Probably the most famous is "Sweet Home Alabama" with its Neil Young reference.
Others:
"Surrender" by Cheap Trick, mentions Kiss.
"Take It Like A Man" by Bachman-Turner Overdrive, mentions ZZ Top.
"Scrapbook" by Chicago, mentions Jimi Hendrix and the Beach Boys.
"Gator Country" by Molly Hatchet, mentions a bunch of other Southern rock artists.
Country singer Eric Church has a song called "Springsteen."
"All the Young Dudes" (best-known version is by Mott the Hoople, though David Bowie wrote it) refers to the Beatles and the Stones.
Weird Al's parody of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" repeatedly refers to Nirvana, including, of course, in the title ("Smells Like Nirvana").
Quote from: hbelkins on August 10, 2021, 11:54:23 AM
Probably the most famous is "Sweet Home Alabama" with its Neil Young reference.
For those unaware:
Quote from: Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet Home Alabama
Well I heard Mister Young sing about her
Well I heard ol' Neil put her down
Well I hope Neil Young will remember
A southern man don't need him around anyhow
Literally every third rap song.
A number of country songs.
Garth Brooks' "Much Too Young" mentions "A worn out tape of Chris LeDoux" , for example.
Many tributes to artists like Hank Williams, George Jones, Johnny Cash, and Merle Haggard.
w/r/t Sweet Home Alabama:
Back in high school, I made a a lot of mix tapes (remember those?). I aimed to have a wide variety of music on each tape, and I based my song selections on style, length, and frankly my mood at the time. On one such mix tape, I recorded Alabama by Neil Young. Then I set about the task of deciding what song to put next. Without even considering lyrics or song title, I eventually decided on Sweet Home Alabama as the next song. It wasn't until later that I realized how apropos that happy little accident was.
Led Zeppelin and Hats off to Harper referring to Roy Harper.
Then Who Do You Love by George Thorogood indirectly refers to Bo Diddly.
R O C K in the USA (John Mellencamp) name checks numerous artists
as does Sweet Soul Music (Arthur Conley)
and Sir Duke (Stevie Wonder)
Who Are You (Who) mentions T-Rex
God (John Lennon) mentions Elvis, The Beatles and Robert Zimmerman
Club at the End of the Street (Elton John) mentions Marvin Gaye, as does Rock Witcha (Bobby Brown)
Long May You Run (Neil Young) mentions Elvis and the Beach Boys
That Don't Impress Me Much (Shania Twain) mentions Elvis
Paul McCartney did a song called Picasso's Last Words (Drink to Me)
Hey 19 (Steely Dan) mentions Aretha Franklin
Weird Al Yankovic had a song called Still Billy Joel to Me that he didn't put out because Billy Joel objected
We Didn't Start the Fire (Billy Joel) mentions at least the Beatles
ELO have an unreleased track called "Beatles Forever." You can probably find a bootleg online (whether it's authentic, who knows).
"The Real Slim Shady" (Eminem) mentions Tom Green, Will Smith, Britney, Christina Aguilera, Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit), and references several other artists of that era without naming them
Quote from: Mapmikey on August 10, 2021, 12:34:32 PM
Weird Al Yankovic had a song called Still Billy Joel to Me that he didn't put out because Billy Joel objected
"Weird Al"'s song "Word Crimes":
You should never
Write words using numbers
Unless you're seven
Or your name is Prince
He also had two songs "The Brady Bunch" and "Couch Potato" that rattle of large numbers of TV shows/stars.
"Thunder Road" ("Roy Orbison singing for the lonely" )
The Monkees' "Randy Scouse Git" plainly refers to the Beatles ("The four kings of EMI are sitting stately on the floor" ).
Quote from: cabiness42 on August 10, 2021, 12:57:57 PM
"Weird Al"'s song "Word Crimes":
You should never
Write words using numbers
Unless you're seven
Or your name is Prince
Love the song. Didn't remember that part. Thanks for prompting me to watch the YouTube again. :D
Steely Dan "Everything You Did" : "Turn up the Eagles, the neighbors are listening."
Quote from: John Michael Montgomery – Little Devil
I got a batch of margaritas, a jacuzzi in the back,
Clapton on the radio, how about that?
We could build a fire, yeah, we could go nuts,
Dancing all around till the sun comes up.
Mojo Nixon - Don Henley Must Die mentions Don Henley and Sting
Steely Dan - Gold Teeth mentions Cathy Berberian
Sabaton - Metal Crüe is basically a list of other artists: Iron Maiden, Rush, Queen, Slayer, etc.
"The Late Great Johnny Ace" by Paul Simon mentions The Beatles, The (Rolling) Stones, John Lennon and of course Johnny Ace.
ABC When Smokey Sings a tribute to Smokey Robinson.
The song mentions Marvin (Marvin Gaye), Luther (Luther Vandross) and others.
"The Indifference of Heaven" by Warren Zevon
"Billy (Joel) and Christy (Brinkley) don't
Bruce (Springsteen) and Patty (Scialfa) don't."
Kris Kristofferson, Rita Coolidge and Martin Mull, in Lonesome L.A. Cowboy by NRPS.
Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)
Many artists.
"Jokerman" by Bob Dylan
"Michelangelo indeed could've carved out your features."
Unless we are not talking about those kinds of artists.
"Waiting for You" by Jackson Browne
"I don't care about Madonna, or the next thing she might do."
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on August 10, 2021, 01:39:33 PM
Steely Dan "Everything You Did" : "Turn up the Eagles, the neighbors are listening."
And then the Eagles made a reference to Steely Dan in "Hotel California" .
"They stab it with their steely knives, but they just can't kill the beast" .
"The Seeker" by the Who - mentions Bob Dylan and the Beatles.
The 1967 autobiographical Creeque Alley by the Mamas and Papas, mentions Roger McGuinn and Barry McGuire ("still gettin' higher") in the chorus. They also mention John Sebastian and Zal Yanovsky of the Lovin' Spoonful, plus themselves, in the lyrics.
Quote from: KCRoadFan on August 10, 2021, 07:27:51 PM
"The Seeker" by the Who - mentions Bob Dylan and the Beatles.
Not a musician, but "I asked Timothy Leary, but he couldn't help me, either." Leary is also the subject of the Moody Blues'
Legend of a Mind.
Quote from: kurumi on August 10, 2021, 01:56:30 PM
Mojo Nixon - Don Henley Must Die mentions Don Henley and Sting
Mojo Nixon is also responsible for "Debbie Gibson is Pregnant with my Two Headed Love Child" and "Elvis is Everywhere" (the Debbie Gibson song also mentions Tiffany)
I believe "Don Henley Must Die" also mentions Henley's bandmate Glenn Frey. "Don Henley Must Die ... Don't let him get together with Glenn Frey"
Billy Joel is mentioned in Deja Vu by Olivia Rodrigo.
The Commodores song Nightshift mentions Marvin Gaye.
Hey Hey My My by Neil Young mentions " The King." Of course it's Elvis.
"Tim McGraw" Tayor Swift
"Marvin Gaye" Charlie Puth /Megan Trainor
"Good Time" - Owl City - Lyrics: "What's up with the Prince song inside my head?"
From the nearly completely obscure files:
The Animals, on the album Animalism, covered "Shake" by the great Sam Cooke.
Eric Burdon works in a mention of Sam and also Otis Redding, who had previously covered the song.
Pure Prairie League in the song "You're Between Me" refs McKendree Spring.
There's a few references to other artists on Tom Waits' Nighthawks at the Diner.
In "Nighthawk Postcards (From Easy Street)" there is a mention of Chuck E. Weiss and also George Perkins.
Incidentally, Chuck E. Weiss is the Chuck E in Rickie Lee Jones' "Chuck E's in Love".
There's another mention in "Nighthawk Postcards" and you really need to hear it to do it justice but it goes like this: "The el train tumbled across the trestles and it sounded like the ghost of Gene Krupa with an overhead cam and glasspacks."
Same album.
Song: "Putnam County"
Line: "As Bubba and the Roadmasters moaned in pool hall concentration
and knit their brows to cover the entire Hank Williams songbook...
whether you like it...or not."
The Clash - London Calling mentions the Beatles.
Taylor Swift in Kanye West's Famous.
The end of the New Radicals song "You Get What You Give" mentions "Fashion shoots with Beck and Hanson, Courtney Love and Marilyn Manson/You're all fakes, run to your mansions..."
Alan Jackson mentions George Jones in "Don't Rock the Jukebox".
"Californication" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Edit: Oh yeah, how could I forget "Pennyroyal Tea" by Nirvana?
"Miles Davis and the Cool" by the Gaslight Anthem (obvious who it mentions, which it does as early as the first line of the song)
Another obvious reference: Maroon 5's Moves Like Jagger (this one is about Mick)
Does Elton John's Empty Garden count? It's a tribute song to John Lennon and the coda reads " Hey Johnny, Won't you come out to play in your empty garden?" Which does not say his name, but implies it.
Train
"Hey soul sister, ain't that Mr. Mister on the radio?"
"Johnny Bye Bye" by Springsteen–"The man on the radio said Elvis Presley died." (I believe "Come On (Let's Go Tonight)" from the compilation album The Promise has an almost identical lyric, though I haven't heard that song in a while.)
Confederate Railroad had a song called "Elvis and Andy" in 1994--of course referring to Elvis Presley and Andy Griffith.
George Harrison's version of "Far East Man" starts with a spoken shoutout to Frank Sinatra, who had recently covered Harrison's "Something" and had a minor hit with it.
Quote from: cabiness42 on August 10, 2021, 12:57:57 PM
Quote from: Mapmikey on August 10, 2021, 12:34:32 PM
Weird Al Yankovic had a song called Still Billy Joel to Me that he didn't put out because Billy Joel objected
"Weird Al"'s song "Word Crimes":
You should never
Write words using numbers
Unless you're seven
Or your name is Prince
He also had two songs "The Brady Bunch" and "Couch Potato" that rattle of large numbers of TV shows/stars.
One more "Weird Al" entry: his various polka medleys have references that originally appeared in other songs: Devo, Amadeus, Slim Shady
Quote from: roadman65 on August 10, 2021, 09:22:00 PM
The Commodores song Nightshift mentions Marvin Gaye.
Hey Hey My My by Neil Young mentions " The King." Of course it's Elvis.
And Jackie Wilson.
"Slow Jams" by Jamie Foxx, Twista and Kanye West mentions Luther Vandross, Anita Baker, Ready For the World, New Edition and Michael Jackson.
Pink's "Don't Let Me Get Me" mentions Britney Spears.
LA Style came out with "James Brown Is Dead" in the early 90s. Would've been appropriate when he actually died in 2006.
Miley Cyrus's "Party in the USA" mentions both Jay-Z and Britney Spears.
Quote from: golden eagle on August 16, 2021, 11:02:26 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on August 10, 2021, 09:22:00 PM
The Commodores song Nightshift mentions Marvin Gaye.
Hey Hey My My by Neil Young mentions " The King." Of course it's Elvis.
And Jackie Wilson.
And of course Van Morrison did the song
Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You SmileThe Righteous Brother's Rock & Roll Heaven mentions Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Otis Redding, and Jim Croce, among others.
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on August 18, 2021, 09:09:57 PM
Quote from: golden eagle on August 16, 2021, 11:02:26 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on August 10, 2021, 09:22:00 PM
The Commodores song Nightshift mentions Marvin Gaye.
Hey Hey My My by Neil Young mentions " The King." Of course it's Elvis.
And Jackie Wilson.
And of course Van Morrison did the song Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile
The Righteous Brother's Rock & Roll Heaven mentions Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Otis Redding, and Jim Croce, among others.
Speaking of Van:
"I'm Real Real Gone" mentions Wilson Picket, Solomon Burke, James Brown and Gene Chandler.
His version of "Just a Closer Walk with Thee" the spoken word bridge he mentions Sidney Bechet, Louis Armstrong and Hank Williams.
"Cleaning Windows" he mentions Jimmy Rodgers, Blind Lemon, Sonny Terry, Brownie Mcghee, Muddy Waters, Christmas Humphries and Jack Kerouac (although writers).
Weird Al':
* "Achey Breaky Song" mentions 10(?) different singers/groups.
* "One of Those Days" has a line about Beatles records being left out in the sun.
Queen's "I Go Crazy" mentions the Rolling Stones, along with a third person reference to Queen.
you might be interested in this video
This song mentions Hendrix, Zeppelin, Metallica, Billy Squier, Aerosmith, Phil Collins, Yes, Van Halen, Iron Maiden, the Doors, and ZZ Top:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXBrLMeDCyQ
Blues Traveler- Run AroundRun around has references on the Counting Crows
Dyer Straits in Money for Nothing, mentions indirectly George Michael using the video to aid that. However, due to changing times, Cox Media censors out the word lorry when they play the song on WMMO in Central Florida. That was the bands way of calling out Michael" s sexuality at the time.
Quote from: roadman65 on August 25, 2021, 10:23:23 PM
Dyer Straits in Money for Nothing, mentions indirectly George Michael using the video to aid that. However, due to changing times, Cox Media censors out the word lorry when they play the song on WMMO in Central Florida. That was the bands way of calling out Michael" s sexuality at the time.
I have heard that Dire Straits/Mark Knopfler have not always used that slur word in concert.
Quote from: kevinb1994 on August 26, 2021, 12:07:22 AM
Quote from: roadman65 on August 25, 2021, 10:23:23 PM
Dyer Straits in Money for Nothing, mentions indirectly George Michael using the video to aid that. However, due to changing times, Cox Media censors out the word lorry when they play the song on WMMO in Central Florida. That was the bands way of calling out Michael" s sexuality at the time.
I have heard that Dire Straits/Mark Knopfler have not always used that slur word in concert.
They used the word "queenie" in concerts, which in British English has the same general meaning but is less offensive.
Anthrax's 1986 release, "I'm the Man," has a reference to the late, great El Duce, drummer and vocalist from the Metal/Punk band, The Mentors. The Mentors were the prime spark for the US Senate hearings in the mid 1980s on "obscene lyrics" in then-current Rock, Pop and R & B musical releases. "I'm the Man" also includes direct lyrics from the song that was quoted at the US Senate hearings.
The song title in question? "Golden Showers."
Garden Party by Ricky Nelson has some references. Like "Yoko brought her walrus".
John Hiatt in "Slow Turning" mentions the late, great Charlie Watts.
https://youtu.be/7UrueP3aM40
Quote from: Mapmikey on August 10, 2021, 12:34:32 PM
R O C K in the USA (John Mellencamp) name checks numerous artists
as does Sweet Soul Music (Arthur Conley)
and Sir Duke (Stevie Wonder)
Who Are You (Who) mentions T-Rex
God (John Lennon) mentions Elvis, The Beatles and Robert Zimmerman
Club at the End of the Street (Elton John) mentions Marvin Gaye, as does Rock Witcha (Bobby Brown)
Long May You Run (Neil Young) mentions Elvis and the Beach Boys
That Don't Impress Me Much (Shania Twain) mentions Elvis
Paul McCartney did a song called Picasso's Last Words (Drink to Me)
Hey 19 (Steely Dan) mentions Aretha Franklin
Weird Al Yankovic had a song called Still Billy Joel to Me that he didn't put out because Billy Joel objected
We Didn't Start the Fire (Billy Joel) mentions at least the Beatles
Of course, "Life Is a Rock (but the Radio Rolled Me)" and "Rock and Roll Heaven" do
almost nothing else!
Drop this here (NSFW obviously):
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on August 26, 2021, 12:22:47 AM
Quote from: kevinb1994 on August 26, 2021, 12:07:22 AM
Quote from: roadman65 on August 25, 2021, 10:23:23 PM
Dyer Straits in Money for Nothing, mentions indirectly George Michael using the video to aid that. However, due to changing times, Cox Media censors out the word cigarette when they play the song on WMMO in Central Florida. That was the bands way of calling out Michael" s sexuality at the time.
I have heard that Dire Straits/Mark Knopfler have not always used that slur word in concert.
They used the word "queenie" in concerts, which in British English has the same general meaning but is less offensive.
Many stations will just omit the verse altogether. I've heard it where they play the word backwards, a la what MTV did with the word "joint" in the Tom Petty " You Don't Know How it Feels" video.
"Mr. Jones" by Counting Crows: "I want to be Bob Dylan. Mr. Jones wishes he was someone just a little more funky."