| 100% | NEWRULES | 8 | Dua Lipa hit whose title instructions are “Don’t pick up the phone,” “Don’t let him in,” and “Don’t be his friend” |
| 30% | OLIVERREED | 10 | Actor whose first name is the title of a Best Picture he co-starred in, and whose last name is that film's director |
| 30% | RESPECT | 7 | #1 song hit whose title is spelled out in the lyrics |
| 30% | RESPECT | 7 | 1967 #1 hit whose title is spelled out in the lyric |
| 29% | BAD | 3 | Michael Jackson hit whose title is heard 88 times in the song |
| 29% | PLEASEMRPLEASE | 14 | 1975 Olivia Newton-John hit whose title's first and last words are the same: 3 wds. |
| 29% | STCHROMA | 8 | 2024 Tyler, the Creator hit whose title is his alter ego: 2 wds., abbr. |
| 29% | CRAZYSEXYCOOL | 13 | 1994 TLC album with the #1 hits "Creep" and "Waterfalls" whose title is a mash-up of three adjectives |
| 29% | IBELIEVEICANFLY | 15 | R. Kelly hit whose last title word is aptly rhymed with "sky" in the lyrics ... and a hint to the starts of the other four longest puzzle answers |
| 29% | YEAH | 4 | 2004 Usher hit whose title is repeated more than seventy-five times in the song |
| 28% | AMIBLUE | 7 | 1929 #1 hit whose title follows the line "Now he's gone and we're through" |
| 27% | BANGAGONG | 9 | T. Rex hit that was titled “Get It On” in the U.K. |
| 27% | CAVALIERS | 9 | The hometown team which picked up LeBron James in 2003 draft and where he returned back in 2014, Cleveland ___ |
| 27% | LEIGH | 5 | Co-star of the film whose title is hidden sequentially in 20-, 34-, 41- and 52-Across |
| 27% | NICKCARRAWAY | 12 | He is the narrator and a friend of Gatsby in "The Great Gatsby": 2 wds. |
| 27% | KEEPTHEFAITH | 12 | 1992 Bon Jovi album whose three Top 40 hits were the title track, "Bed of Roses," and "In These Arms" (3 wds.) |
| 26% | RIVERDALE | 9 | Teen drama series following Archie Andrews and his friends that is named after the town it is set in |
| 26% | FLORIDA | 7 | Rapper and singer whose name comes from the state he was born in: 2 wds. |
| 26% | PROUDMARY | 9 | Creedence Clearwater Revival hit whose title boat is “rollin’ on the river” |
| 26% | ROLL | 4 | (6/8) "Now that all your fillings are in, let's ___ up the burrito and make sure the shape is right!" |
| 26% | ICRIED | 6 | 1954 Patti Page hit, whose title is sung three times before "Please, don't go" |
| 26% | COWBOYS | 7 | Complete the Ed Bruce lyric, "Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be ___..." |
| 25% | MARK | 4 | ___ Twain, famous author who was friends with the scientist Nikola Tesla and often spent time in his lab |
| 25% | WAP | 3 | 2020 No. 1 hit whose title acronym is compared to “macaroni in a pot” |
| 25% | LEVITATING | 10 | Dua Lipa hit that she performed in midair at the 2020 AMAs |
| 25% | PORTLAND | 8 | 2017 Drake hit whose title is a city in Oregon |
| 25% | PARIS | 5 | 2017 Chainsmokers hit whose title is a city in France |
| 25% | HOUSE | 5 | "Don't Go in the ___," 1980 horror movie whose title warns "Turn back! Don't enter this abode!" |
| 25% | HELLRAISER | 10 | Horror film franchise whose main antagonist is Pinhead ... and an alternate title to the grid after observing the circled entries from the bottom up? |
| 25% | LWAYSTOLEAVEYOURLOVER | 21 | 1976 #1 hit whose title follows the words "There must be ..." |