The year in music – but how well do you remember it?
2021 is almost at an end.
Quite a lot happened, I think we can all agree.
The music world, though routinely hit by pandemic-shaped problems, found a way.
But then music always does, doesn’t it?
From major news stories to the biggest songs and albums of the year, we’re here to test your 2021 knowledge.
Be warned, this isn’t an easy one.
We have six rounds on headline-making events, album artwork, music in the movies, music videos, opening lyrics and Irish music.
40 questions in total – can you get a perfect score?
Step on up and take your best shot…
ROUND ONE: MAJOR EVENTS IN MUSIC IN 2021
Garth Brooks is back, baby! How did he describe the cancellation of his 2014 Croke Park gigs upon returning to the venue for a press conference in November?
Garth Brooks is back, baby! How did he describe the cancellation of his 2014 Croke Park gigs upon returning to the venue for a press conference in November?
ROLLING / SAM BOAL
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What acclaimed filmmaker helmed the three-part Beatles documentary Get Back, which delighted both hardcore and casual fans?
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The Irish Government put on a pilot gig in Dublin's Iveagh Gardens in June. What artist took to the stage as the headline act?
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Kanye West and Drake released new – and very long – albums. One man moved 313,000 album units in his first week, the other 595,300 in his. Who won the battle?
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After considerable drama, Electric Picnic didn't go ahead for a second year running. As it stands, who is the last act that headlined the festival's Main Stage?
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What DJ did U2 team up with to provide the official theme song for EURO 2020?
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The Billboard chart in America crowned a new all-time number one song. Who is the hitmaker behind it?
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Beyoncé made history at the Grammy Awards, becoming the most-awarded woman in Grammys history. Who did she overtake?
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Ed Sheeran spoke about the backlash he suffered having appeared in a cameo on Game of Thrones. How did he sum up the experience?
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ABBA released Voyage, their first new studio album in 40 years. Can you name the last one they released before it in 1981?
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ROUND TWO: ALBUM ARTWORK
First up, what is significant about Kanye West's artwork for DONDA?
First up, what is significant about Kanye West's artwork for DONDA?
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You're looking at a snippet of artwork from an album released in 2021. Name the act involved for a point...
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That's the cover for Drake's Certified Lover Boy below. What famous artist designed it?
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Another album artwork snippet but whom does it belong to?
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One last snippet for you – what acclaimed US rock band has this on the cover of their most recently released record?
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ROUND THREE: Music & Movies
Billie Eilish's Bond theme was finally brought to life during the opening credits of No Time to Die, but what franchise classic closed out the film?
Billie Eilish's Bond theme was finally brought to life during the opening credits of No Time to Die, but what franchise classic closed out the film?
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What trippy song soundtracked the first trailer to The Matrix Resurrections?
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The Sparks Brothers is a lengthy documentary on UK art-pop band Sparks. What director – who also released a horror film in 2021 – made it?
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What film took home Best Original Score at this year's Academy Awards?
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And finally this round; what singer cameo'd as an exaggerated version of themselves in Netflix's wildly expensive blockbuster Red Notice?
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ROUND FOUR: MUSIC VIDEO ROUND
What music video is this from?
What music video is this from?
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What music video is this from?
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What music video is this from?
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What music video is this from?
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What music video is this from?
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ROUND FIVE: MATCH THE OPENING LYRIC TO THE SONG
"I walked through the door with you."
"I walked through the door with you."
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"I can remember when you left Kilkenny."
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"Get your fuckin' hands up."
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"I do the same thing I told you that I never would."
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"Sometimes I just can't take it."
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ROUND SIX: THE IRISH MUSIC ROUND
Dermot Kennedy released just one single this year. Name it.
Dermot Kennedy released just one single this year. Name it.
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What act won the RTÉ Choice Music Prize?
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How many Irish acts were nominated for the Mercury Music Prize, which was ultimately won by Arlo Parks?
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The Government held a pilot festival event at IMMA in July. What popular podcast fixture hosted the event?
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What Irish musician was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song?
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What act released an album by the name of Fever Dreams?
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A band that rose from the ashes of Little Green Cars released their debut album in 2021. What is the name of this new project, though?
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Which of the following Irish acts did NOT score a number one on the Irish Album Chart in 2021?
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Noisy post-punk outfit Girl Band changed their name. To what?
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And finally – what Irish act shared an impassioned call for Britney Spears to be freed from her conservatorship?
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LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
