| 100% | BLACK | 5 | "Man in ___," 1971 song written and recorded by Johnny Cash from album of the same name |
| 43% | WOMAN | 5 | "L.A. ___," 1971 song by the Doors from their album of the same name |
| 41% | PRIVATEDANCER | 13 | 1984 song by Tina Turner from her album of the same name: 2 wds. |
| 39% | WOLF | 4 | "She ___," 2009 song by Shakira from her studio album of the same name |
| 38% | ACID | 4 | "___ Queen," 1975 song cover by Tina Turner from her album of the same name |
| 38% | DARK | 4 | "___ Lady," 1974 song by Cher from her eleventh studio album of the same name |
| 38% | LETITBE | 7 | The name of a song and album by the Beatles |
| 36% | ROSES | 5 | "Days of Wine and ___," song from the 1962 film of the same name composed by Henry Mancini |
| 36% | DREAM | 5 | "___ of You," song by K-pop's CHUNG HA and R3HAB from the album "Querencia" |
| 35% | JULY | 4 | "Cold Day in ___," song written by Richard Leigh and recorded by The Chicks for their 1999 album "Fly" |
| 35% | ITSAHELLUVATOWN | 15 | Lyric in the song named by the starts and ends of 19-, 27-, 45- and 53-Across |
| 34% | HOME | 4 | "Take Me ___," 1979 song by the American singer Cher from her fifteenth studio album of the same name |
| 33% | BANGLADESH | 10 | 1971 charity single by George Harrison that was written to raise awareness for millions of refugees from the country in the title: 2 wds. |
| 33% | COFFEESONG | 10 | "The ___," song written by Bob Hilliard and Dick Miles which was recorded by Frank Sinatra in 1946: 2 wds. |
| 32% | IMAGINE | 7 | First song on a John Lennon album of the same name |
| 32% | LOLLIPOP | 8 | The name of a song by Lil Wayne and The Chordettes |
| 32% | WINDS | 5 | "___ of March," 1978 song by Journey from the album "Infinity" |
| 32% | HER | 3 | Singer nominated for Album of the Year Grammys in 2019 and 2020 (and whose name spells a pronoun) |
| 32% | INTOTHEWILD | 11 | 2007 film starring Emile Hirsch based on a book of the same name by Jon Krakauer set in the Alaskan wilderness: 3 wds. |
| 31% | ALMOST | 6 | Song by the band DNCE from their self-titled debut album released in 2016 |
| 31% | UNSWEET | 7 | Song by the band DNCE from their self-titled debut album released in 2016 |
| 31% | JANSHERKHAN | 11 | Winner of the Men's World Open Squash Championship in 1987, 1989, 1990 and from 1992-96 |
| 31% | WHATSGOINGON | 12 | Title song from the 1971 album that Rolling Stone named the greatest of all time |
| 31% | NOPE | 4 | Song Jeff Tweedy of "Wilco" wrote which was released on the album "Schmilco" in 2016 |
| 31% | ITSOK | 5 | "___", song by Tom Rosenthal, featured in the trailers of "Comet" and "Anesthesia" : 2 wds. |
| 30% | ESQUIRE | 7 | Unofficial title of respect written in the end of a man's formal name |
| 30% | IAM | 3 | "___ Mine," 2002 song written by Eddie Vedder which was the first single of the album "Riot Act": 2 wds. |
| 30% | CASEY | 5 | Man trying to clarify the spelling of his name in 21-, 25-, 38-, 52- and 57-Across |
| 30% | DANCING | 7 | "___ in the Street," song covered by David Bowie and Mick Jagger that was recorded in 1985 |
| 30% | WIND | 4 | "Candle in the ___," song by Elton John that was written in honor of Marilyn Monroe |