Singers Who Name-Check Other Singers in Their Songs

Blood from a Clone by George Harrison:

They say they like it, now,
but in the market it may not go well, as it's too laid back.
You need some oomph-papa,
nothing like Frank Zappa

 

The Dream Academy mentions both Sinatra and the Beatles in Life in a Northern Town.
Also, if I recall, Newmman mentions the Beach Boys in his I Love LA

 

Cracker - "Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now)" mentions Frank Sinatra



What the world needs now is another folk singer
Like I need a hole in my head
What the world needs now
What the world needs now is a new Frank Sinatra
So I can get you in bed

 

The Tubes "What Do You Want From Life" mentions Bob Dylan and Paul Williams.

Well, you can't have that, but if you're an American citizen you are entitled to:
a heated kidney shaped pool,
a microwave oven--don't watch the food cook,
a Dyna-Gym--I'll personally demonstrate it in the privacy of your own home,
a king-size Titanic unsinkable Molly Brown waterbed with polybendum,
a foolproof plan and an airtight alibi,
real simulated Indian jewelry,
a Gucci shoetree,
a year's supply of antibiotics,
a personally autographed picture of Randy Mantooth
and Bob Dylan's new unlisted phone number,
a beautifully restored 3rd Reich swizzle stick,
Rosemary's baby,
a dream date in kneepads with Paul Williams,
a new Matador, a new mastodon,
a Maverick, a Mustang, a Montego,
a Merc Montclair, a Mark IV, a meteor,
a Mercedes, an MG, or a Malibu,
a Mort Moriarty, a Maserati, a Mac truck,
a Mazda, a new Monza, or a moped,
a Winnebago--Hell, a herd of Winnebago's we're giving 'em away,
or how about a McCulloch chainsaw,
a Las Vegas wedding,
a Mexican divorce,
a solid gold Kama Sutra coffee pot,
or a baby's arm holding an apple?

 

Paul McCartney and Etta James in Bob Welch's (Fleetwood Mac's) Silver Heels

 

May be most references of different artists in one song one can find in Jane Birkin's "Ex-fan de sixties":

Ex-fan des sixties

petite Baby Doll

comme tu dansais bien le Rock ´n ´Roll

ex-fan des sixties

où sont tes années folles

que sont devenues toutes tes idoles -

où est l´ombre des Shadows

des Byrds, des Doors

des Animals

des Moody Blues

séparés McCartney

Georges Harrison

et Ringo Starr

et John Lennon

ex-fan des sixties

petite Baby Doll

comme tu dansais bien le Rock ´n ´Roll

ex-fan des sixties

où sont tes années folles

que sont devenues toutes tes idoles -

Disparus Brian Jones

Jim Morrison

Eddy Cochran

Buddy Holly

idem Jimi Hendrix

Otis Redding

Janis Joplin

T.Rex

Elvis

 

Hard Day on the Planet by Loudon Wainwright III...

Everyone has a system, but they can't seem to win
Even Bob Geldof looks alarmingly thin

 

He needs some cool tunes
Not just any will suffice.
But they didn't have Ice Cube
So he bought Vanilla Ice.

The Offspring - "Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)"

 

Randy Newman's "I Love L.A." mentions the Beach Boys:

Roll down the window, put down the top
Crank up the Beach Boys, baby
Don't let the music stop
We're gonna ride it till we just can't ride it no more

The Police's "When the World is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around" name checks James Brown:

Turn on my VCR
Same one I've had for years
James Brown on the T. A. M. I. Show
Same tape I've had for years

Billy Joel's "All You Wanna Do is Dance" has a reference to the Beatles:

Oh baby, you don't get turned on by the radio
Oh baby, you got nothing to play on your stereo
"Why don't the Beatles get back together?"
"Why don't nobody sing of romance?"
Oh baby, all you wanna do is dance

 

I'm going to say number one for most other artists references is Life is A Rock - Reunion

 

"We passed the hash pipe, and played our Doors tapes"

Billy Joel - "Goodnight Saigon"

 

Dead or Alive-Baby Don't Say Goodbye
'I hear a Four Tops record on the radio...'

 

"Do You Remember"-Beach Boys on the All Summer Long lp.

 

Men Without Hats-Moonbeam
'And Everything Was Lou Reed'

 

And One-Tonight
'Please Bring Back My Cd Collection of Depeche Mode'

 

What? No mention of the mighty Teen Anthems?? I thought their's was a sentiment everybody on this board would share

"I hate The Beatles, and I hate The Who
I hate The Kinks, The Small Faces too
I hate Oasis and I really hate Cast
I loathe those bands, they're stuck in the past."

 

Stars - Soft Revolution mentions The Velvet Underground.

 

Donovan in Tripping by The Pretty Things.

"The records you make, Mr. D., are strange,
Some folk even find 'em confusin',
They say it's the sunshine that lights you up,
Could it be the methedrine you're usin'?

Are you tripping, Mr. D.?
Well, I won't ask you more than twice,
Are you tripping, Don?
Whatever it is is nice."

 

Blue Oyster Cult-In Thee

"Jim says some destinies should not be delivered"

Refers to Jim Carroll and one of his song lyrics

 

Spyder Turner, Stand By Me:



Namechecked and (mostly) imitated in order: Jackie Wilson, James Brown, Eddie Kendrick, Temptations, Melvin Franklin, David Ruffin, Billy Stewart, Sam Cooke, Smokey Robinson, Miracles, Chuck Jackson

 

"Scott Walker's fault" The Minus 5
"Michael Nesmith" The Minus 5
"R.E.M." Drivin' n' Cryin'
"Making love to Bob Dylan" John Wesley Harding
"Amy Grant" Young Fresh Fellows

 

The Clash 1977

in 1977
you're on the never never
you think it can't go on forever
but the papers say it's better
i don't care 'cos i'm not all there
no elvis, beatles or the rolling stones

 

Benny Goodman is mentioned in "Hejira" by Joni Mitchell.

Listen
Strains of Benny Goodman
Coming through the snow and the pinewood trees

 

Pavement - "Stereo":
What about the voice of Geddy Lee?
How did it get so high?
I wonder if he speaks like an ordinary guy.
(I know him and he does)
Well, you're my fact-checking cuz

 

Todd Snider's "Vinyl Records" is basically a roll call: