The Ultimate Grateful Dead Quiz
3 min
Image: refer to hsw
About This Quiz
They left a patchouli-scented wake across the world. How much do you know about the Grateful Dead?
How did the musicians choose a name for their band?
Jerry Garcia reportedly opened the book to a random page.
Roughly how many albums has the band sold worldwide?
They are one of the best-selling bands from the 1960s.
Which of the band's songs is listed as a U.S. national treasure?
It was all about life on the road.
How many different people played in the band throughout its lifespan?
They were an eclectic group of musicians.
In which year was the band formed?
The band was born in California.
What was the nickname of the sound system built just for the band's tours?
It was a massive system that made their music audible for everyone.
How many Top 10 hits did the band record?
The lack of hits didn't hinder the band's upward trajectory.
The band originally went by which name?
They changed it when they realized the name was already taken.
About how many different songs did the band perform live?
Amazingly, they played a new setlist at nearly every show.
On which album cover did the lightning bolt and skull graphic first appear?
"History of the Grateful Dead, Volume One (Bear's Choice)"
Like the so-called dancing bears, this artwork became as legendary as the band.
To what ailment did Ron "Pigpen" McKernan succumb?
He played his last show with the group in 1972.
What were the "dancing bears" actually doing, according to the artist that created them?
He thought it was clear that the bears were marching instead of dancing.
What was the name of the band's only Top 10 hit?
The music video was extremely popular on MTV.
Why did Keith and Donna Jean Godchaux leave the band?
They struggled with drug abuse.
They had family obligations.
They were injured in a car accident.
But Keith did die in a car wreck not long after their departure.
The cover of "American Beauty" is an ambigram that also reads as what?
The album has gone double platinum.
What band inspired the Dead to pursue rock instead of jug music?
Like everyone else, they were drawn to The Beatles.
Tom Constanten worked in the Air Force doing what job?
He was sent to Vietnam even though he was against the war.
Sometimes the band's live version of "Dark Star" would run about how long?
The studio version was less than three minutes long.
How many AWOLs did Jerry Garcia receive during his nine-month stint in the Army?
He clearly wasn't cut out for military life.
Robert Hunter took part in a Stanford University experiment on what subject?
The research was secretly funded by the CIA.
Donna Jean Godchaux was a backup singer for which No. 1 song?
"Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head"
"When a Man Loves a Woman"
She and her husband introduced themselves to the band after one of their concerts.
About how many live shows did the band play?
That's more than 75 shows per year for three decades.
Which of the band's albums was the first to crack the Top 40?
It was the band's fifth studio album.
In total, roughly how many people saw the band perform live?
Nearly 80,000 people attended one show.
How did Vince Welnick die?
He was stabbed by a serial killer.
He'd battled depression for more than a decade.
How did Jerry Garcia lose part of one finger?
His brother chopped it off with an ax.
This surely resulted in some sibling resentment
Which band member died of a drug overdose?
The 1990 death was a startling event in a band that copiously used drugs.
For how many bands did Phil Lesh play bass guitar before joining the Dead?
He essentially learned how to play on the fly.
For their 1974 tour, how many speakers did the band use for their performances?
That was more than 70 tons of speakers, man.
In what year did Jerry Garcia die?
It was the end of an era for an iconic band.
You Got:
/30
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