en
EnglishDeutschEspañolFrançaisIndonesiaItalianoPolskiPortuguês (Brasil)Русский
Open menu
Nat King Cole

Nat King Cole Quiz: Guess the Song & Test Your Trivia

Test your knowledge of Nat King Cole's biggest hits, deep cuts and iconic moments.

All quizzes

Top 5 Scores

  1. #1GoldenTiger25852
  2. #2Groovy Harbor 15764
  3. #3Electric Panda711
  4. #4Cosmic Rocket 20673
  5. #5Nope235

Scores are valid for 15 days.

Nat King Cole at a glance

Main genre
Pop (vocal jazz and traditional pop)
Active
1937-1965 (1940s-1960s)
Real name
Nathaniel Adams Coles, known as Nat King Cole
Best-known songs to guess
Unforgettable, L-O-V-E, Mona Lisa, The Christmas Song, Smile
Deep cuts fans miss
Nature Boy, Route 66, Straighten Up and Fly Right, Ramblin' Rose, Nat King Cole Trio sides
Eras in the quiz
1940s Nat King Cole Trio jazz, 1950s baritone standards, 1960s pop hits
Awards and firsts
'Mona Lisa' won a 1951 Oscar; the 1991 'Unforgettable' duet single won Record of the Year, and Natalie Cole's album took Album of the Year
Related artists
Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong
Quiz difficulty
Easy on the baritone standards, hard on the trio jazz and award-trivia rounds

Guess the Nat King Cole Song

'Unforgettable', 'L-O-V-E' and 'Mona Lisa' are the baritone standards players catch first.

  1. 01

    Unforgettable

  2. 02

    L-O-V-E

  3. 03

    Mona Lisa

  4. 04

    The Christmas Song

  5. 05

    Smile

  6. 06

    Nature Boy

  7. 07

    Route 66

  8. 08

    Straighten Up and Fly Right

Nat King Cole Trivia: Oscars and a Posthumous Duet

The Academy Award for 'Mona Lisa', the jazz trio roots, and the 1991 duet with his daughter.

  • 'Mona Lisa' won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1951 after featuring in the film 'Captain Carey, U.S.A.'.
  • In 1991 Natalie Cole turned her father's 1961 stereo re-recording of 'Unforgettable' into a posthumous duet; the single won the Grammy for Record of the Year, while her album 'Unforgettable... with Love' won Album of the Year. Two voices decades apart on one track make it a tricky guess the artist question.
  • Nat King Cole led the jazz Nat King Cole Trio and recorded '(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66' in 1946 before his pop stardom. A trio side like that is a good 1940s pick for a quiz on music by decade.
  • In 1956 he became the first Black man to host a national US television variety series, 'The Nat King Cole Show'.
  • 'The Christmas Song', which he first recorded in 1946, remains one of the most played holiday standards.

How Well Do You Know Nat King Cole

The baritone standards are quick points; the trio jazz and award rounds decide it.

The velvet-voice standards

'Unforgettable', 'Mona Lisa', 'L-O-V-E' and 'Smile' are the velvet-baritone hits players name first. These smooth standards are the easy points before the jazz sides show up.

The pianist behind the singer

He was a pianist before a crooner. The Nat King Cole Trio cut jazz sides like '(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66' in 1946, and those piano-led tracks are where casual fans get lost.

The songs that won awards

'Mona Lisa' won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1951, and 'Nature Boy' had already topped the chart in 1948. A round often asks which standard took which prize.

The posthumous duet and the family name

In 1991 his 1961 stereo re-recording of 'Unforgettable' was rebuilt as a duet with daughter Natalie Cole; the single won Grammys for Record and Song of the Year, while Natalie's album 'Unforgettable... with Love' took Album of the Year. He was also, in 1956, the first Black man to host a national US television variety series.

About Nat King Cole

A jazz pianist who became pop's smoothest voice. His 1961 re-recording of 'Unforgettable' anchored a 1991 posthumous duet with daughter Natalie Cole.
Before the voice, Nat King Cole was a jazz pianist, and a Nat King Cole quiz rewards ears that catch both. Those two sides also span the jazz and pop halves of a music genre quiz. Guess the Nat King Cole song from 'Unforgettable' and 'L-O-V-E' to 'Mona Lisa', 'Smile' and 'The Christmas Song', then test your trivia on the trio years and the standards that won awards. 'Mona Lisa' took an Oscar in 1951, 'Nature Boy' had topped the chart in 1948, and 'Unforgettable' came back in 1991 as a duet with his daughter Natalie Cole. See how well you know that velvet baritone. Then challenge your friends to a standards round.

Nat King Cole Quiz FAQ

How does the Nat King Cole quiz work?

You hear a clip of a Nat King Cole recording and name it, then answer trivia across his baritone standards, the jazz trio years, and the songs that won awards.

Which Nat King Cole songs are in the quiz?

Standards like 'Unforgettable', 'Mona Lisa' and 'L-O-V-E', plus earlier sides such as 'Nature Boy' and '(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66'.

Why is the Nat King Cole quiz tricky?

His jazz trio recordings sound very different from his later pop standards, so placing the trio years against the baritone hits is where points are won.

How did the 1991 'Unforgettable' duet happen?

Natalie Cole recorded her vocal over her late father's 1961 stereo re-recording, creating a posthumous duet. The single won the Grammy for Record of the Year, while her album 'Unforgettable... with Love' won Album of the Year.

Who was Nat King Cole?

Nat King Cole was an American jazz pianist and singer known for his smooth baritone. He lived from 1919 to 1965 and was the father of Natalie Cole.

Is the Nat King Cole quiz free?

Yes. The Nat King Cole quiz is free on Songtrivia, with no account and no Spotify required. You can also guess the song with friends in a multiplayer music quiz.

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.