| 100% | IRON | 4 | ___ Maiden, a hugely popular metal band with hits like "Fear of the Dark" and "Hallowed Be Thy Name" |
| 40% | RED | 3 | *___ Hot Chili Peppers, band with hits like "Californication" who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 |
| 38% | DEEP | 4 | ___ Purple, a band considered to be among the pioneers of metal and hard rock with hits like "Smoke on the Water" |
| 38% | IRON | 4 | ___ Maiden, '80s English rock band with hit songs such as "Fear of the Dark" and "The Book of Souls" |
| 37% | GREEN | 5 | *___ Day, band with hits like "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015 |
| 37% | BLUE | 4 | *___ Oyster Cult, band with hits like "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" and "Burnin' for You" |
| 36% | SPICEGIRLS | 10 | A hugely popular girl group who were responsible for the hit songs "Wannabe" and "2 Become 1" |
| 34% | ABBA | 4 | Popular 70s band with hits like "Mamma Mia" and "Dancing Queen" |
| 34% | METALLICA | 9 | One of the greatest metal bands of all time with hits like "Enter Sandman" and "Nothing Else Matters" |
| 33% | PINK | 4 | "___ Floyd," progressive rock band with best-selling albums like "The Wall" and "The Dark Side of the Moon" |
| 33% | VAST | 4 | Alternative rock band with the song "Touched" whose name is an abbreviation and also the title of their first album |
| 33% | DEADEND | 7 | Like jobs with no future ... and what the start of each answer to a starred clue can be? |
| 32% | CRAZYSEXYCOOL | 13 | 1994 TLC album with the #1 hits "Creep" and "Waterfalls" whose title is a mash-up of three adjectives |
| 32% | IRON | 4 | ___ Maiden, "Fear of the Dark" band that has a special edition of Monopoly |
| 32% | BLUR | 4 | A rock band with hits like "Song 2" and "Coffee & TV" |
| 31% | YES | 3 | Band with the 1983 hit "Owner of a Lonely Heart" |
| 31% | TINA | 4 | ___ Turner, former member of the duo with Ike who is known for her solo hits like "What's Love Got To Do with It" and "Private Dancer" |
| 31% | ASIA | 4 | "Heat of the Moment" band whose name is a continent |
| 30% | IMAGINEDRAGONS | 14 | American rock band with hits like "Radioactive" and "Demons," who will release their third album "Evolve" this year: 2 wds. |
| 30% | MOTORHEAD | 9 | Metal band led by Lemmy Kilmister, with hit songs like "Ace of Spades" and "Born to Raise Hell" |
| 30% | ABBA | 4 | Swedish group with hits like "Waterloo" and "Dancing Queen" who defined the "disco-era" of the '70s |
| 30% | EVERCLEAR | 9 | 90's band with the hit "I Will Buy You a New Life" |
| 30% | ALOU | 4 | Name of the baseball family with a combined 7,228 hits |
| 30% | TRICKY | 6 | With 21-, 30-, 49-, 61- and 74-Across, end of a Carrie Bradshaw quote that starts "Men in their 40s are like the New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle ..." |
| 30% | ONEDIRECTION | 12 | Boy band formed in 2010 with a popular debut single, "What Makes You Beautiful" and are also famous for their song "Story of My Life": 2 wds. |
| 29% | STYX | 4 | Band with the hits "The Best of Times" and "Babe" |
| 29% | NIGHT | 5 | "___ Court," rebooted 2023 sitcom of the same name which was filmed with a live audience |
| 29% | ALABAMA | 7 | Country music band with the hit "Mountain Music" who share a name with Montgomery's state |
| 29% | IRONMAIDEN | 10 | 1980s heavy metal band fronted by Bruce Dickinson, with the hit "Flight of Icarus": 2 wds. |
| 29% | IWON | 4 | The name of a hit 2014 single by Future and Kanye West: 2 wds. |