| 100% | MANDOLIN | 8 | "___ Rain," 1986 song by Bruce Hornsby and the Range with a string instrument in its title |
| 45% | GUITAR | 6 | "Teardrops On My ___," 2006 song by Taylor Swift with a string instrument in its title |
| 44% | THEWAYITIS | 10 | 1986 Bruce Hornsby and the Range song sampled in Tupac Shakur's "Changes": 4 wds. |
| 43% | OBOE | 4 | "Gabriel's ___," 1986 song composed by Ennio Morricone with a wind instrument in its title |
| 43% | DRUM | 4 | "Bang the ___ All Day," 1983 song by Todd Rundgren with a percussion instrument in its title |
| 43% | TROMBONE | 8 | "___ Dixie," 1990 instrumental song by the Beach Boys with a brass instrument in its title |
| 42% | TRUMPETS | 8 | 2013 song by Jason Derulo with a brass instrument in its title |
| 38% | SANGRIA | 7 | "___ Wine," 2018 song by Pharrell Williams and Camila Cabello with a "wine-based drink" in its title |
| 36% | ECLIPSE | 7 | "Total ___ of the Heart," hit song by Bonnie Tyler with a celestial phenomenon in its title |
| 34% | HEREWITHME | 10 | 2019 hit song by 17-Down featuring Chvrches with the lyrics "You're saying the words that I want you to say / There's a pain in my heart and it won't go away" (3 wds.) |
| 34% | BASSOON | 7 | Woodwind instrument with a double reed playing in the tenor and bass ranges |
| 33% | BASS | 4 | "All About That ___," 2014 song by Meghan Trainor with a low-pitched instrument in its title |
| 32% | SAND | 4 | "Love Letters in the ___," song with an ocean-related word in the title, a version of which was sung by Pat Boone |
| 32% | SAND | 4 | "Love Letters in the ___," song with an ocean-related word in the title, a version of which was sang by Pat Boone |
| 32% | EYE | 3 | "___ in the Sky," song by the Alan Parsons Project with a rhyming title |
| 31% | TINSOLDIERMAN | 13 | The Kinks song with a traditional tenth anniversary gift in its title (3 wds.) |
| 31% | FRIES | 5 | "French ___ & Champagne," 2016 song by The Hot Sardines with a "sparkling wine variety" in its title |
| 31% | HIGHSCHOOL | 10 | What 1986 ___ romantic comedy got its title from a song by the Psychedelic Furs? |
| 31% | HAVANA | 6 | Hit song by Camila Cabello that shares its title with the capital of Cuba |
| 30% | DRAGONS | 7 | "A Dance with ___," fifth novel in the epic fantasy series "A Song of Ice and Fire" by George R.R. Martin |
| 30% | LETSDOITAGAIN | 13 | 1975 movie starring 51-Across with a #1 title song by the Staple Singers: 4 wds. |
| 30% | BOFA | 4 | Financial institution with a stylized version of the Stars and Stripes in its logo, for short |
| 30% | EMO | 3 | Likely genre for a song with a lengthy parenthetical in its title |
| 30% | BORN | 4 | "___ to Run," song by Bruce Springsteen about driving on U.S. Route 9 and hope of starting anew with a girl |
| 30% | SADIE | 5 | Title woman in songs by the Beatles and the Spinners |
| 30% | SATISFYMYSOUL | 13 | Bob Marley and the Wailers song on "Kaya" whose title ends with a music genre (3 wds.) |
| 30% | SIDE | 4 | In billiards, spin imparted to a ball by striking it off-centre with the cue |
| 29% | LOVEDROUGHT | 11 | Beyonce song with the lyric "You and me could make it rain now" |
| 29% | RAPTURE | 7 | 1981 song by Blondie with lyrics about a man from Mars, who also features in the music video |
| 29% | BOB | 3 | "___ the Builder," popular cartoon with a palindromic name in its title |