20 Indie songs that namecheck other artists

17 October 2025, 17:33

Radio X takes a look at iconic indie songs who’ve namechecked other artists – with Ace Frehley, Jim Morrison and more…

1. “I’ve got posters on the wall / My favorite rock group KISS / I’ve got Ace Frehley, I’ve got Peter Criss / Waiting there for me.”

   • Weezer – In The Garage
   • Rivers Cuomo name-checks the “other two” of glam metal favourites KISS, including “Starman” Ace Frehely, who died recently.
   

   
   
   

2. “I just wanted to be one of The Strokes, now look at the mess you made me make.”

   • Arctic Monkeys – Star Treatment
   • Alex Turner tips his hat to his early 00s influences – and his hero Julian Casablancas.
   

   Arctic Monkeys – Star Treatment (Official Audio)

   
   
   

3. “Grow, my hair, I wanna be, wanna be, wanna be Jim Morrison.”

   • Radiohead – Anyone Can Play Guitar
   • Thom Yorke did manage to grow his hair by 1993 when this song was released, but he opted for bleach blond as opposed to The Door frontman’s lucious brown locks.
   

   
   
   

4. “Yeah I’m just a teenage dirtbag baby / Listen to Iron Maiden baby with me.”

   • Wheatus – Teenage Dirtbag
   • The Iron Maiden name-check owes itself to the fact that the song was inspired by the real-life 1984 murder of Ricky Kasso in Long Island and the “Satanic Panic” that followed across the States, fearing teens in particular who listened to heavy metal.
   

   Wheatus – Teenage Dirtbag (Official Video)

   
   
   

5. “And Cobain, can you hear the spheres singing songs off Station To Station?”

   • Red Hot Chili Peppers – Caifornication
   • Anthony Kiedis managed to not only namecheck the late Nirvana frontman, but he also squeezes in a reference to the 1976 David Bowie album as well.
   

   Red Hot Chili Peppers – Californication (Official Music Video) [HD UPGRADE]

   
   
   

6. “No Elvis, Beatles, or The Rolling Stones in 1977”

   • The Clash – 1977
   • Despite The Beatles and The Rolling Stones being alive and well when this track came out in March, the B-side to their debut single White Riot did end end up being somewhat prophetic, since Elvis was to sadly die later that year.
   

   
   
   

7. “Fashion shoots with Beck and Hanson / Courtney Love and Marilyn Manson / You’re all fakes, run to your mansions / Come around, we’ll kick your ass in”

   • New Radicals – You Get What You Give
   • The ’90s earworm was pretty infectious for its chorus alone, but its memorable outro is a real pop time capsule. According to folklore, lead singer Gregg Alexander wanted to see if the media would focus more on the song’s political lyrics or the celeb namechecks.
   

   New Radicals – You Get What You Give (Official Music Video)

   
   
   

8. “Let’s dance to Joy Division / And celebrate the irony / Everything is going wrong / But we’re so happy.”

   • The Wombats – Let’s Dance To Joy Division
   • Surely one of the most famous namechecks in ’00s guitar music, the Wombats’ 2007 single remains an indie dancefloor filler to this day.
   

   The Wombats – Let’s Dance To Joy Division [OFFICIAL VIDEO]

   
   
   

9. “But this feels so unnatural / Peter Gabriel too”

   • Vampire Weekend – Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
   • The fourth single to come from the band is said to explore themes of “colonialism and the aesthetic connections between preppy culture and the native cultures of places like Africa and India”. So the Peter Gabriel reference isn’t totally random…
   

   Vampire Weekend – Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa

   
   
   

10. “So I told you about McCartney / That’s a heavy name to drop”

    • The Killers – Out Of My Mind
    • The eighth track on the band’s Wonderful Wonderful album sees Brandon Flowers also namecheck Elvis’ home, Graceland and the one and only Bruce Springsteen.