Weird Al Yankovic
In the world of music parody, there are only two players worth discussing. The Rutles parodied The Beatles and, Weird Al Yankovic did everyone else. Weird Al has issued 17 albums including two of greatest hits and four that were re-packaged. He is the master of song parody, style parody, and culture parody. And, his videos are second to none. Wikipedia has an excellent summary of his works.
The best songs by Weird Al are those that parody popular songs and popular culture (movies, television, etc.) at the same time. He has the ability to transform himself into the parody subject. In 1989, he wrote and starred in an excellent, under-rated movie titled UHF. It is clear that he could have been successful in any of the entertainment media.
My favorite Weird Al album is Poodle Hat distributed in 2003. The album is a feast for parody fans. Al offers song/culture parodies of Piano Man/Spider-Man (Ode to a Superhero), I Want It That Way/eBay, and Lose Yourself/television (Couch Potato); excellent style-parody homages to Frank Zappa (Genius in France) and Bob Dylan (all-palindrome Bob); a great original song (Hardware Store); and of course, his trademark polka parody (Angry White Boy Polka). [JAM 3/24/2009]
Following are my top ten favorite Weird Al Yankovic song parodies:
1. Ode to a Superhero (Poodle Hat -
2003)
2. Jurassic Park (Alapalooza - 1993)
3. Money for Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies (UHF
Soundtrack - 1989)
4. Amish Paradise (Bad Hair Day - 1996)
5. The Saga Begins (Running with Scissors
- 1999)
6. Eat It (Weird Al Yankovic in 3-D -
1984)
7. Yoda (Dare to Be Stupid - 1985)
8. Ricky (Weird Al Yankovic - 1983)
9. Gump (Bad Hair Day - 1996)
10. Smells Like Nirvana (Off the Deep End -
1992)
Weird Al Yankovic - 1983
Ricky
Gotta Boogie
I Love Rocky Road
Buckingham Blues
Happy Birthday
Stop Draggin' My Car Around
My Bologna
The Check's in the Mail
Another One Rides the Bus
I'll Be Mellow When I'm Dead
Such a Groovy Guy
Mr. Frump in the Iron Lung
Weird Al Yankovic in 3-D - 1984
Eat It
Midnight Star
The Brady Bunch
Buy Me a Condo
I Lost on Jeopardy
Polkas on 45
Mr. Popeil
King of Suede
That Boy Could Dance
Theme from Rocky XIII
Nature Trail to Hell
Dare to Be Stupid - 1985
Like a Surgeon
Dare to Be Stupid
I Want a New Duck
One More Minute
Yoda
George of the Jungle
Slime Creatures from Outer Space
Girls Just Want to Have Lunch
This Is the Life
Cable TV
Hooked on Polkas
Polka Party! - 1986
Living with a Hernia
Dog Eat Dog
Addicted to Spuds
One of Those Days
Polka Party!
Here's Johnny
Don't Wear Those Shoes
Toothless People
Good Enough for Now
Christmas at Ground Zero
Even Worse - 1988
Fat
Stuck in a Closet with Vanna White
(This Song's Just) Six Words Long
You Make Me
I Think I'm a Clone Now
Lasagna
Melanie
Alimony
Velvet Elvis
Twister
Good Old Days
UHF (1989)
Off the Deep End - 1992
Smells Like Nirvana
Trigger Happy
I Can't Watch This
Polka Your Eyes Out
I Was Only Kidding
The White Stuff
When I Was Your Age
Taco Grande
Airline Amy
The Plumbing Song
You Don't Love Me Anymore
Bite Me
Alapalooza - 1993
Jurassic Park
Young, Dumb & Ugly
Bedrock Anthem
Frank's 2000" TV
Achy Breaky Song
Traffic Jam
Talk Soup
Livin' in the Fridge
She Never Told Me She Was a Mime
Harvey the Wonder Hamster
Waffle King
Bohemian Polka
Bad Hair Day - 1996
Amish Paradise
Everything You Know Is Wrong
Cavity Search
Callin' in Sick
The Alternative Polka
Since You've Been Gone
Gump
I'm So Sick of You
Syndicated Inc.
I Remember Larry
Phony Calls
The Night Santa Went Crazy
Running with Scissors - 1999
The Saga Begins
My Baby's in Love with Eddie Vedder
Pretty Fly for a Rabbi
The Weird Al Show Theme
Jerry Springer
Germs
Polka Power!
Your Horoscope for Today
It's All About the Pentiums
Truck Drivin' Song
Grapefruit Diet
Albuquerque
Poodle Hat - 2003
Couch Potato
Hardware Store
Trash Day
Party at the Leper Colony
Angry White Boy Polka
Wanna Be Ur Lovr
A Complicated Song
Why Does This Always Happen to Me?
Ode to a Superhero
Bob
eBay
Genius in France
Straight Outta Lynwood - 2006
White & Nerdy
Pancreas
Canadian Idiot
I'll Sue Ya
Polkarama!
Virus Alert
Confessions Part III
Weasel Stomping Day
Close But No Cigar
Do I Creep You Out?
Trapped in the Drive-Thru
Don't Download This Song
Alpocalypse - 2011
Perform This Way
CNR
TMZ
Skipper Dan
Polka Face
Craigslist
Party in the CIA
Ringtone
Another Tattoo
If That Isn't Love
Whatever You Like
Stop Forwarding That Crap to Me
Mandatory Fun - 2014
Handy
Lame Claim to Fame
Foil
Sports Song
Word Crimes
My Own Eyes
Now That's What I Call Polka!
Mission Statement
Inactive
First World Problems
Tacky
Jackson Park Express
Mad - June 2015 (editor of MAD #533)
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022)
This is not really a biography of Al Yankovic. And guess what? He never dated Madonna.