The Mamas & the Papas Quiz Questions and Answers
Q1. In what year was The Mamas & the Papas formed?
A. 1963
B. 1965
C. 1967
D. 1969
Answer: B. 1965
Q2. Who served as the primary songwriter and leader of The Mamas & the Papas?
A. Denny Doherty
B. Cass Elliot
C. John Phillips
D. Michelle Phillips
Answer: C. John Phillips
Q3. Which member of the band was born in Canada?
A. John Phillips
B. Michelle Phillips
C. Cass Elliot
D. Denny Doherty
Answer: D. Denny Doherty
Q4. What was the original name of the group before they became The Mamas & the Papas?
A. The Journeymen
B. The Mugwumps
C. The Magic Circle
D. The New Folkies
Answer: C. The Magic Circle
Q5. How did The Mamas & the Papas get their band name?
A. From a folk song lyric
B. Inspired by a Hells Angels TV interview
C. After a dream John Phillips had
D. From a street in Greenwich Village
Answer: B. Inspired by a Hells Angels TV interview
Q6. Which Caribbean island did the band visit in 1965 to perfect their harmonies?
A. St. Croix
B. St. John
C. St. Thomas
D. Tortola
Answer: C. St. Thomas
Q7. What was the title of The Mamas & the Papas’ debut studio album released in 1966?
A. The Mamas & the Papas
B. If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears
C. Deliver
D. The Papas & the Mamas
Answer: B. If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears
Q8. Which hit single from their debut album reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1966?
A. Monday, Monday
B. California Dreamin’
C. Dedicated to the One I Love
D. I Saw Her Again
Answer: A. Monday, Monday
Q9. Who wrote the song “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)” for Scott McKenzie?
A. Denny Doherty
B. Lou Adler
C. John Phillips
D. Cass Elliot
Answer: C. John Phillips
Q10. Which event did John Phillips and Lou Adler help organize in 1967, where The Mamas & the Papas performed?
A. Woodstock
B. Monterey Pop Festival
C. Newport Folk Festival
D. Altamont Free Concert
Answer: B. Monterey Pop Festival
Q11. In what year did The Mamas & the Papas officially break up for the first time?
A. 1968
B. 1969
C. 1970
D. 1972
Answer: A. 1968
Q12. Which temporary replacement filled in for Michelle Phillips during her brief expulsion from the band in 1966?
A. Joni Mitchell
B. Jill Gibson
C. Mackenzie Phillips
D. Owen Elliot
Answer: B. Jill Gibson
Q13. What was the name of the band’s final studio album, recorded as a contractual obligation in 1971?
A. Deliver
B. The Papas & the Mamas
C. People Like Us
D. Creeque Alley
Answer: C. People Like Us
Q14. Which member of the band pursued a successful acting career after the breakup, appearing in shows like Knots Landing?
A. Cass Elliot
B. Denny Doherty
C. John Phillips
D. Michelle Phillips
Answer: D. Michelle Phillips
Q15. What Grammy Award did The Mamas & the Papas win in 1967 for “Monday, Monday”?
A. Record of the Year
B. Best New Artist
C. Best Performance by a Duo or Group
D. Album of the Year
Answer: C. Best Performance by a Duo or Group
Q16. Which song from their 1967 album Deliver chronicled the band’s early history and formation?
A. Twelve Thirty
B. Creeque Alley
C. Words of Love
D. Dancing in the Street
Answer: B. Creeque Alley
Q17. How many Billboard Top 10 singles did The Mamas & the Papas achieve during their career?
A. Four
B. Five
C. Six
D. Seven
Answer: C. Six
Q18. Which band member’s real first name was Ellen Naomi Cohen?
A. Michelle Phillips
B. Cass Elliot
C. Denny Doherty
D. John Phillips
Answer: B. Cass Elliot
Q19. What urban legend surrounds the death of Cass Elliot in 1974?
A. She died on stage
B. She was in a car accident
C. She choked on a ham sandwich
D. She overdosed at a party
Answer: C. She choked on a ham sandwich
Q20. In which year were The Mamas & the Papas inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
A. 1988
B. 1998
C. 2008
D. 2018
Answer: B. 1998
Q21. Which Beach Boys hit from 1988 did John Phillips co-write?
A. Surfin’ USA
B. Barbara Ann
C. Good Vibrations
D. Kokomo
Answer: D. Kokomo
Q22. What was the original folk group John Phillips was part of before forming The Mamas & the Papas?
A. The Mugwumps
B. The Halifax Three
C. The Journeymen
D. The Big 3
Answer: C. The Journeymen
Q23. Which earlier band did both Denny Doherty and Cass Elliot perform in together?
A. The Journeymen
B. The Mugwumps
C. The New Journeymen
D. The Magic Circle
Answer: B. The Mugwumps
Q24. What misspelling appeared on the cover of their second album, released in 1966?
A. John’s last name
B. Cass’s nickname
C. Denny’s first name as “Dennie”
D. Michelle’s birth name
Answer: C. Denny’s first name as “Dennie”
Q25. Which song’s lyrics include “All the leaves are brown and the sky is gray”?
A. Monday, Monday
B. California Dreamin’
C. I Saw Her Again
D. Dedicated to the One I Love
Answer: B. California Dreamin’