Pixies Quiz Questions and Answers

Q1. In what year was the Pixies band formed in Boston, Massachusetts?
A. 1984
B. 1985
C. 1986
D. 1987
Answer: C. 1986

Q2. Who selected the word “Pixies” from a dictionary to name the band?
A. Black Francis
B. Joey Santiago
C. Kim Deal
D. David Lovering
Answer: B. Joey Santiago

Q3. What was the original stage name of the band’s lead singer, Charles Michael Kitteridge Thompson IV?
A. Black Francis
B. Frank Black
C. Charles Thompson
D. Johnny Appleseed
Answer: A. Black Francis

Q4. Which two influences were specifically mentioned in the newspaper ad that attracted Kim Deal to join as bassist?
A. The Beatles and Led Zeppelin
B. Husker Du and Peter, Paul, and Mary
C. The Clash and The Ramones
D. Nirvana and Sonic Youth
Answer: B. Husker Du and Peter, Paul, and Mary

Q5. What was the name of the Pixies’ 1987 demo tape that caught the attention of 4AD Records?
A. The Purple Tape
B. The Red Tape
C. The Blue Tape
D. The Green Tape
Answer: A. The Purple Tape

Q6. Which producer engineered the Pixies’ raw-sounding debut full-length album, Surfer Rosa?
A. Gil Norton
B. Steve Albini
C. Tom Dalgety
D. Ivo Watts-Russell
Answer: B. Steve Albini

Q7. Released in 1988, what is the title of the Pixies’ debut studio album?
A. Doolittle
B. Bossanova
C. Surfer Rosa
D. Trompe le Monde
Answer: C. Surfer Rosa

Q8. Which 1989 Pixies album perfected their signature “loud-quiet-loud” dynamics and is often cited as a major influence on Nirvana?
A. Come On Pilgrim
B. Doolittle
C. Pod
D. Indie Cindy
Answer: B. Doolittle

Q9. What genre-inspired variation characterized the Pixies’ 1990 album Bossanova?
A. Surf music
B. Punk rock
C. Grunge
D. Folk rock
Answer: A. Surf music

Q10. What does the French title of the Pixies’ 1991 album Trompe le Monde translate to in English?
A. Surf the Stars
B. Fool the World
C. Quiet Revolution
D. Bone Machine
Answer: B. Fool the World

Q11. When did the Pixies officially break up for the first time, following tensions during their support tour for U2?
A. 1990
B. 1991
C. 1992
D. 1993
Answer: D. 1993

Q12. How did Black Francis announce the band’s 1993 breakup to the other members?
A. In a group meeting
B. Through a fax
C. Via a BBC Radio interview
D. In a handwritten letter
Answer: C. Via a BBC Radio interview

Q13. In what year did the Pixies reunite for a tour, leading to sold-out shows worldwide?
A. 2000
B. 2004
C. 2005
D. 2006
Answer: B. 2004

Q14. Which documentary film captured the Pixies’ 2004 reunion tour?
A. Pixies at the BBC
B. Fool the World
C. loudQUIETloud
D. Death to the Pixies
Answer: C. loudQUIETloud

Q15. When did Kim Deal leave the Pixies for the second time, prompting a lineup change?
A. 2009
B. 2012
C. 2013
D. 2016
Answer: B. 2012

Q16. Who briefly replaced Kim Deal as bassist for the Pixies’ 2013 tour before being succeeded by Paz Lenchantin?
A. Emma Richardson
B. Kelley Deal
C. Kim Shattuck
D. Miki Berenyi
Answer: C. Kim Shattuck

Q17. In what year did Paz Lenchantin become a full permanent member of the Pixies?
A. 2013
B. 2014
C. 2015
D. 2016
Answer: D. 2016

Q18. Which bassist replaced Paz Lenchantin in the Pixies lineup in 2024?
A. Kim Deal
B. Emma Richardson
C. Jenny Conlee
D. Tina Weymouth
Answer: B. Emma Richardson

Q19. What is the Pixies’ primary musical style, known for blending punk aggression with pop melodies?
A. Grunge
B. Heavy metal
C. Alternative rock
D. Synth-pop
Answer: C. Alternative rock

Q20. Which iconic Pixies song from Surfer Rosa was later featured in the film Fight Club?
A. Gigantic
B. Where Is My Mind?
C. Here Comes Your Man
D. Debaser
Answer: B. Where Is My Mind?

Q21. What surreal theme inspired the song “Debaser” from the album Doolittle?
A. The Luis Bunuel film Un Chien Andalou
B. A dream about flying
C. A childhood memory of the sea
D. Biblical apocalypse
Answer: A. The Luis Bunuel film Un Chien Andalou

Q22. Which Pixies song from Bossanova was inspired by David Lovering’s obsession with singer Debbie Gibson?
A. Velouria
B. Bone Machine
C. Make Believe
D. Wave of Mutilation
Answer: C. Make Believe

Q23. What cover song from Trompe le Monde was originally by The Jesus and Mary Chain?
A. Head On
B. U-Mass
C. Palace of the Brine
D. Alec Eiffel
Answer: A. Head On

Q24. Which Pixies album, released in 2014, combined tracks from their EPs EP1, EP2, and EP3?
A. Head Carrier
B. Indie Cindy
C. Doggerel
D. Beneath the Eyrie
Answer: B. Indie Cindy

Q25. What is the title of the Pixies’ 2016 studio album, their first with Paz Lenchantin?
A. Wasteland
B. Trompe le Hits
C. Head Carrier
D. Bagboy
Answer: C. Head Carrier