Number-titled acts are back on the charts this year. Arena tours launch. Vegas residencies sell out. Seems like the perfect time to see how well you really know these digits. We strip the number out—you drop it back in.
How it works: four choices, only one sounds right on a ticket, poster, or playlist tile. Go with whatever feels like the name you’d yell at a merch table.
[C] 2 | Tupac Shakur compressed his name into threatening numeral. His posthumous releases outnumber albums made while breathing among us.
2/26
Sum _____?
[A] 41 | Canadian pop-punk band Sum 41 picked their name on the forty-first day of summer break, turning 41 into shorthand for bored teens and skate-punk energy.
3/26
Level _____?
[B] Forty-Two | English jazz-funk group Level 42 took the 42 from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy's tongue-in-cheek answer to life, the universe and everything, then added "Level" to flesh it out.
4/26
_____ Maniacs?
[C] 10,000 | Title borrowed from campy horror film "Two Thousand Maniacs!" Natalie Merchant's voice carried their folk-rock through MTV's alternative revolution.
5/26
_____ Seconds to Mars?
[D] 30 | Jared Leto's band referenced astronomical measurement concept. Their evolution from emo to arena rock paralleled his Hollywood ascent.
6/26
_____ Non Blondes?
[B] 4 | San Francisco band's sole album spawned ubiquitous "What's Up?" Linda Perry later wrote hits for Pink and Christina Aguilera.
7/26
Maroon _____?
[B] 5 | Former Kara's Flowers regrouped as five-piece with funk influences. Adam Levine's falsetto became inescapable on pop radio throughout the 2000s.
8/26
_____ Cent?
[C] 50 | Curtis Jackson adopted dead Brooklyn stick-up kid's nickname. His bulletproof persona and Dr. Dre beats conquered hip-hop's mainstream moment.
9/26
The _____?
[C] 1975 | The 1975 are an English pop-rock band whose name came from a page of scribbles dated "1 June, The 1975" that singer Matty Healy found in a second-hand Jack Kerouac book.
10/26
_____ Dimension?
[A] 5th | Psychedelic soul group reached higher consciousness through harmony. Their "Aquarius" medley defined hippie era's musical optimism and astrology obsession.
11/26
Boyz _____ Men?
[B] II | Philadelphia quartet honored doo-wop traditions with Roman numerals. Their endless ballads soundtrack every '90s prom slow dance forever.
12/26
SR-__?
[C] 71 | Baltimore rock band SR-71 named themselves after the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance aircraft, banking on its reputation for impossible speed and sleek stealth technology.
13/26
UB__?
[D] 40 | British unemployment benefit form became reggae band's identity. Their Neil Diamond cover "Red Red Wine" fermented into worldwide hit.
14/26
_____ Direction?
[A] One | One Direction were an English–Irish boy band formed on The X Factor, with singer Harry Styles suggesting the name to imply five solo hopefuls suddenly moving together in one direction.
15/26
Blink _____?
[A] 182 | California punk trio added digits after Irish band Blink threatened legal action. Tom DeLonge claims it's how many times "fuck" appears in Scarface.
[C] Third | Mystical inner vision inspired San Francisco band's moniker. "Semi-Charmed Life" hid dark crystal meth references behind bouncy pop hooks.
18/26
U__?
[B] 2 | Irish quartet's cryptic name suggests both surveillance aircraft and personal connection. Bono's wraparound shades became as iconic as their stadium anthems.
19/26
Ben Folds _____?
[B] Five | Ironic name for trio without guitars or five members. Their piano-driven power pop proved geek rock could chart nationally.
20/26
B-__'s?
[A] 52 | Athens party band named after bouffant hairdos. Kate Pierson's beehive matched the bomber plane's distinctive nose cone shape perfectly.
21/26
Matchbox _____?
[D] 20 | Paul Doucette's softball jersey inspired the digits. Rob Thomas later launched solo career while maintaining the band's adult-contemporary dominance.
22/26
_____ Inch Nails?
[D] Nine | Trent Reznor's industrial project referenced crucifixion nails. The name's harsh visual matched the music's abrasive electronic assault perfectly.
23/26
_____ for Fighting?
[B] Five | Solo artist John Ondrasik borrowed hockey penalty terminology. "Superman" became post-9/11 healing anthem despite being written earlier.
24/26
The Dave Clark _____?
[C] 5 | London beat group challenged Beatles' chart supremacy. Dave Clark's business savvy kept their catalog valuable decades after disbanding.
25/26
_____ Degrees?
[A] 98 | Cincinnati boy band's name meant body temperature passion. Nick Lachey's marriage to Jessica Simpson briefly eclipsed their harmonies' popularity.
26/26
_____ Special?
[A] 38 | Named after snub-nosed revolver caliber. Southern rockers from Jacksonville delivered arena-ready hooks throughout Reagan-era rock radio.