Space Oddity: The David Bowie Quiz

Estimated Completion Time
3 min
Space Oddity: The David Bowie Quiz
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About This Quiz

He melded music and art in strange and wonderful ways. How much do you know about David Bowie?
Which Beach Boys song did Bowie cover?
"God Only Knows"
"Little Deuce Coupe"
"Don't Worry Baby"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

We would have loved to hear Bowie sing "Surfin' U.S.A."

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Bowie let fans vote to create the set list for a 1990 tour. Which song received the most votes?
"Moonage Daydream"
"Space Oddity"
"The Laughing Gnome"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In true Bowie fashion, he proceeded to eliminate the song from the tour.

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Bowie loved the emotional life of his character Ziggy Stardust, because offstage Bowie felt like what?
a robot
a lizard
a psychopath
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ziggy was an outlet for his complicated emotional life.

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What was Bowienet?
Bowie's own Internet service provider
Bowie's Web site
Bowie's blog
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

He knew the Internet was going to be a revolution in human history.

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In what year was Bowie inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
1996
2006
1986
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

At that point he still had a lot of music left to make.

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Bowie married which supermodel in 1992?
Iman
Cindy Crawford
Linda Evangelista
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

She is known for her charitable work.

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What was Bowie's first No. 1 hit in the United States?
"Fame"
"Space Oddity"
"Changes"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Yet it only ascended to No. 17 on the British charts.

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How many of Bowie's albums made the charts in 1973?
four
five
six
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

He was incredibly prolific throughout his career.

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Who co-wrote Bowie's hit song "Fame?"
John Lennon
Elton John
David Gilmour
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

It was a topic both writers were familiar with.

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Bowie has sold roughly how many albums worldwide?
98 million
140 million
200 million
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

His eccentric behavior didn't affect his sales.

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Which scientist did Bowie portray in "The Prestige?"
Nikola Tesla
Albert Einstein
Carl Sagan
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The film also stars Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale.

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Bowie released his 1996 song "Telling Lies" over the Internet. How many copies did he sell?
90,000
300,000
1 million
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

He was the first major artist to sell a song using the Internet.

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Bowie provided his voice talent for which animated show?
"George of the Jungle"
"SpongeBob Squarepants"
"The Simpsons"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

He was giddy about landing the role.

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With which musician did Bowie once share an apartment?
Frank Zappa
Freddy Mercury
Iggy Pop
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

It was at a time when he began making versions of ambient music.

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Which musician appears with Bowie on "I'm Afraid of Americans?"
Kurt Cobain
Trent Reznor
Marilyn Manson
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Reznor considered Bowie to be a major influence on his own music.

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Bowie created his electronic album "Outside" with which well-known musician?
David Mancuso
Brian Eno
Steve Roach
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

He chose Nine Inch Nails to support him on the album's tour.

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During a 2004 concert, a fan struck Bowie in the face with what?
A lollipop
A shoe
A dead bird
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Bowie was infuriated and had to pause the show to seek assistance.

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In 1989, Bowie paused his solo career to be a part of which band?
Roxy Music
Tin Machine
Jethro Tull
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The debut album received poor reviews but went to No. 3 on the British charts.

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What was Bowie's name at birth?
David Jones
Dave Smith
David Hasselhoff
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

He changed it to avoid confusion with Davy Jones, of The Monkees fame.

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With which musician did Bowie perform "Dancing in the Street?"
John Lennon
Steven Tyler
Mick Jagger
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The song went all the way to No. 1.

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A BBC TV program once interviewed Bowie as the founder of "The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty" to what?
animals
long-haired men
fat-bottomed women
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

He could find a way to mock just about anything.

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Why was Bowie's right eye permanently dilated?
A fistfight with a friend
Drug abuse
A genetic disorder
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

One of his friends hit him in the face during an argument over a girl.

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What was BowieBanc?
A Bowie-branded online bank
A type of cashier's check sponsored by the artist
An interactive, musical ATM
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The concept didn't last but customers even received Bowie credit cards.

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In 2004, Bowie had emergency surgery to treat what?
A blocked artery
Appendicitis
the effects of a drug overdose
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

At first, he thought the pain was just a pinched nerve.

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In how many songs did Bowie's fictional character Major Tom appear?
1
2
3
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The songs were "Space Oddity," "Ashes to Ashes" and "Hallo Spaceboy."

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What object did Bowie send to a writer from Rolling stone to thank him for an interview?
A pig fetus
Cocaine
A live bat
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

To Bowie's disappointment, customs agents intercepted the fetus.

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Bowie had the same birthday as what other rock icon?
Nick Cave
Elvis Presley
Buddy Holly
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

He reportedly could do a spot-on impression of Elvis, who was born 12 years earlier.

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During promotion for which album did Bowie overdose on cocaine several times?
"Low"
"Station to Station"
"Diamond Dogs"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

At that time his mental and physical well-being were at risk.

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Why did Bowie stop performing as his alter-ego, Ziggy Stardust?
He wasn't selling enough albums to pay rent.
He was beginning to doubt his sanity.
He was tired of the media scrutiny.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Stardust began to affect his personality in negative ways.

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In the music video for "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)" Bowie is married to which actress?
Vanessa Redgrave
Judi Dench
Tilda Swinton
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The album featuring this song was offered for free online.

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You Got:
/30
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