Shout out to...

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

In the canteen just now the Miley song was on (and the Miley song was on, and the Miley song was oooooon etc), and it got me thinking...

...Do pop songs intentionally name drop other artists anymore? Did this use to be more of a common occurrence? Obviously this is a big thing in hiphop where shout-outs to your mates (especially dead ones) or ruthless disses are very common. Also, tediously-long lists of dudes who have influenced the artist seem to be mostly confined to dance music (Daft Punk, LCD Soundsystem, Soulwax, er Scooter), though feel free to correct me on that. Does the same thing happen in country or rock at all?

Off the top of my head I can think of the following pop tracks that reference other artists not directly involved in the making of the track:

Miley Cyrus - Party In The USA (Jay-Z and Britney)
Robbie Williams - She's Madonna
Wheatus - Teenage Dirtbag (Iron Maiden)
CSS - Meeting Paris Hilton (who is technically a pop star I guess)

There must be more! Who would you say is name-dropped the most? Does it tend to be in the context of Artist 1 actually in the act of listening to Artist 2, like Miley is doing? Or swooning over them, like Robbie?

Comments

[chuckeddy.livejournal.com]

Where do "songs setting yourself in opposition to other artists" fit into this formulation? (Is that the same as taking the piss?) Obviously tons of battle-rap songs, but also Skynyrd "Sweet Home Alabama" (re: Neil Young); Clash "1977" (Elvis, Beatles, Stones); Mott the Hoople "All The Young Dudes" (Beatles, Stones, maybe T.Rex??), etc. (I was all ready to say Generation X "Ready Steady Go," but actually that one said they were in love with Beatles/Stones/Bobby Dylan).

And then there's just the whole "laundry list" concept, which contrary to popular belief these day,s LCD Soundsystem did not invent. To wit:

Clash "White Man In Hammersmith Palais"

Dillinger and Leroy Smart
Delroy Wilson, your cool operator
Ken Boothe for UK pop reggae
With backing bands sound systems
And if they've got anything to say
There's many black ears here to listen
But it was Four Tops all night with encores from stage right...

and "Clash City Rockers"

Come on and show me say the bells of Old Bowie
When I am fitter say the bells of Gary Glitter
No one but you and I say the bells of Prince Far-I

Def Leppard, "Rocket"

G.G.*, Killer Queen
Dizzy Lizzy Major Tom
So c'mon

* -- I assume this means "Gary Glitter," but other people say they're saying "Jean Genie" (as in Bowie) instead.


and especially Reunion "Life Is A Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me)" (a top 10 U.S. hit in 1974):

B.B. Bumble and the Stingers, Mott the Hoople, Ray Charles Singers
Lonnie Mack and twangin' Eddy, here's my ring we're goin' steady
Take it easy, take me higher, liar liar, house on fire
Locomotion, Poco, Passion, Deeper Purple, Satisfaction
Baby baby gotta gotta gimme gimme gettin' hotter
Sammy's cookin', Lesley Gore and Ritchie Valens, end of story
Mahavishnu, fujiyama, kama-sutra, rama-lama
Richard Perry, Spector, Barry, Archies, Righteous, Nilsson, Harry
Shimmy shimmy ko-ko bop and Fats is back and Finger Poppin'

Life is a Rock,
But the radio rolled me.
At the end of my rainbow
Lies a Golden Oldie.

FM, AM, hits are clickin' while the clock is tock-a-tickin'
Friends and Romans, salutations, Brenda and the Tabulations
Carly Simon, I behold her, Rolling Stones and centerfoldin'
Johnny Cash and Johnny Rivers, can't stop now, I got the shivers
Mungo Jerry, Peter Peter Paul and Paul and Mary Mary
Dr. John the nightly tripper, Doris Day and Jack the Ripper
Gotta go Sir, gotta swelter, Leon Russell, Gimme Shelter
Miracles in smokey places, slide guitars and Fender basses
Mushroom omelet, Bonnie Bramlett, Wilson Pickett, stop and kick it

Arthur Janov's primal screamin', Hawkins, Jay and
Dale and Ronnie, Kukla, Fran and Norma Okla
Denver, John and Osmond, Donny
JJ Cale and ZZ Top and LL Bean and De De Dinah
David Bowie, Steely Dan and sing me prouder, CC Rider
Edgar Winter, Joanie Sommers, Osmond Brothers, Johnny Thunders
Eric Clapton, pedal wah-wah, Stephen Foster, do-dah do-dah
Good Vibrations, Help Me Rhonda, Surfer Girl and Little Honda
Tighter, tighter, honey, honey, sugar, sugar, yummy, yummy
CBS and Warner Brothers, RCA and all the others

[koganbot]

Opposition to other artists: Chuck Berry, "Roll over Beethoven, tell Tchaikovsky the news."