Bands/Artists who have songs about other Bands/Artists

[DavidinSouthampton]

A little tenuous maybe

Hey Jude -Beatles , although sung about a very young Julian lennon , he did later become an artist in his own right.
Shine On You Crazy Diamond -Pink Floyd , about former band mate Syd Barrett
Crossroads -Cream -About blues singer Robert Johnson's deal with the devil. Got a feeling it may be an adapatation of a Robert Johnson song though.
Dio-Tenacious D

According to the credits on Wheels of Fire, Crossroads was indeed written by Robert Johnson.

I have just checked. How sad is that!

 

[Icy Gull]

I think I have the winner for name checks

Billy Joel - We Didn't Start The Fire

Dylan
B Holly
Chubbie Checker
Doris Day
Johnnie Ray
Beatles
E Presley

and

U2

 

[Trufflehound]

Sonic Youth - Tunic (Song for Karen)

About Karen Carpenter

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Over on the Infinite Jukebox, Norman Potting has posted Sweet gene Vincent by Ian Dury and the Blockheads, and then wondered if it had been put on here.

So I am saving him the bother while giving him the credit for having thought of it..... I don't remember seeing it on here already.

 

[Cosmic Joker]

Leonard Cohen references Hank Williams in Tower Of Song (a great song btw)

"I said to Hank Williams: how lonely does it get?
Hank Williams hasn't answered yet
But I hear him coughing all night long
A hundred floors above me
In the Tower of Song"

 

[Icy Gull]

From Hank to Hendrix - Neil Young again

Also mentions Madonna as does Jackson Browne in My Problem Is You

 

[PFJ]

Teenage Dirtbag -Wheatus - reference to Iron Maiden
Tattooed Millionaire -Bruce Dickenson, Dickenson's loathing of big hair American glam rock bands .
You Better You Bet - The Who , mentions T Rex
All The Young Dudes - Bowie/Mott the Hoople , also mentions T Rex as well as the Beatles and the Stones
Life on Mars -Bowie - reference to John Lennon
Clash City Rockers-Clash , mentions the bells of Gary Glitter
Motorhead -Hawkwind , although pre dates the band , it was the song that christened the band when Lemmy left hawkwind and became the set closer for Motorhead for years.

 

[unklbrian]

William Bell - Tribute to a King----- The whole song is about Otis Redding

 

[Gregory2Smith1]

just listened to it's my life-bon jovi

Sinatra gets a mention

 

[The Modfather]

Half Man Half Biscuit released songs called, Joy Division oven gloves & Achtung Bono

 

[Trufflehound]

Motorhead -Hawkwind , although pre dates the band , it was the song that christened the band when Lemmy left hawkwind and became the set closer for Motorhead for years.

I considered this, but surely the band is named after the song, not the other way around.

NB When Motorhead first started out they used to open the set with Motorhead. They switched it to set closer a couple of years later when Overkill came out and became the new opening song.

 

[Kumquat]

Jonathan Richman - Velevet Underground. Great tune.

Also anyone remember who wrote the song referencing Lloyd Cole called "Yes Lloyd, I'm ready to be heartbroken"?

 

[LargeHadronZugzwang]

This band were named after a Wilco song, very good they are too.

 

[Superphil]

I considered this, but surely the band is named after the song, not the other way around.

NB When Motorhead first started out they used to open the set with Motorhead. They switched it to set closer a couple of years later when Overkill came out and became the new opening song.

Also note that Lemmy called the band *******s when he formed it, only changing it to Motorhead when their manager told them they couldn't be called *******s, because he couldn't get them on TOTP with that name. I believe Lemmy then challenged him to get them on TOTP, he did, and they played Louie Louie!

 

[Acker79]

Ray Stevens did a song called "I Need Your Help Barry Manilow".

I've no idea why or how, but I used to own the single.

Can't be bothered to read all through this thread to see if it's been mentioned, but Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode discussed this in their podcast this week.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I think I have the winner for name checks

Billy Joel - We Didn't Start The Fire

Dylan
B Holly
Chubbie Checker
Doris Day
Johnnie Ray
Beatles
E Presley

and

U2

Teachers by Daft Punk easily beats this:


Paul Johnson
DJ Funk
DJ Sneak
DJ Rush
Waxmaster
Hyperactive
Jammin Gerald
Bryan Wilson
George Clinton
Lil Louis
Ashley Beatle
Neil Landstruum
Kenny Dope
DJ Hell
Louie Vega
K. Alexi
Dr. Dre's in the house yeah
Armando in the house
Gemini is in the house
Jeff Mills is in the house
DJ Deeon
DJ Milton
DJ Slugo
DJs on the low
Green Velvet
Joey Beltram
DJ ESP
Roy Davis (Jr.)
Boo Williams
DJ Tonka
DJ Skull
DJ Pierre
Mike Dearborn in the house yeah
Todd Eddward's in the house
Romanthony's in the house
CVO in the house
Luke Slater
Derrick Carter
Robert Hood
Paris Mitchell
Dave Clarke is in the house
Van Helden in the house
Armani in the house
Surgeon in the house yeah

 

[fork me]

I've checked the thread and I think all of these are missing so far:

We'll start with a tenuous one as they got her to sing it:

Groove Armada - Song For Mutya


Eddie Cochran - Three Stars
A sad one this, Eddie's tribute to Buddy Holly, The Bog Bopper and Richie Valens when they died in that plane crash. Eddie himself was to die in a car crash not long after.


Dead Milkmen - Punk Rock Girl
References Minnie Pearl, The Beach Boys and, most importantly, the awesome Mojo Nixon


...talking of which...
Mojo Nixon - Elvis is Everywhere


Wonderstuff - Astley In The Noose
Self explanatory!


Opps just got the "only 5 vids allowed" message...

 

[fork me]

BMX Bandits - Kylie's Got A Crush On Us


Beach Boys - Barbara Ann
Doesn't reference artists directly, just a song, love the line "I saw Peggy Sue and I knew she wouldn't do"


...and an interesting one to finish, 80's band Boys Don't Cry put a track called "The Cure" on the b-side of this.

 

[Acker79]

Dixie Chicks - Long Time Gone (Hank Williams, Johnny Cash)
Much too young to feel this damn old - Garth Brooks (Chris Ledoux)
Good Ride Cowboy - Garth Brooks (Chris Ledoux)
Look at me I'm Sandra Dee - From Grease (Elvis)
Cowboy Love - John Michael Montgomery (George Strait, George Jones)
Midnight in Montgomery - Alan Jackson (Hank Williams)
Are You Sure Hank Done it this way - Waylon Jennings (Hank Williams)
Luckenbach Texas - Waylon Jennings (Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson depending on the version)