Empty” by Jackson Browne?
“Running on Empty” is a 1977 song by American singer-songwriter Jackson Browne. It became one of his signature recordings and gave its name to his 1977 album, which combined newly recorded performances with songs captured in settings such as hotels and backstage spaces.