Watch Simpsons Season Premiere 20th Season: Top Simpsons Musical Guests

Sure, we’re ready to gather ‘round the TV for tonight’s presidential debate between Obama and McCain (McCain just announced he’ll actually show up at the event), but we’re really looking forward to Sunday night’s season premiere of the Simpsons.

Everyone’s favorite cartoon family is celebrating its 20th Season, so we thought we’d take a look back at 20 of the show’s top music guests. We’re mostly looking at bands that actually played music in the show (Johnny Cash guest starred as a coyote, but didn’t sing. Yo La Tengo revamped the themesong but didn’t appear in the show, same for Hank Williams, Jr. who sang the “Canyonero” SUV commercial song without appearing onscreen).

Top 20 Bands on the Simpsons

20. Fake Michael Jackson/Michael Jackson
Apparently MJ did the speaking parts, but someone else did the singing? That seems just weird enough to be true! Whatever. This episode was ultra annoying, right down to the awful bar/MJ duet, “Happy Birthday Lisa.”

19. Weird Al Yankovic
Yawn.
18. Tony Bennett
Classy, as always, but still no Sinatra.

17. Smashing Pumpkins
16. Sonic Youth
15. Peter Frampton
14. Cypress Hill
These four bands appeared as part of a Lollapalooza inspired episode. It’s good for some nice alternative nation nostalgia when you catch the reruns.

13. Phish
Pot jokes? You bet. Hooray for Otto!

12. Tom Petty
11. Elvis Costello
10. Mick Jagger
9. Keith Richards
8. Brian Setzer
7. Lenny Kravitz
All part of a great episode where Home goes to rock’n’roll fantasy camp (and repeated calls Brian Setzer, “Mr. Seltzer.”). Fantastic.

6. Red Hot Chili Peppers
Meh.

5. NSync
Lame, as expected, but they did a good job of making fun of themselves and gave us the opportunity to see Ralph, Milhouse, Bart and Nelson form a hilarious boyband.

4. Aerosmith
Flaming Moes!

3. U2
Another group that seemed to have fun poking fun at its own image.

2. The Ramones
Mr. Burns ordered the execution of the Beatles after being insulted by the Ramones’ birthday song.

1. Spinal Tap
With Harry Shearer in the Simpsons’ cast, it seemed inevitable that the greatest band ever would reunite in Springfield. And the reunion was a smash hit and hilarious as always (although, if we remember correctly, the band died in a fiery bus crash during the story. Bummer.).

D’oh!!!

Did we forget your favorite Simpsons musical guest?
Leave a comment and let us know which one is your favorite!