Billie Holiday Quiz: Guess the Song & Test Your Trivia
You know a Billie Holiday quiz by the phrasing: a bruised voice that trails behind the beat and makes a lyric ache. Guess the Billie Holiday song from 'Strange Fruit' and 'God Bless the Child' to 'Summertime' and 'Lady Sings the Blues', then test your trivia on the protest landmark and the film her life inspired. Columbia declined to record 'Strange Fruit' in 1939, so she cut it for the small Commodore label instead. Find out how well you know Lady Day once the phrasing gives her away.
Start your solo quiz
Name as many tracks as you can from short audio clips. The faster you answer, the more you score.
10 questions4 answers each
Guess the Billie Holiday Song
'Strange Fruit', 'God Bless the Child' and 'Summertime' are the ones players recognise first.
Strange Fruit
God Bless the Child
Summertime
Lady Sings the Blues
Fine and Mellow
Don't Explain
Good Morning Heartache
Lover Man
Billie Holiday Trivia: Strange Fruit and Lady Day
The protest song Columbia would not record, the nickname from Lester Young, and the dramatized film of her life.
How Well Do You Know Billie Holiday
'Strange Fruit' is a quick point; the phrasing and deep-cut standards decide the round.
'Strange Fruit' and the protest landmark
'Strange Fruit' is the one that stops a room. Recorded in 1939 as an anti-lynching protest, it was later named song of the century by Time, and a quiz often leans on its history.
The behind-the-beat phrasing
Her signature is timing. That bruised voice sits just behind the beat and reshapes a melody, so recognising the phrasing matters more than the song title in a Holiday round.
The standards she made her own
She rewrote standards as her own. She co-wrote 'God Bless the Child' in 1941, and 'Summertime', 'Don't Explain' and 'Good Morning Heartache' are the interpretations casual fans miss.
Lady Day, the bands and the film
Lester Young nicknamed her Lady Day, and she sang with the Count Basie and Artie Shaw bands. Diana Ross played her in the heavily dramatized 1972 film 'Lady Sings the Blues', a favourite legacy question.
Billie Holiday Quiz FAQ
How does the Billie Holiday quiz work?
You hear a clip of a Billie Holiday recording and name it, then answer trivia across her standards, the protest landmark 'Strange Fruit', and her Lady Day legacy.
Which Billie Holiday songs are in the quiz?
Standards like 'Strange Fruit', 'God Bless the Child' and 'Summertime', plus deeper cuts such as 'Don't Explain' and 'Good Morning Heartache'.
Why is the Billie Holiday quiz tricky?
She sits behind the beat and reshapes each melody, so recognising her phrasing matters as much as knowing the song.
Which film told Billie Holiday's story?
The 1972 film 'Lady Sings the Blues', with Diana Ross in the lead, was loosely based on her autobiography of the same name and is heavily dramatized.
Who was Billie Holiday?
Billie Holiday, known as Lady Day, was an American jazz singer famed for her expressive phrasing. She lived from 1915 to 1959.
Is the Billie Holiday quiz free?
Yes. The Billie Holiday quiz is free on Songtrivia, with no account and no Spotify required.
📚 Sources & methodology
Sources consulted
Wikipedia · AllMusic · Pitchfork · Billboard · Songtrivia editorial team.
Our methodology
Each topic is curated by a Quiz Master with category expertise. Selection crosses cultural impact, chart performance, recognition potential and era variety.