How much do you know about the Grateful Dead? Take this quiz to find out
When the Grateful Dead started back in 1965 as the Warlocks, they were just another Bay Area band riding the wave of the psychedelic scene. But 60 years later, their legacy is still going strong. They survived lineup changes, decades of relentless touring, and the devastating loss of Jerry Garcia. Their music and the community it fostered live on through projects like Dead & Company and Bob Weir’s Wolf Bros, and an endless stream of archival releases that keep old shows alive for new ears. Along the way, the Dead have attracted one of the most devoted fan bases in music history, from tie-dye-clad veterans to fresh converts introduced to their music by John Mayer. To find out how deep your Dead knowledge goes, take our definitive Grateful Dead quiz.
Zero to 30 percent correct: Hey now, there’s no shame in being a newbie. We recommend you start listening to American Beauty and Workingman’s Dead. After that, let Europe ’72 and Live/Dead show you why people followed this band for years. When you’re ready to dip your toe in the deep end, check out Cornell 5/8/77, which many call the band’s greatest live performance. The Dead’s history is a long, strange trip, so take it slow and soak it in.
31 to 60 percent correct: Not bad at all. You’ve clearly spent some time listening to the records and maybe even know what a “Scarlet/Fire” is. You’re just a few live shows and a YouTube rabbit hole away from expert status. To dig deeper, check out Rolling Stone senior writer David Browne’s So Many Roads, watch the 2017 Amazon documentary Long Strange Trip, and read the Rolling Stone interviews with Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir.
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61 to 100 percent correct: Congratulations! Even if you weren’t there at the Fillmore East shows in 1970, you are a real Deadhead. You know “Drums/Space” is not the time to go to the bathroom, the difference between Dick’s Picks and Dave’s Picks, and your Brent from your Keith. Celebrate your knowledge by attempting to find a show you haven’t heard on archive.org.
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