What are your favorite Weird Al Yankovic songs?

[denem]

Last edited Fri Jul 25, 2014, 01:03 PM - Edit history (1)

To mark Weird Al's first No.1 album on Billboard, 'Mandatory Fun', and to celebrate DU's Moran being broadcast 11 million times (so far) in his 'Word Crimes' video, I'll start off with my two personal favorites. 1. Ebay - because my wife loses it when I ask "Tell me why we need another pet rock", and 2. The Saga Begins (not his best) - because I wish I had seen StarWars in 1971. (That's my story and I'm sticking to ...).

DU inspired Moran in Word Crime vid


Ebay

The Saga Begins

[Archae]

1. Dare To Be Stupid!

[denem]

2. oh yes

He really mashed tha spud boys at their prime.

[Archae]

3. It was used in an animated movie too.

BTW, the leader of the "Junkions," is voiced by Eric Idle!

[denem]

5. That is Classic Eric Idle

Cheer up Brian, you know what they say ... your very own ... Death Panel

[Initech]

56. Even Devo said they wish they had thought of it first!

[kentauros]

4. I Lost On Jeopardy

Classic!

[denem]

6. Loosen up Camera Two

... That wink at the end. Love it.

[progressoid]

70. Coincidence. I just heard the original on the radio driving home tonight.

Had to explain the Weird Al version to my daughter.

[WolverineDG]

7. Christmas at Ground Zero

Fucking brilliant & shows how genius Weird Al is. In addition to brilliant lyrics, the background chorus is based on sounds made by an air raid siren.

[denem]

9. I hadn't seen the video before,

what an absolute classic. St. Ronnie brings in the Christmas cheer. ROFLMAO!

[kentauros]

10. I like that one, too!

Although it makes me think of Fishbone's "Party at Ground Zero"

WAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

[denem]

12. In the 70's and 80's, that nightmare never really away.

When a lightning bolt hit my apartment building, my first thought was ...

[kentauros]

17. I had my teen years in the 70s

and the "nuclear threat" never really affected me that I can recall. Maybe because I grew up across the road from the Johnson Space Center. The general thought around there seemed to be we could do anything, and with the whole world helping, instead of any fears about nuclear war...

[denem]

22. And after Reagan come to power?

'The Bombing begins in five minutes' The early '80s were edgy times when I was living in Europe. After Thatcher met Gorbachev, the atmosphere changed.

[kentauros]

24. It still didn't have that air to it, so to speak.

People here were focused on the space program, and the oil industry. Sure, we knew both places were targets, but we just didn't think about it. The early 80s was the beginning of the Shuttle program, and there was a lot of excitement about it. Nuclear war/fear simply wasn't an issue.

[denem]

26. Do you remember Two Tribes

by Frankie Goes to Hollywood? (Not to be taken seriously)

[mucifer]

66. Wow that was twisted. I love it. Thanks for posting.

[Archae]

8. Another good one...

When he had fun with Lady Gaga, somebody put it to some "My Little Pony" clips, makes it even funnier.

[denem]

11. LOL. A pony with a rainbow tail.

Funny thing is, the original Weird Al video got a Grammy nomination, and Born This Way did not.

[Archae]

14. Oh yeah, that's "Rainbow Dash."

Someone at Youtube spliced in two episodes concentrating on her, with the song "Freedom Fighters."
Makes it epic!

[csziggy]

13. I still like "Amish Paradise" and "Eat it"

And my favorite non-Weird Al parody song is this:

[denem]

16. I remember how much I liked Eat It

even though I was sick to death of Beat It by then. But (there had to be a but), when Eat It became a big hit as well, I was totally burned out. To this day, that is one song a stay away from, like Stairway to Heaven.

[Archae]

15. And who can forget..."Fat"

[denem]

18. Surely one of the greatest video parodies

of all time. Shot for shot, in the original locations, perfection. I can't watch Bad without imagining MJ blowing up into a giant puffer fish.

[csziggy]

19. A blast from the past - "Another One Rides the Bus"

And "My Bologna"

Al sure has come a long, long way!

[denem]

20. My Bologna. The song that started it all.

And 35 years ago now. Weird Al has got to be one of the most consistent artists out there. He's like a keepsake that leaves an illusion of continuity in our times.

[NobodyHere]

61. Speaking of blasts from the past!

[Nevernose]

21. My all time fav comes from "Yoda"

Sung to the time of "Lola":

I know Darth Vader's really got you annoyed,
But remember if you kill him then you'll be unemployed

Brilliant in its simplicity; some real Ambrose Bierce level shit.

[denem]

23. Here it is:

(I don't think Al put out an official music video)

[Enrique]

25. the most brilliant one is "Bob"

which is a parody of "Subterranean Homesick Blues" all in palindromes. Just the concept is genius.

The best video is "Whatever you like", the video has about a billion jokes, I see new ones every time I watch it.

I also like his parody of "Complicated", which is like a separate parody in each of the 3 verses

[denem]

27. Video is served

Bob

Whatever You Like

I'm giving the Constipated song a miss

[Enrique]

28. thanks!

if I go to YouTube, bells go off in the IT area

btw Constipated is only the first part, the other parts are about incest and decapitation so give it another chance

[Brother Buzz]

32. A lot of people miss the fact that even the title is a palindrome

Most people just thinks Dylan

[Systematic Chaos]

29. There are too many to name.

But let's start with Genius in France

I'd list more but the wi-fi where I am sucks.

[denem]

30. Weird Al videos and Originals, side by side.

Mr. Yankovic can not do a decent Kurt Cobain.

[Archae]

39. Weird Al did it better!

Even Kurt Cobain couldn't do a good Kurt Cobain.

[Archae]

31. Don't forget this one from "UHF"

The movie he did, "UHF" once it got going, (Michael Richards doing that kids' show,) was pretty funny.

[denem]

33. He is talking about doing another movie but

says it won't be UHF 2 How about USB? haha

[KamaAina]

34. How about "Obscure Cable Network"?

[SwankyXomb]

57. You might be happy to know

Shout Factory just announced a 25th anniversary deluxe Blu-Ray release for UHF.

[Coventina]

35. My three favs: White & Nerdy

Stop forwarding that Crap to me:

Mr. Popeil
a wonderful song about our favorite "as seen on TV" inventor, done in the style of the B-52's

[denem]

43. Love Mr. Peopleil,

with Lisa Popeil as backing singer. Vegematic Rocks!

[Quiet_Dem_Mom]

36. One More Minute...a Weird Al original. 50's doo-wop style broken-heart song

[denem]

46. and I have to use the self service phone ...

ROFL!

[LisaLynne]

53. For a while, that was my go to "break up" song.

Still love it.

[Rhythm]

81. I've done this one for karaoke a few times!

My favorite, too!

[uriel1972]

37. I have 9 and a half hours of Al in my iTunes library...

Too much to choose from, but for suprisingly hard hitting social commentary, "Christmas at Ground Zero".

Does that amount of Al make me a twisted Panda?

[denem]

40. Have you ever seen Weird Al live?

nt.

[uriel1972]

49. No, I haven't...

I don't like going out with crowds etc.

[denem]

51. Oh man that's me nowadays

Can't stand close crowds, especially while waiting in line. I would have loved to see Roger Waters do The Wall. Then again, as the genesis of it was Roger wanting a wall between him and the audience, it's kinda appropriate

[Boomerproud]

38. How about "It's Still Billy Joel to Me"?

[denem]

41. Always detested It's Still Rock and Roll to Me.

Smug, Sneering, and Seriously Shite.

[edbermac]

42. First Weird Al parody I saw.

[denem]

77. I first saw Eat It

... boring, I know it.

[eShirl]

45. PARTY IN THE CIA

[denem]

52. Soundtrack by the NSA

good stuff.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

47. About Amish Paradise and Coolio....

Coolio did not write "Gangster Paradise". He sampled and basically stole a song by Stevie Wonder, Pastime Paradise.




From "Songs in the key of Life" 1976 - Stevie Wonder

I have a lot of respect for Stevie Wonder and Weird Al as being good musicians, but not Coolio.

[denem]

55. I agree, but it was not a secret.

Steve performed the song with Coolio at the Billboard music awards.

[MrMickeysMom]

48. Man, like this is the coolest thread EVER...

I get to see all the Weird Al I loved, and one I've missed.

I've mostly HEARD and not seen the latest stuff and very early stuff, but that's because I'm a Dr. Demento fan. I have lots of those CDs.

Anyone run a video here yet of "Like a Surgeon"? spoof on Madonna's "Like a Virgin"?

On edit: Here it is…

[denem]

54. Confession

that's one reason I put up the thread - to get the best of Weird Al ala DU.

[davidpdx]

50. There are so many good ones

To be honest, I haven't kept up with his music for the last decade or so. There is probably a lot I'd have to listen to that I haven't heard. I saw two of his newest videos and both songs were great. The Tacky song is so catchy I can't listen to it anymore because it just sticks in my head and drives me crazy (and that is a very short trip).

[Initech]

63. "Foil" is one of the best parodies he's ever done.

Only Weird Al can take a song about food and segue into making it a song about alien conspiracy theories:

[denem]

75. The "Aluminatti"

I died!

[jamzrockz]

58. Nothing comes even close

White and nerdy

[GoCubsGo]

59. The eBay parody is probably my favorite.

However, some of his new ones, are on the verge of replacing it. I really like "Tacky", "Word Crimes" and "Foil." Especially "Foil." I totally detest the song which it spoofs, but it's absolutely hilarious!

[denem]

74. My wife hates it,

the eBay song. When I am starting to be worried about the time she is spending on eBay, just one quote from Al's song will start a nuclear war.

[rdmtimp]

60. Surprised no one has mentioned "Pancreas".

An absolute spot-on Pet Sounds/Smile era Brian Wilson pastiche.

[denem]

76. When Al moves from food to the bowels,

I ... no like. TMI. Nothing personal Al.

[Initech]

62. Can't believe no one has mentioned Amish Paradise yet!

[denem]

72. Kinda goes without saying,

except by Coolio. hee

[Initech]

64. This thread needs some UHF:

[RedSpartan]

65. I saw UHF in the theater. Twice.

By my rough calculations, I personally accounted for about half its earnings.

[Initech]

69. That's awesome.

I was nine years old when UHF was released. Of course I didn't see it until I was 23 when the movie was first released on DVD, but I've been a Weird Al fan as long as I can remember.

[shenmue]

67. Like a Surgeon

The video is so funny.

[denem]

73. Video Below. Trivia,

Madonna actually suggested the title. Al thought, why not?

[mucifer]

68. Found this one on line recently from 1992

[denem]

71. Live. Good Stuff.

"He can perform a tender Ballot"

[MuseRider]

78. I saw him, early 80's, for the first time

on Tom Snyder's show. He walked out on a dark stage, there was a suitcase on the floor. He sang, "Another One Rides The Bus" and I think there was one more person who played but it was long ago and I don't remember. I grabbed my husband and yanked him in the room and we LOVED it. We have been fans since them. I admit I don't often listen and my husband does not much anymore but we also brought our kids into the fan base when they were growing up. We do own a bunch of his CD's although I think the kids took them.

Last year, for my husbands birthday, I bought us all tickets to see him perform in a very small venue. We are all professional musicians of one type or another and we were all stunned at how incredibly talented he is. We "knew" it but seeing him perform was astonishing. I would go again, it was so very much fun.

So pleased to see this. He works hard, that is certain. He has to be close to my age and I would die within 15 minutes doing what he does. If anyone ever gets the chance to see him live it is worth every penny and more. We will go see him again, that is certain.

EDIT: I see now someone posted that very performance in 1981 upthread. Going back to relive this. God, we were not even married at that time. How long ago.

[Initech]

79. His live shows are awesome.

Seen him live at least five or six times - gets better every time.

[LWolf]

80. Here are two of my favorites: