Songs that name other bands/artists

The Rock'n'Roll Era starts off with Chuck Berry mentioning previous composers Beethoven and Tchaikovsky in "Roll Over Beethoven."

There are many pop songs mentioning contemporary artists who had died before the song was written:

Rock And Roll Heaven is a tribute to many.

The NIghshift is a tribute to Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson.

And of course there are lots and lots of indirect references in "American Pie."

I suspect there are many more.

"Just like Ronnie sang...."
Take Me Home Tonight -- Eddie Money

Lord knows how many are in Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire"

"Garden Party" - Ricky Nelson has a collection of names in it.

"Don't Rock the Jukebox" -- Alan Jackson (George Jones, Rolling Stones)

Makes me wonder what band/artist is mentioned in the most songs.

Leonard Cohen's "Tower of Song" has Hank Williams in it, as does "The Car Hank Died in", Austin Lounge Lizards. Got into a discussion the other night about how many songs are about Hank Williams.

Funny the Way It Is from the new dave matthews band album has a lyric: "That War song was playing, Why Can't We Be Friends".

Sir Duke by Stevie Wonder: "For there's Basie, Miller, Sachmo
And the king of all Sir Duke
And with a voice like Ella's ringing out
There's no way the band can lose"
That's five for one!

And "I'm on my way" by the Proclaimers: "I'd have Al Jolson sing I'm sitting on top of the world"

Tori Amos mentions Nine Inch Nails in Precious Things, and in Caught a Light Sneeze, she mentions Pretty Hate Machine, a NIN cd.

Steel Panther - Death To All But Metal.

They're mostly negative mentions. Funny, though.

(They're a parody band, don't take 'em seriously. )

Ooh, Sum41 - Fat Lip mentions "Meat (loaf) and (Judas) Priest".

Red Hot Chile Peppers' cover of 'Higher Ground' mentions Stevie, as it should

Hootie and the Blowfish give a nod to a friend's band 'Dylan Fence' by talking about Dylan on on a fence. I always think that line must make little sense to most people.

Kid Rock - American Badass mentions Johnny Cash, Grandmaster Flash, The Stones and a bunch of others.

John Mellencamp in "Ain't Even Done With the Night"

"... and Sam Cooke playin' on the radio."

Sugarloaf's "Don't Call Us"

"... sounds like John, Paul, and George."

Oh! "Secret Wars Part One" by The Last Emperor names a ton of rappers (as they face off against the Marvel superheroes/villains in epic battle )

Nirvana mention Leonard Cohen in Pennyroyal Tea.

Creeque Alley by the Mamas and the Papas references the Byrds, the Lovin' Spoonful and others.

I Dig Rock and Roll Music by Peter Paul and Mary references the Mamas and the Papas, Donovan and the Beatles.

Bob Dylan mentions Alicia Keys in his recent song 'Thunder on the Mountain'

I was thinkin bout Alicia Keys,
couldn't keep from cryin,
when she was born in Hell's Kitchen,
I was living down the line,
I wonder where in the world Alicia Keys could be

robeiae said:

Charlie Daniels in The South's Gonna Do It Again:

Skynyrd, Dickie Betts, Willie Nelson, ZZ Top, Elvin Bishop, a couple more I think.

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Marshall Tucker Band ('the Tucker boys are cookin' down in Caroline' - best of the Southern rock bands, IMHO), Barefoot Jerry

Rings - Cymarron's version mentions James Taylor, Lobo's mentions the Allman Brothers in the same place

Dylan mentions Neil Young, in Highlands

Well I'm listening to Neil Young, I gotta turn up the sound
Someone's always yelling turn it down
Feel like I'm drifting
Drifting from scene to scene
Now I'm wondering what in the devil could it all possibly mean?

Wolfie Mozart gets a mention in Neil Diamond's Done Too Soon, as does the original rock & roll impressario, Alan Freed.

Priene said:

I'd Rather Jack (Than Fleetwood Mac)

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Good God, Priene. Trust you to lower the tone.

When Smokey Sings, re Smokey Robinson, by ABC

Life is a Rock (but the radio rolled me) by Reunion. It names EVERYBODY.

Shadow_Ferret said:

Life is a Rock (but the radio rolled me) by Reunion. It names EVERYBODY.

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Yes, it does. This is one of my favorite songs ever.



ETA: This is the grand-daddy of all songs that name other songs/singers.

In fact, here is a list of names in the song>

B. Bumble and the Stingers
Mott the Hoople
Ray Charles Singers
Lonnie Mack
Twangin' Eddy
"Take It Easy"
"Liar, Liar"
"The Loco-Motion"
Poco
Deep Purple
"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"
Sam Cooke
Lesley Gore
Ritchie Valens
End of Story (band)
Mahavishnu Orchestra
Fuji (guitars)
Yamaha
Kama Sutra
"Rama Lama Ding Dong"
Richard Perry
Phil Spector
Jeff Barry
Righteous Brothers
The Archies
Harry Nilsson
"Shimmy, Shimmy, Ko Ko Bop"
Fats Is Back
"Finger Poppin' Time"
Brenda & the Tabulations
Carly Simon
Rolling Stone Magazine
Johnny Cash
Johnny Rivers
Mungo Jerry
Peter, Paul and Mary
Dr. John
Doris Day
Jack the Ripper
Leon Russell
"Gimme Shelter"
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
Slide guitar
Fender bass
Bonnie Bramlett
Wilson Pickett
Arthur Janov
Screamin' Jay Hawkins
Dale Hawkins
Ronnie Hawkins
Kukla, Fran and Ollie
Norman, Oklahoma
John Denver
Donny Osmond
J. J. Cale
ZZ Top
L.L. Bean
"Dede Dinah"
David Bowie
Steely Dan
"CC Rider"
Edgar Winter
Joanie Sommers
Ides of March
Johnny Thunders
Eric Clapton
Wah-wah pedal
Stephen Foster
"Camptown Races"
"Good Vibrations"
"Help Me Rhonda"
"Surfer Girl"
"Little Honda"
"Tighter Tighter"
"Honey, Honey"
"Sugar, Sugar"
"Yummy Yummy Yummy"
CBS
Warner Bros. Records
RCA
"Remember (Walking in the Sand)"
Alan Freed
Murray the K
Fish (dance)
The Swim (dance)
"The Boston Monkey"
Freddie King
Albert King
B. B. King
Felix Pappalardi
Randy Newman
Anni-Frid Lyngstad
Aretha
Tito Puente
Boffalongo
Cuba
War
California
Beatlemania
New York City
Transylvania
S&G
Bobby Vee
SRO
Conway Twitty
"Do Wah Diddy Diddy"
Performed as medley or spoken over the fade-out:

"Baby I Need Your Loving"
"Uptight (Everything's Alright)"
"Celebrate"
"I Want to Take You Higher"

There's a Grateful Dead mention from way back when: The title song for the Broadway musical Hair has the line "It's not for lack of bread like the Grateful Dead"