From when it first aired in 1989, The Simpsons has hosted a completely dazzling array of musical visitor stars: from traditional artists being offered to a brand new technology of 90s children, to modern “of-the-era” stars crossing over onto the world’s greatest animated present.
Right here’s an try and wrap our head round this countless record of cameos, ranked merely by how humorous and the way memorable their appearances had been on the present (not as musicians).
15: Crimson Scorching Chili Peppers
In 1993’s “Krusty Gets Kanceled,” Springfield’s premiere clown loses his present, however Bart and Lisa rally Krusty’s gaggle of celeb buddies: Johnny Carson, Hugh Hefner, a fiercely eco-conscious Bette Midler, and Luke Perry for a star-studded comeback particular.
Bart and Lisa additionally snag the Crimson Scorching Chili Peppers by smuggling them out of a poorly-planned gig at Moe’s. Anthony Kiedis tells Moe, “you told our agent this place holds 30,000 people,” to which Moe solutions, “It does. We had 30,000 here last night. Now play.”
The band performs “Give It Away” on the Krusty particular, and when the community has an issue with their lyrics, they’re all too glad to take Krusty’s wonderful suggestion:
The band exhibits as much as Moe’s of their underwear for the afterparty, and Flea screams, “Hey Moe!,” which wasn’t actually within the script, however quite, a snippet of Flea messing round within the voiceover sales space that they ended up utilizing.
14: Aerosmith
Within the traditional “Flaming Moe’s” episode, Aerosmith made a extra conventional-than-usual visitor look on The Simpsons, highlighted by an unmistakable, frantically-animated Steven Tyler:
When Moe’s bar explodes in reputation due to a drink Homer invents, the bar is quickly full of clients – together with one truly named “Hugh Jass,” thwarting Bart’s crank-call try, and Moe lures Aerosmith into an impromptu efficiency with the promise of free pickled eggs.
The episode aired in 1991, and the band would go on to have their first-ever No.1 album, Get A Grip, two years later, confirming that the “Moe Bump” is actual.
13: James Taylor
“Wow… former president James Taylor.”
That’s Homer’s response when NASA hires the people icon to play for him and Buzz Aldrin throughout their ill-fated mission to ship a standard man to house. However whereas the ship is in peril, Aldrin tells Taylor, “this isn’t the best time for your unique brand of bittersweet folk-rock,” and Taylor isn’t precisely receptive.
He then performs “You’ve Got a Friend” whereas the astronauts float there helplessly, then does “Fire and Rain,” however adjustments the lyric “sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground” to “flying safely through the air.” Within the DVD commentary, the writers admit their nervousness in pitching this scene to Taylor. The music is, in any case, concerning the suicide of his childhood buddy Suzanne Schnerr, however the artist was in the end cool with it.
12: Barry White
“The minister of love, Larry White” (as Barry White is launched by Mayor Quimby), exhibits up because the Grand Marshal of Springfield’s annual “Whacking Day” parade, an occasion the place residents collect to whack all of the snakes on the town to dying. When White finds out what the competition is about, he’s horrified however agrees to do a favor for Lisa, telling her “Anything…for a lady”, and attracts the snakes into the protection of the Simpson’s house with a bass-heavy efficiency of “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe.”
11: Tom Jones
When Marge will get a job on the energy plant, Mr. Burns seeks her recommendation on methods to cheer up his dreary workforce, and she or he suggests more healthy snacks, a Humorous Hat day, and “piping in some Tom Jones music.” You then see the identical workers nonetheless simply as depressed however sporting humorous hats, and “What’s New Pussycat” is blaring. Progress!
The episode takes a darkish flip when Mr. Burns tries to seduce Marge by giving her a non-public Tom Jones live performance, which entails Smithers knocking out the Welsh crooner with a suitcase of poison gasoline, then holding him at gunpoint.
When Homer stands up for Marge’s honor, Mr. Burns is impressed and rewards the couple with a non-public Tom Jones live performance anyway, the place he performs “It’s Not Unusual” whereas chained to the stage. He leans in to kiss Marge on the cheek and tells her, “get help, love – call Interpol, get me a hacksaw, anything,” then launches proper again into the refrain, ever the true professional.
10: U2
When Homer runs to be Springfield’s sanitation commissioner, he sneaks onstage at a U2 live performance by introducing himself to safety because the “potato man,” and so they instantly let him in.
His message is ill-received, although, and he’s pulled off the stage by safety, with Bono assuring everybody, “don’t worry folks, he’ll get the help he needs.” The band then launches into “Pride (In The Name Of Love)” whereas Homer will get pummelled by safety guards on the large video backdrop.
The band additionally re-appears in a very goofy post-credits sequence the place Adam Clayton brags about his spoon assortment.
9: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Elvis Costello, Tom Petty, Lenny Kravitz, and Brian Setzer
The Simpsons pulled in a who’s who of rockers for a Season 14 episode the place Homer tries to recapture his squandered youth with a visit to Rock’n’Roll Fantasy Camp. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards give recommendations on showmanship (and micromanage the camp’s funds), Elvis Costello tries to promote them on taking part in bass, Lenny Kravitz talks crotch-stuffing, Tom Petty bores everybody together with his symposium on “having meaningful lyrics,” and Brian Setzer has some smart phrases concerning the mighty guitar:
Within the Simpsons’ Unauthorized Historical past, Dan Castellaneta talks about how there was a built-in hierarchy among the many rockers, with the Rolling Stones exhibiting up 45 minutes late, Elvis Costello 30, Tom Petty, and Lenny Kravitz 25, and Brian Setzer proper on time. He joked, “Michael Bolton came early, and he wasn’t even on the show.”
8: Bob Seger
Nothing fairly covers up an OSEA quotation fairly like free Bob Seger tickets. After an incident on the Springfield nuclear energy plant, Homer will get front-row seats to see the ‘Ramblin’ Gamblin’ man himself and brings alongside Chief Wiggum. The 2 ditch their wives to deal with an in a single day subject journey with the children and get scolded by Bob within the course of: “a wife, like rock and roll, never forgets,” Seger tells them.
Episode 17 of Season 32, titled “Uncut Femmes,” additionally marks the primary look of the chief’s spouse, Sarah Wiggum (voiced by Megan Mullally), whose legal previous catches up together with her, and she or he enlists Marge into an Ocean’s 8-like caper.
7: James Brown
Springfield brings in James Brown to headline their first (and final) Do What You Really feel Competition, the place he performs “I Got You (I Feel Good)” till a bandstand collapses behind him.
It’s brief and never the funniest cameo within the present’s historical past, nevertheless it’s nonetheless simply superior and totally surreal that James Brown was in The Simpsons in any respect.
6: David Crosby
David Crosby made two cameos on The Simpsons, as soon as to present the Be Sharps (Homer’s barbershop quartet) their Grammy award:
And one other because the AA sponsor to Lionel Hutz, the household legal professional, who calls him in the course of a trial to get talked off an urge for bourbon. Crosby, ever the mild soul, tells Hutz: “Just take it one day at a time, and know that I love you.”
5: Paul & Linda McCartney
In “Lisa the Vegetarian,” one of many present’s all-time funniest episodes, Lisa finds some allies in her newfound animal activism: Paul and Linda McCartney, who like to hang around in Apu’s backyard within the shade.
Paul additionally asks Lisa if she desires to listen to a music, which seems to be Apu shrieking an ungodly model of “Sgt. Pepper’s” whereas Lisa slinks away horrified.
4: Smashing Pumpkins, Sonic Youth, Cypress Hill, Peter Frampton
In one of many present’s all-time traditional episodes, “Homerpalooza,” the middle-aged dad goes by means of the all-too-relatable dilemma of realizing that he’s turn out to be uncool. Or as Grandpa Simpson places it (in a flashback), “I used to be with it. Then they changed what ‘it’ was. Now what I’m with, isn’t it. And what’s it seems weird and scary to me.”
Homer turns into the freak present “cannonball guy” for Hulabalooza and meets some 90s alt-rock staples from the peak of the Lollapalooza period (and Peter Frampton):
When the cannonball act threatens his life, Homer decides remaining alive for his household is all that issues and will get booed off the stage and the tour, resigned to just accept his completely uncool standing.
3: The Ramones
In possibly the only coolest second within the historical past of the present, The Ramones regaled Mr. Burns with a terrifying, classically-Ramones-sounding rendition of “Happy Birthday,” ending with “go to hell, you old bastard.”
Mr. Burns responds together with his iconic line: “Have the Rolling Stones killed.” Earlier than Smithers can appropriate him, he provides, “Do As I Say.” Mr. Burns’ totally horrified response to the efficiency can be one of many funniest little touches of animation within the present:
For the report, this was a later incarnation of the band. Joey and Johnny Ramone each did voices, however C.J. Ramone and Marky Ramone took the opposite two spots. Dee Dee Ramone and Tommy Ramone, the band’s authentic bassist and drummer, had been passed by then.
2: Spinal Faucet
Simpsons Swiss-army-knife Harry Shearer (who voices Burns, Smithers, Flanders, Reverend Lovejoy, Skinner, Kent Brockman, Rainier Wolfcastle, Otto, Dr. Hibbert, and hundreds extra) reunited with Christopher Visitor and Michael McKean to advertise Spinal Faucets’ 1992 album Break Like The Wind by bringing the Faucet to Springfield.
The present abruptly ends when Nigel will get blinded by a laser, and the band pronounces “Goodnight, Springton, there will be no encores” and walks off after 20 minutes, prompting a riot. Each scene with the band is sort of like bonus footage from the cult-classic documentary, with some really excellent banter.
1: George Harrison
George Harrison’s cameo on The Simpsons stays one of many funniest visitor spots of all time. When Homer’s barbershop quartet The Be Sharps skyrockets to fame, he attends a Grammy social gathering, the place he experiences the best thrill of his life. The present actually introduced in a dwelling Beatle simply to report this:
He returns for yet another line on the finish of the episode, driving by to see the Be Sharps acting on a rooftop and easily declaring, “It’s been done,” and driving off. Complete perfection.
Honorable Mentions: There’s simply one other 30 you can throw on this record, however the place to even begin? The Who, Linda Ronstadt, Johnny Money (who does the voice of an area coyote, so he’s not technically a musical visitor), Sting, Elton John, Britney Spears, REM, Phish, Woman Gaga, Willie Nelson, Metallica, Fall Out Boy, The White Stripes, Ringo Starr. Title any musician, mainly.
