| 100% | STAIRWAY | 8 | With 27-Down, song involved in the 18-Across lawsuit |
| 60% | RANDY | 5 | Late songwriter ___ California, whose family is involved in the 18-Across lawsuit |
| 47% | MICHELLE | 8 | With 27-Down, actress who plays the wife of 15-Across in "The Greatest Showman" |
| 45% | LUCY | 4 | "___ in the Sky with Diamonds," The Beatles' song |
| 45% | JUNEIS | 6 | With 4 Down, 26 Across, and 18 Down, "Carousel" song famously slaughtered by Leslie Uggams |
| 44% | SOMETHING | 9 | With 27-Down, song from 36-Across |
| 43% | CHINESE | 7 | With 27- and 36-Across, object that floated over the US in early 2023 |
| 42% | AGAINST | 7 | With 46-Across, song containing the lyric in this puzzle |
| 42% | MEANING | 7 | With 18-Across, it puts the fun in a pun |
| 42% | GLENN | 5 | With 27-Across, "Fatal Attraction" actress who plays Dr. Scott in "Swan Song": 2 wds. |
| 41% | YEAROFTHEOX | 11 | 2021 in the Chinese zodiac, with a hint to 17-, 27- and 40-Across |
| 41% | LISBETH | 7 | Salander played by 18-Across in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" |
| 41% | SARABAREILLES | 13 | "Love Song" singer/pianist who performed a duet with 18-Across at the Grammy Awards in 2014 (2 wds.) |
| 41% | LUCY | 4 | "___ in the Sky With Diamonds" (Beatles song) |
| 41% | TWORHYMINGWORDS | 15 | With 27-, 39-, 46- and 62-Across, a brain teaser, whose answer appears in the circled squares |
| 41% | THOMAS | 6 | With 65 Across, the first to see his name ''up in lights'' (1881) |
| 41% | RONALD | 6 | With 19 Across, leader portrayed by Alan Rickman in "Lee Daniels' The Butler" |
| 40% | SOMEONES | 8 | "___ in the kitchen with Dinah" (old song lyric) |
| 40% | DOLLYPARTONS | 12 | With 27-Across, Netflix anthology series dramatizing the stories behind some of a singer's songs: 2 wds. |
| 40% | SKY | 3 | "Lucy in the ___ With Diamonds" (Beatles song) |
| 40% | SKY | 3 | "Lucy in the ___ with diamonds" (Beatle song) |
| 40% | BARACK | 6 | With 29 Down, president born in the '60s |
| 40% | ITSAHELLUVATOWN | 15 | Lyric in the song named by the starts and ends of 19-, 27-, 45- and 53-Across |
| 40% | SANTA | 5 | With 44-Across, Eartha Kitt Christmas song with the line, "Hurry down the chimney tonight" |
| 40% | EBB | 3 | With 15-Across, 1953 song that was a hit for the Righteous Brothers in 1965 |
| 39% | VOLODYMYR | 9 | With 27 Across, Time's Person of the Year of 2022 |
| 39% | GREAT | 5 | With 27-, 49- and 66-Across, phrase applicable to five innovations in this puzzle (as suggested by the starred clues) |
| 39% | DINAH | 5 | Someone's in the kitchen with her, in song |
| 39% | SKY | 3 | "Lucy in the ___ With Diamonds," song by the Beatles |
| 39% | THEMOSTFAMOUS | 13 | With 53-Down, 123-Across, in song |