Jack Black: influences, peers and legacy

Every connection with its receipt

Jack Black is two careers in one body: the elastic physical comedian of Hollywood studio comedy, and the self-mythologizing metal bard of Tenacious D. This mix traces both — the arena-rock records he worships, the LA theater and alt-comedy rooms that built him, and the comedy-rock acts that followed his lead.

The Kynda mix for Jack Black

• Key Influence · Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin (1971). Tenacious D's entire mythology — the acoustic-duo-with-cosmic-stakes, the mystic riffing, the belief that a single song can shake the heavens — runs on Zeppelin. Black has repeatedly named Zeppelin as formative, and the D's two-guitar folk-metal attack openly echoes the Page/Plant acoustic interludes. 'Stairway to Heaven' is the template the D both parodies and genuinely worships in 'Tribute.'
• Influencia Obscura · Mr. Show with Bob and David by Bob Odenkirk and David Cross (1995). Before the records, Tenacious D were a live act in LA's alt-comedy underground, and Mr. Show was its hub. Black appeared on the HBO sketch series, Bob Odenkirk championed the duo and was instrumental in getting their HBO shorts made, and Odenkirk co-wrote on The Pick of Destiny. The D's deadpan commitment to absurd premises is pure Mr. Show method applied to a two-man band.
• Local Roots · Bob Roberts by Tim Robbins (1992). Black's professional foundation was Tim Robbins's Los Angeles theater company, The Actors' Gang, which he joined while at UCLA. Robbins cast him in Bob Roberts as an unhinged fan and later in Dead Man Walking. The Gang's heightened, commedia-derived physical style — big bodies, bigger faces, no naturalism — is visible in every Black performance, from The Cable Guy onward.
• Beyond the Medium · High Fidelity by Nick Hornby (1995). Hornby's novel invented Barry, the tyrannical record-store clerk whose taste is a weapon — and Black's 2000 screen version of him became the role that made him a star, culminating in the Marvin Gaye performance Hornby's book only describes. The part fused his two careers: a comic actor playing a music snob who turns out to be able to sing. Hornby's prose supplied the character's whole theology of rock.
• Peer · Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy by Adam McKay (2004). Will Ferrell's Burgundy and Black's Dewey Finn are the twin poles of mid-2000s studio comedy: oversized men whose unearned confidence is the engine of every scene. Black has a cameo in Anchorman as the biker who punts Baxter off a bridge. Both actors came out of improv-adjacent ensembles into star vehicles built around a single enormous persona, and both leaned on improvisation within scripted frames.
• Key Collaborator · Dazed and Confused by Richard Linklater (1993). Linklater directed Black in School of Rock and Bernie, the two performances that most expanded his range — one weaponizing his rock-nerd mania, the other suppressing it into eerie East Texas gentleness. Dazed and Confused shows the director's gift Black benefited from: loose, music-saturated ensembles where performers find rhythm in talk. Their partnership reframed Black as an actor, not only a comic.
• Legacy · Incredibad by The Lonely Island (2009). Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone built a career on the Tenacious D premise — comedians making records that function as real music, with absurd lyrics delivered in total earnest and a persona-driven mythology spanning video shorts and albums. The D's HBO-to-record path in the early 2000s was the proof of concept; Black later appeared in the group's feature Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping.

What influenced Jack Black

• Bat Out Of Hell by Meat Loaf. Bat Out of Hell (Meat Loaf) — titan for Jack Black “Black also recorded a duet on Meat Loaf's album, Hang Cool Teddy Bear, on the song "Like a Rose".” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Dustin Hoffman. Black received tutoring from his Kung Fu Panda co-star Dustin Hoffman. “this is his favorite role, calling it “the role of a lifetime” and he praises the tutoring of co-star and two-time Academy Award winner Dustin Hoffman .” (Wikipedia)
• Orson Welles (1915). Black based his King Kong performance on Orson Welles. “He starred in one of his few dramatic roles as the obsessed filmmaker Carl Denham in Peter Jackson 's 2005 remake of King Kong , a performance he based on Orson Welles .” (Wikipedia)
• Holy Diver by Dio (1983). Holy Diver (Dio) — ghost for Jack Black “Black has appeared in music videos of Beck's "Sexx Laws"; Foo Fighters' "Learn to Fly", "Low", and "The One"; The Eagles of Death Metal's "I Want You So Hard (Boy's Bad News)"; Sum 41's "Things I Want"; Dio's "Push"; Weezer's "Photograph…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Enter the Dragon. Enter the Dragon (Robert Clouse) — culture for Jack Black (themoviedb.org)
• Paranoid by Black Sabbath (1970). Paranoid (Black Sabbath) — titan for Jack Black (musicbrainz.org)
• High Fidelity by Nick Hornby (1995). High Fidelity (Nick Hornby) — culture for Jack Black (openlibrary.org)
• Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin. Led Zeppelin IV (Led Zeppelin) — titan for Jack Black “Black's subdued portrayal, authentic East Texas accent, and musical talent – he sings several gospel hymns as well as "Seventy-six Trombones" – had Roger Ebert describing Black's work as "one of the performances of the year." He presente…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Mr. Show with Bob and David by Bob Odenkirk and David Cross (1995). Mr. Show with Bob and David (Bob Odenkirk and David Cross) — ghost for Jack Black
• Santo contra las mujeres vampiro by Alfonso Corona Blake (1962). Santo contra las mujeres vampiro (Alfonso Corona Blake) — culture for Jack Black

Peers and kindred spirits

• Meat Loaf. Black recorded a duet for Meat Loaf’s album. (also via Bat Out Of Hell) “Meat Loaf was the wildcard, but he was into it from the get-go.” (The Aquarian)
• Dio. The list of videos in which Black appeared includes Dio’s Push. (also via Holy Diver) “We'd worked with him before, on his music video for Push . He came in months before we filmed his scene in [Tenacious D's film The Pick Of Destiny ] and arrived at 10 in the morning.” (Louder)
• Ben Stiller. Black starred in a series directed by Stiller. (also via Zoolander) “JB: Yeah, and they were also friends that we called. We called people that we had worked with before for the most part, like Lee, Kim, Ben Stiller and even Ronnie James Dio we had worked with.” (The Aquarian)
• Liam Lynch. Black contributed vocals to Lynch’s album Fake Songs. “JB: We’ve worked with him so many times, but it was like the first time we’ve ever worked with him in a way, because the other things we had done were fun little nuggets…” (The Aquarian)
• Kyle Gass. Black co-directed and co-wrote the animated series with Gass. “KG: Yeah, we came up with a good story, which took a while, and then we started writing a script and then we wrote in places for songs, and then wrote the songs after.” (The Aquarian)
• Eagles of Death Metal. Black sang on two Eagles of Death Metal tracks. (also via I Want You So Hard (Boy's Bad News)) “He also provided vocals for two tracks on the 2006 album Death by Sexy by Eagles of Death Metal , and on The Lonely Island 's track "Sax Man" from the album Incredibad .” (Wikipedia)
• Die Antwoord. Black appeared in Die Antwoord’s Ugly Boy video. “Jack Black, Marilyn Manson, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, the ATL Twins, Dita Von Teese, and model Cara Delevingne all show up wearing makeup and/or scar tissue to mug with Ninja and Yo-Landi.” (Pitchfork)
• Weird Al Yankovic. Black appeared in Yankovic’s Tacky video. “Some highlights include Jack Black teaching Kristen Schaal and our editor in chief Brian Walton how to twerk, Eric Stonestreet owning the spotlight on the top floor of the Palace Theatre, and Weird Al smiling for the camera in his dressi…” (Nerdist)
• The Lonely Island. Black provided vocals for The Lonely Island’s Sax Man. (also via Incredibad) “He also provided vocals for two tracks on the 2006 album Death by Sexy by Eagles of Death Metal , and on The Lonely Island 's track "Sax Man" from the album Incredibad .” (Wikipedia)
• PewDiePie. Black streamed Minecraft with PewDiePie. “PewDiePie and Jack Black will team up for a Minecraft stream to support Mental Health Awareness, with the YouTube creator and the Jumanji: The Next Level star collaborating for livestreams that will take place across YouTube and DLive.” (GameRevolution)
• Owen Wilson. Wilson and Black appeared on Community. “Jack Black, Steve Martin, and Owen Wilson chat with Audubon magazine about portraying birders hell-bent on tallying the most species in their new film The Big Year .” (Audubon)
• Queens of the Stone Age. Black contributed stomps and claps to a Queens of the Stone Age song. “He lent his musical abilities to the Queens of the Stone Age song "Burn the Witch" with rhythmic stomps and claps.” (Wikipedia)
• Foo Fighters. Black appeared in multiple Foo Fighters videos. “Black has appeared in music videos of Beck 's " Sexx Laws "; Foo Fighters ' " Learn to Fly ", " Low ", and " The One "; The Eagles of Death Metal 's " I Want You So Hard (Boy's Bad News) ";” (Wikipedia)
• Jablinski Games. Black created the named YouTube channel. “On December 21, 2018, Black created a YouTube channel called Jablinski Games .” (Wikipedia)
• Bob Roberts by Tim Robbins (1992). Bob Roberts (Tim Robbins) — geography for Jack Black “Fellow UCLA student Tim Robbins later cast Black in Bob Roberts.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Robert Downey Jr.. Black co-starred with Downey in Tropic Thunder. “Downey starred in Tropic Thunder alongside Ben Stiller and Jack Black , the former of whom also directed the film.” (Wikipedia)
• Mellow Gold by Beck (1994). Mellow Gold (Beck) — geography for Jack Black “Black has appeared in music videos of Beck's "Sexx Laws"; Foo Fighters' "Learn to Fly", "Low", and "The One"; The Eagles of Death Metal's "I Want You So Hard (Boy's Bad News)"; Sum 41's "Things I Want"; Dio's "Push"; Weezer's "Photograph…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Chuck & Buck by Mike White (2000). Chuck & Buck (Mike White) — collaborator for Jack Black “He frequently collaborates with actor–writer Jack Black on films.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• The Vandals. Black provided backing vocals for a Vandals song. “In 2000, Black (along with Gass) provided backing vocals to punk rock band The Vandals ' song "Fourteen", which appears on their album Look What I Almost Stepped In... .” (Wikipedia)
• Kevin Hart. Hart starred with Black in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. “In 2017, he starred in Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (in a voice role), and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle with Jack Black , Karen Gillan , and reteaming again with Johnson.” (Wikipedia)
• Dethklok. Black contributed guest vocals to Dethklok’s soundtrack album. “Black did guest vocals and appeared on the Dethklok soundtrack album The Doomstar Requiem .” (Wikipedia)
• The Actors' Gang. Black joined the theater troupe in 1987. “In 1987, Black joined the Actors' Gang, a theater troupe founded by UCLA students including Tim Robbins, and appeared in a variety of stage productions.” (Wikipedia)
• Jason Momoa. Lewry reports that Black performed onstage with Momoa's band. “Their first show took place in New Zealand in April at a wrap party for the upcoming live-action Minecraft movie, where the band were joined by Jack Black onstage for a version of Metallica 's For Whom The Bell Tolls” (Louder)
• Sum 41. The list of videos in which Black appeared includes a Sum 41 song. “Sum 41 's "Things I Want"; Dio 's "Push"; Weezer 's " Photograph "; The Mooney Suzuki 's "In a Young Man's Mind"; "Weird Al" Yankovic 's " Tacky ", and Die Antwoord 's "Ugly Boy".” (Wikipedia)
• Sexx Laws by Beck. Black appeared in Beck’s Sexx Laws video. “Black has appeared in music videos of Beck 's " Sexx Laws "; Foo Fighters ' " Learn to Fly ", " Low ", and " The One "; The Eagles of Death Metal 's " I Want You So Hard (Boy's Bad News) ";” (Wikipedia)
• Zoolander by Ben Stiller (2001). Zoolander (Ben Stiller) — peer for Jack Black “Black appeared in the unaired TV pilot Heat Vision and Jack, directed by Ben Stiller, in which he played an ex-astronaut pursued by actor Ron Silver.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• The Mooney Suzuki. The list of videos in which Black appeared includes a Mooney Suzuki song. “Sum 41 's "Things I Want"; Dio 's "Push"; Weezer 's " Photograph "; The Mooney Suzuki 's "In a Young Man's Mind"; "Weird Al" Yankovic 's " Tacky ", and Die Antwoord 's "Ugly Boy".” (Wikipedia)
• Weezer. The list of videos in which Black appeared includes Weezer’s Photograph. “Sum 41 's "Things I Want"; Dio 's "Push"; Weezer 's " Photograph "; The Mooney Suzuki 's "In a Young Man's Mind"; "Weird Al" Yankovic 's " Tacky ", and Die Antwoord 's "Ugly Boy".” (Wikipedia)
• CeeLo Green (1991). The discography credits Black’s Kung Fu Fighting recording with CeeLo Green. “" Kung Fu Fighting " (with CeeLo Green ) 2008 — 77 — — — — — Kung Fu Panda soundtrack” (Wikipedia)
• Thundering Herd by Kyle Gass Band (2013). Thundering Herd (Kyle Gass Band) — collaborator for Jack Black “In 1982, he joined Robbins' The Actors' Gang and in the early 1990s met and befriended Jack Black in the group.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Tenacious D by Tenacious D (2001). Black formed Tenacious D with Kyle Gass. “Outside of acting, Black formed the comedy musical duo Tenacious D with long-time friend Kyle Gass in 1994; they have won one Grammy for Best Metal Performance .” (Wikipedia)
• Karen Gillan. Gillan starred alongside Black in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. “Karen Gillan played the lead female role, Ruby Roundhouse , in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle , the third instalment of the Jumanji franchise , starring alongside Dwayne Johnson , Kevin Hart , Jack Black and Nick Jonas .” (Wikipedia)
• Dazed and Confused by Richard Linklater (1993). Dazed and Confused (Richard Linklater) — collaborator for Jack Black “Black garnered a second Golden Globe Award nomination, this time in the category Best Actor in a Comedy, for his 2011 starring role in Richard Linklater's black comedy Bernie.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Humility by Gorillaz. Black appeared in the video for Gorillaz’s song. “Also in 2018, Black appeared in the music video for Gorillaz song " Humility ".” (Wikipedia)
• I Want You So Hard (Boy's Bad News) by Eagles of Death Metal. Black appeared in the Eagles of Death Metal song’s video. “Black has appeared in music videos of Beck 's " Sexx Laws "; Foo Fighters ' " Learn to Fly ", " Low ", and " The One "; The Eagles of Death Metal 's " I Want You So Hard (Boy's Bad News) ";” (Wikipedia)
• Probot. Black sang on Dave Grohl’s Probot album. “Black has also appeared on Dave Grohl 's Probot album, providing vocals for the hidden song "I Am The Warlock", and Lynch 's Fake Songs album, providing vocals for the song "Rock and Roll Whore".” (Wikipedia)
• Let's Get It On by Marvin Gaye. Black covered Marvin Gaye’s song in High Fidelity. “Black performed a cover of Marvin Gaye 's " Let's Get It On " in the last sequence of High Fidelity .” (Wikipedia)
• Electric Dynamite Productions. Black established his production company. “In August 2006, Black registered his own production company, Electric Dynamite Productions, Inc.” (Wikipedia)
• Wet Hot American Summer by David Wain (2001). Wet Hot American Summer (David Wain) — peer for Jack Black (themoviedb.org)
• Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy by Adam McKay (2004). Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (Adam McKay) — peer for Jack Black (themoviedb.org)

…and 1 more on the map above.

Who Jack Black influenced

• Incredibad by The Lonely Island (2009). Incredibad (The Lonely Island) — legacy for Jack Black “He also provided vocals for two tracks on the 2006 album Death by Sexy by Eagles of Death Metal, and on The Lonely Island's track "Sax Man" from the album Incredibad.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Feel the Steel by Steel Panther (2009). Feel the Steel (Steel Panther) — legacy for Jack Black (musicbrainz.org)