There aren’t to many artists out there I can say I loved as a kid and still love today. But we discovered Weird Al sometime in the 80’s, and I think my brother and I played that greatest hits album a million times. I just love how talented he is, and his parodies were great in the 80’s and are still great today. Ok I never saw UHF or anything, but some of my favorite songs are these silly parodies.
Rather than discuss the songs in that, admittedly old, album I wanted to cover the ten songs I love from any era. Here are my ten favorite:
#10.Everything You Know is Wrong
I can’t lie, I hadn’t really heard this song until it started being used by Nostalgia Critic and Linkara. I also put it here because he has done a lot of original songs, and so I needed one. There doesn’t seem to be an official video so enjoy the below.
#9.I Lost on Jeopardy
This is here because I liked this one, long before I realized it was actually a parody of course of Jeopardy by Greg Kihn Band.
#8.Like a Surgeon
Sometimes a parody idea is just obvious, and this is a good example. Good thing Madonna found humor in the joke, and we have this video. It may not be his best song but it works.
#7A Complicated Song
Sometimes you can make a parody which has almost nothing to do with the original song, and yet it matches the melody so it works. Avril Lavign’s Complicated is the parody here. Again no official video for this one.
#6.Ebay
I love this song, but not because it’s a parody but because I have spend some time on Ebay so I can relate to it. No official video again.
#5.The White Stuff
Ok first Backstreet Boys, now New Kids on the Block. There’s something about these silly parodies of boy bands which just works I guess. The fact I adore Oreo’s doesn’t hurt. But I can’t hear “The Right Stuff” without thinking of “The White Stuff”. No official video for this one either (last one I promise!)
#4.Amish Paradise
Controversy aside, this is a great song and video. It also shows what a good sense of humor Florence Henderson has as she steps in for Michelle Pfieifer very well here.
#3.Smells Lile Nirvana
One of the reasons I like this is because I hate this genre of music, so any chance to mock it is good. But not only is it a good parody of the Nirvana video, but you really can’t understand what they were saying in the original… so it works. Weird Al makes a great Kurt Cobain. This is one I love to sing along to, great match of lyrics and song. But, what is Dick Van Patton doing here???
#2.Perform This Way
After I fell in love with Lady Gaga I came across this parody. And it’s a very well done parody. Not only is the video style perfect, but the lyrics are very fitting. Since he couldn’t mock the original song, Born This Way is a sensitive one, he mocks the artist and her flamboyance. Lady Gaga considered it an honor that he did this one and this is a major ear worm for me.
#1.Eat It/Fat
Ok I decided that it was only fair to make it a tie, though Fat isn’t as good as Eat it. Fat is a clever parody of Michael Jackson’s Bad. But Eat It is here because it’s simply the single perfect example of what makes Weird Al the master of parody that he is. The video is note for note the same as “Beat It”, even using the same sets, but the touches he adds (like the door slamming into someone when he charges in for instance) is what makes it work. This is how good parody is supposed to be done, and this is why Weird Al has been around for a looonnng time.
There are plenty more I could have put on here,from “Lasagna” to “Phony Calls”, but these are my ten (ok, 11) favorite. Did I miss yours? Comment and let me know.
Finally, here is his most recent song which is good even if I hate the song that it’s parodying.
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