It's the greatest animated show in TV history, and they've paid tribute to metal and rock legends for over three decades. The Simpsons have always managed to fit musicians seamlessly into their storylines, and these moments are the very best of the best.
From Metallica's tour bus breaking down to 'Weird' Al Yankovic singing about brain freeze, check out these killer metal and rock cameos on The Simpsons.
Metallica
Of course Otto the bus driver is a Metallica fan. In Season 18, Episode 1 of the Simpsons, Otto drives by Metallica’s broken down tour bus and offers the thrashers a ride, but they leave him in the dust after catching a ride with Hans Moleman, telling Otto never to listen to their music again. Ouch.
Judas Priest
Judas Priest is death metal? That’s what the Simpsons claimed during the band’s cameo on Season 25, Episode 9. The heavy metal legends turned “Breaking the Law” into “Respecting the Law” for the episode, gaining the approval of the Consulate of Sweden.
Spinal Tap
Perhaps the greatest heavy metal episode of the Simpsons, Spinal Tap played an ill-fated show in Springfield on Season 3, Episode 21, which ended in a massive riot. After Homer Simpson accidentally leaves Milhouse in the wreckage of the gig, Spinal Tap’s tour bus gets run off a cliff by Otto.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The tighty-whities era of the Red Hot Chili Peppers was immortalized in the episode “Krusty Gets Kancelled.” It’s often cited as one of the greatest Simpsons episodes ever, thanks in part to RHCP and a hilarious back-and-forth between the band and Krusty about changing the lyrics to “Give It Away.”
Smashing Pumpkins
In Season 7, Episode 24 of the Simpsons, Homer becomes part of the freak show on the traveling Lollapalooza tour. He befriends the Smashing Pumpkins after Billy Corgan watches Homer’s cannonball-to-the-gut trick, and the Pumpkins ultimately bid Homer farewell when his stomach can no longer take the punishment.
Ramones
Maybe the funniest musical Simpsons cameo ever, the Ramones were recruited to sing “Happy Birthday” to Mr. Burns on the Season 5 episode “Rosebud.” Though the song went off without a hitch, the Ramones insulted both Mr. Burns and Springfield while onstage. “Have the Rolling Stones killed,” remains one of the greatest one-liners in Simpsons history.
Aerosmith
In the iconic episode “Flaming Moe’s,” Aerosmith ended up performing at Moe’s bar in return for some free pickled eggs. It’s technically the first of two Aerosmith cameos in the Simpsons, as the group is also featured in a flashback in “Homer’s Barbershop Quartet.”
The Rolling Stones
Just a few years after Rock ’n Roll Fantasy Camp had its inaugural getaway, Homer Simpson got to attend his own “Strummer Vacation” and rub elbows with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. The episode also featured cameos from Elvis Costello, Lenny Kravitz, Tom Petty and Brian Setzer.
The Who
In “A Tale of Two Springfields,” the Who tore down the wall dividing Springfield with pure rock ’n roll. Guitarist Pete Townshend actually declined to participate in the episode, leaving his character to be voiced by his brother Paul. The Who’s drummer was also animated to look like the late Keith Moon.
‘Weird’ Al Yankovic
‘Weird’ Al Yankovic has actually appeared in three episodes of the Simpsons, along with the 2014 special, “The Simpsons Take the Bowl.” In perhaps his most memorable cameo, ‘Weird’ Al sings a song about brain freeze before Homer professes, “He who is tired of ‘Weird’ Al is tired of life.”
