Going to a holiday party? Trying playing this game where one has to name a band or artist within each letter of the alphabet. For bands that have numbers associated with their names, the option of making a numbers category can be put in place or use the first letter of the number when spelled out.

Ready.

Here’s how it works. Get about six people, five contestants, and one judge who can validate answers. The premise is simple. Devise a fair method of what the order will be, and then start from the letter “A.” The first person will try to name a band or artist that begins with the letter. To move on to the next letter, all contestants have to name a band or artist from the previous leter. Use first names for bands and last name for artists. An example would be Crosby, Stills and Nash and Jackson Browne. CS&N, as it can be referred to, would fall under the letter “C” and Jackson Browne would fall under the letter “B.”

The contestants can’t look at any aids (smartphones) or receive any aid (other people giving the answer) with their answers. The judge should have access to a smart phone to validate answers. The judge may have to refer to more than one search engine because said band or artist may not show up in one and not the other search engine. Also there is a minute time limit for answers, or the game would never end.

Set.

The rules can be modified, so if someone misses three times, then he is removed from the game. The miss rule can be set to any amount, but that must be discussed when starting the game. The group starts with “A” and each gamer has to name a band or artist with the letter “A.” If all name a group or artist with the “A” then the group moves on to letter “B.” With more people the game can get difficult because with some letters, there are only a finite number of bands or artists.

The winner is the person who has the fewest misses and has gotten through the most letters. There are a lot of bands and artists, so the trick is to remember as many as can be remembered before the game starts.

It’s fun, but it can be a bit nerve-wracking because when it comes your turn, for the specific letter the band falls under, you draw a blank, and someone else steals the name from you, and you miss.

Variations of the game also can be played. There can be strictly heavy metal, jazz, gospel, country or a variation of having music from a certain decade.

I have provided some bands or artists for every letter and the number category. You can verify the names by searching them on the Internet

Go.

A

ABBA, America, American Breed, A-Ha, AC/DC.

B

Bread, Bobby Brown, Beatles, B52s, Beyonce, Jackson Browne, Beau Brummels, Bon Jovi.

C

CS&N, The Call, The Cars.

D

Duran Duran, John Denver, Destiny’s Child

E

Eagles, Everything But The Girl, Escape Club

F

Flying Burrito Brothers, Fergie, Firefall, Fleetwood Mac, The Firm, The Fixx

G

Gin Blossoms, Genesis, The Go Gos

H

Hall & Oates, Heart, Hanson, Human League, Humble Pie

I

Icicle Works, The Ides of March, Imagine Dragons, INXS, Iron Maiden

J

Michael Jackson, The Jackson 5, The Jacksons, Janet Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Joe Jackson, The Jam, Jagged Edge, The James Gang, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane

K

Kiss, Kajagoogoo, The Kinks, Kansas, Katrina & The Waves, Kings of Leon, King Crimson, The Knack, Krokus

L

Led Zeppelin, Patti Labelle, Labell, Level 42, Limahl, Live, Living Colour, Lobo, Londonbeat, Loverboy, Lynyrd Skynyrd

M

Monkees, Madonna, The Mamas & The Papas, Madness, Maroon 5, Meat Loaf, Metallica, Men at Work, Michael Murphy, Milli Vanilli, Missing Persons, Moby, Molly Hatchet, Moody Blues

N

Naked Eyes, Nazareth, New Order, Niacin, Nickelback, Nirvanna, No Doubt

O

The O’Jays, The Offspring, Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark (OMD), The Osmonds, The Outfield, Outlaws, OutKast, Ozzy Osbourne

P

P.M. Dawn, Pink Floyd, Pablo Cruise, Parliament, Partridge Family, Pearl Jam, Pet Shop Boys, Poco, Player, The Police, Prince

Q

Queen, Quarterflash, Queensryche

R

R.E.M., Radiohead, Rainbow, Ratt, Rare Earth, The Raspberries, Red Hot Chili Peppers, REO Speedwagon, The Rolling Stones, Roxy Music, Rush

S

Rod Stewart, Ring Starr, Sade, S.O.S. Band Saga, Sal-N-Pepa, Sting, Scorpions, Scandal, Soft Cell, Smashing Pumpkins, Sons of Apollo, Squeeze, Steely Dan

T

Talk Talk, Talking Heads, Tears For Fears, The Tempations, Three Dog Night, Thin Lizzy, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Toto, Triumph

U

U2, Ultravox, UB40, Usher, Uriah Heap

V

Van Halen, The Vapors, The Velvelettes, Violent Femmes,

W

Warrant, Wang Chung, Wallflowers, We Five, Weather Report, Weezer, Wham!, The Who, Whitesnake, White Lion, Wild Cherry, Winger, Wilson Phillips,

X

XTC, XYZ

Y

Yes, The Yardbirds, The Youngbloods, Yaz

Z

Warren Zevon, The Zombies, ZZ Top,

NUMBERS

.38 Special, 10,000 Maniacs, 10 CC, The 5 th Dimension

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