The 15 Coolest (and Weirdest) Musician Cameos on TV Shows

“Every actor wants to be a musician,” Lance Bass once said, “and every musician wants to be an actor.” While the former ‘N Sync member won’t be dropping by the Parks and Recreation season finale on April 24th, plenty of other musicians will: The episode, which revolves around a benefit concert held in Pawnee, will feature cameos by the Decemberists, Ginuwine, Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, Yo La Tengo (playing a Night Ranger cover band), and Ben Wyatt’s favorite Nineties alt-rockers Letters to Cleo. (Oh, and First Lady Michelle Obama will be making an appearance as well, because why not?)

Rock stars, singer-songwriters and R&B crooners making guest appearances on their favorite sitcoms and teen dramas, however, is nothing new; it’s been a semi-regular occurence since the Seventies. (Remember Rerun bootlegging a Doobie Brothers concert on What’s Happening?) So as we gear up for Parks and Recreation‘s virtual Coachella, here’s a quick look back at some of TV’s best — and most improbable — musician cameos. By Amy Plitt