Supernatural: Every Pop Culture Reference in Sam and Dean’s Aliases

Supernatural’s Sam and Dean Winchester aren’t afraid to drop a pop culture reference or two when using fake names, from 80s rock bands to movie stars.

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Here is every pop culture reference Supernatural makes through Sam and Dean Winchester’s various aliases. Following the life of two sibling paranormal hunters, Supernatural is essentially one big road trip through the United States of America, saving people and hunting things along the way. Unfortunately, taking down vampires, werewolves and demons can sometimes make a mess and, despite their heroic deeds, the Winchester brothers have regularly fallen foul of the law.

Wanted by the FBI on numerous charges, the Winchesters are forced to follow a practice that most hunters use as standard: a constant stream of changing aliases. From fraudulent credit cards to crooked ID badges, Sam and Dean go through plenty of fake names, but have developed a reputation for having a little fun with their espionage, slipping fun references into their false identities.

Frank Devereaux look away now. Here are all the pop culture shout-outs in Supernatural’s ongoing alias gag.

Rock Band References In Sam And Dean’s Supernatural Aliases

Season 1:

• Dean starts as he means to go on, introducing himself as Ted Nugent in the Supernatural pilot. Nugent is a 70s/80s rock guitarist, arguably known more for his controversial and outspoken views than his music.
• In “Phantom Traveler,” Dean takes the name Dr. James Hetfield. This is a nod to the lead singer and guitarist of Metallica.
• Moving beyond real-life rock bands and into spoof musicians, Dean gives his name as Nigel Tufnell during the Roosevelt Asylum investigation. Tufnell was the guitarist played by Christopher Guest in This Is Spinal Tap.
• Dean Winchester uses the name of legendary Led Zeppelin drummer, John Bonham, on several occasions in Supernatural.
• While posing as priests, Sam and Dean reference KISS, taking the names of Ace Frehley and Gene Simmons.

Season 2:

• The first rock band shout-out of Supernatural season 2 goes to ZZ Top, with the boys pretending to be frontman, Billy Gibbons, and drummer, Frank Beard.
• Dean uses the alias “Ozzy” in tribute to the Black Sabbath singer, Ozzy Osbourne.

Season 3:

• Returning to Led Zeppelin, Sam and Dean pose as Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, the group’s guitarist and singer, respectively.
• While investigating a coven of witches, Sam and Dean claim to be Detectives Bachman and Turner. This is a fairly obvious nod to 1970s Canadian outfit, Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
• Dean is seen with a driving license under the name of Hagar. This reference to Van Halen’s second vocalist, Sammy Hagar, isn’t the only time the seminal band are mentioned in Supernatural.

Season 4:

• When meeting the younger version of his father, Dean Winchester replaces his surname with Van Halen.
• Sam and Dean become Agents Angus and Young in Supernatural season 4’s “Monster Movie”. Angus Young is the guitarist and talisman of AC/DC.
• A few episodes later, the brothers switch from AC/DC to Aerosmith, adopting the titles Agent Tyler and Agent Perry. Steven Tyler is the singer of Aerosmith, with Joe Perry the band’s guitarist. This duo’s decadent lifestyle led to the nickname “the Toxic Twins.”
• On a rock band roll, Sam and Dean go by Agent Geddy and Agent Lee, nodding to Rush frontman, Geddy Lee and proving once and for all that no one in the Supernatural world has any knowledge of music.
• Dean returns to his love of Metallica, going by the name of Agent Ulrich in “Criss Angel Is A Douchebag.” Lars Ulrich is Metallica’s long-standing (or long-sitting) drummer.
• While undercover at a high school, Dean poses as a gym coach, calling himself Coach Roth. David Lee Roth is the original singer of Van Halen.
• Sam and Dean become Agent DeYoung and Agent Shaw. These surnames are taken from the singer and guitarist of Styx.
• For the first time since Supernatural‘s very first episode, Dean uses his Ted Nugent alter ego.

Season 5

• Dean once again uses the Led Zeppelin names John Bonham, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant in Supernatural season 5. Poor John Paul Jones.
• Sam Winchester uses the alias Stuart Copeland. Although often overlooked, Copeland played drums alongside Sting in The Police.
• Moving away from the rock genre for once, Sam and Dean go by Agents Cliff and Marley, referencing Jimmy Cliff and Bob Marley.

Season 7:

• After taking a break in Supernatural season 6, the rockstar references return, with Dean taking the name of Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson.
• Dean is revealed to have a credit card listed under the name of legendary Motorhead bassist and singer, Lemmy Kilmister. The same episode shows that his Lars Ulrich alias is also still active.
• While Dean goes back to his familiar Jon Bonham guise in “Repo Man,” Sam goes by Watts. Charlie Watts was the drummer of The Rolling Stones.

Season 8:

• Sam and Dean take influence from Motley Crue’s Vince Neil and Nikki Sixx, adopting the duo’s surnames while posing as FBI agents.
• Staying in the realm of glam metal, Sam Winchester moves from Motley Crue to Bon Jovi, referring to himself as Agent Sambora. Richie Sambora played guitar in Bon Jovi.
• With rock band references now in full gear after the temporary ban imposed by Frank Devereaux, Sam and Dean become Agent Hudson and Agent Rose. Axl Rose is the singer in Guns N’ Roses, while Saul Hudson is the real name of GNR’s hat-wearing guitarist, Slash.
• The Winchesters recycle the Agent Roth persona, but also add in Agent Malloy. Following Sammy Hagar’s departure in 1996, Mitch Malloy auditioned for the Van Halen vacancy, but didn’t get the job.
• In “Hunter Heroici,” the famous hunting trio of Sam, Dean and Castiel become the famous folk trio of Crosby, Stills and Nash.
• Dean takes the surname of T-Rex singer, Marc Bolan, while investigating the Thule Nazi group.
• After 8 seasons, Led Zeppelin bassist, John Paul Jones, is finally referenced, while Dean once again goes by the name of Jon Bonham.
• Sam and Dean come out as fans of Electric Light Orchestra, using the names of multi-instrumentalist, Richard Tandy, and frontman, Jeff Lynne.

Season 9:

• In “Dog Dean Afternoon,” the Winchesters pose as Agents Michaels and DeVille. Brett Michaels is famous as the singer for 80s band Poison, while C. C. DeVille was the act’s guitarist.
• The Winchesters once again utilize their Joe Perry, Ace Frehley and Gene Simmons personas.
• In “Captives,” the boys give their surnames as Nicks and McVie. This is a reference to the female contingent of Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie.
• Sam and Dean get in touch with their emotional side, taking the names of several members of the band Heart.
• Returning to the motif of drumming legends, Dean’s Jon Bonham is paired with Sam’s Neil Peart – the drummer for Canadian prog-rockers, Rush.
• Not quite getting the hang of the game, Castiel uses the aliases Spears and Aguilera, evidently preferring the pop stylings of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera to 80s hard rock groups.

Season 10:

• With Dean having used the moniker before, it’s Sam’s turn to use the Lemmy Kilmister alias in Supernatural season 10.
• Once again riffing on the names of KISS members, Dean takes his title from drummer, Peter Criss in “Hibbing 911.”
• Agent Collins and Agent Gabriel are clear shout-outs to former Genesis members Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel.
• In the same episode, Dean also uses the surname “Presley,” taking his influence back a few years to the reign of Elvis.
• In one of the most obvious alias gags, Sam and Dean introduce themselves as Grohl and Cobain. Before starting Foo Fighters, Dave Grohl played drums with Kurt Cobain in Nirvana.
• One week later, the boys move on to Sonic Youth, going by the names Moore and Ranaldo. Thurston Moore and Lee Ranadlo both played guitar and sang in the band.
• In “Paint It Black,” Supernatural opts to avoid the obvious Rolling Stones reference and instead takes from The Allman Brothers Band, with Agent Allman (Gregg Allman) and Agent Betts (Dickey Betts).
• Dean poses as Dwight Twilley, a 1970s pop singer.
• Working once again with Castiel, Dean refers back to Jimmy Page, and introduces Eric Clapton to this alias catalog. While these two guitarists both went on to bigger things, they played together in The Yardbirds.
• Freddie Mercury, legendary singer of Queen, is revealed as a previous alias of Dean’s.

Season 11:

• Dean Winchester once again uses his Genesis references, with the names Gabriel and Collins.
• In “Plush,” the brothers take from British rockers, Def Leppard, using the names of lead singer and bassist, Joe Elliott and Rick Savage, respectively.
• Undercover as Doctors, Sam and Dean use the surnames Strummer and MacGowan. Shane MacGowan is the famous voice of The Pogues, and Clash guitarist, Joe Strummer, also played in the same band.
• Dean recycles his Ozzy Osbourne alias, giving Sam the name Butler. Black Sabbath’s bass player was Geezer Butler.
• Resuming Supernatural season 11’s Def Leppard motif, Dean uses the name of drummer, Frank Noon.
• Taking from the British punk scene, Dean uses the name of The Jam’s Paul Weller.
• Considering the prominence of “Carry On My Wayward Son” in Supernatural, it’s a surprise that 11 seasons passed before the band’s names were used as aliases. Finally, Supernatural‘s Winchester brothers borrow from Kansas bass player, Billy Greer, and drummer, Phil Ehart.

Season 12:

• Sam and Dean use the names Morrison and Manzarek – a reference to two members of The Doors.
• The Winchesters also take influence from The Who, posing as Agents Moon and Entwistle. Keith Moon played drums during The Who’s heyday, while Entwistle was on bass.
• Taking from classic rock band, Cream, Sam and Dean use the names of drummer, Ginger Baker, and, once again, guitarist, Eric Clapton.
• Supernatural season 12 sees returns for the Fleetwood Mac and Joe Strummer aliases.
• While working with Mick in “Ladies Drink Free,” Dean uses solo guitarist, Steve Vai, as an alias for the first time.

Season 13:

• Still finding new musicians to draw from, Dean uses the name Agent Berry, referencing the legendary Chuck Berry.
• The brothers reuse their Page and Plant Led Zeppelin aliases once again in Supernatural season 13, as well as the Def Leppard Rick Savage name.

Season 14:

• Sam and Dean use the surnames Gillan and Blackmore, a nod to Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan and Ritchie Blackmore.
• In “Nightmare Logic,” Sam Winchester comes up with the aliases Harrison and Byrne. Jerry Harrison and David Byrne were both members of NYC band, Talking Heads.
• Dean brings back his Chuck Berry name from Supernatural season 13.

Movie & TV References In Sam And Dean’s Supernatural Aliases

Season 1:

• Sam and Dean introduce themselves as Agents Ford and Hamill, referencing Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill of Star Wars fame, kicking off the show’s movie references with style.

Season 2:

• Not for the first time, Supernatural tips the hat to 1985 Chevy Chase movie, Fletch, with Dean posing as Tim Matheson’s character, Alan Stanwyk.
• In season 2’s werewolf episode, “Heart,” Sam and Dean use the names Detective Landis and Dante. These are references to John Landis and Joe Dante, directors of two famous werewolf movies.

Season 3:

• While hunting a Crocotta, the Winchester brothers borrow the surnames Campbell and Raimi in a call to the star and director of the Evil Dead franchise, Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi.

Season 4:

• Returning to the world of Star Wars, Sam Winchester uses the name Wedge Antilles. This was the name of a minor, but cult favorite, character from the original movie and the only other pilot to survive assaulting the Death Star, other than Luke Skywalker.
• Dean gives Sam the surname Chaney when the brothers travel back in time and meet their father. This is likely a reference to The Wolf Man actor, Lon Chaney Jr.
• Sam and Dean take the surnames Babar and Stanwyk, once again paying homage to Fletch.
• Inspired by 1960s series Route 66, the Winchester brothers use the names Murdock and Stiles. Interestingly, Route 66 also centered around two men driving across the U.S. in a Chevrolet.

Season 5:

• Now working with Castiel, who isn’t exactly as expert in picking aliases, Dean uses the surnames Mosley and Moscone in Supernatural season 5, taken from 1988 movie, Midnight Run.
• Bobby’s wall of phone call aliases includes the names Frank Castle (the real life moniker of Marvel’s Punisher) and Tom Willis (a character from The Jeffersons).

Season 6:

• Although season 6 eases up considerably on the pop culture references, Sam and Dean do use the surnames Roark and Wynand, two characters from 1943 novel, The Fountainhead.
• Going back in time to visit Samuel Colt, Dean lives out his wild west fantasies and calls himself Clint Eastwood, while giving Sam the name Walker – a hat tip to Walker, Texas Ranger.

Season 7:

• Impersonating an FBI agent, Dean takes on the surname Bourne – a nod to the famous spy movie franchise starring Matt Damon.
• Thrust back to 1944, Dean introduces himself as Agent Costner, undoubtedly a reference to Kevin Costner.

Season 8:

• During their LARP adventures, Sam and Dean introduce themselves as Rosewood  and Taggart. These two characters appeared in Beverly Hills Cop.
• While working with Charlie, Dean references the Alien movies by using the names Hicks and Ripley. Hicks was Michael Biehn’s character in Aliens, while Ripley was famously played by Sigourney Weaver.

Season 9:

• Delving into the superhero genre, Sam and Dean use the surnames Stark and Banner. This references the Marvel comic books, which include Tony Stark (Iron Man) and Bruce Banner (Hulk).
• Dean references Full Metal Jacket, going by the name of Agent Lee Ermey. R. Lee Ermey famously played Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in the 1987 film.
• While undercover as an FBI agent, Sam takes inspiration from James Bond, and uses the name of the franchise’s resident CIA operative, Felix Leiter.

Season 10:

• After being pulled over by police, Dean uses the same name as Bruce Campbell’s character from the Evil Dead movies.

Season 12:

• After reuniting with their mother, the new trio of hunters use the names Cassidy, Bonaduce and Partridge, taken from The Partridge Family.
• Posing as priests, Sam and Dean call themselves Fathers Penn and De Niro. Clearly named after Sean Penn and Robert De Niro, this acting duo also posed as men of the cloth in We’re No Angels.
• Jumping on the Game of Thrones bandwagon, Sam and Dean use the names of two famous houses in the HBO series, Martell and Stark.

Season 13:

• In the episode “Tombstone,” Sam and Dean go by Agents Russell and Elliot. Kurt Russell and Sam Elliot starred in a movie also called Tombstone.

Other Pop Culture References In Supernatural’s Sam And Dean Aliases

Season 1:

• While stretching the concept of “pop culture” somewhat, Dean Winchester‘s first on-screen fake ID reads “Samuel Cole” – an early U.S. settler of renown.
• A set of Sam and Dean’s Supernatural season 1 IDs list the duo as Jerry Wanek and Robert Singer, production designer and executive producer on the show, respectively.
• Strangely, Sam uses a credit card under the name “David Berkowitz” – the name of a real life serial killer. Perhaps just stick to rock bands next time?

Season 2:

• Dean’s cellphone (or one of them, at least) is registered under Dean J. Mahogoff. “Jack Mahogoff” is sometimes used as a Moe’s Tavern-style name gag.

Season 3:

• Dean gives Lisa a credit card featuring the name Siegfried Houdini. This is a mash-up of two renowned magicians, Siegfried Fischbacher and Harry Houdini.
• John Winchester is revealed to have a storage unit hired under the name Edgar Cayce. Cayce purported to be a clairvoyant in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Season 4:

• Sam and Dean use the surnames Smith and Wesson in Supernatural season 4. Smith and Wesson are a famous U.S. gun company.

Season 5:

• Dean Winchester goes by Detective Bill Buckner in “Free To Be You And Me.” Buckner played baseball for the Boston Red Sox in the 1980s.
• Bobby’s alias wall seen in “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid” pays tribute to Harlem Globetrotter, Lou Dunbar.

Season 11:

• In the wrestling-centric episode “Beyond The Mat,” Dean calls himself Agent Roussimoff. This was the real surname of iconic wrestler, Andre The Giant.
• Sam and Dean refer to themselves as Rizer and Bean, referencing the two protagonists of the 1987 arcade game, Contra.

Season 13:

• In one of Supernatural‘s literary references, Sam uses the name John Dortmunder. This character originally appeared in the 1970 novel, The Hot Rock, but has appeared in a variety of stories since.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/supernatural-sam-dean-aliases-pop-culture-references/