How much Phil Collins trivia do you know? Let’s find out!
On Nov. 14, 2026, a tremendous injustice will finally be rectified when Phil Collins is inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist. When you consider his achievements outside of Genesis in the 1980s and 1990s, it’s absolutely wild that it took this long. He created the sonic palette for the Reagan decade with “In the Air Tonight,” and then landed hit after hit after hit, while somehow keeping busy with Genesis, and working with his buddies, including Eric Clapton and Robert Plant. Collins’ output slowed down tremendously after the turn of the millennium due to chronic health problems and painful setbacks in his personal life, but he still packed arenas and stadiums worldwide whenever he toured. As we await his big moment at the hall of fame — and continue to hold out hope that he’ll change his mind and perform that night — we’ve put together a quiz for true Phil Collins die-hards.
Zero to 30% correct: You might have a groovy kind of love for Phil Collins, but you still need to buckle down and do some homework. Start with his surprisingly candid 2016 memoir, Not Dead Yet, and then take a deep dive into the official 2007 Genesis band memoir, Genesis: Chapter and Verse. That should give a very firm foundation of Collins knowledge.
31 to 60% correct: Nice work. You were either paying very close attention back in the 1980s, or you’ve gone back and done your research. To dig a bit further, we recommend you put aside the big hits and focus on proggy Genesis albums like Wind and Wuthering and A Trick of the Tail that are often overlooked by pop-era fans. After that, turn your attention to the compilation album Plays Well With Others. It cobbles together all of the work Collins has done as a producer and drummer for hire with artists like Brian Eno, Robert Plant, Eric Clapton, and many others.
61 to 100% correct: Sussuperb. You are a certified Phil Collins expert. Your challenge now is to dive into the discographies of Brand X and Flaming Youth, listen to half-forgotten Genesis B sides like “On the Shoreline” and “Twilight Alehouse,” and read through the back issues of the defunct online Genesis mailing list Paperlate. (And you surely know that “Paperlate” is a reference to both an obscure 1982 Genesis song of the same name, and a line from the 1973 Gabriel-era tune “Dancing With the Moonlight Knight.” We don’t have to tell you such things.)
