History of Soul Music Quiz

Tests comprehension and vocabulary from EnglishClub's History of Soul Music page. You can do this quiz online or print it on paper.

1. Soul music began in the 1950s when gospel songs were changed into _______ songs.

spiritual
secular
religious
a) spiritual b) secular c) religious

2. If a former gospel song became a best-selling soul song, it was called a

crossover hit
gospel hit
call and response
a) crossover hit b) gospel hit c) call and response

3. What are the lyrics of Sam Cooke's 1964 hit song A Change is Gonna Come about?

love and romance
racism and injustice
peace and happiness
a) love and romance b) racism and injustice c) peace and happiness

4. Which member of Motown group The Jackson 5 later became a solo artist known as "the king of pop"?

Randy Jackson
Janet Jackson
Michael Jackson
a) Randy Jackson b) Janet Jackson c) Michael Jackson

5. Deep soul is a dynamic style first produced at Stax Records in _______ , Tennessee.

Memphis
Chicago
New Orleans
a) Memphis b) Chicago c) New Orleans

6. Who used female gospel singing styles in mid-60s hits like Respect and Chain of Fools?

Amy Winehouse
Aretha Franklin
Macy Gray
a) Amy Winehouse b) Aretha Franklin c) Macy Gray

7. A group of session musicians who work for one music label is a

house producer
horn section
house band
a) house producer b) horn section c) house band

8. One of soul's biggest-selling records was the 1966 single When a Man Loves a Woman by

Al Green
Otis Redding
Percy Sledge
a) Al Green b) Otis Redding c) Percy Sledge

9. Music companies created a new genre of romantic pop soul in the 1980s called

contemporary R&B
disco music
dance pop
a) contemporary R&B b) disco music c) dance pop

10. Which genre began when DJs and MCs began rapping over soul and funk grooves?

neo soul
hip hop
alternative R&B
a) neo soul b) hip hop c) alternative R&B

Your score is:

Correct answers:

Contributor: Matt Errey. Matt is the author of several books including 1000 Phrasal Verbs in Context and Common English Idioms for learners, and Matt's ESL Games and Quizzes for teachers.