History OneSceneWonder / Music

** From UHF, we have the Beverly Hillbillies theme, which is a parody of Money For Nothing. Fitting, then, that Mark Knophler from Dire Straits play lead guitar on the track.

* Music/WeirdAlYankovic did his pastiche of Zappa, "Genius in France," for the album ''Poodle Hat'', who did he get to provide solos satisfactorily remiscent of Frank's? Dweezil. [[ViewersAreGeniuses Return Of The Son Of]] Frank Zappa.

* Music/MariahCarey doing back up vocals for Babyface on a track called "Every time I Close My Eyes"
* Jamie Foxx's video for "Blame It" has scores of celeb appearances. Ashley Scott from ''Series/{{Jericho}}'', Creator/RonHoward, Creator/ForestWhitaker, Jake Gyllenhaal, Creator/SamuelLJackson, Quincy Jones, Cedric the Entertainer, Creator/MorrisChestnut, Clifton Powell, Alex Thomas, [=DeRay=] Davis, Joe (R&B singer), Mos Def, Tatyana Ali, Jalen Rose, Bill Bellamy, Electrik Red, Dawn Richard, Keshia Knight Pulliam and [=LeToya=].

* DavidCrosby and Music/PhilCollins flipflopped this trope; Crosby sang backup on Collins' "Another Day In Paradise", while Collins returned the favor on Crosby's song "Hero".

* Clare Torry's wordless wails on Music/PinkFloyd's "The Great Gig in the Sky," on ''The Dark Side of the Moon.'' On an album that is completely full of awesome, she is possibly the most awesomest part of it.

* DavidCrosby and PhilCollins flipflopped this trope; Crosby sang backup on Collins' "Another Day In Paradise", while Collins returned the favor on Crosby's song "Hero".

* Jamie Foxx's video for "Blame It" has scores of celeb appearances. Ashley Scott from ''Series/{{Jericho}}'', Ron Howard, Creator/ForestWhitaker, Jake Gyllenhaal, Creator/SamuelLJackson, Quincy Jones, Cedric the Entertainer, Morris Chestnut, Clifton Powell, Alex Thomas, [=DeRay=] Davis, Joe (R&B singer), Mos Def, Tatyana Ali, Jalen Rose, Bill Bellamy, Electrik Red, Dawn Richard, Keshia Knight Pulliam and [=LeToya=].

* Music/DireStraits's "Money For Nothing" is well known for the background singing that Music/{{Sting}} does in it. You know, "[[{{MTV}} I want my emmmmmmmm teeeeeeee veeeeeeeeeee.......]]" (in the same tune of "[[Music/ThePolice Don't Stand So Close To Me]]")

** On "Mr. Popeil" (''In 3-D''), Lisa Popeil, daughter of Sam Popeil (on whom the song is based) and half-sister to Ron Popeil, sings the backup vocals.

* Music/EricClapton's guitar solo on Music/TheBeatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", and in turn, GeorgeHarrison's rhythm guitar playing on Music/{{Cream}}'s "Badge".

* On the Music/FrankZappa album ''Broadway the Hard Way'', Sting comes on halfway through and performs "Murder by Numbers".

** Not the only example from Music/Pink Floyd: The Judge from the song The Trial from ''Music/TheWall'', who only appears in that song, and only for the last minutes or so.

* Music/WeirdAlYankovic did his pastiche of Zappa, "Genius in France," for the album ''Poodle Hat'', who did he get to provide solos satisfactorily remiscent of Frank's? Dweezil. [[ViewersAreGeniuses Return Of The Son Of]] FrankZappa.

* Music/TomWaits pitch-perfect turn as Tommy in {{Primus}}' "Tommy the Cat".

* Rockwell's hit "Somebody's Watching Me" featured [[Music/MichaelJackson Michael]] (notably in the chorus) Jackson.

* A rarer-example of the above example is when a high-profile rapper appears as a featured artist on a pop or R'n'B (or occasionally more left-field) song.

* David Crosby and Phil Collins flipflopped this trope; Crosby sang backup on Collins' Another Day In Paradise, while Collins returned the favor on Crosby's song Hero.

** Gorillaz' "DoYaThing"

* Music/EricClapton's guitar solo on Music/TheBeatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", and in turn, GeorgeHarrison's rhythm guitar playing on {{Cream}}'s "Badge".

* {{Avantasia}}: [[{{Kamelot}} Roy Khan]] on "Twisted Mind" from ''The Scarecrow'', [[Music/{{Scorpions}} Klaus Meine]] on "Dying for an Angel" from ''The Wicked Symphony''.

* Rockwell's hit "Somebody's Watching Me" featured [[MichaelJackson Michael]] (notably in the chorus) Jackson.

* DireStraits's "Money For Nothing" is well known for the background singing that Sting does in it. You know, "[[{{MTV}} I want my emmmmmmmm teeeeeeee veeeeeeeeeee.......]]" (in the same tune of "[[ThePolice Don't Stand So Close To Me]]")

* TomWaits pitch-perfect turn as Tommy in {{Primus}}' "Tommy the Cat".
* {{Queen}}: David Bowie joining up for "Under Pressure". Steve Howe playing a relatively short (compared to Music/{{Yes}} and Asia standards) flamenco guitar solo on "Innuendo", which has become a classic and one loads of people around the world try to learn and replicate (oddly appropriate given that Brian May asked Steve to do it because he couldn't manage it). Also, the half-minute operatic section on "'Bohemian Rhapsody" is arguably one of the first things people recall about Queen in spite of being very different to 99% of things the band did before or since.
* On the FrankZappa album ''Broadway the Hard Way'', Sting comes on halfway through and performs "Murder by Numbers".

* [[TheEighties 80's]] pop singer Tiffany had a surprise guest appearance by rapper [[BoneThugsNHarmony Krayzie Bone]] on the song "I'm Not Sleeping," on her 2001 "come back album" Color Of Silence''.
* [[Music/GunsNRoses Slash's]] guitar solos on TLC's "Red Light Special" song.
* BoneThugsNHarmony's guest appearance on Mariah Carey's Butterfly album, the most jarring however being ODB on her previous record.

** Nicki Minaj's verse in Kanye's Monster.

** KanyeWest on Estelle's "American Boy"
** {{Eminem}} on Akon's "Smack That"
** Music/JayZ on {{Rihanna}}'s "Umbrella" - has the first verse (lasting less than a minute) and disappears for the rest of the song (and album, since "Umbrella" opened up ''Good Girl Gone Bad'')
* Whenever [[{{Outkast}} Andre 3000]] turns up on a track, you know he's gonna leave the rest of the song (and arguably album) in his wake.

* MariahCarey doing back up vocals for Babyface on a track called "Every time I Close My Eyes"
* Jamie Foxx's video for "Blame It" has scores of celeb appearances. Ashley Scott from ''Series/{{Jericho}}'', Ron Howard, Creator/ForestWhitaker, Jake Gyllenhaal, Samuel L. Jackson, Quincy Jones, Cedric the Entertainer, Morris Chestnut, Clifton Powell, Alex Thomas, [=DeRay=] Davis, Joe (R&B singer), Mos Def, Tatyana Ali, Jalen Rose, Bill Bellamy, Electrik Red, Dawn Richard, Keshia Knight Pulliam and [=LeToya=].
* Eddie Music/VanHalen providing the guitar solo for MichaelJackson's "Beat It".
** Also [[GunsNRoses Slash]] on "Give In to Me" and [[BillyIdol Steve Stevens]] on "Dirty Diana."
* VincentPrice for the [[SpokenWordInMusic closing speech]], and the [[EvilLaugh laugh]], in "Thriller".

* EricClapton's guitar solo on Music/TheBeatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", and in turn, GeorgeHarrison's rhythm guitar playing on {{Cream}}'s "Badge".
* In turn, EltonJohn plays piano, organ and sings backing vocals on "Whatever Gets You Thru The Night" by JohnLennon, and John playing guitar and singing backing vocals on Elton's cover of Music/TheBeatles' "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" They made a bet that if both got to number one, they would appear in concert together, which came true in 1974, when Lennon appeared onstage at an Elton show in Madison Square Garden to sing both songs and "I Saw Her Standing There". [[TearJerker It would prove to be Lennon's last public concert performance]].
* BlakeShelton in Cady Groves "This Little Girl" music video. He plays a towtruck driver who tows Cady's car while she is still inside it.

* Sandy Denny's vocals on LedZeppelin's "The Battle of Evermore", the only guest vocalist on any Zeppelin song. Played live the part was usually sung by John Paul Jones.

** {{Eminem}} on Jay-Z's "Renagade" track from ''The Blueprint''. Nas mentions this on "Ether"' ("Eminem murdered you on your own shit")

** {{Jay-Z}} on {{Rihanna}}'s "Umbrella" - has the first verse (lasting less than a minute) and disappears for the rest of the song (and album, since "Umbrella" opened up ''Good Girl Gone Bad'')

* Jamie Foxx's video for "Blame It" has scores of celeb appearances. Ashley Scott from ''Series/{{Jericho}}'', Ron Howard, Forest Whitaker, Jake Gyllenhaal, Samuel L. Jackson, Quincy Jones, Cedric the Entertainer, Morris Chestnut, Clifton Powell, Alex Thomas, [=DeRay=] Davis, Joe (R&B singer), Mos Def, Tatyana Ali, Jalen Rose, Bill Bellamy, Electrik Red, Dawn Richard, Keshia Knight Pulliam and [=LeToya=].