Eight Iconic Musical TV Cameos

Musical cameos on television shows are a strange and wonderful thing. Sometimes they land just right. Sometimes they are awkward but oddly great.

They let us see musicians outside of their comfort zone, attempting and often failing to act naturally as themselves or other characters. There are dozens if not more of them but a few stick out in my mind as moments I found particularly memorable or enjoyable.

Davy Jones, The Brady Bunch:

The Brady Bunch was always on in reruns when I was growing up in the 80s. I would have had no idea who any of the musical guests were but I do remember this episode.

Marcia Brady goes to a local recording studio where Davy Jones of The Monkees just happens to be recording. She begs his manager for him to play at her high school prom since she already told everyone he would but is kicked out without talking to her idol.

Davy Jones is a natural screen presence from his time on The Monkees (I think I also watched Monkees reruns growing up so maybe this is why I remember this).

Davy saves the day by agreeing to play the prom, and asks Marcia to go with him too! Her parents think this is awesome, after all, who better to trust with your teenage daughter than an English rockstar? Simpler times!

Buffalo Tom, My So-Called Life:

Boston alternative rockers Buffalo Tom were never a huge band, but in the mid-90s they were big enough for many young people to know them. They weren’t Nirvana, they weren’t R.E.M.; they were part of the underground scene of bands that only got radio play on alternative or college rock stations.

This made their appearance in a mainstream tv show about high school kids a big deal. In the episode “Self Esteem” not only do they play two songs at the club, but throughout the episode the refrain “Are you going to see Buffalo Tom?” is repeated many times as a plot point.

If like me, you were ever in a position to be asked to go see Buffalo Tom in high school (a couple of years before this episode!) this was very exciting.

The band’s songs are backing music to a high drama episode about how cool boy Jordan Catalano is happy to make out with heroine Angela Chase in secret in the school basement but won’t be caught dead with her in public - even though she dyed her hair red and wears flannel and looks pouty all day and everything, sheesh.

Things come to a head at the gig, which actually looks like the sort of dive Buffalo Tom would have played back in the day. The ballad “Late at Night” plays over the dramatic, romantically angst-filled closing scene. The show also featured a memorable cameo from Julianna Hatfield as a homeless teen in a separate episode.

The Shins, Gilmore Girls:

Rory and Paris are trying to enjoy Spring Break in Florida, the only problem is they are nerds who hate fun (I kid, sort of!). But much comedy is had in the setup, which is: what would happen if two college girls who would rather be reading Proust or watching PBS documentaries (both of which they bring on vacation) were dragged to dumb frat bro parties at the beach/Spring Break instead?

In the episode “Girls in Bikinis, Boys Doin’ the Twist” The Shins playing at a random club is treated in a fairly blasé manner; of course the hottest indie band of the era would be playing a cheesy Spring Break gig.

Show creator Amy Sherman-Palladino is renowned for working multiple musical acts into this show, and The Shins are but one of many acts that guested during its run.

Other musicians that appeared in other episodes include The Bangles (another good episode), Carole King in a non-musical role, and various other bands who show up in Stars Hollow for often ludicrous reasons. The Shins and The Bangles got the most performance time though.

Aretha Franklin, Murphy Brown:

I remember this classic cameo from when I was growing up. I don’t know why it made such a big impression on me. I did listen to a lot of Motown, mostly due to film soundtracks of the 80s like The Big Chill and Dirty Dancing.

I wonder if this was common in kids growing up in the 80s? I liked a lot of modern music too, but I had zero interest in my parent’s music, which was generally more 70s and 80s rock.

Anyway, I love this moment. Murphy has had a bad day after her much-anticipated interview with Aretha didn’t happen because of travel delays. She gets a sweet surprise at the end of the episode, titled “The Queen of Soul”.

Alanis Morrissette, Curb Your Enthusiasm:

Alanis is a good sport and a genuinely decent actress (she also had a fun role in Weeds) so playing herself works out better than many musician cameos.

In the episode “The Terrorist Attack” Alanis is hired by Larry to play a charity gig, and he convinces her to tell him “the secret” of who her most famous song “You Outta Know” is about. Unfortunately for Alanis, Larry is a blabbermouth. She plays the song in the episode as well but I couldn’t find that clip, this one is fun too.

Death Cab For Cutie, The OC:

Say what you will about teen drama The OC, but it was very zeitgeisty and at the forefront of the whole “meta” trend in pop culture.

Yes, I listened to a podcast about it recently so I’m feeling nostalgic. This makes me feel even older, I was too old for this show when it was on! Teen dramas are my weakness, I admit.

When Seth Cohen mentions his favorite band throughout season one, it was maybe a foregone conclusion the band would guest star. In “The Seth Cohen Starter Pack” the band appear as themselves in an again somewhat unlikely low-key venue (I feel like 90210 started this trend with The Peach Pit? Another tv music avenue I admit I forgot about!).

Unfortunately for our geekish hero, his burgeoning career as a comic book artist stops him from seeing his favorite band — Californiaaaaaaah, it’s not all sunshine and good times in The Bait Shop. I feel like they played more than this scene shows but it's all I could find on Youtube.

Johhny Cash, Columbo:

Johnny Cash was one of a few musicians who was if not technically a great actor, a fun and naturally compelling one to watch. Kinda like Elvis. So having the entire Columbo episode “Swan Song” dedicated to his fictional murder suspect/country star is not the disaster it might have been.

Johnny plays a bad boy with a hint of sleaze in this. He likes the fast life, younger women and his wife is an old nag getting in his way. Not sure this part would be written so salaciously nowadays but Johnny gave it his all!

Columbo has been on repeat rotation on some channel or the other in the UK ever since I moved here, anytime this episode pops up I have to pause and enjoy the one and only Man in Black.

These are just a few musical cameos that came to mind, I am sure I have forgotten some great ones. Please let me know if you have any favorites in the comments!

* I originally published this piece on Medium