Ten Rock Bands To Have Made Cameo Appearances in The Simpsons

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Appearing in The Simpsons is a surefire way to know your band has made it to the top. Recently we told you how Coldplay had just joined the illustrious ranks of Simpsons cameos.  But here a ten others who have been on the show, plus a little insight into  what happened….

1. Spinal Tap in “The Otto Show” (Season Three)

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After he kills Spinal Tap in a bus crash, it’s revealed that Otto the bus driver doesn’t have a license, forcing him to lose his job and reevaluate his life. Tap bassist Derek Smalls is played by Harry Shearer, who does a ton of voices on The Simpsons, including Mr. Burns, Principal Skinner, Smithers and Ned Flanders.

2. Red Hot Chili Peppers in “Krusty Gets Kancelled” (Season Four)

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After Krusty the Klown’s show gets canceled, the Simpsons recruit his celebrity friends, including The Chilis, to appear on a comeback special. In reference to their occasional nude antics, the band is shown in their underwear throughout the episode.

3. The Ramones in “Rosebud” (Season Five)

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Mr. Burns discovers that his beloved childhood teddy bear Bobo, whom he lost years ago, has fallen into the possession of Maggie. He does everything in his evil power to get Bobo back from the baby. At the show’s opening, The Ramones play a birthday party for Mr. Burns, performing a punk rock version of “Happy Birthday to You.”

4. Smashing Pumpkins in “Homerpalooza” (Season Seven)

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Determined to prove he’s still hip, Homer takes his kids to an alternative-rock festival show. His ability to survive being shot in the stomach with a cannon lands him a spot on the festival bill, where he befriends the Pumpkins.

5. U2 in “Trash of the Titans” (Season Nine)

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Homer decides to run for sanitation commissioner. As part of his hapless campaign, he hijacks a U2 concert to get his message across. Spoofing his self-serious, socially-conscious persona, Bono demands that the band’s fans listen to Homer’s crackpot message because trash “affects the whole damn planet.” The Edge, looking annoyed, murmurs, “Oh, here we go …”

6. The Who in “A Tale of Two Springfields” (Season 12)

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Angered that the city now has two area codes, Homer leads a rebellious faction that splits from Springfield, forming their own (poorly run) town known as New Springfield. As a way to make Springfield jealous, Homer tricks The Who into playing New Springfield.

7. R.E.M. in “Homer the Moe” (Season 13)

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Moe decides his bar needs to be revamped into a snooty, upscale establishment. Annoyed, Homer starts his own bar in his garage, inviting REM to perform. In another great example of a band tweaking its image, Michael Stipe gets angry and breaks a bottle in half, preparing to use it as a weapon. The other band members restrain him, as guitarist Peter Buck says, “That’s not the R.E.M. way.” Embarrassed, Stipe replies, “You’re right. Let’s recycle those shards and get out of here.”

8. The Rolling Stones in “How I Spent My Strummer Vacation” (Season 14)

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Depressed that his family has sucked the spontaneity from his life, Homer goes to a rock fantasy camp run by the Stones' Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. They get big laughs playing the aging-songwriting version of an adorable old married couple.

9. Metallica in “The Mook, the Chef, the Wife and Her Homer” (Season 18)

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Metallica appearance had nothing to do with the actual plot: Otto drives by the band as they stand by their broken-down tour bus. When he offers them a lift, James Hetfield responds warily, “We don’t take rides from strangers.” Also, we learn that if you have ever waved a lighter during a Metallica concert, the band members will instantly recognize you and remember your exact seat number.

10. The White Stripes in “Jazzy and the Pussycats” (Season 18)

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Bart becomes a world-class drummer, joining a jazz ensemble and hanging out with the White Stripes The rock showdown between Bart and the White Stripes mimics the group’s stop-motion video for “The Hardest Button to Button.”

 

Ten songs that won an Oscar

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We all know about our stars competing for the likes of Brits, Grammys and EMAs. But in the quest for gongs of note, how many recording artists can boast an Oscar on the mantelpiece? Here are ten songs that won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Can You Feel the Love Tonight
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Elton John's ballad accompanied Disney's 1994 animated smash hit movie, The Lion King.

Fame
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The theme to the 1980 movie from which it took it's name and sung by cast member Irene “leg warmers” Cara.

I Just Called to say I Love You
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Stevie Wonder's little ode to romance won one of the coveted gongs for it's part in 1984's Woman in Red, starring Gene Wilder

My Heart Will Go On
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...and so did this Celine Dion tear jerker from the 1997 mega-movie, Titanic...

Streets of Philadelphia
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Bruce Springsteen's haunting soundtrack to 1993 film Philadelphia which dealt with the realities of HIV and starred Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington

Take My Breath Away
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Berlin's soft rock power ballad provided the perfect accompaniment to shots of Tom Cruise zooming around in fighter jets and on motorbikes in 1987's Top Gun

Up Where We Belong
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The combination of Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes worked a treat on this Jack Nitzsche-penned  track for 1982's An Officer and a Gentleman

The Time of My Life
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Warnes was at it again a few years later, this time with Bill Medley. Their duet helped propel Dirty Dancing to the top of the tree as far as chick flicks go...

White Christmas
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Irving Berlin's song, definitely performed by Bing Crosby, won an Academy Award for its part in wartime movie, Holiday Inn.

Moon River
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Sung by Audrey Hepburn in 1961's Breakfast at Tiffany's, the song is now seen as a timeless standard that has been covered many times.
   

10 actors who had pop hits

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We've already had a look at the movie stars who once had a crack at the world of rock'n'roll but failed miserably. However there are a different breed of actors who have dipped a toe in music with more successful results. These are the ones who've put out a song or two, often just as a sideline, and ended up having significant success. Here's our list of ten thesps who've had pop hits...


Anita Dobson – Anyone Can Fall In Love.

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She was playing Angie Watts in East Enders at the time, hence putting out a song that put words to the show's theme tune. It reached number 4 in 1986. She was later involved in the most narcissistic marriage in pop when she tied the knot with Queen's curly guitarist, Brian May.

Clive Dunn – Granddad

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Famous for his role as Corporal Jones in Dads Army, Dunn put out this song to celebrate his 51st birthday in 1971. It went to number 1 and later spawned a TV series of the same name.

Benny Hill – Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)

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Stacked with innuendo and capitalising on Hill's popularity at the time, it was Christmas number 1 in 1971. Was also included in David Cameron's Desert Island Discs. Are you sure you want him to run the nation?

Telly Savalas – If

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Kojak's spoken version of the Bread song was number 1 in Europe for ten weeks in 1975.

David Soul – Don't Give Up On Us Baby

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Honoured by Owen Wilson in the movie re-make of the legendary Starsky & Hutch series, this topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic in 1976 and temporarily made woolly cardigans chic.

Bruce Willis – Under the Boardwalk

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Taken from Willis' covers album of soul classics. Stiffed in the US but the Brits lapped it up and it went to number two in 1987.

Dennis Waterman – I Could Be So Good For You

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Waterman starred in and sang the theme tune to popular 80s TV series, Minder. The record went to number three in 1980 and also became a hit in Australia of all places.

Kate Winslett – What If

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Taken from the animated movie Christmas Carol to which Winslet lent her voice. It reached number 6 in 2001 and the proceeds went to the NSPCC.

Don Johnson – Heartbeat

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With Miami Vice ruling the roost on TV, Johnson, a long time friend of Willie Nelson, tried to dominate the airwaves, too. This single was the title track of his album and went to number 5 in the US Billboard Top 100.

John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John – You're The One That I Want

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Taken from the movie, Grease, in which the pair starred, this John Farrar-penned tune was number 1 in 13 countries in 1978, and remains the sixth biggest-selling UK single of all time.

   

10 people mentioned in Billy Joel's 1989 hit, We Didn't Start the Fire

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Most men buy a low-rent sports car when they hit 40 but Billy Joel had probably already owned a few nice ones by the time his turn came. So he chose to celebrate his mid-life crisis by writing a song documenting the people and events that had made the headlines during his four decades on the planet. Here are ten individuals who get a name check in the Grammy nominated song...

Joe Di Maggio

New York Yankees baseball legend and one-time husband of Marilyn Monroe

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Dwight Eisenhower

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former General who became US President in 1953 and lent his name to many an expressway

Lawrence of Arabia

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the song references the 1962 Academy Award-winning film rather than the man himself

Malcolm X

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African-American human rights activist, assassinated in 1965

Elvis

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surely this one doesn't need explaining??!

Ernest Hemingway

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Nobel Prize-winning American author and journalist

 

Albert Einstein

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German physicist widely regarded as one of the most influential scientists of all time for his work on theories of relativity

Charles De Gaul

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former French President who gave his name to Paris' main airport

Sally Ride

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became the first woman in space in 1983

Ho Chi Minh

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Vietnamese communist who was the country's president for much of the Vietnam war.

   

Ten Records Banned by the BBC

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Guaranteed to get a record talked about WAY more than it would have been ordinarily, hence defeating the object of banning it in the first place. But ever the bastion of righteousness and “good” tatse, the Beeb have a history of refusing to play certain songs on account of their content. Here are ten examples...

Wings - Give Ireland Back to the Irish

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Macca's response to 1972's Bloody Sunday massacre in Belfast. Had the suits in Whitehall all of a fluster as the troubles spiralled out of control

Sex Pistols – God Save the Queen

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Released during the Queen's 1977 Silver Jubilee year. Despite its ban it reached number 2 in the charts, leading to accusations that the chart had been fixed to avoid it hitting the number one spot.

The Pogues with Kirsty MacColl – Fairytale of New York

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Became one of the most ubiquitous Christmas songs in history since its release in 1987. Twenty years later the BBC banned the original due to its use of the words faggot, slut and arse. The words were dubbed out but the BBC later rescinded their decision following complaints from the public.

George Michael – I Want Your Sex

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Number one single from George Michael's 1987 album, Faith. No clever metaphors here then George. Banned due to the saucy subject matter.

Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg – Je t'Aime

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Far too racy for it's time, this 1978 single ends with a simulated orgasm from Birkin leading it to be banned by five countries and denounced by the Vatican.

Rolling Stones – Lets Spend the Night

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Seen as lyrically risqué at the time, which is why radio opted to play the B-side, Ruby Tuesday, instead. The result? Two hits for Mick, Keef and the boys. Thank you very much...

Donna Summer – Love to Love You Baby

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The Beeb claimed that this 1976 disco classic contained the sound of 23 orgasms - enough to scare the living daylights out of the grand fromages at the time. Still reached number 4 in the charts though.

The Shamen – Ebeneezer Goode

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Controversial number 1 from September 1992 given it's overt references to the drug, ecstasy (come on, you can work it out!) leading to a BBC ban and the single's eventual withdrawal following growing media pressure.

Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Relax

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Due to it's sexual content, the BBC banned the song when it was at number six in the charts. Following the hype, it then proceeded to go straight to number one where it stayed for five weeks,  becoming the seventh most successful single of all time in the the UK.

Tom Robinson Band – Glad To Be Gay

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An open attack on attitudes to homosexuality at the time, this 1978 top twenty hit has become one of Robinson's defining songs and is widely regarded as a gay anthem to this day. Unsurprisingly, the Beeb wouldn't play it.
   
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