| 100% | FRAY | 4 | "How to Save a Life" band, with "The" |
| 83% | FRAY | 4 | The ___ ("How to Save a Life" band) |
| 71% | THIRDEYEBLIND | 13 | Band with the 1997 hit "Semi-Charmed Life" … or a phonetic hint to this puzzle's theme |
| 67% | HOW | 3 | "___ to Save a Life" (2006 hit for the Fray) |
| 65% | NICKELBACK | 10 | Band with the 2001 #1 hit "How You Remind Me" … or a hint to entering 54-Across |
| 61% | EVERCLEAR | 9 | 90's band with the hit "I Will Buy You a New Life" |
| 56% | ALPHABETICALLY | 14 | How to link the 12 letters in this puzzle with a single line to make a picture |
| 54% | SADE | 4 | Band with the debut album "Diamond Life" |
| 54% | NEAT | 4 | How whiskey might be served … with a hint to the answers to the seven starred clues |
| 53% | ITGOESUPANDDOWN | 15 | How life is like the ocean, or a hint to entering the starred answers |
| 52% | ALITTLE | 7 | With 108-Across, instruction given to a barber, or how the answers to the starred clues were literally formed |
| 52% | ELO | 3 | Band with the 1977 hit "Turn to Stone," for short |
| 52% | YES | 3 | Band with the 1983 hit "Owner of a Lonely Heart" |
| 52% | ABBA | 4 | Band with the 1978 hit "Take a Chance on Me" |
| 52% | ARCO | 4 | With the bow, to a cellist |
| 52% | ARCO | 4 | With the bow, to a violinist |
| 52% | ARCO | 4 | With the bow, to a violist |
| 51% | ELO | 3 | Band with the 1979 hit "Shine a Little Love," for short |
| 51% | HOWTO | 5 | "___ Save a Life" (song by the Fray): 2 wds. |
| 51% | BTS | 3 | K-pop band with the hit "Permission to Dance" |
| 51% | DEFDOGNIGHT | 11 | Band with the 1970 #1 hit "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)" |
| 51% | STEPPENWOLF | 11 | Rock band with the 1968 hit "Born to Be Wild" |
| 51% | STEPPENWOLF | 11 | Rock band with the 1968 song "Born to Be Wild" |
| 50% | CHEAPTRICK | 10 | Band with the 1979 hit "I Want You to Want Me": 2 wds. |
| 50% | THEBEATLES | 10 | Band with the 1963 hit "I Want to Hold Your Hand": 2 wds. |
| 50% | MEGADETH | 8 | Heavy metal band with the double-platinum album "Countdown to Extinction" |
| 50% | AHAB | 4 | Literary character described as "blindly seeking with a six inch blade to reach the fathom-deep life of the whale" |
| 50% | ABBA | 4 | Swedish band with the 1978 hit "Take a Chance on Me" |
| 50% | BOSTON | 6 | Geographically named band with the 1976 hit "More Than a Feeling" |
| 50% | VIRGINIAMAYOR | 13 | Actress with the keys to a city? |