Shameless self-promotion in writing vanity songs

by Craig Takeuchi on June 13th, 2007 at 2:23 PM

With thanks to Lucas Aykroyd, John Lucas, and Alan Woo.

It's one thing to write an eponymous song that incorporates the band or artist's name into a song about something. But it's another to write a song bragging all about the singer or band.

And after all, if songwriting is where it's at when it comes to making money, writing a song about yourself is going to severely limit the chances of the song being covered by others.

Some prime examples of vanity songs:

"Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" by Backstreet Boys: They were never gone, and they have to announce it with their bloody name too.

"Fergilicious" by Fergie: I'm hot, I'm hot, I'm hot-I'm hot-I'm hot. Check it out.

"Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice: Don't play that funky music, white boy. Keep it surreal.

"Jenny From the Block" by Jennifer Lopez: Okay, when the girl grows up to own the whole damn block, we know she's different by the rocks that she's got.

"Martika's Kitchen" by Martka: What are the chances that a cooking show would use this as their theme song?

"My Name is Prince" by Prince: Good thing he didn't use that stupid symbol thing in the song title. Or maybe he should have just so he could experience what a hard time he gave everybody else.

"This Beat is Techontronic" by Technotronic: They were so proud of it that they had to write a song laying claim to the beats but all their songs sounded the same anyways so this declaration was redundant.

Since that Wikipedia linked eponymous song list page is slated for possible deletion, I've cut and pasted it below for your reading pleasure:

Artist name, song title, and album title identical

Ad Infinitum's "Ad infinitum" (from album Ad Infinitum)
Almafuerte's "Almafuerte" (from album Almafuerte)
Anaal Nathrakh's "Anaal Nathrakh" (from demo Anaal Nathrakh)
Angel Witch's "Angel Witch" (from album Angel Witch)
Art in America's "Art in America" (from album Art in America)
Assorted Jelly Beans' "Assorted Jelly Beans" (from album Assorted Jelly Beans)
Bad Company's "Bad Company" (from album Bad Company)
Bad Religion's "Bad Religion" (from EP Bad Religion)
Beggars and Thieves's "Beggars and Thieves" (from album Beggars and Thieves)
Black Sabbath's "Black Sabbath" (from album Black Sabbath)
Blackfield's "Blackfield" (from album Blackfield)
Blue Murder's "Blue Murder" (from album Blue Murder)
Bo Diddley's "Bo Diddley" (from album Bo Diddley)
Body Count's "Body Count" (from album Body Count)
Buena Vista Social Club's "Buena Vista Social Club" (From Album Buena Vista Social Club)
Creep Division's "Creep Division" (from album Creep Division)
Damn Yankees' "Damn Yankees" (from album Damn Yankees)
Deep Forest's "Deep Forest" (from album Deep Forest)
Deicide's "deicide" (from album Deicide)
Divlje Jagode's "Divlje jagode" (from album Divlje Jagode)
Don Johnson Big Band's "Don Johnson Big Band" (from album Don Johnson Big Band)
Drivin N Cryin's "Drivin N Cryin" (from album Drivin N Cryin)
Eisbrecher's "Eisbrecher" (from album Eisbrecher)
Electric Wizard's "Electric Wizard" (from album Electric Wizard)
Evanescence's Evanescence (Name for the first Ep Evanescence)
Fata Morgana's "Fata Morgana" (from album Fata Morgana)
Force's "Force" (from album Force (album)|Force]])
Force's "Force III" (from album Force)
Force's "Force IV" (from album Force)
Girl Thing's "Girl Thing" (from album Girl Thing)
The Good, the Bad and the Queen's "The Good, The Bad and the Queen" (from album The Good, the Bad and the Queen)
Gorilla Biscuits' "Gorilla Biscuits" (from album Gorilla Biscuits; Song is sometimes alternately titled "Biscuit Power")
Great Lake Swimmers's Great Lake Swimmers (from album Great Lake Swimmers)
Grinderman's "Grinderman" (from album Grinderman)
Iced Earth's "Iced Earth" (from album Iced Earth)
Icehouse's "Icehouse" (from the album Icehouse. In Australia they were called Flowers. They changed their name to Icehouse for their next album)
Into Eternity's "Into Eternity (from album Into Eternity)
Iron Maiden's "Iron Maiden" (from album Iron Maiden)
Kool & the Gang's "Kool and the Gang" (from album Kool And The Gang)
Living in a Box's "Living in a Box" (from album Living in a Box)
Mí¤go de Oz's "Mí¤go de Oz" (from album Mí¤go de Oz)
Masters of Illusion's "Masters of Illusion" (from album Masters of Illusion)
Meat Puppets' "Meat Puppets" (from album Meat Puppets)
Metal Church's "Metal Church" (from album Metal Church)
Minor Threat's "Minor Threat" (from album Minor Threat)
The Monkees's "The Monkees" (from album The Monkees)
The Monochrome Set's "The Monochrome Set" (from album Strange Boutique) and a 1979 Rough Trade Records single
Motí¶rhead's "Motorhead" (from album Motí¶rhead; originally recorded by Hawkwind, Motí¶rhead vocalist Lemmy's previous band)
Murphy's Law's "Murphy's Law" (from album Murphy's Law)
New Kids on the Block's "New Kids on the Block" (from their debut album, New Kids on the Block)
Orplid's "Orplid" (from album Orplid)
OSI's "OSI" (from album OSI)
Pennywise's "Pennywise" (from their debut album)
Porno for Pyros' "Porno for Pyros" (from album Porno for Pyros)
Return to Forever's "Return to Forever" (from album Return to Forever, though album is also co-credited to founder Chick Corea)
Slipknot's "Slipknot" (from album * Mate.Feed.Kill.Repeat )
Soulfly's "Soulfly", "Soulfly II", "Soulfly III", "Soulfly IV", "Soulfly V" (one from each Soulfly album, but only the first album is a hat-trick)
Talk Talk's "Talk Talk" (from album Talk Talk (Known as The Party's Over outside of the US) and from the 5 song EP Talk Talk)
Tin Machine's "Tin Machine" (from album Tin Machine)
Tip Top "Tip Top" (from the album Tip Top)
Train's "Train" (from album Train)
Victor, an Alex Lifeson solo project, has the song "Victor" on album Victor
Village People "Village People" (from album Village People)
Visage's "Visage" (from the album Visage)
Warsaw's "Warsaw" (from album Warsaw)
Weird War's "Weird War" (from the album Weird War)
Witchcraft's "Witchcraft" (from the album Witchcraft)

Exact matches

45 Grave's "45 Grave"
A's "A" (from album A vs Monkey Kong)
Amon Amarth's "Amon Amarth" (from album Once Sent From The Golden Hall)
Anthrax's "Anthrax" (from album Fistful of Metal)
Armor for Sleep's "Armor for Sleep" (from album Dream to Make Believe)
At the Gates's "At the Gates" (from album Garden of Grief)
Avantasia's "Avantasia" (from album "The Metal Opera")
Babyshambles's "Babyshambles"
Bad Acid Trip's "Bad Acid Trip"
Beastie Boys' "Beastie Boys"
Belle & Sebastian's "Belle & Sebastian" (from the EP Dog On Wheels, and re-released as part of the album Push Barman to Open Old Wounds)
Blue í–yster Cult's "Blue í–yster Cult" (from album Imaginos)
Born Blind's "Born Blind" (from album One for All)
bob hund's "bob hund" (from album Omslag: Martin Kann)
Brand Nubian's "Brand Nubian"
Brian Wilson's "Brian Wilson" (from the album Live at the Roxy Theatre, a cover of the song by Barenaked Ladies)
Built to Spill's "Built to Spill" (from album Ultimate Alternative Wavers)
Captain Jack's "Captain Jack" (from album The Mission)
Carolina Rain's "Carolina Rain"
Chicago's "Chicago" ( from album Night and Day: Big Band)
Children of Bodom's "Children of Bodom" (from album Hatebreeder)
Choking Victim's "Choking Victim"
Julian Cope's "Julian H. Cope" (from jehovahkill)
Daddy DJ's "Daddy DJ"
Dali's Car's "Dali's Car"
Delta 5's "Delta 5"
Descendents's "Descendents" (from album I Don't Want To Grow Up)
Die í„rzte's "Die í„rzte" (not released, just live)
D.O.A.'s "D.O.A." (from album Hardcore '81)
Doop's "Doop"
Dr. Octagon's "Dr. Octagon"
Dschinghis Khan's "Dschinghis Khan"
Enkindel's "Enkindel" (from album "Some Assembly Required"; the band lather changed their name to The Enkindels)
Enter Shikari's "Enter Shikari" (from the album Take to the Skies)
Eskaton's "Eskaton" (from the album 4 Visions)
Exodus's "Exodus" (from the album Bonded by Blood)
Fishbone's "Fishbone (Is Red Hot)"
Fleetwood Mac's "Fleetwood Mac" (from the album The Original Fleetwood Mac)
Flying Machine's "Flying Machine"
Fuck...I'm Dead's "Fuck...I'm Dead"
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly's "Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly"
Goon Squad's "Goon Squad"
Gotcha!'s "Gotcha!"
Gouryella's "Gouryella"
Green Day's "Green Day" (the song title preceded the band name, and was written while the band was still known as Sweet Children)
- Also had a song called "Sweet Children" when they were known as Sweet Children
G-Unit's "G-Unit" (from album Beg For Mercy)
H-Bomb's "H-Bomb" (from mini-LP Coup de Metal)
Hammerfall's "Hammerfall" (from album Glory to the Brave)
Hard Skin's "Hard Skin" (from album Hard Nuts And Hard Cunts)
Imperial Teen's "Imperial Teen" (from album Seasick)
In Extremo's "In Extremo" (from album Verehrt und Angespien)
In Flames' "In Flames" (from album Lunar Strain)
JFA's "Jodie Foster's Army" (from album Blatant Localism)
Jilted John's "Jilted John" (from album True Love Stories)
LFO "LFO" (from album Frequencies)
Korpiklaani's "Korpiklaani" (from album Tales Along This Road)
Last Days Of Humanity's "Last Days Of Humanity" (from Human Atrocity demo)
Libido Airbag's "Libido Airbag" (from album Knee Deep In Her Pussy)
The Living End's "The Living End" (from album Hellbound)
Lord Gore's "Lord Gore" (from album The Autophagous Orgy)
Louis XIV's "Louis XIV" (from album The Best Little Secrets Are Kept)
Love City Groove's "Love City Groove" (the United Kingdom entry in the 1995 Eurovision Song Contest)
Mad Caddies's "Mad Caddies"
Madness's "Madness" (a Prince Buster cover)
Manowar's "Manowar"
Masta Killa's "Masta Killa" (from album No Said Date)
Mayhem's "Mayhem" (from Pure Fucking Armageddon demo)
Miljoonasade's "Miljoonasade" (from album Pesuhuoneesta keittií¶í¶n)
Miss Black America' "Miss Black America" (from the album God Bless Miss Black America)
Mr. Big's "Mr. Big" (a Free cover)
Mr Blobby's "Mr Blobby"
Mull Historical Society's "Mull Historical Society" (from album Loss)
Nation 12's "Nation 12" (from album Electrofear)
Night Ranger's "Night Ranger" (from album Dawn Patrol)
Nightwish's "Nightwish" (from their untitled first demo)
Nichya's (?????) "Nichya"
Paradise Lost's "Paradise Lost" (from the album Lost Paradise)
Peach's "Peach" (from the album Giving Birth to a Stone)
Pet Shop Boys' "Pet Shop Boys" (b-side to the 1984 release of "West End girls")
Pink Grease's "Pink G.R.Ease"
Polygon Window's "Polygon Window" (from the album Surfing on Sine Waves)
Pong's "Pong" (from the album Killer Lifestyle)
Railroad Earth's "Railroad Earth" (from the album Elko)
Rammstein's "Rammstein" (from album Herzeleid)
Reagan Youth's "Reagan Youth" (from album Volume 1)
Renegade Soundwave's "Renegade Soundwave"
Repulsion's "Repulsion" (from album Horrified)
Rompeprop's "R.O.M.P.E.P.R.O.P." (from album Hellcock's Pornflakes)
Samhain's "Samhain" (from album Initium)
Severed Savior's "Severed Savior" (from album Brutality Is Law)
Siddharta's "Siddharta" (from album ID)
Sigur Rós's "Sigur Rós" (from album Von)
Skyclad's "Skyclad" (from album The Wayward Sons of Mother Earth)
Slipknot's "Slipknot" (from album Mate.Feed.Kill.Repeat)
Slowdive's Slowdive from the self-titled EP.
Smog's "Smog" from the album Sewn to the Sky
Snoop Dogg's "Snoop Dogg"
Snot's "Snot" (from album Get Some)
Spacehog's "Spacehog" from the album Resident Alien
Steelheart's "Steelheart" from the album Tangled in Reins
Stratovarius' "Stratovarius" from the album Fourth Dimension
Sugarland's "Sugarland"
Sworn Enemy's "Sworn Enemy" from the album As Real As It Gets
Talk Talk's "Talk Talk" (from album The Party's Over)
- note: The song "Talk Talk" also appears on a five-song EP called Talk Talk, and the band itself was named after the song (written by the Hollis brothers).
Talulah Gosh's "Talulah Gosh"
Taxicab Samurais' "Taxicab Samurais" (from the album Five Miles to Newark)
They Might Be Giants' "They Might Be Giants" (from album Flood)
Tricky Disco "Tricky Disco"
Unun's "Unun" from the album í† (album)
Van Dyke Parks' "Van Dyke Parks" (from album Song Cycle)
Voivod's "Voivod" (from album War and Pain)
Warp 11's "Warp 11" (from album Red Alert)
White Town's "White Town" (from album Women in Technology)
World Party's "World Party" (from the album Private Revolution)
X's "X" (from album Blue Blood)
Zombie Ritual's Zombie Ritual (from album Night Of The Zombie Party)
Zonata's "Zonata" (from album Tunes of Steel)

Self-referential, but inexact

65daysofstatic's "65 Doesn't Understand You"
ABC's "A to Z"
Adam and the Ants' "Antmusic"
Adam and the Ants', "Ant Rap"
AFI's "No-Dave Party" (instrumental song, Dave is the lead singer of AFI)
Anal Cunt's "Everyone In Anal Cunt Is Dumb" (from album 40 More Reasons To Hate Us)
Anal Cunt's "I'm In Anal Cunt" (from album 40 More Reasons To Hate Us)
The Aquabats's "Aquabat March"
Arctic Monkeys' "Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys?" (from EP Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys)
B-52's "52 Girls"
Backstreet Boys' "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)"
Bell Biv Devoe's "B.B.D. (I Though It Was Me)"
Big Country's "In a Big Country" (from album The Crossing)
Biz Markie's "Biz In Harmony"
Bijelo Dugme's "Kad bi bio bijelo dugme" (from album Kad bi bio bijelo dugme)
Black Sabbath's "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath"
Blind Guardian's "Guardian of the Blind"
The Blood Brothers' "Mutiny on the Ark of the Blood Brothers" (from album This Adultery is Ripe)
Blur's "B.L.U.R.E.M.I." (from album 13)
Bob Dylan's "Bob Dylan's Blues"
Bob Dylan's "Bob Dylan's Dream"
Bob Dylan's "Bob Dylan's 115th Dream"
Body Count's "Body Count Anthem" (from album Body Count)
Body Count's "Body Count's in the House" (from album Body Count)
The Bucketheads' "Sayin' Dope" (reference to Kenny 'Dope' Gonzales)
Butthole Surfers' "Butthole Surfer"
Mariah Carey's "Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme)"
Carter USM's "Elvis Lives (And Carter Break America)"
Children of Bodom's "Bastards of Bodom"
Children of Bodom's "Bodom Beach Terror"
Children of Bodom's "Bodom After Midnight"
Children of Bodom's "Lake Bodom"
The Clash's "Clash City Rockers"
The Clash's "This Is Radio Clash"
The Clash's "We Are the Clash"
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's "Clap Your Hands"
Bootsy Collins' "Aah the Name Is Bootsy"
CSS's 'CSS SUXXX'
D12's "D12 World" (from the album D12 World)
DBP vs. Bass Bin Twins' "A Crate of DBP"
De La Soul's "Do As De La Does"
De La Soul's "De La Orgee"
Delfonics's "Delfonics Theme"
DEVO's "DEVO Has Feelings Too"
DEVO's "Devo Corporate Anthem"
Dexys Midnight Runners' "Kevin Rowland's Band" (Kevin Rowland was the lead singer and "leader of the band.")
Die í„rzte's "í„rzte Theme (Instrumental)" (from the album Debil)
Dingo's "Nimeni on Dingo" (My name is Dingo) from the album "Nimeni on Dingo"
The Dismemberment Plan's "The Dismemberment Plan Gets Rich"
Dr. Dre's "Fuck Wit Dre Day"
Dr. Dre's "Still D.R.E."
Dr. Dre's "Forgot about Dre"
Dream Theater's "Your Majesty" (the band's original name was Majesty)
The Dresden Dolls' "Mandy Goes to Med School", referring to lead singer Amanda Palmer, from the album Yes, Virginia
The Dwarves' "The Dwarves Must Die" (from their album The Dwarves Must Die)
Eminem's "Marshall Mathers"
Eminem's "My Name Is (Slim Shady)"
Eminem's "I'm (Slim) Shady"
Eminem's "The Real Slim Shady"
Excrementory Grindfuckers' "Grindfuckers" (from album Fertig Machen, Szeneputzen)
Excrementory Grindfuckers' "The Excrementory Grindfuckers Open The Stomachs Of Natural Born Anus And Strangle Them With Their Guts" (from album Guts, Gore, & Grind)
Exhumed's "Vacant Grave"
Falco's "Falco Rides Again"
Fall Out Boy's "I Slept With Someone In Fall Out Boy And All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me" (from the album From Under The Cork Tree)
Fat Boys' "Fat Boy Dance"
Fear Before the March of Flames's "The State of Texas vs. Fear Before"
The Fratellis' "Baby Fratelli"
Freezepop's "Freezepop Forever"
Frenzal Rhomb's "Go Frenzal Go" (from the album A Man's Not a Camel)
Funkadelic's "Mommy, What's a Funkadelic?" (from the album Funkadelic)
Gentle Giant's "Giant"
Girl Thing's "Girl Thing For Life"
Girls Aloud's "Girls Allowed"
I'm from Barcelona's "We're From Barcelona" and "Barcelona Loves You"
Ides of March's "Friends of Feeling" (from the album "Common Bond")
Jimmy Ray's "Are You Jimmy Ray?"
Jurassic 5's "Jurass Finish First"
Jane's Addiction's "Jane Says"
John Lennon's "The Ballad of John and Yoko"
Julian Cope's "Julian H. Cope" (from the album Jehovahkill)
Judas Priest's "Judas Rising" (from the album Angel of Retribution)
Jethro Tull's "A Song for Jeffrey," "Jeffrey Goes to Leicester Square," and "For Michael Collins, Jeffrey, and Me," referring to Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond, childhood friend of Ian Anderson and later band member (from albums This Was, Stand Up, and Benefit, respectively).
Las Ketchup's "The Ketchup Song"
Leftí¶ver Crack's "Crack City Rockers"
Leftí¶ver Crack's "The Good The Bad and the Leftover Crack"
Lisa Loeb's "Lisa Listen" (from the album "Tails")
Kerber's "Kao tvoj kerber" (from the album Nebo je malo za sve)
King Crimson's "In the Court of the Crimson King"
Kiss' "Love Theme from Kiss" (from the album Kiss)
KLF's "Church of The KLF" (from the album The White Room)
Ko?n's "Children of the Ko?n" (from album Follow the Leader)
Kyuss's "Sons of Kyuss" (Previous release)
MC Sar and The Real McCoy's "MC Coy's House"
MC Frontalot's "Front the Most"
Meatmen's "We're the Meatmen and You Suck"
Meatmen's "The Meatmen Stomp""
Metallica's "Whiplash" (from the album Kill 'Em All)
Mogwai's "Mogwai Fear Satan" from Young Team, and an album of remixes of the same song.
Mono's "Life in Mono"
The Monkees' "(Theme From) The Monkees"
Muse's "Muscle Museum" (Formed from the words before and after "Muse" in the dictionary)
NOFX "Theme From A NOFX Album"
Okkervil River's "Okkervil River Song"
Oysterhead "Mr. Oysterhead"
Panzerchrist's " Flame of the Panzerchrist" (from album Battalion Beast)
Paradise Lost's "Lost Paradise"
Pentangle's "Pentangling" (from the album The Pentangle)
Perfect Gentlemen's "Rated P.G."
Lena Philipsson's "Lena Anthem" (from the album Det gí¶r ont en stund pí¥ natten men inget pí¥ dan)
The Pietasters' "Pietaster"
Pigbag's "Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag"
The Pipettes' "We Are The Pipettes"
The Prodigy's "Death of the Prodigy Dancers" (from the album Experience)
Prince's "My Name Is Prince"
Public Enemy's "Public Enemy No. 1"
Public Image Limited's "Public Image"
Queen Latifah's "Latifah's Law"
Red Hot Chili Peppers' "They're Red Hot"
Refused's "Refused are Fuckin' Dead" (from the album The Shape of Punk to Come)
Refused's "The Refused Party Programme" (from the album The Shape of Punk to Come)
The Rolling Stones' "Like a Rolling Stone" (a Bob Dylan cover)
Rí¶yksopp's "Rí¶yksopp's Night Out" (from the album Melody A.M.)
Run-D.M.C.'s "They Call Us Run-D.M.C.
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band's "The E Street Shuffle"
Joe Satriani's "Satch Boogie"
The Sign's "Signs of Life" (from album Signs of Life)
Sonic Youth's "Kim Gordon and the Arthur Doyle Hand Creme" (from the album Sonic Nurse), Kim Gordon being the singer/bassist of Sonic Youth. Previously named "Mariah Carey and the Arthur Doyle Hand Creme".
The Soft Boys' "Give It To The Soft Boys"
Squarepusher's "Squarepusher Theme" (from the album Feed Me Weird Things)
Strapping Young Lad's "S.Y.L." (from the album Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing)
Sugababes' "Sugababes On The Run"
Sufjan Stevens's "A Conjunction of Drones Simulating the Way in Which Sufjan Stevens Has an Existential Crisis in the Great Godfrey Maze" (from the album Illinois)
Supersuckers' "Supersucker Drive-By Blues" (from the album "Must've Been High")
The Sweet Inspirations' "Sweet Inspiration"
Them's "The Story of Them"
Therapy?'s "Gimme Therapy"
Tocotronic's "This Boy Is Tocotronic"
Tool's "Maynards Dick" (Maynard is the lead singer of the band)
Toy Matinee's "The Toy Matinee" and "Eenitam Yot Eht" (the previous song's title, backward)
Traveling Wilburys' "Wilbury Twist" (from Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3)
The Unicorns's "I Was Born (a Unicorn)"
Wu-Tang Clan's "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta Fuck Wit" (from the album Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers)
Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby"
Volapí¼k's "La Chanson du Vo"
Volcano, I'm Still Excited!!'s "Two Exclamation Points" (from the album Volcano, I'm Still Excited!!
Wir sind Helden's "Heldenzeit" (from the album Die Reklamation)
Whodini's "We Are Whodini".
The Who's "Who Are You"
Young Fresh Fellows's "Young Fresh Fellows Theme"
Zutons' "Zuton Fever]]