Benny Goodman Quiz: Guess the Song & Test Your Trivia

The Benny Goodman quiz is a Swing Era ear test: the clarinet gives the King of Swing away before the band swings in. Guess the Benny Goodman song from the drum-driven 'Sing, Sing, Sing', the theme-tune 'Let's Dance' and 'Stompin' at the Savoy', then test your trivia on the 1938 night he headlined a landmark swing concert at Carnegie Hall and the integrated quartet with Teddy Wilson and Lionel Hampton. Place the standard in its Swing Era decade and find out how well you know the King of Swing.

Main genrePop (big-band swing, jazz)

Active1934 to 1986 (1930s, 1940s, 1950s)

Real nameBenjamin David Goodman

InstrumentClarinet and bandleader

Best-known songs to guessSing, Sing, Sing, Let's Dance, Stompin' at the Savoy, Don't Be That Way, King Porter Stomp

Deep cuts fans missAir Mail Special, Bugle Call Rag, After You've Gone, Benny Rides Again, Roll 'Em

Eras in the quizThe 1935 Palomar breakout, the 1938 Carnegie Hall concert, the trio and quartet small groups, the postwar band

Key sidemenGene Krupa (drums), Teddy Wilson (piano), Lionel Hampton (vibraphone), Charlie Christian (guitar)

Related artistsCab Calloway, Elvis Presley

Quiz difficultyEasy on the clarinet and 'Sing, Sing, Sing', hard on the small-group sides and the classical curveballs

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 Benny Goodman Song

'Sing, Sing, Sing', 'Let's Dance' and 'Stompin' at the Savoy' are the sides most players name once the clarinet leads in.

Sing

Let's Dance

Stompin' at the Savoy

Don't Be That Way

King Porter Stomp

Air Mail Special

Bugle Call Rag

After You've Gone

Benny Goodman Trivia: The King of Swing

The night swing filled Carnegie Hall, the drummer behind 'Sing, Sing, Sing', and the classical works written for his clarinet.

✦Goodman's band is often credited with igniting the Swing Era when it set the crowd dancing at the Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles on August 21, 1935.

✦On January 16, 1938 Goodman headlined a landmark swing concert at New York's Carnegie Hall, a night that helped make swing respectable concert music.

✦The definitive 'Sing, Sing, Sing' is built around Gene Krupa's driving tom-tom solo, one of the first extended drum features on a hit record.

✦Goodman helped integrate American popular music by hiring pianist Teddy Wilson in 1935 and vibraphonist Lionel Hampton in 1936 for his trio and quartet.

✦Classical composers wrote for him too: Bela Bartok's 'Contrasts' (1938) and Aaron Copland's Clarinet Concerto (1947) were both commissioned by Goodman.

How Well Do You Know Benny Goodman

Start with the clarinet hits, then place the Carnegie Hall night, the integrated small groups and the classical curveballs.

The clarinet tell (easy points)

Goodman leads on clarinet, so the instrument is the giveaway before the band kicks in. 'Sing, Sing, Sing', the radio theme 'Let's Dance' and 'Stompin' at the Savoy' are the sides most players place fast, and they are where a Swing Era round banks its early points.

The 1938 Carnegie Hall night

On January 16, 1938 Goodman headlined a landmark swing concert at Carnegie Hall, and the sprawling 'Sing, Sing, Sing' with Gene Krupa's tom-toms was the centerpiece. Knowing a clip comes from that night, not a studio date, is the kind of context a quiz rewards.

The integrated small groups (a first in the spotlight)

Goodman put racially integrated small groups in the spotlight, hiring pianist Teddy Wilson in 1935 and vibraphonist Lionel Hampton in 1936 for his trio and quartet. Placing a small-group side against the full orchestra is where sharper players pull ahead.

When the King of Swing played classical

The King of Swing also played the concert hall. He commissioned Bela Bartok's 'Contrasts' in 1938 and Aaron Copland's Clarinet Concerto in 1947, so a Goodman clip is not always swing. That switch from dance band to classical soloist is the round's best curveball.

Benny Goodman Quiz FAQ

How do you play the Benny Goodman quiz?

You hear a clip of a Benny Goodman recording and name it, then answer trivia across his big-band hits, the 1938 Carnegie Hall concert and his small-group sides.

Which Benny Goodman songs are in the quiz?

The big ones like 'Sing, Sing, Sing', 'Let's Dance' and 'Stompin' at the Savoy', plus deeper sides such as 'Air Mail Special', 'Bugle Call Rag' and 'Roll 'Em'.

What makes the Benny Goodman quiz tricky?

His clarinet is easy to spot, but placing a trio or quartet side against the full orchestra, or catching a commissioned classical piece, is where a round tightens.

Why is Benny Goodman called the King of Swing?

His band helped launch the Swing Era at the Palomar Ballroom in 1935 and headlined a landmark swing concert at Carnegie Hall in 1938, making him the era's biggest bandleader.

Who was Benny Goodman?

Benjamin David Goodman, an American clarinettist and bandleader from Chicago who led racially integrated small groups in his trio and quartet and reigned as the King of Swing.

Is the Benny Goodman quiz free?

Yes. The Benny Goodman quiz is free to play on Songtrivia, with no signup and no Spotify account needed.

📚 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.