I used to keep lists of musicians mentioned in application essays on my door. My colleagues would add to it when they thought of it and we'd laugh over some of the choices (please, no more Tupac essays). I thought I'd take the list to the internet and add it to my blog. You'll find it to the right, below the welcome comment.
This isn't a comprehensive list...just the topics that either struck me as interesting or ones that are extremely popular.
Enjoy!