Music Video History Trivia: 10 Questions With Answers

Michael Jackson's Thriller video ran nearly fourteen minutes and was later added to the US National Film Registry, and this music video history trivia explores pop's visual side. Trace Scopitone jukeboxes, the Beatles' films, Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody clip, MTV's launch, Madonna, a-ha's Take On Me, YouTube and OK Go's treadmill dance.

Start Music Video History Trivia

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Thriller
Which music video was added to the National Film Registry in 2009?
Bohemian
Which 1975 clip is often called a pioneering promo video?
MTV
When did MTV launch?
a-ha
Which a-ha video combined pencil sketches with live action?
Scopitone
What was the Scopitone?
OK Go
Which band danced on treadmills in Here It Goes Again?
Gangnam
Which video was the first to reach a billion YouTube views?
Peter Gabriel
Which Peter Gabriel video won a record nine MTV awards?
VMAs
What shape is the MTV Video Music Award trophy?
Beatles
Which Beatles film helped inspire music videos?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which music video was added to the National Film Registry in 2009?
Answer: Thriller
It runs nearly 14 minutes.
Q2: Which 1975 clip is often called a pioneering promo video?
Answer: Bohemian Rhapsody
Queen made it quickly.
Q3: When did MTV launch?
Answer: 1981
It began with The Buggles.
Q4: Which a-ha video combined pencil sketches with live action?
Answer: Take On Me
It used rotoscoping.
Q5: What was the Scopitone?
Answer: A 1960s video jukebox
It played film clips.
Q6: Which band danced on treadmills in Here It Goes Again?
Answer: OK Go
It went viral in 2006.
Q7: Which video was the first to reach a billion YouTube views?
Answer: Gangnam Style
Psy's hit did it in 2012.
Q8: Which Peter Gabriel video won a record nine MTV awards?
Answer: Sledgehammer
It used stop motion.
Q9: What shape is the MTV Video Music Award trophy?
Answer: An astronaut
It recalls the Moon landing.
Q10: Which Beatles film helped inspire music videos?
Answer: A Hard Day's Night
Richard Lester directed it.

Music Video History Trivia – Pop Music Goes Visual

Music videos combine songs with images to promote artists and tell stories. Early examples include Scopitone video jukeboxes in the 1960s and Richard Lester's Beatles film A Hard Day's Night.

Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody clip in 1975 showed the power of promo videos, and MTV launched in 1981 with Video Killed the Radio Star. Michael Jackson's nearly fourteen-minute Thriller entered the National Film Registry, a-ha's Take On Me blended sketches and live action and Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer won nine MTV awards.

The internet changed music videos again. OK Go's treadmill dance went viral in 2006, and in 2012 Psy's Gangnam Style became the first video to reach a billion views on YouTube. Today short clips on social media shape hits as much as full videos do.

What This Quiz Teaches

Music fans and film lovers will enjoy these questions.

Which video is in the Film Registry
When MTV launched
Which video hit a billion views
What Scopitone was
What the VMA trophy shows

Did You Know?

Madonna used videos to reinvent her image.
Directors like Spike Jonze began in videos.
Beyoncé released visual albums.
Lyric videos became popular online.
Vertical videos suit phones.