Songs about other singers: C/D

Van Morrison - Jackie Wilson Said

Alannah Myles - Black Velvet

Best song about Elvis and it’s also one of the best songs to strip to.

Is Elvis the artist with more songs dedicated to him?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_songs_about_or_referencing_Elvis_Presley

TIL: Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus is about Elvis

Xpost that’s a lot of Elvis songs

London Wainwright - Talking New Bob Dylan

^Loudon

B-52's: "Debbie" (Debbie Harry)

David Bowie: "Song for Bob Dylan"
Tim Hardin: "Tribute to Hank Williams"
Roberta Flack et al: "Killing Me Softly with His Song" (Don McLean)
The Fall: "I Am Damo Suzuki"
George Harrison: "Pure Smokey" (Robinson)

^Loudon

Ian Dury: "Sweet Gene Vincent"

Billy Bragg: "Levi Stubb's Tears"

I have no doubt it was autocorrect that was the culprit though/xp

Heinz - “Just Like Eddie” (Eddie Cochran)

feel like there were some more notable aretha tributes in the 70s but i can't find them atm

George Jackson: Aretha, Sing One for Me

that's what i was thinking of! spotify throws both of those songs at me every chance it gets

Cornershop - “Brimful of Asha” (Asha Bhosle)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DczFkofRtuA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp0JLqc8oTQ

Waylon Jennings: "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way"

David Alan Coe: "Waylon, Willie & Me"

Daniel Johnson: "Ain't No Woman Gonna Make A George Jones Outta Me"

The Band: "Bessie Smith"

speaking of: katie's been gone is supposedly about karen dalton, as is the holy modal rounders sally in the alley (though can't remember where i read that)

Dave Alvin "Johnny Ace is Dead"

Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper "Elvis is Everywhere"

Classic.

Thelonius Monster "Sammy Hagar Weekend"

American Music Club - Johnny Mathis' Feet

Led Zeppelin - Hats Off to (Roy) Harper
Atom & His Package - Hats Off to Halford

the Who - “God Speaks of Marty Robbins,” “Real Good Looking Boy” (the latter about Elvis)

Sparks "Lighten Up, Morrissey"
Warlock Pinchers "Morrissey Rides a Cockhorse"

songs that earnestly extol the greatness of another singer.

The Lion - "Bing Crosby" and "The Four Mills Brothers" (covered by Van Dyke Parks on Discover America)
Makes me wonder whether songs earnestly praising other singers were a common trope in 30s/40s Calypso music, or whether it was a quirk unique to the Roaring Lion. Should probably look into this...

Todd Rundgren - "Baby Let's Swing" (Laura Nyro)
Cosmic Rough Riders - "Laura Nyro"

Jimmy Webb - "P.F. Sloan"

I was going to mention that one but that's really about him as a songwriter.

Madness, "Prince Buster"

Yeah I was on the fence about "P.F. Sloan" but he literally says "listen to him singing" so I'd count it. Prefab Sprout's "The Songs of Danny Galway" (about Webb) seems to be just about the songs tho

Sparks "Lighten Up, Morrissey"
Warlock Pinchers "Morrissey Rides a Cockhorse"

also not extolling the greatness:
Mr Floppy “100,000 Morrisseys”

Sparks also have “Edith Piaf (Said It Better Than Me),” and “When Do I Get To Sing ‘My Way’?” in which the singer aspires to the heights of Frank Sinatra, or failing that, Sid Vicious.

Makes me wonder whether songs earnestly praising other singers were a common trope in 30s/40s Calypso music

Sinatra also praised in the Calypso record “Bobby Sox Idol” by Wilmoth Houdini, sampled by The Avalanches on “Frankie Sinatra,” with lightly Sinatra-referencing lyrics by Danny Brown.

The Knife - You Take My Breath Away is mutual lovein by/about Karin + Jenny Wilson

"I'm in the first row on your show, in the first row
On the First Floor Power show
Your vibrato's like vulnerable leaves
You do it crazy, that's how you talk to me"

"I heard you for the first time on the radio
When I was going somewhere in a car
You touched my heart, like a knife that's very sharp"

The Mountain Goats have lots about artists in other nonmusical media but some fitting this thread include:
"Song for Dennis Brown"
"Andrew Eldritch is Moving Back to Leeds"
"Abandoned Flesh" (Gene Loves Jezebel)
"Waylon Jennings Live!"

It's not about a singer or by a singer but my favorite musical elegy song is "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" by Charles Mingus about Lester Young. I know I've heard versions with lyrics that someone wrote to it, can't remember who.

The band Helen Love has multiple songs about Joey Ramone, and the song “Debbie Loves Joey” adds Deborah Harry as a metaphor for glamour and excitement felt by teenage lovers.

Another act used as a relationship metaphor: “We’re The Pet Shop Boys” by My Robot Friend.

(also covered by the Pet Shop Boys live, as a B-side, and backing Robbie Williams.)

(love Helen Love)

Dylan:

"Song to Woody Guthrie" (also "Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie")
"Blind Willie McTell"
"High Water (For Charlie Patton)"
"Roll On John" (Lennon)
"Mr. Tambourine Man" (Bruce Langhorne)