History ShoutOut / Music

* Music/MarianasTrench gives a shout out to Music/ImogenHeap, Music/TheBlackEyedPeas, and Music/MumfordAndSons in "Pop 101" while the lyrics reference Music/JustinBieber and the video references Music/{{LMFAO}}, Music/{{Kesha}}, and Robin Thicke.

* Music/MarilynManson has Omega, his persona throughout the ''Music/MechanicalAnimals'' ConceptAlbum + Part 2 of his triptych. Omega is an [[Music/DavidBowie androgynous space alien turned rock star]].
* Max Tundra's "Gondry" is all about how cool director Michel Gondry's music videos are (and how much he'd like Gondry to direct a video for him, despite the fact that it'd probably be too expensive). There's yet to be a Michel Gondry directed Max Tundra video, but Gondry did in fact hear the song - The booklet included with ''Director's Series, Vol. 3 - The Work of Director Michel Gondry'' includes a letter he sent to Max Tundra about it, complete with an outline of what kinds of videos he could shoot for different listed budgets.
* MC chris ships [[ComicBook/NewXMenAcademyX Elixir and Wallflower]], if the song "Nrrrd grrrl" is any indication.
* Darryl '''[=McDaniels=]''', one-third of Music/RunDMC, started his own line of comic books, [[https://www.somosarte.com/darryl-makes-comics Darryl Makes Comics]].

* Music/MercuryRev's "Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp" ends with the repeated line "Waving goodbye, I'm not saying hello", which seems to invert a line in The Music/FlamingLips "Felt Good To Burn" ("I wasn't waving goodbye, I was saying hello"). It's probably an intentional nod, because Mercury Rev's Jonathan Donahue was in The Music/FlamingLips when they had written "Felt Good To Burn" itself.

* Music/{{MF DOOM}}: After his brother was killed in a car accident, he reinvented himself with a Doctor Doom-obsessed supervillain persona. His work contains references to numerous comic books, movies, and Saturday morning cartoons, and he collaborated with mega-producer Music/DangerMouse on an Creator/AdultSwim sponsored album called ''The Mouse and the Mask'' that contained songs about ''WesternAnimation/AquaTeenHungerForce'', ''WesternAnimation/PerfectHairForever'', and more.
* Mike Watt's ''Contemplating The Engine Room'' is a ConceptAlbum about working in a ship's engine room, which is meant as a metaphor for his experiences in Music/{{Minutemen}} (among other things). Accordingly, when his AuthorAvatar narrator gives a long list of fellow crew members in "Topsiders", he actually uses the names of various people who had some connection to SST Records, the record label the band were on: Members of Music/BlackFlag, Hüsker Dü and The Meat Puppets are named, as are people like frequent SST RecordProducer Spot, Black Flag roadie Mugger, and Black Flag and Minutemen cover artist Raymond Pettibon. The album also has a couple of references to "Fireman Hurley", who is clearly meant to be former Minutemen drummer George Hurley.
* "I Love 64" by mind.in.a.box: "[[Music/TheBeatles Will you still love me when I'm sixty-four (bits)?]]"
* The EP ''Supernaut'' by [[{{Music/Ministry}} 1,000 Homo DJs]] has a cover that homages that of Music/BlackSabbath's ''Master Of Reality'' - fittingly enough, the title track is a Black Sabbath cover.
* Monuments - the song "Horcrux" is a ShoutOut to Franchise/HarryPotter, as in the part of The Amanuensis's storyline the song tells the main character has to hand over a piece of himself to the gatekeepers of the Garden of Sankhara (the basic principle of a horcrux in the Harry Potter franchise).

* The Music/{{vocaloid}} song [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eYAKofgVIM Full Moon Laboratory]] by Music/{{mothy}} is a shout out to ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist''.
* Moulty Records was an independent record label that mainly released Boston GarageRock and {{Punk}} music, and was named after Victor "Moulty" Moulton, the drummer from 60's Boston garage rock group The Barbarians. There was also a pun involved: They wanted to release records with "hooks", as in catchy refrains, and Moulty lost a hand for an accident and thus had a literal hook in its place.
* Murda Turk, ''Dat Doen We Niet Meer (Remix)''

* The parade theme adopted by Music/MyChemicalRomance during their performances of ''Music/TheBlackParade'' was an allusion to Music/TheBeatles' ''Music/SgtPeppersLonelyHeartsClubBand''.
* My Morning Jacket's "Librarian" mentions "Rainy Days and Mondays" by the Music/{{Carpenters}}, and alludes to Karen Carpenter's death.
* The video for "Ghost" by Music/MysterySkulls is a shout-out of ''Film/TheExorcist'', right down to the girl levitating off the bed.

** His duo with fellow hip hop producer Prince Paul, Handsome Boy Modeling School, named themselves after a fictional modeling school from an episode of the Elliott-starring sitcom ''Get a Life'', and their album ''So... How's Your Girl?'' frequently used samples from the same episode. The pseudonym Nakamura used for the Handsome Boy Modeling School project was Nathaniel Merriweather, which was probably meant to sound similar to Nathaniel ''Mayweather'', Elliott's character in ''Film/CabinBoy''.
** Another ''Cabin Boy'' reference he made was titling a mix album ''Wanna Buy A Monkey?'', after dialogue from the film. His publishing company is Sharkman Music, referencing the ''Cabin Boy'' character Chockie, who is "half man, half shark"... Similarly, when he produced [[Music/KoolKeith Dr. Octagon]]'s "halfsharkalligatorhalfman", he included some dialogue about Chockie as SpokenWordInMusic.

* Music/RandyNewman's "Kathleen" quotes the 1958 Italian pop hit "Nel blu dipinto di blu," better known in the English-speaking world by the title used for Music/DeanMartin's TranslatedCoverVersion: "Volare"

* [=OnCue=], ''Inhale Exhale''
-->Cause I felt like I had them, since I was 9 with ''[[VideoGame/AladdinCapcom Aladdin]]'' \\
On the [[Platform/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem Super Nintendo]], so please tell me where did this time go?
* Nelly
** "Hot in Herre" references Jason Kidd.

* Nerf Herder:

* Music/NickiMinaj:
** Anaconda, which also uses a remixed sample from Music/SirMixALot's Baby Got Back, has a part in its lyric video where Nicki suddenly appears inside the theater of Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 and seems to really scare Tom Servo.
** "Chun-Li" has her rapping about how she, like the titular ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' character, is the most [[BadassBoast powerful female character]] in her "game." The song also contains references to [[ComicBook/XMen Storm]], [[Franchise/TombRaider Lara Croft]], Franchise/KingKong, and UsefulNotes/MichaelJordan.

* '''Music/RitesOfSpring''' named themselves after Music/IgorStravinsky's ''Theatre/TheRiteOfSpring'' - "All Through A Life", the last track of their SelfTitledAlbum, concludes with SpokenWordInMusic in which an unknown narrator briefly explains the plot of the ballet.

* Rocket From The Crypt named themselves after another band, Rocket From The Tombs - this became slightly more confusing when Rocket From The Tombs, who had broken up in 1975 without releasing an album and were mainly heard via [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes bootleg recordings]], reunited and started releasing official studio albums. The Rocket From The Crypt album ''Scream, Dracula, Scream!'' was named after a Music/WesleyWillis catchphrase, although Wesley probably got it from the title of {{blaxploitation}} horror parody film ''Film/ScreamBlaculaScream'' to begin with.

* The name of PowerPop band Ridel High is a pun combining Rydell High, the fictional high school setting of ''Film/{{Grease}}'', with the name of their vocalist, Kevin Ridel.

** In "We Opened For {{Music/Weezer}}", they fondly reminisce about their first time touring, which was as a support act for Weezer in 1997. The members of Weezer themselves get mentioned, as do "fifth member" and band archivist Karl Koch, and originally fan club founders Mykel and Carli Allan. Specific Weezer songs are mentioned ("Say It Ain't So" and "Butterfly"), and a verse deals with the fact that ''{{Music/Pinkerton}}'', the album Weezer were supporting at the time, was being trashed by critics but would later be VindicatedByHistory. Even the music is arranged InTheStyleOf early Weezer. ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' also gets a mention in the song, since Nerf Herder performed the series opening theme, and the tour in question occurred right around the same time the first season of the show was airing. Finally, there's kind of a combination shout out and self-reference when the backing vocals start quoting "Jump" by Music/VanHalen - Nerf Herder's first hit single was titled "Van Halen", with lyrics about the band that also quoted "Jump".

* Music/PhoebeBridgers' album ''Stranger In The Alps'' is named after an infamous {{Bowdlerise}}d version of ''Film/TheBigLebowski'' - in the TV edit of the film, the line "do you see what happens when you fuck a stranger in the ass!?" is nonsensically dubbed over as "Do you what happens when you find a stranger in the alps!?". Phoebe decided the censored line would make a good album title because she found it "kind of poetic on accident".

* Reggie and the Full Effect's ''41'' is named after the age [[IAmTheBand James Dewees]] was when the album was recorded, just like {{Music/Adele}} does with [[IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming all of her album titles]] - the album art is also a parody of Adele's ''[[Music/TwentyOne 21]]'', using a DeliberatelyMonochrome closeup of James with his eyes closed and his head resting on one hand, shortening the group name to just Reggie, and using similar fonts for the text.

* The fourth movement from Music/JohannesBrahms' Symphony No. 1 in C minor contains a very obvious shout out to Music/LudwigVanBeethoven's ''Ode to Joy'' -- written into the Symphony when Music/RobertSchumann named Brahms "the second Beethoven". After the Symphony was finished (it only took Brahms 14 years to write it) Hans von Bulow dubbed it "Beethoven's Tenth". When told the two symphonies bore a certain similarity, Brahms replied, irritatedly, "Any ass can see that."

* Lil B, ''Video Game Master''

* '''The Aquabats''' love cramming shout-outs into their songs however they can. Examples include:

* '''Jimmy Eat World'''[='=]s song "A Praise Chorus" contains a shout out to "Crimson and Clover" by Tommy James and the Shondells, "Our House" by Madness, "Why Did We Ever Meet" and "All of My Everything" by Promise Ring, "Don't Let's Start" by They Might Be Giants, and "Kickstart my Heart" by Mötley Crüe -- all in one verse:

* Layzie Bone's "I Get Higher" references Toucan Sam of Froot Loops.
* Ted Leo & The Pharmacists' album ''The Tyranny of Distance'' is named after a lyric from "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" by Split Enz - they would later do a CoverVersion of the Split Enz song on the EP ''Tell Balgeary, Balgury is Dead''.
* "Sphinxes" from Music/LeonardBernstein's "Divertimento for Orchestra" is an unadorned representation of the principal theme which recurs throughout the work, much like the movement of the same name (intended not to be played) from Schumann's "Carnaval".
* Ken Leavitt-Lawrence, a.k.a. [=MC=] Hawking, performs his astrophysics-themed raps with a [=WillowTalk=] speech-to-text and represents himself as ''being'' Creator/StephenHawking.
* The artwork to Liars' "There's Always Room On The Broom" single is an AffectionateParody of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einst%C3%BCrzende_Neubauten_logo the logo]] of Music/EinsturzendeNeubauten - a crudely drawn broomstick and witch-hat are added to the stick figure-like symbol, and "Einstürzende Neubauten" is crossed out and replaced with "Liars".
* In Canadian electropop singer Music/{{Lights}}' song "Ice" she pays a brief lyrical homage to Music/VanillaIce ("...I'll let a little light melt the '''Ice Ice Baby!'''").

* Music/LilJon's "In Da Club" references ''Film/KillBill''.
* Lil' Troy's "Wanna Be a Baller" references 2 Low, the Chevrolet Impala, the Ford Expedition, Lil Ike's Auto Collision, Lil' Will, Lorinser, Mercedes-Benz, Moët & Chandon champagne, Short Stop Records, Swisher Sweets, Vogue Tyres, and Yungstar.
* Lil Uzi Vert is himself a lover of comics both Western and Japanese, and his passions have frequently influenced his work and his aesthetics. His ''Luv Is Rage''-''Lil Uzi Vert vs. The World''-''The Perfect LUV Tape'' mixtape trilogy is heavily inspired by ''ComicBook/ScottPilgrim'' (particularly the cover art and name for ''vs. The World''), and he also drops various references to ''Franchise/{{Naruto}}'' on "New Patek", the instrumental for said song also sampling the main theme from {{Anime/Death Parade}}. The music video for "He Did It" is a full-blown AMV featuring shots of animes like ''Manga/OnePiece'', ''Anime/HellsingUltimate'', ''Manga/BlackLagoon'', ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'', as well as (censored) shots of both {{ecchi}} and {{hentai}}. The cover art for the lead single of ''Eternal Atake'', "Futsal Shuffle 2020", also shows an anime-fied version of him chased by various groupies in a similar fashion to a HaremGenre manga, and he has an entire collection of full {{Itasha}} wraps for his cars.
* Music/LilWayne's "10,000 Bars" references ''Film/AustinPowers'', Big Daddy Kane, Music/BigPun, Bill Gates, Corona beer, Creator/DiscoveryChannel, Ferrari, Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers, Mase, Maybach, UsefulNotes/McDonalds, Mercedes-Benz, Nelly, Music/TheNotoriousBIG, ''Film/{{The Nutty Professor|1996}}'', Music/TheProdigy, "Smack My Bitch Up", Range Rover, Music/TupacShakur, ''ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}'', and ''ComicBook/XMen''.
* Music/LimpBizkit's "Take a Look Around" has "[[http://www.lyricstime.com/eric-b-rakim-follow-the-leader-lyrics.html Follow me into a solo]], remember that, kid? So what you gonna do?"

* The Finnish metal band Music/{{Lordi}} has the song "Bringing Back the Balls to Rock", which contains numerous references to Eighties rock, and one single's cover art is Music/{{KISS}}'s ''Creatures of the Night'' cover, but with them instead.
* The third movement of Luciano Berio's Sinfonia is a veritable potpourri of shout outs and quotations.
** The form of the movement is based on the third movement of Music/GustavMahler's Second Symphony.
** The orchestra plays snatches of Music/ClaudeDebussy's "La Mer", Maurice Ravel's "La Valse", Music/IgorStravinsky's "The Rite of Spring", as well as quotations from Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern, Music/JohannesBrahms, Henri Pousseur, Paul Hindemith and others.
** An octet of singers and narrators intone (there's no other description) texts from Beckett, Joyce and others.
* Music/LucindaWilliams has done a number of shout outs over her long career. Her best known album "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road" has three: Music/HankWilliams and Loretta Lynn in the title track, Music/RobertJohnson in "2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten", Music/HowlinWolf in "Lake Charles" and Music/ZZTop in "Metal Firecracker".
* Ludacris

* Music/TheNotorious BIG's "Juicy" references the battle between the Platform/{{Super Nintendo|EntertainmentSystem}} and Platform/SegaGenesis in the MediaNotes/ConsoleWars, often given a Shout Out:

** "Batman & Robin", while ostensibly a cover/parody of the Creator/AdamWest ''Series/Batman1966'' series, Snoop mentions characters that weren't in the series, such as Clayface. Generally Snoop Dogg has proven himself to be quite nerdy, showing interest in a wide variety of areas, including Series/GameOfThrones and Anime/DragonBallZ.
* Music/TheNotoriousBIG's "Hypnotize" references the BMW M3, Coogi, "Da Doo Ron Ron" by The Crystals, the [[UsefulNotes/NationalBasketballAssociation Detroit Pistons]], DKNY, ''Film/KingOfNewYork'', the Lexus [=LX450=], ''Series/{{Martin}}'', the Mercedes-Benz [=SL600=], Moschino, ''ComicBook/RichieRich'', ''Series/{{Roots|1977}}'', ''Series/StarskyAndHutch'', ''Franchise/StarWars'', Timberland boots, Fruit of the Loom Underoos, and Versace.

* '''Music/TheClash'''[='=]s version of "Police And Thieves" starts with Joe Strummer ad-libbing "Going through a tight wind!", which is a lyric from "Blitzkrieg Bop" by the Music/{{Ramones}}. It's possibly the earliest musical shout out the Ramones ever got, as the Clash song only came out a year after the first Ramones album.

-->She looks like Creator/EvaMarieSaint in Film/OnTheWaterfront\\

* '''Arthur Conley'''[='=]s "Sweet Soul Music" (itself a retool of Music/SamCooke's "Yeah Man") does several shout outs, where he says "Spotlight on" and names the singer and some part of the lyrics they've used or their style. He mention Lou Rawls, James Brown, Wilson "Wicked" Pickett, and, on Otis Redding's segment, has the horn section play the chorus from Redding's "Sad Song (Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa)" at a faster tempo.

* Gilby Clarke's solo debut album ''Music/PawnshopGuitars'' has a few.
** "Cure Me...Or Kill Me" mentions "the [[Series/TheAddamsFamily Addams Family]] blood"
** "Johanna's Chopper" mentions "ComicBook/{{Superman}}'s magic train"
* Music/{{gmcfosho}} has songs referencing ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'', ''ComicBook/XMen'', ''Franchise/StreetFighter'', ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' (among other things), and one of his music videos contains a [[Franchise/StarWars lightsaber]].
* The Godflesh song "Circle of Shit" gets its title from Italian art horror film ''Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom'' - the film is divided into four segments, one of which has the title card "Girone della Merda", or "Circle of Shit".
* God Lives Underwater titled their album ''Life In The So-Called Space Age'' as a Music/DepecheMode shout out - that phrase appears in quotes on the back cover of the Depeche Mode album ''Music/BlackCelebration''. Fittingly, the same year they released that album, they also contributed a version of "Fly On The Windscreen", originally from ''Black Celebration'', to Depeche Mode [[CoverAlbum tribute album]] ''For The Masses''.
* Rapper Greydon Square, who describes himself as "the black Carl Sagan."
* Music/{{Grimes}}' album ''Geidi Primes'' is titled after Geidi Prime, a planet in ''{{Franchise/Dune}}'' - six of the ten songs on the album are also titled with ''Dune'' references. She also chose her stage name as a reference to the artist Ken Grimes.

* On the booklet for Music/GunsNRoses' ''Music/UseYourIllusionI'', "You Could Be Mine" has thanks for Music/EltonJohn and his lyricist Bernie Taupin, as a title of one of their songs is on the lyrics ("'Cause I think ''we've seen that movie too!''").

** Their cover of [[Music/RedHotChiliPeppers "Under The Bridge"]] replaces the song's TitleDrop with the chorus of KRS-One's "The Bridge Is Over".
* The High & Mighty include references to ''Franchise/StarWars'' in their tracks, for example in their most famous "B-Boy Document '99" Mr Eon claims: "I'm Jedi Master, Mace Windu".
* "Teeth For Eyes" by Ho-Ag seems to be from the point of view of [[ComicBook/TheSandman The Corinthian]]: The chorus might sound like WordSaladLyrics, but is actually a description of the character, who literally has [[TooManyMouths two mouths where his eyes should be]] ("Who am I? / Who am I? /Corinthian spy / I am that guy with the teeth for eyes")
* The Hold Steady have a lovely shout out to Bruce Springsteen's famous line, "Tramps like us, baby, we were born to run" in their song "Charlemagne in Sweatpants" with the line "Tramps like us, and we like tramps."

** The Hold Steady are a band composed of Shout Outs - poets, bands both obscure and well-known, previous events in the ongoing story of Holly, the Bible and earlier song lines and titles. There's now have a whole wiki devoted to explaining references.

* Music/TheHorrors thrive on this trope. Notable examples include:

* The iconic Ian Dury and the Blockheads single "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reasons_to_be_Cheerful,_Part_3#Composition Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3]]" is a veritable list of shout outs to the things Ian found delightful, from Music/ElvisPresley and [[Creator/{{Motown}} Smokey Robinson]] to Steven Biko, Creator/WoodyAllen, Italian crooner Adriano Celentano, and the Creator/TheMarxBrothers.
* Music/IceCube, ''Friday''

* The Music/IconaPop song "Girlfriend" uses lines from Music/TupacShakur's "Me And My Girlfriend". It uses the line "All I need in this life of sin is me and my girlfriend" from the chorus and changes "Down to the ride to the bloody end" to "Down to ride 'till the happy end". Tupac's song is about a gun while [=IconaPop=] sings about ThePowerOfFriendship (or [[LesYay romance]] to [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation some]]).
* Inquérito, ''Meu Super-Herói''

* Interface's "Mirror, Mirror" references a line from Assemblage 23's "The Noise Inside My Head": "A prisoner to the noise inside your head".
* Music/InThisMoment's "Big Bad Wolf" uses "Literature/TheThreeLittlePigs" references as allegories about the protagonist.

* Jared Evan, ''Super Nintendo (Outerlude)'': Video shows ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'' in an [[Platform/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]].
-->What ya gonna do? \\
What ya gonna do when the game is over? \\
Platform/{{SuperNintendo|EntertainmentSystem}}, yea \\
But you ain`t on my level, aye
* Music/JayZ:

* Rapper Jean Grae named herself after the Marvel superhero ComicBook/JeanGrey.
* Jimmy Eat World's song "A Praise Chorus" contains a shout out to "Crimson and Clover" by Tommy James and the Shondells, "Our House" by Madness, "Why Did We Ever Meet" and "All of My Everything" by Promise Ring, "Don't Let's Start" by They Might Be Giants, and "Kickstart my Heart" by Motley Crue - all in one verse:

Our house in the middle of the street - why did we ever meet?\\

** "The Authority Song" has the lines "The DJ never has it / JMC ''Automatic''": JMC is an abbreviation for Music/TheJesusAndMaryChain, and ''Automatic'' is one of their albums. The song's title is a reference to Music/JohnMellencamp's similarly named "Authority Song" - the TitleDrop is in the context of playing a song called "Authority Song" on a jukebox, and the lyrics also mention [[Music/TheVelvetUnderground "What Goes On"]].

* Johnny Polygon, ''Lovesick (Super Nintendo)''

* The lyric video for Italian singer Jovanotti's single "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5GR-70BrKg Nuova era]]" features a caricature of the artist in concert as an astronaut in front of a huge audience composed of aliens. Among them, the usual Greys, some Martians from ''Film/MarsAttacks'', Series/{{ALF}}, [[Film/RobotMonster Ro-Man]], Zorotl (the blue alien from Music/Eiffel65's, uh, ''Blue''), and others looking like [[VideoGame/OddWorld Mudokons]]. Also, as a FreezeFrameBonus, there's a hidden alien [[Literature/WheresWally Waldo]].
* Music/{{Juniel}}'s stated ''Manga/OnePiece'' inspired her to write "Summer Vacation". Sure enough, the lyrics have lines like "With an old treasure map and a compass in our hands, let's go to find our brilliant dreams".
* Though he's never mentioned by name, "D.A.N.C.E." by {{Music/Justice|Band}} is a tribute to Music/MichaelJackson. The biggest hints at this are blatant lyrical nods to his hits "P.Y.T." ("You were such a P.Y.T.") and "Black Or White" ("Neither black or white / it doesn't matter"), as well as The Jackson 5's "ABC" ("Just easy as ABC").
* Music/MichaelKamen's score for ''Film/DieHard2'' quotes Mrs. Gulch's theme from ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' for the moment when [=McClane=] uses a bicycle to take out a bad guy!
* Music/KanyeWest:
** "Bonnie & Clyde Freestyle" references Music/{{Eminem}}, Music/JayZ, Mase, Music/{{Nas}}, Music/TheNotoriousBIG, and Music/TupacShakur.
** "Breathe In Breathe Out" references ''Film/{{Candyman}}'', Lexus GS, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan Altima, [[Trivia/CentralProcessingUnit Pentium]], and the Sony Handycam.
** "Siiiiiiiiilver Surffffeeeeer Intermission" not only refers to ''Comicbook/SilverSurfer'' and ''[[Film/FantasticFour2005 Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer]]''; it is a shout out to Max B and the mixtape ''Public Domain 2: Rise of the Silver Surfer''.
** ''Graduation'' (the album "Stronger" is on) also includes the track "Good Morning", where West rhymes
--->Good morning and, look at the valedictorian\\
Scared of the future while I hop in the [[Franchise/BackToTheFuture Delorean]]
** Even his dark, brash [[NewSoundAlbum electro]] effort ''Music/{{Yeezus}}'' includes, on the song "Guilt Trip", the line
--->Franchise/StarWars fur, yeah I'm rockin' Chewbacca
* The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bubOcI11sps announcing video]] by the Swedish band Music/{{Kent}} for their last album, ''Då som nu för alltid'' is basically ''consisting'' of this trope: It's full of references to old songs, albums and music videos by the band, in an amazing way.
* Music/AliciaKeys' "Girl on Fire" has "She's a lonely girl, and it's a lonely world" (Eddie Holman) and "She gonna let it burn, baby, burn" (The Trammps). Earl Shuman, the writer of the former song, sued Keys for plagiarism.
* DJ Khaled's "I'm So Hood (Remix)" references ''Film/Batman1989'', Cadillac, ''Series/{{Frasier}}'', Joe Frazier, the [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague New Orleans Saints]], the Rolls Royce Phantom, and T-Pain's "I'm So Hood".
* Music/KidRock referenced "Amazing Grace" in "Cowboy": "I once was lost, but now I'm just blind", combining that line and the next, "Was blind but now I see". "Cowboy" references [[Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart Amadeus Mozart]] and "Rock Me Amadeus" by Music/{{Falco}}, and Beck's beer, Boone's wine, Four Seasons Hotel, Larry Flynt, and the [[UsefulNotes/NationalBasketballAssociation Los Angeles Lakers]].

* Music/KlausSchulze:
** "Bayreuth Return" and "Wahnfried 1883" from ''Timewind'', as well as Schulze's alternate name Richard Wahnfried, are references to the works of Music/RichardWagner. The former refers to the town where Wagner built his opera house for the first performance of ''[[Theatre/TheRingOfTheNibelung Der Ring des Niebelungen]]'', while the latter two refer to the name of the composer's home, where he was buried upon his death in 1883.
** ''X'' includes tracks named for Creator/FriedrichNietzsche, Georg Trakl, Creator/FrankHerbert, Friedemann Bach, UsefulNotes/LudwigIIOfBavaria, and Heinrich von Kleist.
** ''Dune'' is named for the famous [[Literature/{{Dune}} novel]] by Frank Herbert, while the cover art is a screenshot from ''Film/Solaris1972'' with the title overlayed which Schulze photographed directly from his television screen.
** ''Trancefer'' includes a track named "Silent Running", after the [[Film/SilentRunning film of the same name]].
* Lagwagon's ''Hoss'' album is named after the ''{{Series/Bonanza}}'' character, with the cover art being a photo of actor Dan Blocker as the character. Apparently, when asked permission for his likeness, the late Blocker's family just requested a small donation to charity in return.

* Music/{{Weezer}} have a few songs full of these:

** "In The Garage" references the ComicBook/XMen, Music/{{KISS}}, and ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons,'' while "El Scorcho" mentions Music/GreenDay, Cio Cio San from the opera ''Theatre/MadameButterfly'', and professional wrestlers Johnny Grunge and New Jack.

* [[Music/StoneTemplePilots Scott Weiland's]] "Jimmy Was A Stimulator" begins with a sound effect of a car starting up, a Miami bass style hip hop drum loop, and Scott ad-libbing "we like the cars, the cars that go boom" - this is a reference to "Cars with the Boom" by Miami bass hip hop duo L'Trimm.

* Music/JohnWilliams' theme to ''Film/CloseEncountersOfTheThirdKind'' plays "When You Wish Upon a Star" from Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}}'' quite clearly at one point. The tune is played as a message to the aliens at the end of the film.

* Rapper Wale, who, although he nicely drops sports references in his rhymes (and refers to himself occasionally in songs as "Wale Ovechkin" as per the Washington Capitals player), gained notice for a critically acclaimed [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mixtape_About_Nothing mixtape that was inspired by (and used samples from)]] Series/{{Seinfeld}}. He had a second Seinfeld-themed (and popular) mixtape some years later.
* Warren G's "Annie Mae" references Music/TheSugarhillGang's "Rapper's Delight".
* '''Music/JohnWilliams'''[='=] score for ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'' has one for the Wicked Witch of the West's theme as Dooku is on a "flying scooter" - perhaps noting a parallel betwen that vehicle and a FlyingBroomstick.
* '''Music/StevieWonder'''[='=]s "Sir Duke" from ''Music/SongsInTheKeyOfLife'' has a lot of references to 1940s musicians (names not appearing in the lyrics in square brackets):
-->Music knows it is and always will \\
Be one of the things that life just won't quit\\
But here are some of music's pioneers\\
That time will not allow us to forget\\
For there's [[Music/CountBasie [Count] Basie]], [[Music/GlennMiller [Glenn] Miller]], [[Music/LouisArmstrong [Louis] "Satchmo" [Armstrong[=]=]]]\\
And the king of all Sir [[Music/DukeEllington Duke [Ellington[=]=]]]\\
And with a voice like [[Music/EllaFitzgerald Ella [Fitzgerald]'s]] ringing out\\
There's no way the band can lose
* '''Music/WuTangClan'''
** "Bring Da Ruckus" references ''Film/The36thChamberofShaolin'', ''Film/FrightNight1985'', Richard Nixon, Steven Seagal, and ''Film/ShaolinAndWuTang''.
** "16th Chamber" references ''Series/TheAndyGriffithShow'', Bo Jackson, ''Five Fingers of Death'', ''WesternAnimation/HongKongPhooey'', Mystic beer, and Snapple.
** "Can It Be All So Simple" references Honda Acura Legend, Jeep, Lexus, Toyota Land Cruiser, and ''Film/ShaolinAndWuTang''.
** "Clan in Da Front" references Ballantine's Finest, ''Claudine'', ''Film/CooleyHigh'', ''Film/{{Dolemite}}'', Music/EllaFitzgerald, ''Franchise/IndianaJones'', ''The Mack'', ''Film/MiracleOnThirtyFourthStreet'', Pampers Diapers, and ''Film/ShaolinAndWuTang''.
** "Da Mystery of Chessboxin'" references ''ComicStrip/BeetleBailey'', ''Film/EnterTheDragon'', ''Film/FiveDeadlyVenoms'', Creator/JacquesCousteau, Mariah Carey, ''Series/{{Roots|1977}}'', ''Film/ShaolinAndWuTang'', Timberland, Toyota Land Cruiser, and ''Franchise/TheTwilightZone''. , while the title references the 1979 movie ''Mystery of Chessboxing''.
** "I Can't Go To Sleep" references Big L, Music/BigPun, ''Series/CandidCamera'', Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King Jr., Medgar Evers, Music/TheNotoriousBIG, and Music/TupacShakur.
** "Method Man" references ''Film/The36thChamberofShaolin'', ''WesternAnimation/FatAlbertAndTheCosbyKids'', ''Film/MaryPoppins'', ''Film/ShaolinAndWuTang'', and "Literature/TheThreeLittlePigs".
** "Protect Ya Neck" references Arnold Schwarzenegger, Joe Frazier, ''Franchise/TheLoneRanger'', Pablo Escobar, ''Film/ShaolinAndWuTang'', "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain", ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'', and Tevin Campbell.
** "Shame On A Nigga" references Lexus, ''Anime/{{Voltron}}'', and ''Film/TheWarriors''.
** "Triumph" references ''Comicbook/GhostRider'', ''Literature/TheGunsOfNavarone'', ''Franchise/MortalKombat'', Puma sneakers, Rod Strickland, Sonny Liston, and ''Theatre/AStreetcarNamedDesire''.
** "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing ta Fuck Wit" references ''Executioners from Shaolin'', ''Series/FamilyFeud'', ''The Gavin Report'', Super Cat, ''Franchise/{{Tarzan}}'', and Zulu Nation.
** "Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber" references Joe Frazier, ''Series/{{Maverick}}'', Muhammad Ali, ''Mystery of Chessboxing'', and Nike sneakers.
** "Wu-Tang: 7th Chamber, Pt. 2" references ''Film/GoodMorningVietnam'', Joe Frazier, Lexus, ''Series/{{Maverick}}'', Muhammad Ali, ''Mystery of Chessboxing'', ''Night Flight'', and Creator/SpikeLee.

%% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks!

* The verse of More's "Around the World"(not to be confused with ATC's hit released the same year) is a melodic reference to Music/{{Europe}}'s "The Final Countdown".
* Music/TheGameRapper: "100" references Music/LilWayne, Music/TheNotoriousBIG, OVO Sound, Puff Daddy, and the Rolls-Royce Ghost.
* Music/{{Genesis|Band}} examples:
** Plenty in ''Music/TheLambLiesDownOnBroadway''. "Needles And Pins" (The Searchers); "My run-run-Runaway" (Del Shannon); "Raindrops-a Keep Falling On My Head, they keep falling on my..." (Burt Bacharach); "I wandered lonely as a cloud" (Robert Burns); "It's only knock and know-all, but I like it" (Music/{{The Rolling Stones|Band}}), etc., etc.

* Music/GeorgeStrait's "Blue Clear Sky" got its seemingly-backwards title as a shout-out to ''Film/ForrestGump''.
* Music/{{GFRIEND}}'s [[https://youtu.be/9iPLjmz3_U4 Sunny Summer]] makes a recreation of Vermeer's {{painting|s}} "Art/GirlWithAPearlEarring" and a couple of references to Shakespeare's sonnets.

* "Down at the Twist and Shout" by Mary Chapin Carpenter (a song about her love of Cajun music) mentions the band [=BeauSoleil=]. [=BeauSoleil=] provided background vocals for the song.

* Music/{{Metallica}}'s "Leper Messiah" borrows the title from a line of Music/DavidBowie's "Ziggy Stardust". "Murder One" is named after Lemmy's amplifier, and filled with references to Music/{{Motorhead}} to honor the recently departed frontman.
* Method Man

** Music/JohnWilliams' score for ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'' has one for the Wicked Witch of the West's theme as Dooku is on a "flying scooter" - perhaps noting a parallel betwen that vehicle and a FlyingBroomstick.

* The Mooney Suzuki named themselves as a shout out to two former {{Music/Can}} vocalists: Malcolm '''Mooney''' and Damo '''Suzuki'''.

* Music/AlStewart has a lot:

* Stephanie Mabey's "The Zombie Love" is about a zombie woman who falls for a living man. Being a late 2000s, early 2010s song it [[UnintentionalPeriodPiece obviously]] references a certain book.
-->And all of your friends, they'd try to kill us. But only because they'd be jealous that our love is deeper than [[Literature/{{Twilight}} Edward and Bella's]].
* Rap-metal band Stuck Mojo drops comic references in its songs, including in "Here Comes The Monster" referencing ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk -- note reference to ''Bruce'' Banner, as in the comics, and not David Banner, as in the TV show:

* Music/RichardStrauss's symphonic poem "Ein Heldenleben" (A Hero's Life) has a section titled "The Hero's Works of Peace" which is mostly made out of {{Leitmotif}}s lifted out of Strauss's previous compositions. These include several each from Strauss's popular tone poems "Don Juan," "Don Quixote" and "Also Sprach Zarathustra," but the single most frequent source is his little-known first opera ''Guntram''.
* Music/{{Sublime}}

* Creator/WillSmith's "Gettin' Jiggy With It" references ''Series/TheJeffersons'', the Los Angeles Lakers, Oakland Raiders, and Shaquille O'Neal.

* Music/WuTangClan

* According to [[WordOfGod the band themselves]], the line "They stab it with their steely knives, but they just can't kill the beast" from the '''Music/{{Eagles}}''''[='=] "Music/HotelCalifornia" is a ShoutOut to Music/SteelyDan. This line was actually a response to "Everything You Did" by Steely Dan, which includes the line "Turn up the Eagles, the neighbors are listening".

* Eric B. and Rakim's "Microphone Fiend" is one of the most quoted songs in hip-hop. A lot of subsequent tracks have included the line "kick a hole in the speaker/pull the plug/and then jet" as a shout-out.
* AlternativeRock / PopPunk band Eve 6 named themselves after a character from the ''[[Series/TheXFiles X-Files]]'' episode "Eve".

* The Far East Movement song "Rocketeer" features references to ''Film/BackToTheFuture1'' ("Where we go, we don't need roads") and ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' ("we're on to next level, Super Mario").
* The band Fightstar did an entire concept album about ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', and it's actually not bad.

* [=fIREHOSE=]'s ''If'n'' is titled as a reference to Music/BobDylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" ("It ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe / If'n you don't know by now"). The cover art includes a photograph of Music/HuskerDu. Song titles include "For The Singer of {{Music/REM}}" and "In Memory of Elizabeth Cotten" (a folk/blues musician who died the year the album was released). The vinyl version has the entire track-list on the A-Side, so that the B-Side could feature [[Music/CreedenceClearwaterRevival John Fogerty's]] autograph as given to bassist Mike Watt.
* Music/FiveIronFrenzy's cover of "Sweet Talkin' Woman" ends with Reese Roper shouting "[[Music/ElectricLightOrchestra E.L.O.]], I have all your albums! Yes!"
** Also, a WholeSongReference in "A Flowery Song"--the chorus ''is'' the English Common Doxology.
* Music/FlamingLips "The Sun" features the line "It'd be so kind to see your face in my door", a slight variation on a lyric from Music/CaroleKing's "So Far Away" ("it'd be so ''fine'' to see your face in my door").

* "Wind Up" by Music/FooFighters namedrops "Manimal" by hardcore punk band Music/TheGerms in the chorus ("Want a song that's indelible, like 'Manimal'"). Somewhat interestingly former Germs member Pat Smear was playing with the Foo Fighters at the time.

* Franca Morgano - "Firewalker" has multiple shout-outs: "I can Walk on (the) Water (Catch) and I'm Walking in the Sky (DJ Encore), you just tumble in my footsteps when I'm walking Through the Fire (Chaka Khan)..."
* Music/FrankTurner loves employing this trope in many of his songs, but most obvious of all is in "Substitute". The first chorus references Shakespeare ("If music was the food of love...") and in the second references Music/TheBeatles ("If love is really all that we need...").
* Futuristic, ''Pound Cake (Remix)''

* Indie hip-hop group Furthermore ended their first album with "Melted Vinyl", which name-drops a downright ridiculous number of Creator/MarvelComics superheroes, then mentions a crossover with the Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica in the final verse.
* G-Eazy, ''California Culture''

* * Music/{{Garbage}} has a few:

* Galaxy Hunter's ''Quantum of Galaxy'' album is named after the James Bond film ''Film/QuantumOfSolace'', and the intro track has the line "I am Hunter, Galaxy Hunter" along with interpolating the 007 theme's progression.

* Spencer Owen's ''Uncaged'' references ''Franchise/HarryPotter'', Dumbledore, Hermione, Snape, and Susan Sarandon.

* Music/TomTomClub's "Genius of Love" name-drops several notable black musicians, namely (in lyrical order) Music/GeorgeClinton, Music/BootsyCollins, Smokey Robinson, Music/BobMarley, Jamaican rhythm section/production team Sly and Robbie, disco pioneer Hamilton Bohannon, rap pioneer Music/KurtisBlow, and Music/JamesBrown.
* Music/ToneLoc's ''Funky Cold Medina'' tells how "Just like Mick Jagger, ''I can't get no satisfaction''."

* In '''Chamillionaire'''[='=]s "Ridin'", there is a cassette tape deck and video output to a car TV monitor for one or more game consoles. "[=PlayStation=]" refers to the first Platform/PlayStation, or the Platform/PlayStation2, as the song came out in 2006. The video shows an Platform/{{Xbox}} controller.

** "HYFR" references Georgia State University, and George Strait, "All My Ex's Live in Texas".

* Dr. Hook's "On the Cover of ''Rolling Stone''" is a dream about what this rock group will do if they end up being pictured there.
* Dum Dum Girls have said their name was inspired both by the Music/IggyPop song "Dum Dum Boys" from ''Music/TheIdiot'' and the Vaselines song and album ''Dum Dum''. It's been speculated that vocalist Dee Dee Penny's StageName was inspired by [[Music/{{Ramones}} Dee Dee Ramone]], but she's denied this.
* In the 1995 [[Music/DuranDuran John Taylor]] album track "Anon" (from his solo album ''Feelings Are Good and Other Lies''), he sings, "As for Little Buddha/I like Creator/KeanuReeves." Keanu dated John's ex-wife Amanda de Cadenet shortly after the two divorced.
* Music/DuranDuran shoutouts:

** On their 1988 album ''Big Thing'', there's a song called "Lake Shore Driving", which is a ShoutOut to Chicago's Lake Shore Drive. Chicago is one of keyboardist Nick Rhodes's favorite cities.

* Dynamite Hack named themselves for a line of dialogue in ''{{Film/Caddyshack}}'' - At one point in the film, Carl Spackler offers Ty Webb some marijuana, which he refers to as "dynamite hack".
** "Dear Kate," is a somewhat tongue-in-cheek ode to British model Kate Moss - her last name is never mentioned, but it's made clear through specific references to magazines she's appeared in, as well as a nod to the controversy over her waifish appearance. There's also this line, describing how the narrator's friends don't understand his celebrity crush on her:

* According to [[WordOfGod the band themselves]], the line "They stab it with their steely knives, but they just can't kill the beast" from the Music/{{Eagles}}' "Music/HotelCalifornia" is a ShoutOut to Music/SteelyDan. This line was actually a response to "Everything You Did" by Steely Dan, which includes the line "Turn up the Eagles, the neighbors are listening".
* The refrain of Edge of Dawn's "Beyond The Gate" echoes the ending of ''Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey'' notably Bowman's descent into the sun and transformation into the Starchild: "I'm a suicidal planet and I'm aiming for the sun, all the gravity inside me will give way to a beautiful calm..." The title may reference the Star Gate. The band itself is named after a song from Music/{{Covenant}}'s first album.
* The electronic band Music/EgoLikeness is named after the holographic portraits from ''Franchise/{{Dune}}''.
* Eiffel 65's "My Console" references The Platform/PlayStation console, and some [=PS1=] era games: ''[[Franchise/{{Tekken}} Tekken 3]]'', ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'', ''VideoGame/GranTurismo'', ''VideoGame/OmegaBoost'', ''VideoGame/BloodyRoar'', ''VideoGame/TheXFilesGame'', ''VideoGame/RidgeRacer'', ''VideoGame/{{Oddworld}}'', and ''Winning Eleven''.
* DoomMetal group Electric Wizard named themselves after two Music/BlackSabbath songs, "'''Electric''' Funeral" and "The '''Wizard'''". They've made further Sabbath references with album artwork: their self-titled album renders their name in a very similar font to that seen on the cover of Black Sabbath's own self-titled album, while the front cover to the EP ''Legalise Drugs And Murder'' is nearly identical to that of Sabbath's ''Master Of Reality''. Outside of that, they're fond of referencing horror films, often via SpokenWordInMusic clips.
* Music/EazyE's "Boyz-n-the Hood" references the 1964 Chevrolet Impala, Bacardi, Guess jeans, and Eazy's friend Kilo G (not the rapper Kilo-G). The remix version's prologue references Music/{{NWA}}'s "Gangsta Gangsta".
* Music/ElvisCostello:
** The opening line to his song, "London's Brilliant Parade," "Outside my window..." is said in a very similar way to Music/{{Cream}}'s song, "World of Pain".
* Music/{{Eminem}}

* Music/SugarRay's "Fly" has the line "Twenty-five years old, my mother, God rest her soul." This is a direct reference to a line from Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Alone Again, Naturally", in which the mother's age was 65.

* Swashbuckle, a pirate-themed ThrashMetal band, begins their song "Cruise Ship Terror" with some dialogue that ends with "[[Music/{{Megadeth}} Take no prisoners, take no shit!]]" They also have a song, "We Are the Storm", is shouts out to Music/Alestorm and other FolkMetal bands.
* Teenage Fanclub named their album ''Thirteen'' after the Music/BigStar song of that name. Another nod to a Big Star song title was in the liner notes to ''Bandwagonesque'' - the "thank you" list had the heading "Thank You Friends".

* The name of the band '''Boys Don't Cry''' is sometimes assumed to be a reference to Music/TheCure song of that name - according to members, it's instead a reference to "I'm Not In Love" by Music/TenCC, which has a SpokenWordInMusic section where a woman repeats "big boys don't cry". As a nod to the misconception, Boys Don't Cry did release an instrumental song titled "The Cure".

* The lyrics to Music/DaftPunk's "Teachers" are essentially a long list of artists who have influenced them: the majority are [=DJs=] and producers involved in techno or house music, but a few less expected names being checked are Music/BrianWilson, Music/DrDre, and Music/GeorgeClinton.
* Danger Dan

* "Thin Line" by Dag Nasty ends with 30 straight seconds of the repeated lyric "I trusted you!". While still making sense in the context of the rest of lyrics, it also seems to be a nod to an Creator/AndyKaufman bit: Andy once appeared on variety show ''The Midnight Special'' and performed [[OverlyLongGag a deliberately repetitive three-minute rock song]] where the only lyric was "I trusted you!".
* HipHop producer Dan "The Automator" Nakamura is apparently a big fan of comedian/actor/writer Chris Elliott:
** His duo with fellow hip hop producer Prince Paul, Handsome Boy Modeling School, named themselves after a fictional modeling school from an episode of the Elliott-starring sitcom ''Get a Life'', and their album ''So... How's Your Girl?'' frequently used samples from the same episode. The pseudonym Nakamura used for the Handsome Boy Modeling School project was Nathaniel Merriweather, which was probably meant to sound similar to Nathaniel ''Mayweather'', Elliott's character in ''Film/CabinBoy''.
** Another ''Cabin Boy'' reference he made was titling a mix album ''Wanna Buy A Monkey?'', after dialogue from the film. His publishing company is Sharkman Music, referencing the ''Cabin Boy'' character Chockie, who is "half man, half shark"... Similarly, when he produced [[Music/KoolKeith Dr. Octagon]]'s "halfsharkalligatorhalfman", he included some dialogue about Chockie as SpokenWordInMusic.
* The first verse of Music/DavidBowie's "Music/TheManWhoSoldTheWorld" seems to be from the perspective of the ''other'' man in "Antigonish" (the one who wasn't there).
** Also, the Bowie album ''Music/DiamondDogs'' is riddled with {{Shout Out}}s to Creator/GeorgeOrwell's ''Literature/NineteenEightyFour''. Examples include the tracks "We Are The Dead", "1984" (of course), "Big Brother," and possibly "Rebel Rebel," which is sometimes thought to refer to the character Julia in the novel. Why all the shout outs? Well, [[WhatCouldHaveBeen Bowie originally wanted to make a musical based on]] ''Nineteen Eighty Four'' but couldn't get the rights from Mrs. Orwell, so he incorporated what he had written so far into a concept album.
** Bowie loves shout outs -- there's one right in the ''title'' of his first hit, [[Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey "Space Oddity"]].
* "Stuart" by Music/TheDeadMilkmen mentions "That Johnny Wurster kid that delivers papers in the neighborhood". The character in the song is named after Jon Wurster, a friend of the band best known for drumming for Music/{{Superchunk}}.

* Music/DeepPurple's song "The Mule" is based on a ''{{Franchise/Foundation}}'' story; "Literature/TheMule". The titular antagonist has MindControl and [[TheEmpath emotion-reading]] powers, and has Converted even his deadliest enemies into loyal servants.

* The verses in Def Leppard's "Rocket" contain references to the Rolling Stones, David Bowie (twice), Elton John (also twice), the Beatles, Thin Lizzy, Queen and others.
* Music/{{Deltron 3030}} weaves its own bizarre anime-inspired science-fictional continuity, but also drops liberal references to comics, anime, video games, and other nerd culture. Music/DelThaFunkeeHomoSapien has been known to do so in his solo work as well, one of the better examples being "Proto Culture," a love letter to classic video games.
* Some of Music/{{Diafrix}}'s tracks and music videos have references to [[Literature/WheresWally Wally]], Franchise/{{Superman}}, and other pop culture characters.
* Yo-Landi from Music/DieAntwoord is often seen with a [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Pikachu]]-Hoodie. Pikachu also is mentioned in the song Banana Brain.
* Dig's ''Defenders of the Universe'' includes songs titled [[Music/ElectricLightOrchestra "E.L.O."]] and "[[Music/BlackSabbath "White Sabbath"]].
* "Calling Elvis" by Music/DireStraits is a shout out to... well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin take a wild guess]].
* The Dismemberment Plan named themselves after an easily missed bit of dialogue from ''Film/GroundhogDay'': It's a phrase Ned Ryerson uses during one of the [[GroundhogDayLoop many times]] he attempts to sell Phil Connors insurance.
* A live atmosphere example: Music/{{Disturbed}} like to reference ''Film/SilenceOfTheLambs'', playing clips from it before certain songs. The most prominent example of this is the show entrance, which has the lead singer strapped down to a hand truck in a straight jacket, wheeled out on-stage by one of the road crew, dressed in a white coat.
* Numerous shout outs in Music/DoctorSteel's body of work. His song "The Dr. Steel Show" mentions and contains the tune of "[[Theatre/SouthPacific Bali Ha'i]]", referencing his secret island base. It also contains part of the tune of ''Series/HRPufnstuf'' (which also takes place on a mystical island). ''Spaceboy'' samples ''Music/AlsoSprachZarathustra''. The end of his song, ''Lullabye-bye'', contains the beginning of the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This". The opening lines of his song, ''Ode to Revenge'', are a very twisted version of Nat King Cole's "Nature Boy". The song "Land Of The Lost", itself an {{Homage}} to the Sid and Marty Krofft show, ''Series/LandOfTheLost1974'' has a literal shout out, with a sample of Creator/RitaMoreno's "HEY YOU GUYS!" from ''Series/TheElectricCompany1971''.
* Music/DoesItOffendYouYeah are named after dialogue spoken by David Brent in ''Series/TheOfficeUK'' - the full context of the line is "My drinking - does it offend you, yeah?". Also something of a LineOfSightName -before uploading some demo recordings online, they decided they'd name their band after the first thing they heard when they turned on the television, and that scene from the show happened to be what was playing.
* "[[Music/DonMcLean American Pie]]" has many. [[EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory Speculation]], [[EpilepticTrees sometimes really wrong]], on ''what'' is referenced is common.
* Music/{{Drake}}

** "Pop Style" references Channing Tatum, Chevrolet Tahoe, and Kawasaki motorcycles.

* On the subject of Dream Theater, the third movement of the song "Octavarium" is nothing but a gigantic list of well-placed shoutouts. The Other Wiki has a nice list right [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octavarium_(song)#III._Full_Circle here]].
* Music/DrDre's "Nuthin' but a "G" Thang" references Compton, Death Row Records, ''Film/{{Dolemite}}'', Dr. Dre, Evander Holyfield, Long Beach, and Snoop Dogg.

* Music/EricChurch's 2013 single "Like Jesus Does" is book-ended by the line "I'm a long-gone [[Music/WaylonJennings Waylon]] song on vinyl". The second verse also contains the line "[[Music/DonMcLean I'm a good ol' boy drinkin' whiskey and rye on the levee]]".

* Darryl [=McDaniels=], one-third of Music/RunDMC, started his own line of comic books, [[https://www.somosarte.com/darryl-makes-comics Darryl Makes Comics]].
* The British band Music/{{McFly}} is named after Marty [=McFly=] in the ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture'' trilogy.
* In "To Hell With Good Intentions", [=McLusky=] boast "We do more drugs than a touring funk band" - this is a play on a one-liner from Creator/BillHicks: "I don't do drugs anymore... [[LastSecondWordSwap than, say, the average touring funk band]]"

* "99 Red Balloons" by Nena references ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'':

** If you look at the German lyrics, it means that everyone ''thinks'' they are Captain Kirk - that they live in deluded states, really. Which is why they think 99 balloons are a nuclear threat.

* Music/PharrellWilliams' rock band side project is called N.E.R.D., and their symbol is the [[Franchise/StarTrek Vulcan salute]].

* Music/WeirdAlYankovic:

* The band Whirlwind Heat named themselves after the cover art to Music/SonicYouth's ''Goo''. Said album cover includes the following text: "I stole my sister's boyfriend. It was all '''whirlwind, heat,''' and flash. Within a week we killed our parents and hit the road"
* Music/JohnWilliams' theme to ''Film/CloseEncountersOfTheThirdKind'' plays "When You Wish Upon a Star" from Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}}'' quite clearly at one point. The tune is played as a message to the aliens at the end of the film.

* A Skylit Drive's first album ''Wires... and the Concept of Breathing'' contains various {{ShoutOut}}s to the ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' franchise.
* Music/KenAshcorp's "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6xRSafBV8o 20% Cooler]]" is basically one big reference to ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', as obvious by the title coming from a memetic line stated by Rainbow Dash. It shout-outs to the cartoon many times.
* {{Music/Ashnikko}}'s "Slumber Party" has the lyric "my girl look like [[Series/TheAddamsFamily Wednesday Addams]]". Meanwhile Princess Nokia's verse on the same song is mostly themed around early 2000s pop culture references - in order: [[{{Music/Nelly}} "Hot In Herre"]], [[Music/BritneySpears "I'm A Slave 4 U"]], ''Film/BringItOn'' [[note]]even calling herself a "Clover" and Ashnikko a "Toros", as in the competing cheerleader squads in the first movie[[/note]], and "Dip It Low" by Christina Milian [[note]]who was in a ''Bring It On'' movie, albeit one of the later direct to video sequels[[/note]].
* The [[ClassicCheatCode Konami Code]] was paid homage to by the band The Ataris by the song entitled just what the code was: "Up, Up, Down, Down, etc..."

** The band "The Gothsicles" produced an album, titled [=NESferatu=], that has a song (and several remixes) about the Konami Code and its giving you "thirty guys" in ''{{VideoGame/Contra}}''.

* The second verse of A7's "Piece of Heaven" has the line "Now I'm better off alone", a reference to Alice Deejay's hit "Better Off Alone", which uses the same instrumentation.
* Music/BadReligion's 2002 album, ''The Process of Belief'' has a line about "Milo went to college, but you knew about that," a ShoutOut to the Music/{{Descendents}}' album, ''Milo Goes to College''.
* Music/BarenakedLadies has lots of shout-outs, especially in their earlier albums.

* The 2012 Berlin show "Best of Musicals" included a Disney medley with "Poor Unfortunate Souls" (from ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989''). Whilst Ariel was singing as Ursula stole her voice, the actor for Ursula shouted "Sing, my Angel of Music!" This is not in the original; it's a reference to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yrAuc3tR3A the title song]] from ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'', where Christine sings similarly high note sequences upon the Phantom's urging.
* The Bevis Frond's ''Vavona Burr'' opens with the 30 second AlbumIntroTrack "Frond Cheer", a version of Country Joe And The Fish's "Fish Cheer" that spells "Frond" instead of "Fish". Country Joe [=McDonald=] gave ParodyAssistance by leading the cheer himself.

* Another band that seems fond of these is Music/BlindGuardian. Naming an album ''Music/ANightAtTheOpera'' after the Music/{{Queen}} album is a bit obvious for a Shout Out, but the song "Welcome to Dying" ends with "I spread my wings and fly away" repeated four times which, given that they covered Queen's "Spread Your Wings" and are huge Queen fans, is probably a Shout Out.

* Music/BlissNEso stuffed their track "Destiny Lane" with pop culture references. ''Film/AliceInWonderland2010'', the ''[[Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean Black Pearl]]'', Creator/WilliamShakespeare, Creator/EdgarAllanPoe, Creator/TimBurton, Music/TheBeatles, and the list goes on... Other tracks also contain references to ''Franchise/TheMatrix'' among other things.
* The Music/BlueOysterCult song "Revenge of Vera Gemini" contains the line "No More Horses, Horses, (We're going to swim like a fish)". This is a double reference to Music/PattiSmith's album ''Music/{{Horses}}'' and to the BOC's own song "Subhuman". Of course, the [[Music/PattiSmith co-writer of "Vera Gemini" sings co-vocals on this track...]]

* Bob Segarini recorded a song, "I Like the Beatles And My Baby Loves The Rolling Stones". It references songs by both bands, including "I Wanna be Your Man", which Music/TheBeatles gave to the Music/TheRollingStonesBand, as well as recording their own version.
* Music/BoneyM[='=]s famous "Oh, those Russians!" at the end of "Rasputin" is probably a shout-out to "Oh, those Turks!" in Eartha Kitt's performance of "Üsküdara" ("Kâtibim") -- a Turkish folk song [[SuspiciouslySimilarSong the melody of which forms the musical core of "Rasputin"]].
* Music/BonJovi, "It's My Life": "My heart is like an open highway, like [[Music/FrankSinatra Frankie]] said, 'I did it my way!'". When Music/PaulAnka, lyricist of "Music/MyWay", covered the song, it was changed to "He did it My Way".
* The name of the band '''Boys Don't Cry''' is sometimes assumed to be a reference to Music/TheCure song of that name - according to members, it's instead a reference to "I'm Not In Love" by 10CC, which has a SpokenWordInMusic section where a woman repeats "big boys don't cry". As a nod to the misconception, Boys Don't Cry did release an instrumental song titled "The Cure".

* In Music/CatherineWheel's 1995 song "Hole", the first lyrics of the chorus are "Always the pretty songs for us to sing along and get fucked up", which bears a similarity to the chorus of "In Bloom" by Music/{{Nirvana}}. (Probably the most common interpretation of this song is that it's about the death of Kurt Cobain.)

* In Chamillionaire's "Ridin'", there is a cassette tape deck and video output to a car TV monitor for one or more game consoles. "[=PlayStation=]" refers to the first Platform/PlayStation, or the Platform/PlayStation2, as the song came out in 2006. The video shows an Platform/{{Xbox}} controller.

* The works of Music/CharlesIves are full of {{Shout Out}}s - particularly to marches, hymns, folk songs, and school fight songs.
* Music/ChildishGambino is full of nerdy references, including to ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'' in "Bonfire" and ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' in "Not Going Back". He also acted in ''Film/TheMartian'', ''Film/{{Solo}}'', and ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'', and is the voice of ComicBook/MilesMorales in season 3 of ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan2012''.
* Chilly Kids' "At The Ice Arcade" references ''VideoGame/{{Asteroids}}'', ''VideoGame/{{Berzerk}}'', ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong'', Grandmaster Flash, "The Message", ''VideoGame/PacMan'', Main/{{Pinball}}, and ''VideoGame/SpaceInvaders''.
* Music/TheClash's version of "Police And Thieves" starts with Joe Strummer ad-libbing "Going through a tight wind!", which is a lyric from "Blitzkrieg Bop" by the Music/{{Ramones}}. It's possibly the earliest musical shout out the Ramones ever got, as the Clash song only came out a year after the first Ramones album.
* Music/LloydCole's "Rattlesnakes" uses a little name-dropping to establish character:

* "Brimful of Asha" by Music/{{Cornershop}} is a tribute to Indian FilmiMusic. The title is a reference to playback singer Asha Bhosle; she's also name-checked in the lyrics, as are playback singers Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar. The song later references All India Radio (a public broadcast outlet) and non-Indian musicians presumably played there, such as French singer Jacques Dutronc and "the Bolan Boogie" (the name of a compilation album by [[Music/MarcBolan T. Rex]]).
* Denzel Curry's "ULTIMATE" references ''Film/DirtyHarry'', ''Anime/DragonBallZ'', the Glock pistol, and [[IAmSpartacus Spartacus]].
* The video for Music/CyndiLauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" ends with a recreation of the stateroom scene from the Creator/TheMarxBrothers' movie ''Film/ANightAtTheOpera''.

* The video to the Music/{{INXS}} track "Mediate" is a homage to the "Subterranean Homesick Blues" section of the Music/BobDylan {{rockumentary}} ''Film/DontLookBack''.
* Ivan Ives, ''Villain''

* The title of Music/DariusRucker's second country album (and third solo album), ''Charleston, SC 1966'', is a shout-out to Radney Foster, one of the main influences on Rucker's country career. Foster's debut album, which Rucker said "showed me the possibilities of country music", was named after Foster's birthplace and year of birth: ''Del Rio, TX 1959''. One guess as to where and in what year Rucker was born.
* "Road Trip" by Scottish folk-rock band Runrig includes a paraphrase of Music/BruceSpringsteen with the line "'Cause, baby, tramps like us were born with the ''cianalas''" (Gaelic for homesickness).
* The end of Music/{{Rush|Band}}'s "The Spirit of Radio" has a spoof of the last line of Music/SimonAndGarfunkel's "The Sound of Silence".
* RZA's "And Justice For All" references Ghostface Killah, "Can It Be All So Simple", ''Film/FullMetalJacket'', ''Comicbook/GhostRider'', ''Film/InTheHeatOfTheNight'', Julius Erving, ''Series/{{MASH}}'', ''Series/{{Roots|1977}}'', and ''Series/TrapperJohnMD''.
* Almost [[OnceAnEpisode Once An Album]], Music/{{Sabaton}} has a song made entirely of references to other metal songs, bands or lyrics.
* Music/{{Sade}}'s song ''Smooth Operator'' has the following lyrics:

* Seth Gueko, ''Barre de Fer''
-->Du coup j'crève mes ballons, j'me console avec ma Platform/{{Super Nintendo|EntertainmentSystem}}

* In Music/TheSmashingPumpkins' song "If There Is a God", the singer ponders that if there were a God, He'd like "his loud guitars and his [[Music/TheRiseAndFallOfZiggyStardustAndTheSpidersFromMars spiders from Mars]]".
* Music/SnoopDogg

* South Park Mexican

* Solarstone's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1E8DUibDUSo "The Last Defeat, Part 2"]], in addition to being stylistically reminiscent of Music/SarahMcLachlan, includes the lyric "A Sweet Surrender".

* A Skylit Drive's first album ''Wires... and the Concept of Breathing'' contains various {{ShoutOut}}s to the ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' franchise.
* Music/KenAshcorp's "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6xRSafBV8o 20% Cooler]]" is basically one big reference to ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', as obvious by the title coming from a memetic line stated by Rainbow Dash. It shout-outs to the cartoon many times.
* {{Music/Ashnikko}}'s "Slumber Party" has the lyric "my girl look like [[Series/TheAddamsFamily Wednesday Addams]]". Meanwhile Princess Nokia's verse on the same song is mostly themed around early 2000s pop culture references - in order: [[{{Music/Nelly}} "Hot In Herre"]], [[Music/BritneySpears "I'm A Slave 4 U"]], ''Film/BringItOn'' [[note]]even calling herself a "Clover" and Ashnikko a "Toros", as in the competing cheerleader squads in the first movie[[/note]], and "Dip It Low" by Christina Milian [[note]]who was in a ''Bring It On'' movie, albeit one of the later direct to video sequels[[/note]].
* The [[ClassicCheatCode Konami Code]] was paid homage to by the band The Ataris by the song entitled just what the code was: "Up, Up, Down, Down, etc..."

** The band "The Gothsicles" produced an album, titled [=NESferatu=], that has a song (and several remixes) about the Konami Code and its giving you "thirty guys" in ''{{VideoGame/Contra}}''.

* The second verse of A7's "Piece of Heaven" has the line "Now I'm better off alone", a reference to Alice Deejay's hit "Better Off Alone", which uses the same instrumentation.
* Music/BadReligion's 2002 album, ''The Process of Belief'' has a line about "Milo went to college, but you knew about that," a ShoutOut to the Music/{{Descendents}}' album, ''Milo Goes to College''.
* Music/BarenakedLadies has lots of shout-outs, especially in their earlier albums.

* The 2012 Berlin show "Best of Musicals" included a Disney medley with "Poor Unfortunate Souls" (from ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989''). Whilst Ariel was singing as Ursula stole her voice, the actor for Ursula shouted "Sing, my Angel of Music!" This is not in the original; it's a reference to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yrAuc3tR3A the title song]] from ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'', where Christine sings similarly high note sequences upon the Phantom's urging.
* The Bevis Frond's ''Vavona Burr'' opens with the 30 second AlbumIntroTrack "Frond Cheer", a version of Country Joe And The Fish's "Fish Cheer" that spells "Frond" instead of "Fish". Country Joe [=McDonald=] gave ParodyAssistance by leading the cheer himself.

* Another band that seems fond of these is Music/BlindGuardian. Naming an album ''Music/ANightAtTheOpera'' after the Music/{{Queen}} album is a bit obvious for a Shout Out, but the song "Welcome to Dying" ends with "I spread my wings and fly away" repeated four times which, given that they covered Queen's "Spread Your Wings" and are huge Queen fans, is probably a Shout Out.

* Music/BlissNEso stuffed their track "Destiny Lane" with pop culture references. ''Film/AliceInWonderland2010'', the ''[[Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean Black Pearl]]'', Creator/WilliamShakespeare, Creator/EdgarAllanPoe, Creator/TimBurton, Music/TheBeatles, and the list goes on... Other tracks also contain references to ''Franchise/TheMatrix'' among other things.
* The Music/BlueOysterCult song "Revenge of Vera Gemini" contains the line "No More Horses, Horses, (We're going to swim like a fish)". This is a double reference to Music/PattiSmith's album ''Music/{{Horses}}'' and to the BOC's own song "Subhuman". Of course, the [[Music/PattiSmith co-writer of "Vera Gemini" sings co-vocals on this track...]]

* Bob Segarini recorded a song, "I Like the Beatles And My Baby Loves The Rolling Stones". It references songs by both bands, including "I Wanna be Your Man", which Music/TheBeatles gave to the Music/TheRollingStonesBand, as well as recording their own version.
* Music/BoneyM[='=]s famous "Oh, those Russians!" at the end of "Rasputin" is probably a shout-out to "Oh, those Turks!" in Eartha Kitt's performance of "Üsküdara" ("Kâtibim") -- a Turkish folk song [[SuspiciouslySimilarSong the melody of which forms the musical core of "Rasputin"]].
* Music/BonJovi, "It's My Life": "My heart is like an open highway, like [[Music/FrankSinatra Frankie]] said, 'I did it my way!'". When Music/PaulAnka, lyricist of "Music/MyWay", covered the song, it was changed to "He did it My Way".
* The name of the band '''Boys Don't Cry''' is sometimes assumed to be a reference to Music/TheCure song of that name - according to members, it's instead a reference to "I'm Not In Love" by 10CC, which has a SpokenWordInMusic section where a woman repeats "big boys don't cry". As a nod to the misconception, Boys Don't Cry did release an instrumental song titled "The Cure".

* In Music/CatherineWheel's 1995 song "Hole", the first lyrics of the chorus are "Always the pretty songs for us to sing along and get fucked up", which bears a similarity to the chorus of "In Bloom" by Music/{{Nirvana}}. (Probably the most common interpretation of this song is that it's about the death of Kurt Cobain.)

* In Chamillionaire's "Ridin'", there is a cassette tape deck and video output to a car TV monitor for one or more game consoles. "[=PlayStation=]" refers to the first Platform/PlayStation, or the Platform/PlayStation2, as the song came out in 2006. The video shows an Platform/{{Xbox}} controller.

* The works of Music/CharlesIves are full of {{Shout Out}}s - particularly to marches, hymns, folk songs, and school fight songs.
* Music/ChildishGambino is full of nerdy references, including to ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'' in "Bonfire" and ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' in "Not Going Back". He also acted in ''Film/TheMartian'', ''Film/{{Solo}}'', and ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'', and is the voice of ComicBook/MilesMorales in season 3 of ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan2012''.
* Chilly Kids' "At The Ice Arcade" references ''VideoGame/{{Asteroids}}'', ''VideoGame/{{Berzerk}}'', ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong'', Grandmaster Flash, "The Message", ''VideoGame/PacMan'', Main/{{Pinball}}, and ''VideoGame/SpaceInvaders''.
* Music/TheClash's version of "Police And Thieves" starts with Joe Strummer ad-libbing "Going through a tight wind!", which is a lyric from "Blitzkrieg Bop" by the Music/{{Ramones}}. It's possibly the earliest musical shout out the Ramones ever got, as the Clash song only came out a year after the first Ramones album.
* Music/LloydCole's "Rattlesnakes" uses a little name-dropping to establish character:

* "Brimful of Asha" by Music/{{Cornershop}} is a tribute to Indian FilmiMusic. The title is a reference to playback singer Asha Bhosle; she's also name-checked in the lyrics, as are playback singers Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar. The song later references All India Radio (a public broadcast outlet) and non-Indian musicians presumably played there, such as French singer Jacques Dutronc and "the Bolan Boogie" (the name of a compilation album by [[Music/MarcBolan T. Rex]]).
* Denzel Curry's "ULTIMATE" references ''Film/DirtyHarry'', ''Anime/DragonBallZ'', the Glock pistol, and [[IAmSpartacus Spartacus]].
* The video for Music/CyndiLauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" ends with a recreation of the stateroom scene from the Creator/TheMarxBrothers' movie ''Film/ANightAtTheOpera''.

* The video to the Music/{{INXS}} track "Mediate" is a homage to the "Subterranean Homesick Blues" section of the Music/BobDylan {{rockumentary}} ''Film/DontLookBack''.
* Ivan Ives, ''Villain''

* The title of Music/DariusRucker's second country album (and third solo album), ''Charleston, SC 1966'', is a shout-out to Radney Foster, one of the main influences on Rucker's country career. Foster's debut album, which Rucker said "showed me the possibilities of country music", was named after Foster's birthplace and year of birth: ''Del Rio, TX 1959''. One guess as to where and in what year Rucker was born.
* "Road Trip" by Scottish folk-rock band Runrig includes a paraphrase of Music/BruceSpringsteen with the line "'Cause, baby, tramps like us were born with the ''cianalas''" (Gaelic for homesickness).
* The end of Music/{{Rush|Band}}'s "The Spirit of Radio" has a spoof of the last line of Music/SimonAndGarfunkel's "The Sound of Silence".
* RZA's "And Justice For All" references Ghostface Killah, "Can It Be All So Simple", ''Film/FullMetalJacket'', ''Comicbook/GhostRider'', ''Film/InTheHeatOfTheNight'', Julius Erving, ''Series/{{MASH}}'', ''Series/{{Roots|1977}}'', and ''Series/TrapperJohnMD''.
* Almost [[OnceAnEpisode Once An Album]], Music/{{Sabaton}} has a song made entirely of references to other metal songs, bands or lyrics.
* Music/{{Sade}}'s song ''Smooth Operator'' has the following lyrics:

* Seth Gueko, ''Barre de Fer''
-->Du coup j'crève mes ballons, j'me console avec ma Platform/{{Super Nintendo|EntertainmentSystem}}

* In Music/TheSmashingPumpkins' song "If There Is a God", the singer ponders that if there were a God, He'd like "his loud guitars and his [[Music/TheRiseAndFallOfZiggyStardustAndTheSpidersFromMars spiders from Mars]]".
* Music/SnoopDogg

* South Park Mexican

* Solarstone's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1E8DUibDUSo "The Last Defeat, Part 2"]], in addition to being stylistically reminiscent of Music/SarahMcLachlan, includes the lyric "A Sweet Surrender".

* Arthur Conley's "Sweet Soul Music" (itself a retool of Music/SamCooke's "Yeah Man") does several shout outs, where he says "Spotlight on" and names the singer and some part of the lyrics they've used or their style. He mention Lou Rawls, James Brown, Wilson "Wicked" Pickett, and, on Otis Redding's segment, has the horn section play the chorus from Redding's "Sad Song (Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa)" at a faster tempo.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sp3JOzcpBds For your]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhCoDd21QpE listening pleasure]].
** Tower of Power are into this to an obnoxious level, including a ShoutOut to this very song in "Soul With a Capital S". "Diggin' on Music/JamesBrown" is another example.

* In "Stronger", Music/BritneySpears calls back to "Baby One More Time": "My loneliness ain't killing me no more!"
** Also in "Inside Out" she has "You're the only one who drives me crazy" and "Hit me one more time it's so amazing" mentioned of cause her previous hit singles (You Drive Me) Crazy! and "Baby One More Time".

* Music/ChrisBrown's "Look At Me Now" references Cîroc vodka, Creator/CirqueDuSoleil, ''Series/GuidingLight'', ''Film/TheKarateKid'', Lamborghini, Music/LLCoolJ, and Sprite.

* Spandau Ballet's song "True" has a line "Listen' to Marvin [Gaye] all night long. "

* Music/StevieWonder's "Sir Duke" from ''Music/SongsInTheKeyOfLife'' has a lot of references to 1940s musicians (names not appearing in the lyrics in square brackets):
-->Music knows it is and always will \\
Be one of the things that life just won't quit\\
But here are some of music's pioneers\\
That time will not allow us to forget\\
For there's [Count] Basie, [Glenn] Miller, [Louis] "Satchmo" [Armstrong]\\
And the king of all Sir Duke [Ellington]\\
And with a voice like Ella [Fitzgerald]'s ringing out\\
There's no way the band can lose

* '''Anotha Level''', ''Let Me Take Ya''
-->Because I don't smoke crack jack just fat sacks of indo \\
I'll whoop your ass with [[Franchise/StreetFighter Ken]] on my [[Platform/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem Super Nintendo]]

* "Aliens on Earth" by 32Crash lifts its main chorus lyric from the title and refrain of Music/PublicEnemy's "Party For Your Right to Fight", which itself was a shout-out to Music/TheBeastieBoys' "Fight for Your Right to Party".
* Music/FiftyCent

* Anotha Level, ''Let Me Take Ya''

* The 69 Eyes' "Wasting the Dawn" is a tribute to [[Music/TheDoors Jim Morrison]] and naturally includes some references to Music/TheDoors lyrics and details about his life: The title is a reference to The Doors' "The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)", which includes the lyric "No eternal reward will forgive us now for '''wasting the dawn'''". The song also addresses Morrison as a "little bird of prey" and "the lizard", references to "Bird of Prey" and "Not to Touch The Earth" [[note]]"I am the lizard king, I can do anything"[[/note]]. The lines "Forgetting the night, darkest July, Paris '71" refer to the time and place Jim Morrison died. Finally, the music video includes scenes of [[{{Music/HIM}} Vile Valo]] dressed as Jim and possibly portraying his ghost.
* Afroman's "Crazy Rap (Colt 45)" references Creator/CheechAndChong, Cadillac Coupe Deville, Music/DollyParton, ''Theatre/DrivingMissDaisy'', Hawaiian Punch, Hennessy, UsefulNotes/KentuckyFriedChicken, and Palmdale.

* On Music/{{Alabama}}'s "Southern Star", after the line "Let my mind just go and drift away", the guitarist plays the riff from "Drift Away" by Dobie Gray.
* Music/BeastieBoys:
** ''Flowin' Prose'' references Gandhi, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Toucan Sam.
** Their music contains [[https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Trek_parodies_and_pop_culture_references_(music)#Beastie_Boys quite a few references to]] ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries''.
* As far back as the 80's, Big Daddy Kane referred to his style as "Transformin' on stage like a [[Franchise/{{Transformers}} Decepticon]]."
* Music/BigSean's "Supa Dupa" references Music/EltonJohn, Music/{{Jojo}}, Creator/LindsayLohan, Music/MichaelJackson, UsefulNotes/MichaelJordan, ''Franchise/MortalKombat'', ''Franchise/{{Robocop}}'', ''Series/{{Roots|1977}}'', ''Literature/TheSilenceOfTheLambs'', ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', and ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros''.
* CB Radio's ''True Loves'' references John Wilkes Booth, [=MacBook=], and Toucan Sam
* Music/ThreeDoorsDown's song "Kryptonite" is obviously a ComicBook/{{Superman}} reference. The music video is even about superheroes.
* ''Acid Mothers Temple'' are fond of titling their albums or songs with punning references to their influences. A few of the more prominent examples:
** ''Absolutely Freak Out (Zap Your Mind!!)'' mashes up the titles of two [[Music/FrankZappa Mothers Of Invention]] albums, ''Music/AbsolutelyFree'' and ''Music/FreakOut''.

** ''Son Of A Bitches Brew'' is a play on Music/MilesDavis' ''Music/BitchesBrew'', with [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son_of_a_Bitches_Brew#mediaviewer/File:Son_Of_A_Bitches_Brew_-_Album_Cover.jpg another homage cover]].

* Music/AdamAndTheAnts' ''Cleopatra'' has a reference to the film Film/{{Cleopatra}}, and what a disappointment it was

* Music/{{Aerosmith}}'s "Livin' On The Edge" includes a nod to the refrain of "You're A Better Man Than I" by The Yardbirds:

* The Music/{{Air|Band}} instrumental "Mike Mills" is named after the director responsible for many of their music videos (not to be confused with the Music/{{REM}} bassist of the same name).
* The video for Music/{{aha}}'s "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3ir9HC9vYg The Sun Always Shines On TV]]" features an orchestra of mannequins, a nod to Music/{{Kraftwerk}}'s [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXa9tXcMhXQ "The Robots"]], which had robotic likenesses of the band singing and playing the instruments.
* The bridge of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqlsCNCwOEc Put Your Hands Up]] by Alex featuring Marwa references Music/MichaelJackson's "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough", The Supremes' "Stop in the Name of Love", and a melodic hook from the refrain of Dead or Alive's "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)".
* Music/JasonAldean's 2013 single "1994" repeatedly name-drops 1990s country hitmaker Music/JoeDiffie and several of his song titles.
* Music/AltJ's song "Breezeblocks" references ''Literature/WhereTheWildThingsAre'' at least twice. The song has the line "Do you know where the wild things go? They go along to take your honey" and later the ending chorus says "Please don't go - I'll eat you whole - I love you so, I love you so, I love you so" in reference to the books line "Oh please don't go - we'll eat you up - we love you so!"
* ''Music/TheAntlers'' have a song titled "Sylvia". Here are a few lines from the chorus; you get three chances to guess [[Creator/SylviaPlath who]] it's a shout out to, but you'll only need one.

* Music/{{AOA}}'s "Get Out" MV has all the members cosplaying as several female characters to promote female empowerment - Choa as [[Film/LegallyBlonde Elle Woods]], Jimin as [[Film/TheProfessional Mathilda]], Yuna as [[Film/LaraCroftTombRaider Lara Croft]], Youkyung as [[Film/TheFifthElement Leeloo]], Hyejeong as [[Film/KillBill The Bride]], Mina as [[Film/BreakfastAtTiffanys Holly Golightly]], Seolhyun as [[Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet Juliet]] (the 1968 version with Creator/OliviaHussey) and Chanmi as [[Film/HarryPotter Hermione]].
* "Stop the Rock" by Music/Apollo440 has "Dancing like Music/{{Madonna}}, [[Film/DesperatelySeekingSusan into the groove]]". The title may also reference "Don't Stop The Rock" by Freestyle.
* Apoptygma Berzerk - Incompatible: "[[Film/TheMatrix I ate the red pill, no turning back]]".
** Similarly, in "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)" by Music/FlorenceAndTheMachine:

* The Aquabats love cramming shout-outs into their songs however they can. Examples include:
** "Idiot Box!" includes references to Casper the Friendly Ghost, WesternAnimation/ScoobyDoo, Mr. Magoo, WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse, and and an off-hand allusion to Marc Antony's monologue in ''Theatre/JuliusCaesar''.

* Boney M.'s famous "Oh, those Russians!" at the end of "Rasputin" is probably a shout-out to "Oh, those Turks!" in Eartha Kitt's performance of "Üsküdara" ("Kâtibim") - a Turkish folk song [[SuspiciouslySimilarSong the melody of which forms the musical core of "Rasputin"]].

* The name of the band Boys Don't Cry is sometimes assumed to be a reference to Music/TheCure song of that name - according to members, it's instead a reference to "I'm Not In Love" by 10CC, which has a SpokenWordInMusic section where a woman repeats "big boys don't cry". As a nod to the misconception, Boys Don't Cry did release an instrumental song titled "The Cure".
* "Ready or Not" by Bridget Mendler contains the lines "I could be your kryptonite", referencing ComicBook/{{Superman}}.

* Music/BuiltToSpill's "Distopian Dream Girl" includes the lyrics:

* Butter 08's "Dagobrah" is named after Dagobah, the [[SingleBiomePlanet swamp planet]] from Franchise/StarWars: The altered spelling is possibly for the sake of WritingAroundTrademarks, though the added "r" is distinctly pronounced in the chorus. Since it's a HardcorePunk pastiche, the song also parodies the spoken word section from Music/MinorThreat's "Out Of Step":

* Buzzoven have admitted their name is a double {{Music/Melvins}} shout out - the name of Melvins vocalist/guitarist Buzz Osborne (sometimes credited as King Buzzo) plus their song "Oven".
* Rapper Music/{{Cage}} originally went by the name '''Alex''', as a nod to ''Film/AClockworkOrange''. His single "Agent Orange" sampled Wendy Carlos' score from that film. ''Film/TheyLive'' is referenced in the artwork for his album ''Movies for the Blind''. [[Music/DeadKennedys Jello Biafra]], doing an imitation of [[UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush The Dubya]], says "I'll Fuck Anything That Moves!", quoting Dennis Hopper's character from ''Film/BlueVelvet''.
* Italian rapper Music/{{Caparezza}} made a song about improving as an artist, that is, going to "the next level". Of course, it includes many references to video games from ''VideoGame/{{Arkanoid}}'' to ''VideoGame/WonderBoy''. Oh, and the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od--00x73E8 video]] is a giant homage to ''Film/{{Tron}}''.
* During the fade-out of Music/CaptainAndTennille's cover of Music/NeilSedaka's "Love Will Keep Us Together", Toni Tennille sings "Sedaka is back!", acknowledging both Sedaka's co-authorship of the song and his then-ongoing comeback in the 1970s.
* Music/TheCardigans' "Heartbreaker" has an intro that sounds a lot like "Black Sabbath" by Music/BlackSabbath, and at the end of the song that same part is reprised, with Nina Persson saying "Oh no, please God help me" in the same way Ozzy did in that song. As unlikely as it might seem, the band are all fans of Ozzy-era Music/BlackSabbath, and have also done covers of "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" and "Iron Man".
* Music/EricCarmen's "Make Me Lose Control" has the line:
-->Jennifer's singing ''Stand by Me'' / And she knows every single word by heart

* Music/ToriAmos has given shout outs to Creator/NeilGaiman in many of her songs:
** "If you need me, me and neil'll be hangin' out with the DREAM KING / Neil says hi by the way," in "Tear in Your Hand".
** "Get me Neil on the line. No, I can't hold. Have him read 'Snow Glass Apples' where nothing is what it seems," in "Carbon" refers to Gaiman's short story, "Snow, Glass, Apples".
** "Seems I keep getting this story twisted so where's Neil when you need him," in "Space Dog".
** "and if there is a way to find you, I will find you. but will you find me if Neil makes me a tree," in "Horses" refers to [[http://www.hereinmyhead.com/neil/plug.html a deal between Tori and Gaiman]] during his writing of ''Stardust''.
** "Got a sister named Desire...Teach me about them old worlds big brother," in "A Sister Named Desire".
** "Where are the Velvets?" in "Hotel" refer to characters from ''Neverwhere''.
** "Wednesday...so we go from year to year with secrets we've been keeping..." in "Wednesday," referring to the character in ''American Gods''.
** "Neil is thrilled he can claim he's mammalian/'But the bad news,' he said, 'Girl, you're a dandelion.'" in "Not Dying Today".
** She also includes him in the album credits of ''From the Choirgirl Hotel'', ''Scarlet's Walk'', ''Strange Little Girls'', ''Under the Pink'', and ''To Venus and Back''.
** Also, a shoutout to Music/NineInchNails in "Precious Things": "With their nine inch nails and little fascist panties..."

* The fourth movement from Music/JohannesBrahms' Symphony No. 1 in C minor contains a very obvious shout out to Music/LudwigVanBeethoven's ''Ode to Joy'' -- written into the Symphony when Music/RobertSchumann named Brahms "the second Beethoven". After the Symphony was finished (it only took Brahms 14 years to write it) Hans von Bulow dubbed it "Beethoven's Tenth". When told the two symphonies bore a certain similarity, Brahms replied, "Any ass can see that."

* "Brimful of Asha" by Music/{{Cornershop}} is a tribute to Indian FilmiMusic. The title is a reference to playback singer Asha Bhosle; she's also name-checked in the lyrics, as are playback singers Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar. The song later references All India Radio (a public broadcast outlet) and non-Indian musicians presumably played there, such as French singer Jacques Dutronc and "the Bolan Boogie" (the name of a compilation album by [[Music/MarcBolan T. Rex]].

I'll whoop your ass with [[Franchise/StreetFighter Ken]] on my [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem Super Nintendo]]

* In Chamillionaire's "Ridin'", there is a cassette tape deck and video output to a car TV monitor for one or more game consoles. "[=PlayStation=]" refers to the first UsefulNotes/PlayStation, or the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2, as the song came out in 2006. The video shows an UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}} controller.

-->Im Grunde will ich lieber ''[[VideoGame/MarioKart Mario Kart]]'' auf dem [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem Super Nintendo]] spielen \\\

-->Heute will ich nur noch 'n Fuffi Weed und ein UsefulNotes/{{Super Nintendo|EntertainmentSystem}} \\\
Ich will einen alten UsefulNotes/GameBoy, mit ''VideoGame/SuperMarioLand'' und ''VideoGame/{{Tetris}}''

* Eiffel 65's "My Console" references The UsefulNotes/PlayStation console, and some [=PS1=] era games: ''[[Franchise/{{Tekken}} Tekken 3]]'', ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'', ''VideoGame/GranTurismo'', ''VideoGame/OmegaBoost'', ''VideoGame/BloodyRoar'', ''VideoGame/TheXFilesGame'', ''VideoGame/RidgeRacer'', ''VideoGame/{{Oddworld}}'', and ''Winning Eleven''.

In a [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem Super Nintendo]], UsefulNotes/Nintendo64 that's that ''VideoGame/MarioKart'' shit \\

Playing UsefulNotes/{{Super Nintendo|EntertainmentSystem}}, ''Franchise/StreetFighter''

Playin dat [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem Super Nintendo]] \\

-->Meu bom velhinho me manda um UsefulNotes/{{Atari|2600}} se der \\

Criança feliz tinha que ter [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem Super Nintendo]] \\\

Cause like a UsefulNotes/{{Super Nintendo|EntertainmentSystem}}, I got my [[UsefulNotes/The16bitEraOfConsoleVideoGames 16 bit]]
* Jared Evan, ''Super Nintendo (Outerlude)'': Video shows ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'' in an [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]].

UsefulNotes/{{SuperNintendo|EntertainmentSystem}}, yea \\

UsefulNotes/{{Super Nintendo|EntertainmentSystem}} \\

I play too much UsefulNotes/{{Super Nintendo|EntertainmentSystem}} \\

I'm not playin' games, nigga [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 PS2]] bitch \\
Don't play games, I got [[UsefulNotes/Xbox360 Xbox 3-6-Oh]], yes \\\

I got [[UsefulNotes/Xbox360 360 games on my XBox]] \\
Hundred million games on my [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation PS]] \\
Hundred million games on my [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 2]], bitch \\\

I told y'all I've been on them motherfuckin' games since the [[UsefulNotes/SEGAGenesis Sega Genesis]] \\
UsefulNotes/{{Super Nintendo|EntertainmentSystem}}, y'kna mean? UsefulNotes/{{Atari|2600}}, UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast, y'kna mean? \\
[[UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 PS2]] nigga, [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation PSOne]], y'kna mean? All that shit man, super fun \\

$50, oh my fucking god I don't give a fuck, [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 PS2]], $50 games? Hahaha \\

[[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem Super Nintendo]] \\

On the [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem Super Nintendo]], so please tell me where did this time go?

* Music/TheNotorious BIG's "Juicy" references the battle between the UsefulNotes/{{Super Nintendo|EntertainmentSystem}} and UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis in the UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars, often given a Shout Out:
-->UsefulNotes/{{Super Nintendo|EntertainmentSystem}}, UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis \\

With the UsefulNotes/{{Super Nintendo|EntertainmentSystem}}, UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis

--->On this UsefulNotes/{{Super Nintendo|EntertainmentSystem}} I go so hard \\

--->UsefulNotes/{{Super Nintendo|EntertainmentSystem}}, UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis \\

Back to my UsefulNotes/{{Super Nintendo|EntertainmentSystem}}, UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis days.

-->I want a UsefulNotes/{{Super Nintendo|EntertainmentSystem}} ... yeah, UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis, yeah \\

Was that I’d have a UsefulNotes/{{Super Nintendo|EntertainmentSystem}} but not a [[UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis Genesis]]

--->Full crib, UsefulNotes/{{Super Nintendo|EntertainmentSystem}}, UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis \\

--->UsefulNotes/{{Super Nintendo|EntertainmentSystem}}, UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis \\

-->No tours and shit, no UsefulNotes/{{Super Nintendo|EntertainmentSystem}}, but I got cartridges

Spending the night. And we playin' UsefulNotes/{{Super Nintendo|EntertainmentSystem}}

-->Du coup j'crève mes ballons, j'me console avec ma UsefulNotes/{{Super Nintendo|EntertainmentSystem}}

-->Synapsy stymulowane [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem Super Nintendo]] \\

I been producing since ''VideoGame/MarioPaint'' on the UsefulNotes/{{Super Nintendo|EntertainmentSystem}}.

* [=SpongeBOZZ=]'s ''Streetfighter'' references UsefulNotes/{{Super Nintendo|EntertainmentSystem}}, Jack in ''[[Franchise/{{Tekken}} Tekken 6]]'', Ryu and Ken in ''Franchise/StreetFighter'', ''Film/FightClub'', Creator/HeathLedger, ''Film/KissOfTheDragon'', ''Film/OngBak'', Creator/JohnWoo, Creator/JackieChan, Creator/BruceLee, and ''Franchise/MortalKombat''.

* Music/ThousandFootKrutch's song "I Get Wicked" has the line "P.S.: Don't play me like a [[UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS 3DS]]."

-->Getting a [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem Super Nintendo]] was a thing in your dreams \\

-->Team [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem Super Nintendo]], I never played [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Sonic]] as a youth \\

** "Johanna's Chopper" mentions "Franchise/{{Superman}}'s magic train"

* Music/LilWayne's "10,000 Bars" references ''Film/AustinPowers'', Big Daddy Kane, Music/BigPun, Bill Gates, Corona beer, Creator/DiscoveryChannel, Ferrari, Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers, Mase, Maybach, UsefulNotes/McDonalds, Mercedes-Benz, Nelly, Music/TheNotoriousBIG, ''Film/{{The Nutty Professor|1996}}'', Music/TheProdigy, "Smack My Bitch Up", Range Rover, Music/TupacShakur, ''ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}'', and ''Franchise/XMen''.

** "Beast Mode" references ''Series/ThirtyRock'', Creator/AlecBaldwin, ''VideoGame/AngryBirds'', ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'', Bed, Bath & Beyond, ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy'', ''Def Jam'', Website/{{Facebook}}, Creator/ForestWhitaker, Honda Civic, John Dillinger, ''Series/{{Martin}}'', ''VideoGame/PacMan'', ''Literature/TheSilenceOfTheLambs'', ''Franchise/StarWars'', Website/{{Wikipedia}}, ''ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}'', and ''Franchise/XMen''.

** "In The Garage" references the Franchise/XMen, Music/{{KISS}}, and ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons,'' while "El Scorcho" mentions Music/GreenDay, Cio Cio San from the opera ''Theatre/MadameButterfly'', and professional wrestlers Johnny Grunge and New Jack.

* "Ready Or Not" by Bridget Mendler contains the lines "I could be your kryptonite", referencing ComicBook/{{Superman}}.

* Ed Sheeran's ''Castle On The Hill'' has the line "Driving at 90 down those country lanes / singing to [[Music/EltonJohn Tiny Dancer]]."
* Music/EricCarmen's ''Make Me Lose Control'' has the line:

* The title of Music/DariusRucker's second country album (and third solo album), ''Charleston, SC 1966'', is a shout-out to Radney Foster, one of the main influences on Rucker's country career. Foster's debut album, which Rucker said "showed me the possibilities of country music", was named after Foster's birthplace and year of birth: ''Del Rio, TX 1959''. One guess as to where and in what year Rucker was born...

-->They all think [[{{UsefulNotes/Pettanko}} you're flat]]
-->They all think your face looks like Eric Stoltz in ''{{Film/Mask|1985}}''.

* The end of Music/{{Rush}}'s "The Spirit of Radio" has a spoof of the last line of Music/SimonAndGarfunkel's "The Sound of Silence".

** Music/{{Rush}}'s "Tom Sawyer" and "The Spirit of Radio", and Music/VinceGuaraldi's "Linus and Lucy" are sampled and a reference to "[[Music/LedZeppelin Stairway to Heaven]]" is made during "Grade 9".