Grateful Dead Quiz Questions and Answers
Q1. In what year was the Grateful Dead formed, initially under the name The Warlocks?
A. 1964
B. 1965
C. 1966
D. 1967
Answer: B. 1965
Q2. How did the band choose the name “Grateful Dead”?
A. From a folk tale in a dictionary
B. Suggested by Ken Kesey
C. Inspired by a dream Jerry Garcia had
D. From a blues song title
Answer: A. From a folk tale in a dictionary
Q3. Who were the original five members of the Grateful Dead?
A. Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, Ron McKernan
B. Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan
C. Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Keith Godchaux
D. Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart, Tom Constanten
Answer: A. Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, Ron McKernan
Q4. What was the primary instrument played by Ron McKernan?
A. Bass guitar
B. Drums
C. Keyboards and harmonica
D. Rhythm guitar
Answer: C. Keyboards and harmonica
Q5. When did Mickey Hart officially join the Grateful Dead as a second drummer?
A. 1965
B. 1967
C. 1969
D. 1971
Answer: B. 1967
Q6. What was the title of the Grateful Dead’s debut studio album, released in 1967?
A. Anthem of the Sun
B. Live/Dead
C. The Grateful Dead
D. Aoxomoxoa
Answer: C. The Grateful Dead
Q7. Which 1968 album blended studio and live recordings to showcase the band’s experimental sound?
A. Workingman’s Dead
B. Anthem of the Sun
C. American Beauty
D. Europe ’72
Answer: B. Anthem of the Sun
Q8. What iconic live album from 1969 captured the band’s extended improvisational jams, including “Dark Star”?
A. Live/Dead
B. Grateful Dead
C. Reckoning
D. Without a Net
Answer: A. Live/Dead
Q9. Released in 1970, which album marked a shift toward country and folk influences?
A. Aoxomoxoa
B. Workingman’s Dead
C. Wake of the Flood
D. Blues for Allah
Answer: B. Workingman’s Dead
Q10. What was the only Grateful Dead single to reach the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 9 in 1987?
A. Truckin’
B. Friend of the Devil
C. Touch of Grey
D. Sugar Magnolia
Answer: C. Touch of Grey
Q11. Which lyricist collaborated extensively with Jerry Garcia on songs like “Ripple” and “Uncle John’s Band”?
A. John Perry Barlow
B. Robert Hunter
C. Allen Ginsberg
D. Bob Weir
Answer: B. Robert Hunter
Q12. What famous Grateful Dead song references a 1970 drug bust in New Orleans involving the band?
A. Truckin’
B. Casey Jones
C. China Cat Sunflower
D. Jack Straw
Answer: A. Truckin’
Q13. In which year did Ron McKernan, an original member, pass away due to health complications?
A. 1970
B. 1971
C. 1972
D. 1973
Answer: D. 1973
Q14. What was the name of the band’s self-formed record label established in 1973?
A. Dead Records
B. Grateful Records
C. Grateful Dead Records
D. Arista Dead
Answer: C. Grateful Dead Records
Q15. Which 1970 album, released just months after Workingman’s Dead, featured hits like “Truckin'” and “Ripple”?
A. American Beauty
B. From the Mars Hotel
C. Terrapin Station
D. Shakedown Street
Answer: A. American Beauty
Q16. When did the Grateful Dead take a notable hiatus from touring to focus on solo projects?
A. 1972
B. 1974-1975
C. 1977
D. 1980
Answer: B. 1974-1975
Q17. What innovative sound system did the Grateful Dead develop in the early 1970s, known as “the Wall of Sound”?
A. A massive speaker array for large venues
B. A portable mixing board for fans
C. An early digital recording setup
D. A custom guitar amplifier rig
Answer: A. A massive speaker array for large venues
Q18. Which festival in 1969 featured the Grateful Dead performing to an estimated 400,000 attendees?
A. Monterey Pop Festival
B. Altamont Free Concert
C. Woodstock
D. California Jam
Answer: C. Woodstock
Q19. What term describes the devoted fans of the Grateful Dead who followed their tours and created communal marketplaces like Shakedown Street?
A. Jam Band Followers
B. Deadheads
C. Psychedelic Nomads
D. Acid Test Travelers
Answer: B. Deadheads
Q20. In what year was keyboardist Brent Mydland, who joined in 1979, tragically found dead?
A. 1985
B. 1988
C. 1990
D. 1992
Answer: C. 1990
Q21. Which Grateful Dead album from 1975 was recorded during their hiatus and featured intricate jazz influences?
A. Wake of the Flood
B. Blues for Allah
C. From the Mars Hotel
D. Terrapin Station
Answer: B. Blues for Allah
Q22. What was the final concert of the original Grateful Dead era, held at Soldier Field in Chicago?
A. July 9, 1995
B. August 9, 1995
C. June 27, 2015
D. July 5, 2015
Answer: A. July 9, 1995
Q23. On what date did Jerry Garcia, the band’s lead guitarist and de facto leader, pass away?
A. March 8, 1995
B. August 9, 1995
C. October 25, 1995
D. July 9, 1996
Answer: B. August 9, 1995
Q24. What post-Dead band, formed in 1998, featured surviving members Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, and Mickey Hart?
A. Furthur
B. The Dead
C. The Other Ones
D. Dead & Company
Answer: C. The Other Ones
Q25. Which modern incarnation of the Grateful Dead, launched in 2015, includes John Mayer on guitar?
A. Furthur
B. Phil Lesh and Friends
C. Dead & Company
D. RatDog
Answer: C. Dead & Company