Songs that single out another artist

[roadman65]

Everyone is quite familiar with the song Sweet Home Alabama and its being critical (to say the least) of Neil Young's Southernman.  We all know quite well about the controversial line " I heard Mr. Young sing about her, I heard ole Neal put her down, I hope Neil Young will remember that Southernman does not need him around anymore!"  With someone else starting another thread about same songs and song titles with the artist name as a title as well, I thought I would find songs that attack other musicians or have a blunt remark about them.

Songs that praise them such as Don McLean's American Pie do not count as those are tribute songs.  It does not have to be controversial just like Skynyrd's song either just anything other than tribute and have to be about a specific person in music other than non music people or even political people directly. Most of all the specific name must be mentioned!  Also if one knows a song that attacks an American President or anyone in office for something please do not post, as we do not need a flame war that we all love to get into here please.

[hotdogPi]

"Roll Over Beethoven" (recorded by several different groups).

[spooky]

A whole lot of rap songs.

[Alps]

First of all, Lynyrd Skynyrd had great respect for Neil Young. The lyric was not intended to be taken literally, and any misunderstanding was patched over within months.

There's one song several of us here are very familiar with that calls out another artist: "Ho" by "Ludacris." I'll add "Two Steps Back" from Saliva, calling out the Dixie Chicks.

[golden eagle]

Didn't Taylor Swift have a song or two that took subtle jabs at John Mayer?

[spooky]

Didn't Taylor Swift have a song or two that took subtle jabs at John Mayer?

There have been endless jilted lover songs; Taylor Swift's just happen to all involve famous singers or actors.

See also Ed Sheeran's "Don't".

[1995hoo]

"All the Young Dudes" (written by David Bowie, but the best-known performance is by Mott the Hoople) references the Beatles and the Rolling Stones: "And my brother's back at home with his Beatles and his Stones/We never got it off on that revolution stuff." The song also mentions T. Rex, though it's less of a swipe ("Television man is crazy saying we're juvenile delinquent wrecks./Oh man, I need TV, when I got T. Rex.").

[Brandon]

'Don't Call Us, We'll Call You" by Sugarloaf mentions John (Lennon), Paul (McCartney), and George (Harrison) with the lyric, "it sounds like John, Paul, and George."

[Grzrd]

just anything other than tribute and have to be about a specific person in music other than non music people or even political people directly. Most of all the specific name must be mentioned!

"Slow Turning" by John Hiatt references Stones drummer Charlie Watts:

Now I'm in my car
I got the radio on
I'm yellin' at the kids in the back seat
'Cause they're bangin' like Charlie Watts

[on_wisconsin]

Just thinking off hand...

Eminem "'Till I Collapse"

'Cause I'm at the end of my wits with half this shit that gets in.
I got a list here's the order of my list that it's in.
It goes Reggie, Jay-Z, Tupac and Biggie, Andre from OutKast, Jada, Kurupt, Nas and then me.
But in this industry I'm the cause of a lot of envy, so when I’m not put on this list the shit does not offend me.
That's why you see me walk around like nothing's bothering me.
Even though half you people got a fucking problem with me.
You hate it but you know respect you’ve got to give me
The press's wet dream like Bobby and Whitney. Nate hit me.

Meek Mill "Believe It"

I gotta a bad bitch in my Chevy
Sellin Miley Cyrus in my brand new Monte Carlo
I got that Justin Bieber please believe it

[kurumi]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFcv5Ma8u8k

Dre: "Who you think brought you the Oldies, Eazy-Es, Ice Cubes, and The D.O.C.s, the Snoop D-O-double-Gs, and the group that said 'Motherfuck the police'?"

M: "Wanna resolve things in a bloodier way? Then just study a tape of N.W.A"

Dre: "Rush is a very good band. Their music is very complex..."  oh wait, that was SLC Punk

On preview, this is technically not singling out. Mods can remove

[PHLBOS]

Creedance Clearwater Revival's Lookin' Out My Back Door makes reference to Country Music Singer, Buck Owens:

There's a giant doing cartwheels a statue wearin' high heels
Look at all the happy creatures dancing on the lawn
A dinosaur Victrola list'ning to Buck Owens

Doo doo doo lookin' out my back door

[spooky]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFcv5Ma8u8k

Dre: "Who you think brought you the O.G.'s, Eazy-Es, Ice Cubes, and The D.O.C.s, the Snoop D-O-double-Gs, and the group that said 'Motherfuck the police'?"

M: "Wanna resolve things in a bloodier way? Then just study a tape of N.W.A"

Dre: "Rush is a very good band. Their music is very complex..."  oh wait, that was SLC Punk

On preview, this is technically not singling out. Mods can remove

FTFY

[Grzrd]

just anything other than tribute

This is a close call as to whether it's a "tribute", but Barenaked Ladies' "Brian Wilson" references Beach Boy Wilson's battle with depression, the Beach Boys album "Smiley Smile", and the Beach Boys song "Fun, Fun, Fun":

So I'm lying here, just staring at the ceiling tiles.
and I'm thinking about what to think about.
Just listening and relistening to Smiley Smile,
and I'm wondering if this is some kind of creative drought
because I am

Lying in bed just like Brian Wilson did
Well I'm lying in bed just like Brian Wilson did.

And if you want to find me I'll be out in the sandbox,
wondering where the hell all the love has gone.
Playing my guitar and building castles in the sun,
and singing "Fun, Fun, Fun."

[roadman65]

First of all, Lynyrd Skynyrd had great respect for Neil Young. The lyric was not intended to be taken literally, and any misunderstanding was patched over within months.

There's one song several of us here are very familiar with that calls out another artist: "Ho" by "Ludacris." I'll add "Two Steps Back" from Saliva, calling out the Dixie Chicks.

Yes the Skynyrd Live album did clarify that as Ronnie Van Zandt did make a statement in the live version " There's good people in Alabama, and Mr. Young knows that."

I guess the words single out was a bit harsh to describe my meaning of songs that mention other artists other than tributes.

[Pete from Boston]

How about the Timex Social Club hit "Rumors"?

Hear the one about Tina, some say she's much too loose
That came straight from a guy who claims he's tastin' her juice
Hear the one about Michael, some say he must be gay
I try to argue, but they said if he was straight he wouldn't move that way

And there's "Roxanne's Revenge," the answer song to "Roxanne Roxanne":

So, then, after that came the Educated Rapper
His fingers started snappin', and my hands start to clappin'
Every time-a that I see him, everything he say
A-every time he says, he says it dumber this way:
He said-a, "Yeah, you know your mother's name is Mary,"
But all he want to do is just-a bust a cherry

The Educated Rapper was in UTFO, the group that put out "Roxanne Roxanne."


And finally (for now), there's Roger Waters's um, jab at Andrew Lloyd Weber, who he believed stole some material from Pink Floyd, in "It's a Miracle":

We cower in our shelters
With our hands over our ears
Lloyd-Webber's awful stuff runs for years
And years and years and years and years

An earthquake hits the theater
But the operetta lingers
Then the piano lid comes down
Breaks his fucking fingers
It's a miracle

[Pete from Boston]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFcv5Ma8u8k

Dre: "Who you think brought you the Oldies, Eazy-Es, Ice Cubes, and The D.O.C.s, the Snoop D-O-double-Gs, and the group that said 'Motherfuck the police'?"

M: "Wanna resolve things in a bloodier way? Then just study a tape of N.W.A"

Dre: "Rush is a very good band. Their music is very complex..."  oh wait, that was SLC Punk

On preview, this is technically not singling out. Mods can remove

"Forgot About Dre" was pretty much calling out the whole rap industry collectively, so while it wasn't specific, it kind of fits.

[PHLBOS]

A reference to Frank Zappa is made early on in Deep Purple's Smoke On the Water.

[hbelkins]

Chicago's "Scrapbook" on the Chicago X album, which is a short autobiographical tune about the band, references Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention, and the Beach Boys.

Cheap Trick's "Surrender" mentions Kiss.

And then there's this:

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Does it have to specifically mention the name? John Lennon's "How Do You Sleep?" is a very obvious attack on McCartney, but never mentions Paul by name.

[kurumi]

Dre: "Who you think brought you the O.G.'s, ...

FTFY

* blinks *
Thanks. Should have proofread my own Ctrl-V 

[Duke87]

From "Fire Water Burn" by The Bloodhound Gang:

This hardcore ghetto gangsta image takes a lot of practice
I'm not black like Barry White, no I am white like Frank Black is

[Dr Frankenstein]

Limp Bizkit parodies and mentions Nine Inch Nails in "Hot Dog" (NSFW). Fred Durst says it's affectionate, Trent Reznor says it's an insult.

[Pete from Boston]

Does "Money for Nothing" count even though Boy George is not mentioned by name?

[roadman65]

Does "Money for Nothing" count even though Boy George is not mentioned by name?

I thought it was George Michael it was talking about.  I guess it could count being the video featured it.  Back then songs were made because the video of the song would aide in the lyrics.