Name That Chicago Artist!

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  • 1/36 Questions

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • Tampa Red
    • Robert Johnson
    • Elmore James
    • Skip James
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About This Quiz

Test your knowledge of Chicago-based musicians with 'Name that Chicago artist!' quiz. Identify artists like Common, Sun Ra, and Curtis Mayfield, enhancing your understanding of Chicago's rich musical heritage and its influential figures.

Name That Chicago Artist! - Quiz

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  • 2. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • Nas

    • Rhymefest

    • Common

    • Kid Cudi

    Correct Answer
    A. Common
    Explanation
    The rapper/actor grew up on the South Side of Chicago. The D'Angelo Law Library owns a copy of his memoir One Day It'll All Make Sense at call number ML420.C656 A3 2011.

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  • 3. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • The Pharaohs

    • Sun Ra

    • Parliament Funkadelic

    • Miles Davis

    Correct Answer
    A. Sun Ra
    Explanation
    Sun Ra formed his Arkestra in Chicago in the 1950s. This version of "Interplanetary Music" was recorded in Chicago around 1960. The University of Chicago Library's Special Collections Research Center is home to the Alton Abraham Papers of Sun Ra collection. 

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  • 4. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • Don Caballero

    • Nachtmystium

    • Karate

    • Gastr del Sol

    Correct Answer
    A. Gastr del Sol
    Explanation
    Gastr del Sol member David Grubbs has a PhD in English literature from the University of Chicago. The song "Eight Corners" lists the names of several Chicago streets.

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  • 5. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • Carl Craig

    • Mr. Fingers

    • Derrick May

    • Afrika Bambaataa

    Correct Answer
    A. Mr. Fingers
    Explanation
    Larry "Mr. Fingers" Heard was born on the South Side of Chicago and was a key figure in the house music genre that came out of Chicago in the mid-1980s. "Can You Feel It?" is regarded as one of the first deep house records.

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  • 6. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • Tar

    • Jesus Lizard

    • Mule

    • Shellac

    Correct Answer
    A. Jesus Lizard
    Explanation
    Although formed in Austin, TX, the band Jesus Lizard moved to Chicago early in their career and became one of the best known bands on the Chicago-based independent label Touch & Go. Several of their records, including Liar, were produced by Chicago legend Steve Albini.

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  • 7. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • Pentagram

    • Trouble

    • Candlemass

    • Saint Vitus

    Correct Answer
    A. Trouble
    Explanation
    Trouble, formed in the Chicago suburb Aurora, are considered one of the pioneers of doom metal. This song "Revelation (Life or Death)" is from their 1984 debut album Psalm 9. 

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  • 8. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • Effigies

    • Naked Raygun

    • Fugazi

    • Breaking Circus

    Correct Answer
    A. Naked Raygun
    Explanation
    New Yorker music critic Sasha Frere-Jones recently named Naked Raygun's 1987 song "Vanilla Blue" one of 200 "perfect recordings."

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  • 9. 

    Name that Chicago artist

    • Ginuwine

    • D'Angelo

    • John Legend

    • R. Kelly

    Correct Answer
    A. R. Kelly
    Explanation
    Robert Sylvester Kelly was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago and attended Kenwood Academy in Hyde Park. "Ignition (Remix)" stayed at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks, one spot below 50 Cent's smash hit "In da Club."

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  • 10. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • The Sandpipers

    • The Buckinghams

    • The Peppermint Rainbow

    • Strawberry Alarm Clock

    Correct Answer
    A. The Buckinghams
    Explanation
    The Buckinghams' biggest hit "Kind of a Drag" spent two weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1967. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc.

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  • 11. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • Schoolboy Q

    • Future

    • Earl Sweatshirt

    • Chance the Rapper

    Correct Answer
    A. Chance the Rapper
    Explanation
    Chance the Rapper hails from the South Side Chicago neighborhood of Chatham. In 2014, he was named to the XXL Freshmen List of up and coming hip-hop artists.

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  • 12. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • Ohio Players

    • Kool & the Gang

    • Earth, Wind & Fire

    • The Temptations

    Correct Answer
    A. Earth, Wind & Fire
    Explanation
    Earth, Wind & Fire was formed by Maurice White, who moved to Chicago as a teenager and later worked as a session drummer for Chess Records. "Shining Star" was Earth, Wind & Fire's first major hit, hitting No. 1 on Billboard chart in 1975.

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  • 13. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • Junior Kimbrough

    • John Lee Hooker

    • Magic Sam

    • Stevie Ray Vaughan

    Correct Answer
    A. Magic Sam
    Explanation
    Magic Sam moved from Mississippi to Chicago in 1950 and began playing at blues clubs on the West Side. This version of "Sweet Home Chicago" is from his classic 1967 album West Side Soul.

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  • 14. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • Luther Vandross

    • Alison Krauss

    • Luther Allison

    • Hound Dog Taylor

    Correct Answer
    A. Luther Allison
    Explanation
    Luther Allison was born in Widener, Arkansas, and moved with his family, at the age of twelve, to Chicago in 1951. He was one of the few blues artists signed to Motown Records.

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  • 15. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • Frankie Knuckles and Jamie Principle

    • Planet Patrol

    • The Jonzun Crew

    • Newcleus

    Correct Answer
    A. Frankie Knuckles and Jamie Principle
    Explanation
    "Your Love," a Chicago house classic, was originally released as a demo under Jamie Principle's name in 1984. It was later released as a single under Frankie Knuckles' name in 1987 on the legendary Chicago label Trax Records. Following Frankie's death on March 31, 2014, the song re-entered the UK Singles Chart at number 29.

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  • 16. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • The Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Fritz Reiner

    • The Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Riccardo Muti

    • The Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Pierre Boulez

    • The Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Rafael Kubelík

    Correct Answer
    A. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Fritz Reiner
    Explanation
    Fritz Reiner conducted the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1953–1962, which is widely considered to be the pinnacle of his career. This 1958 recording of Bela Bartok's Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta is one of the defining recordings of that period.

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  • 17. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • Muggsy Spanier and His Ragtime Band

    • Bix Beiderbecke & The Bucktown Five

    • Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five

    • Lu Watters & The Yerba Buena Jazz Band

    Correct Answer
    A. Bix Beiderbecke & The Bucktown Five
    Explanation
    The Bucktown Five was a white jazz group active in Chicago in the early 1920s. They recorded "Chicago Blues" with Bix Beiderbecke in 1924.

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  • 18. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • Gary Wilson

    • Wesley Willis

    • William Hung

    • Henry Darger

    Correct Answer
    A. Wesley Willis
    Explanation
    Wesley Willis was a singer-songwriter from Chicago who gained an enormous cult following in the 1990s. He was also a visual artist, who produced hundreds of intricate, unusual, colored ink-pen drawings, mostly of Chicago streetscapes and CTA buses. "Rock N Roll McDonald's" is about the Rock N Roll McDonald's located in the River North area of Chicago.

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  • 19. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • Lupe Fiasco

    • Vic Mensa

    • Vakill

    • Kanye West

    Correct Answer
    A. Kanye West
    Explanation
    "Home" is Kanye West's tribute to Chicago and is an extended metaphor using a woman to represent the city of Chicago, in the same vein as fellow Chicago rapper Common on his song "I Used to Love H.E.R.," where the woman symbolized hip hop music.

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  • 20. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • Tampa Red

    • Robert Johnson

    • Elmore James

    • Skip James

    Correct Answer
    A. Tampa Red
    Explanation
    ​Although born in Georgia, Tampa Red moved to Chicago in the 1920s and lived here until his death in 1981.

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  • 21. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • Pavement

    • Guided by Voices

    • The Shins

    • Wilco

    Correct Answer
    A. Wilco
    Explanation
    The cover art of Wilco's critically acclaimed album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot depicts the Marina City towers that sit on the north bank of the Chicago River in downtown Chicago.

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  • 22. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • Pat Hare

    • Howlin' Wolf

    • T-Bone Walker

    • Captain Beefheart

    Correct Answer
    A. Howlin' Wolf
    Explanation
    "Spoonful," one of Howlin' Wolf's best known songs, was recorded in 1960 at Chicago's Chess Studios, then located at 2120 S. Michigan Avenue.

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  • 23. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • Mogwai

    • Tortoise

    • June of 44

    • Cul de Sac

    Correct Answer
    A. Tortoise
    Explanation
    Tortoise, who formed in Chicago in 1990, are credited as one of the originators of "post-rock." Original member Bundy K. Brown attended the University of Chicago before dropping out to pursue his music career.

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  • 24. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • Ramsey Lewis

    • Weather Report

    • Return to Forever

    • Herbie Hancock

    Correct Answer
    A. Ramsey Lewis
    Explanation
    Ramsey Lewis was born and raised in Chicago and continues to live in the city today. "Sun Goddess," the title track of the 1974 album, was written by Jon Lind and Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire.

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  • 25. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • Otis Redding

    • Peter Green

    • Billy Gibbons

    • Otis Rush

    Correct Answer
    A. Otis Rush
    Explanation
    "Double Trouble," by Otis Rush, was first released as a single on Cobra Records in 1958. It has been covered by numerous other artists, including several versions by Eric Clapton. In 2008, Rush's original version was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame.

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  • 26. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • Cheap Trick

    • The Shoes

    • The Raspberries

    • Big Star

    Correct Answer
    A. Cheap Trick
    Explanation
    This is cheating, since Cheap Trick are actually from Rockford, IL, but "Surrender"--what a song! In October 2007, the Illinois Senate passed a resolution designating April 1 as Cheap Trick Day. See S. Res. 255, 95th Gen. Assemb. (Ill. 2007).

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  • 27. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • Instant Composer Pool

    • Brotherhood of Breath

    • Defunkt

    • The Art Ensemble of Chicago

    Correct Answer
    A. The Art Ensemble of Chicago
    Explanation
    The Art Ensemble of Chicago grew out of Chicago's Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) in the late 1960s. This song, "Theme De Yoyo," features the vocals of R&B singer Fontella Bass, who was then married to trumpeter Lester Bowie.

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  • 28. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • Aimee Mann

    • Liz Phair

    • Sheryl Crow

    • Ani DiFranco

    Correct Answer
    A. Liz Phair
    Explanation
    Liz Phair was raised in the Chicago suburb of Winnetka and recorded her debut album Exile in Guyville at Chicago's Idful Studios. The album was ranked #15 in Spin's "100 Greatest Albums, 1985-2005". In 2012, the album was ranked number #327 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

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  • 29. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • Cajmere

    • Mantronix

    • Latin Rascals

    • Phuture

    Correct Answer
    A. Cajmere
    Explanation
    “The Percolator” by Cajmere, a.k.a. Chicago house icon Curtis Alan Jones, is one of the biggest electronic dance music songs of all time. Seriously, people go nuts when they hear it.

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  • 30. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • DJ Spinn

    • Gant Man

    • DJ Godfather

    • Dude 'n Nem

    Correct Answer
    A. Dude 'n Nem
    Explanation
    ​Dude 'n Nem's 2007 hit "Watch My Feet" became a breakout hit for the Chicago "footwork" or "juke" scene.

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  • 31. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • The Bar-Kays

    • The Chi-Lites

    • The Dells

    • The Impressions

    Correct Answer
    A. The Impressions
    Explanation
    The Impressions were formed when a group from Chattanooga, Tennessee called The Roosters moved to Chicago and joined forces with Chicago natives Jerry Butler and Curtis Mayfield. Their song "People Get Ready" was named as one of the Top 10 Best Songs Of All Time by Mojo magazine.

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  • 32. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • James Brown

    • Ray Charles

    • Syl Johnson

    • James Carr

    Correct Answer
    A. Syl Johnson
    Explanation
    In 1950, Syl Johnson moved with his family from Mississippi to Chicago, where blues guitarist Magic Sam was his next-door neighbor. His 1968 hit "Different Strokes" has been sampled in over 200 hip-hop songs.

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  • 33. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • Bo Diddley

    • Chuck Berry

    • Bobby "Blue" Bland

    • Muddy Waters

    Correct Answer
    A. Muddy Waters
    Explanation
    Born as McKinley Morganfield, Muddy Waters is considered the "father of modern Chicago blues." This song, "I'm Ready," was recorded in 1953 with one of the most acclaimed blues groups in history: Little Walter Jacobs on harmonica, Jimmy Rogers on guitar, Elga Edmonds (a.k.a. Elgin Evans) on drums and Otis Spann on piano, and released on the legendary Chicago blues label Chess Records.

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  • 34. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • Marvin Gaye

    • Curtis Mayfield

    • Jerry Butler

    • James Brown

    Correct Answer
    A. Curtis Mayfield
    Explanation
    Curtis Mayfield was born and raised in Chicago and was a member of the group the Impressions. His hit "Move On Up" was later sampled by fellow Chicago artist Kanye West for "Touch the Sky" in 2005.

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  • 35. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • The Staple Singers

    • Booker T & the MG's

    • The Tonettes

    • The Emotions

    Correct Answer
    A. The Staple Singers
    Explanation
    The Staple Singers were an American gospel, soul, and R&B singing group formed in Chicago in the late 1940s. I'll Take You There" spent a total of fifteen weeks on the charts and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972.

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  • 36. 

    Name that Chicago artist.

    • DJ Spinn

    • Gant Man

    • DJ Godfather

    • Dude 'n Nem

    Correct Answer
    A. Dude 'n Nem
    Explanation
    Dude 'n Nem's 2007 hit "Watch My Feet" was a breakout hit for the Chicago "footwork" or "juke" scene.

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  • Current Version
  • Feb 24, 2023
    Quiz Edited by
    ProProfs Editorial Team
  • Oct 02, 2014
    Quiz Created by
    Toddito
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