This article lists all cultural references present in Sing.
References
In the opening scene, a rabbit and turtle are seen racing each other on the stairs inside the Moon Theater, a reference to the Aesop fable The Tortoise and the Hare.
The famous Wilhelm scream is heard when Richard steps on Ray.
Meena's grandfather appears to be a reference to the titular character of the classic cartoon Babar, an elephant in a green suit.
There are at least three references to Back to the Future and its sequels:
Buster Moon is trying to steal power from the neighboring building, he is walking outside on the ledge with an extension cord only for the ledge to break under his feet and that the cable is too short. This is a nod to Doc Brown trying to connect the cable at the top of the courthouse clock tower.
Ash does her guitar solo, which in turn makes the music stop and everyone is staring at her silently in a similar manner to Marty McFly doing his solo at the school dance.
When Johnny is hiding behind a wall in the alley to avoid the police, he is wearing a not-so-inconspicuous leather jacket and hat he talks on a walkie-talkie to his dad. Very similar to a scene in Back to the Future Part II where Marty dresses in a not-so-inconspicuous leather jacket and hat hides with a walkie-talkie to talk to Doc. Both films were also distributed by Universal.
Buster owns a helmet that resembles one from Gladiator.
Mike the mouse is largely based on the late Frank Sinatra, who Seth MacFarlane often imitates. Sinatra was known for his short temper, style of dress, and apparent ties to organized crime, which are incorporated into Mike's character. He sings Sinatra's signature song "My Way" on the movie's soundtrack.
Before Mike's final performance piece, "My Way", the three bears are seen with stereotypical links to Russian mafia-types chasing after him following cheating them out of money in an earlier card game. This could be a subtle reference to Sinatra's alleged involvement with the Italian-American Mafia.
During the theater flooding scene, Taron Egerton's character, Johnny, saves everyone by pushing Meena out of the way of the only exit. In Kingsman: The Secret Service, Egerton's character Eggsy also saves several people when a room begins to flood by breaking through a glass window.
The scene where Big Daddy makes his escape is reminiscent of the scene in Kingsman: The Secret Service, where Eggsy (Taron Egerton) tries to escape his stepfather's thugs by jumping from roof to roof.
