Albuquerque should be ranked higher
May 3, 2023 9:01 AM Subscribe
NPR ranks 40 Songs From 40 Years Of 'Weird Al' Yankovic
In the spirit of every single ranked list in the history of Metafilter, I decided the very first complaint in this thread should be in the thread title itself.
In the spirit of every single ranked list in the history of Metafilter, I decided the very first complaint in this thread should be in the thread title itself.
Speaking of complaints, it's nothing short of a crime that this list doesn't include "Genius in France".
posted by vverse23 at 9:08 AM on May 3, 2023 [11 favorites]
posted by vverse23 at 9:08 AM on May 3, 2023 [11 favorites]
His video for the parody of Happy (Tacky) should get special mention because of the (seemingly) one take video accompanying it.
posted by indianbadger1 at 9:22 AM on May 3, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by indianbadger1 at 9:22 AM on May 3, 2023 [5 favorites]
EVERY SINGLE ONE of these songs should be ranked higher than they are!
At least "Yoda" should, if only because of this.
And if you haven't seen the raw footage of Donny Osmond from the White and Nerdy Video, have a look. Al had no idea this is what Donny was doing until they reviewed the footage after. (There's a great video I can't find now of that moment, with Al watching the footage and laughing hysterically; about midway through he tells Donny "I have no notes, this is perfect.")
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:30 AM on May 3, 2023 [18 favorites]
At least "Yoda" should, if only because of this.
And if you haven't seen the raw footage of Donny Osmond from the White and Nerdy Video, have a look. Al had no idea this is what Donny was doing until they reviewed the footage after. (There's a great video I can't find now of that moment, with Al watching the footage and laughing hysterically; about midway through he tells Donny "I have no notes, this is perfect.")
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:30 AM on May 3, 2023 [18 favorites]
I got all the way to the end of the list thinking, "Wow, they put 'Everything You Know is Wrong' at #1?" but no, the list is just bullshit. No, it's good because it has "Hardware Store," but no it's bad because it doesn't have "Velvet Elvis," well, okay it's not the list's fault that Weird Al has more than forty great songs.
posted by straight at 9:44 AM on May 3, 2023 [9 favorites]
posted by straight at 9:44 AM on May 3, 2023 [9 favorites]
Agree with the #1 - that song is flawless- but "Pentiums" is also perfection, albeit of its time.
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 9:45 AM on May 3, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 9:45 AM on May 3, 2023 [4 favorites]
A great parody reveals additional underlying greatness of the object being parodied.
Case in point: "I Lost on Jeopardy!"
(I love Greg Kihn....)
posted by chavenet at 9:45 AM on May 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
Case in point: "I Lost on Jeopardy!"
(I love Greg Kihn....)
posted by chavenet at 9:45 AM on May 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
Missing my favorite, especially because of the story around it, "You're Pitiful".
posted by Night_owl at 9:47 AM on May 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Night_owl at 9:47 AM on May 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
No "I'll Be Mellow When I'm Dead"? This list sucks.
posted by hanov3r at 9:57 AM on May 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by hanov3r at 9:57 AM on May 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
Missing my favorite, especially because of the story around it, "You're Pitiful".
That lead me to the delightful, broken-linked, mostly 'under construction', bright colored AllThingsYank.com It's everything I wanted it to be.
It's not possible to rank Weird Al songs. Each is better than the last no matter which order you listen to them. I do have a special place in my heart for Nature Trail to Hell because that's the song that made my dad think this was an actual good band and the comedy was exactly his style.
posted by Clinging to the Wreckage at 10:14 AM on May 3, 2023 [5 favorites]
That lead me to the delightful, broken-linked, mostly 'under construction', bright colored AllThingsYank.com It's everything I wanted it to be.
It's not possible to rank Weird Al songs. Each is better than the last no matter which order you listen to them. I do have a special place in my heart for Nature Trail to Hell because that's the song that made my dad think this was an actual good band and the comedy was exactly his style.
posted by Clinging to the Wreckage at 10:14 AM on May 3, 2023 [5 favorites]
At least "Yoda" should, if only because of this.
I was there! It was a treat!
Anyway, the idea of ranking things is super uninteresting to me, but I will note that this list feels really 21st Century-heavy, doesn't it?
posted by uncleozzy at 10:18 AM on May 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
I was there! It was a treat!
Anyway, the idea of ranking things is super uninteresting to me, but I will note that this list feels really 21st Century-heavy, doesn't it?
posted by uncleozzy at 10:18 AM on May 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
CNR is an absolute banger that is only enhanced if you’re familiar with its namesake’s amazing persona on Match Game.
Giddy up, Gene!
posted by Horace Rumpole at 10:23 AM on May 3, 2023 [7 favorites]
Giddy up, Gene!
posted by Horace Rumpole at 10:23 AM on May 3, 2023 [7 favorites]
"It made me happy when I was 12" is not only high praise, but also cause for deep and abiding gratitude.
Amen.
posted by whuppy at 10:23 AM on May 3, 2023 [6 favorites]
Amen.
posted by whuppy at 10:23 AM on May 3, 2023 [6 favorites]
Ask people under 50 for their favorite "Weird Al" Yankovic record, though, and they're likely to come up with the one that came out when they were 12 or 13.
Please, the simple objective truth is that Running With Scissors is Weird Al's best record, and it came out when I was 14, thank you very much.
I will be taking no questions at this time.
posted by firechicago at 10:27 AM on May 3, 2023 [5 favorites]
Please, the simple objective truth is that Running With Scissors is Weird Al's best record, and it came out when I was 14, thank you very much.
I will be taking no questions at this time.
posted by firechicago at 10:27 AM on May 3, 2023 [5 favorites]
Yeah, so much wrong with this list. Hardware Store" is obviously better than "White and Nerdy" Plus, yanno, a more than a few masterpieces are missing (not every album deserves representation).
posted by Quasirandom at 10:28 AM on May 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Quasirandom at 10:28 AM on May 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
Anyway, the idea of ranking things is super uninteresting to me, but I will note that this list feels really 21st Century-heavy, doesn't it?
24 from the 1900s, 16 from the 2000s by my count. However, the spread of years over the last 40 is 18/23. However however, his (studio) albums are 10/4 (not counting Peter and the Wolf), so yeah, it's disproportionately 21st Century.
posted by Etrigan at 10:29 AM on May 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
24 from the 1900s, 16 from the 2000s by my count. However, the spread of years over the last 40 is 18/23. However however, his (studio) albums are 10/4 (not counting Peter and the Wolf), so yeah, it's disproportionately 21st Century.
posted by Etrigan at 10:29 AM on May 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
EmpressCallipygos, the reaction to Donny can be seen in the "Making of" vid here. Thanks for the tip!
posted by Meatbomb at 10:33 AM on May 3, 2023 [7 favorites]
posted by Meatbomb at 10:33 AM on May 3, 2023 [7 favorites]
I saw Weird Al last summer.
There is a line in “Albuquerque” which refers to a “hermaphrodite” in an unflattering way. When he got to that line, the band STOPPED in an instant, and Al delivered a brief monologue about how, when he wrote the song twenty-five years ago, he believed that “hermaphrodite” was a technical medical term. He only learned later that the term is used in other contexts as a slur against transgender people, and he regrets any role he played in marginalizing or harming people unintentionally. However, we don’t have the power to reach into the past and erase the mistakes we have made, and he hoped that those of us at the show could acknowledge his regret but still enjoy the song in the spirit he had intended, without dwelling on his error. Then (without a countdown or anything) the band resumed with exactly the intensity they’d had at the cutoff.
Please don’t parse my tossed-off recollection to argue about whether some detail of my retelling makes it secretly a non-apology. It was a high-quality moment.
posted by fantabulous timewaster at 10:36 AM on May 3, 2023 [59 favorites]
There is a line in “Albuquerque” which refers to a “hermaphrodite” in an unflattering way. When he got to that line, the band STOPPED in an instant, and Al delivered a brief monologue about how, when he wrote the song twenty-five years ago, he believed that “hermaphrodite” was a technical medical term. He only learned later that the term is used in other contexts as a slur against transgender people, and he regrets any role he played in marginalizing or harming people unintentionally. However, we don’t have the power to reach into the past and erase the mistakes we have made, and he hoped that those of us at the show could acknowledge his regret but still enjoy the song in the spirit he had intended, without dwelling on his error. Then (without a countdown or anything) the band resumed with exactly the intensity they’d had at the cutoff.
Please don’t parse my tossed-off recollection to argue about whether some detail of my retelling makes it secretly a non-apology. It was a high-quality moment.
posted by fantabulous timewaster at 10:36 AM on May 3, 2023 [59 favorites]
Ordering and omissions aside, there is some great writing in this review.
"Word Crimes" pulls off a neat trick: It offers a funny and quotable takedown of common grammar mistakes, lampoons the nitpickers themselves and justifies the existence of Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" by stripping it of terrible ingredients such as misogyny and Robin Thicke.
I mean, where is the lie?
posted by mhoye at 10:44 AM on May 3, 2023 [6 favorites]
"Word Crimes" pulls off a neat trick: It offers a funny and quotable takedown of common grammar mistakes, lampoons the nitpickers themselves and justifies the existence of Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" by stripping it of terrible ingredients such as misogyny and Robin Thicke.
I mean, where is the lie?
posted by mhoye at 10:44 AM on May 3, 2023 [6 favorites]
I also think "I'll Sue Ya" is criminally omitted. Such a perfect parody of RATM with awesome lyrics.
I sued Coca Cola, yo 'cause I put my finger down in a bottle and it got stuck
I sued Delta Airlines 'cause they sold me a ticket to New Jersey I went there, and it sucked
I sued Neiman Marcus 'cause they put up their Christmas decorations way out of season
I sued Ben Affleck aw, do I even need a reason?
posted by bondcliff at 11:02 AM on May 3, 2023 [6 favorites]
I sued Coca Cola, yo 'cause I put my finger down in a bottle and it got stuck
I sued Delta Airlines 'cause they sold me a ticket to New Jersey I went there, and it sucked
I sued Neiman Marcus 'cause they put up their Christmas decorations way out of season
I sued Ben Affleck aw, do I even need a reason?
posted by bondcliff at 11:02 AM on May 3, 2023 [6 favorites]
From my 13 year old, QFT:
posted by Ashwagandha at 11:03 AM on May 3, 2023 [8 favorites]
What's the point of ranking them? All his songs are the best.They also think UHF is a work of genius.
posted by Ashwagandha at 11:03 AM on May 3, 2023 [8 favorites]
And now, to run down the entire list of serious controversies in Yankovic's epic comedy career:
1) He thought he'd gotten Coolio's permission to parody "Gangsta's Paradise," but it turned out he hadn't and Coolio was mad.
Despite his encyclopedic knowledge of Weird Al’s music, the author clearly hasn’t seen the meticulously researched “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.” Also, “Amish Paradise” should be number one, as should several of the other songs on the list.
posted by TedW at 11:04 AM on May 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
1) He thought he'd gotten Coolio's permission to parody "Gangsta's Paradise," but it turned out he hadn't and Coolio was mad.
Despite his encyclopedic knowledge of Weird Al’s music, the author clearly hasn’t seen the meticulously researched “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.” Also, “Amish Paradise” should be number one, as should several of the other songs on the list.
posted by TedW at 11:04 AM on May 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
I was listening to Trigger Happy a few weeks ago, and whoa is that song way more intense than it was when it was released. It's still funny but also really drove home how grim Our Current Times are.
There is no way he'd write that now because of what has happened. He captured popular thinking in that moment — the view that gun culture is crazy and something bad is bound to happen, and yet that possibility is remote so we can still laugh at it — and it's a sort of "vibes history chronicling" that's really valuable.
posted by ignignokt at 11:13 AM on May 3, 2023 [4 favorites]
There is no way he'd write that now because of what has happened. He captured popular thinking in that moment — the view that gun culture is crazy and something bad is bound to happen, and yet that possibility is remote so we can still laugh at it — and it's a sort of "vibes history chronicling" that's really valuable.
posted by ignignokt at 11:13 AM on May 3, 2023 [4 favorites]
(There's a great video I can't find now of that moment, with Al watching the footage and laughing hysterically; about midway through he tells Donny "I have no notes, this is perfect.")
This was worth the search.
posted by procrastination at 11:14 AM on May 3, 2023 [4 favorites]
This was worth the search.
posted by procrastination at 11:14 AM on May 3, 2023 [4 favorites]
Can’t be a best of without this gem!
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 11:15 AM on May 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 11:15 AM on May 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
Oh, also, I saw Weird Al when I was 19, and my friends and I were the only people there between the ages of 13 an 40.
It was at a time when I obsessively digging into heavier and heavier music, and I thought I was going "ironically" (in the asshole way that we used that word in the '90s), but I was 100% sincerely into it when the band started playing. The costume changes! The band's tightness! The deadpan drum solo (two minutes of basic backbeat)! It was a really nice break from being an angry young man, as much as I sort of enjoyed being an angry young man.
posted by ignignokt at 11:20 AM on May 3, 2023 [4 favorites]
It was at a time when I obsessively digging into heavier and heavier music, and I thought I was going "ironically" (in the asshole way that we used that word in the '90s), but I was 100% sincerely into it when the band started playing. The costume changes! The band's tightness! The deadpan drum solo (two minutes of basic backbeat)! It was a really nice break from being an angry young man, as much as I sort of enjoyed being an angry young man.
posted by ignignokt at 11:20 AM on May 3, 2023 [4 favorites]
Hardware Store" is obviously better than "White and Nerdy"
Upon seeing this post, I clicked through and immediately scrolled to the bottom to see if "Hardware Store" was ranked as number one, where it belongs. Cue disappointment. Number eight isn't bad, but it's not number one. Now if you excuse me, I will be off chucking tire gauges, hamster cages, thermostats, and bug deflectors at the writer.
Oh, and I guess I should read the rest of the list too.
posted by May Kasahara at 11:27 AM on May 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
Upon seeing this post, I clicked through and immediately scrolled to the bottom to see if "Hardware Store" was ranked as number one, where it belongs. Cue disappointment. Number eight isn't bad, but it's not number one. Now if you excuse me, I will be off chucking tire gauges, hamster cages, thermostats, and bug deflectors at the writer.
Oh, and I guess I should read the rest of the list too.
posted by May Kasahara at 11:27 AM on May 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
Dare To Be Stupid deserves to be #1 not just because it’s great, but because Weird Al out-weirded Devo at their own game. That’s no small feat.
posted by azpenguin at 11:28 AM on May 3, 2023 [13 favorites]
posted by azpenguin at 11:28 AM on May 3, 2023 [13 favorites]
I have always loved Al.
Many years ago there was a fire at my parents’ home. My father suffered a massive coronary event and basically died; CPR from a trained neighbor brought him back but he was hospitalized for many weeks. It was a tough, stressful time. I visited Dad often, waiting for him to regain a bit of normalcy.
One evening I arrived at his hospital room to find him alert but concerned. “I saw something very upsetting a little while ago,” he explained. “An obese person, dancing and jumping around in a manner sure to bring on a heart attack!” He went on to assure me that this individual had no business doing the things he saw, and that he was concerned for the performer’s welfare.
After questioning I realized that Dad, watching random hospital TV, had stumbled on Weird Al’s “Beat It” parody. It took some time to convince him that Al wore a prosthetic suit and was quite fit enough for the required dance moves. We had a good laugh, and it was a turning point in his recovery.
posted by kinnakeet at 11:29 AM on May 3, 2023 [7 favorites]
Many years ago there was a fire at my parents’ home. My father suffered a massive coronary event and basically died; CPR from a trained neighbor brought him back but he was hospitalized for many weeks. It was a tough, stressful time. I visited Dad often, waiting for him to regain a bit of normalcy.
One evening I arrived at his hospital room to find him alert but concerned. “I saw something very upsetting a little while ago,” he explained. “An obese person, dancing and jumping around in a manner sure to bring on a heart attack!” He went on to assure me that this individual had no business doing the things he saw, and that he was concerned for the performer’s welfare.
After questioning I realized that Dad, watching random hospital TV, had stumbled on Weird Al’s “Beat It” parody. It took some time to convince him that Al wore a prosthetic suit and was quite fit enough for the required dance moves. We had a good laugh, and it was a turning point in his recovery.
posted by kinnakeet at 11:29 AM on May 3, 2023 [7 favorites]
Even with four entries on that list, I think his non-parody work is underloved. No Midnight Star on there? Geez. (Also, no King Of Suede, dang.)
posted by mhoye at 11:32 AM on May 3, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by mhoye at 11:32 AM on May 3, 2023 [4 favorites]
The Weird Al Show even appears to be available to stream!
posted by duende at 11:45 AM on May 3, 2023
posted by duende at 11:45 AM on May 3, 2023
Also, seeing as how the 40th anniversary of his debut, I would love to see a reissue of Squeeze Box. I'm still kicking myself for not picking it up when it was available.
posted by May Kasahara at 11:51 AM on May 3, 2023
posted by May Kasahara at 11:51 AM on May 3, 2023
To follow on to ignignokt's comment - one of the amazing things about Weird Al is that in the face of all the deep cynicism and dour outlook of the last 40 years, his sincerity shines through and works. He's cheesy, but not shallow and appears (his affair with Madonna notwithstanding) to be a very thoughtful performer who loves his fans.
I'm fully onboard with the Weird Al SuperBowl Half Time Show that will never happen.
I'm also amazed at just how many songs I know his lyrics far better than the originals. Plus, I finally got my wife's love of "I Want It That Way" completely overwhelmed with "Ebay" as she loves buying things from Ebay. :)
posted by drewbage1847 at 11:53 AM on May 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
I'm fully onboard with the Weird Al SuperBowl Half Time Show that will never happen.
I'm also amazed at just how many songs I know his lyrics far better than the originals. Plus, I finally got my wife's love of "I Want It That Way" completely overwhelmed with "Ebay" as she loves buying things from Ebay. :)
posted by drewbage1847 at 11:53 AM on May 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
I have not read the list but Nature Trail To Hell and Midnight Star better damn well be represented.
(reads list)
(calls Visa to stop payment on my recent NPR pledge)
posted by Sauce Trough at 12:10 PM on May 3, 2023 [7 favorites]
(reads list)
(calls Visa to stop payment on my recent NPR pledge)
posted by Sauce Trough at 12:10 PM on May 3, 2023 [7 favorites]
It's time for Al to get Kennedy Center honors and have the musicians he parodied come out and play his version of their songs.
I vote "Dare to be Stupid", get off my lawn.
posted by cmfletcher at 12:24 PM on May 3, 2023 [11 favorites]
I vote "Dare to be Stupid", get off my lawn.
posted by cmfletcher at 12:24 PM on May 3, 2023 [11 favorites]
It's time for Al to get Kennedy Center honors and have the musicians he parodied come out and play his version of their songs.I find rock and roll hall of fame inductions to be tedious and depressing but goddamn I would be SO THERE to see the White Stripes or Devo cover Al. bust out some AI voice / hologram shit and have Bing Crosby cover Xmas At Ground Zero while you're at it.
I wonder how often a hotel staffer in Albuquerque hears a fluffy towel joke.
posted by Sauce Trough at 12:36 PM on May 3, 2023 [5 favorites]
one more comment and then I shut up.
while we don't have a Devo cover of Dare To Be Stupid, we have this glorious pandemic artifact which I like just as good as a hypothetical Devo cover.
okay, relurking.
posted by Sauce Trough at 12:47 PM on May 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
while we don't have a Devo cover of Dare To Be Stupid, we have this glorious pandemic artifact which I like just as good as a hypothetical Devo cover.
okay, relurking.
posted by Sauce Trough at 12:47 PM on May 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
My best friend got married last summer and it was very much a DIY wedding, including the music which was all playing from a phone. At one point one song ended and I heard some familiar beats that I just couldn't quite place. After a few seconds I realized "huh... this is Madonna... doesn't really seem like Hollie's thing." and then I realized it was Like a Surgeon and you better believe I got up on that dance floor and rocked out to Weird Al at a wedding.
It was a pretty fun wedding.
posted by bondcliff at 1:00 PM on May 3, 2023 [5 favorites]
It was a pretty fun wedding.
posted by bondcliff at 1:00 PM on May 3, 2023 [5 favorites]
@fantabulous timewaster: I've never heard of "hermaphrodite" used as a transgender slur. It is very much considered a slur among the intersex community (it used to be the medical jargon term for intersex conditions). Perhaps you've misremembered?
@Sauce Trough: That is an awesome pandemic artifact. Thank you!
posted by Quasirandom at 1:03 PM on May 3, 2023
@Sauce Trough: That is an awesome pandemic artifact. Thank you!
posted by Quasirandom at 1:03 PM on May 3, 2023
They should all be ranked #1.
posted by jjderooy at 1:04 PM on May 3, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by jjderooy at 1:04 PM on May 3, 2023 [4 favorites]
So with the MeFi font choice AI and Al are nigh indistinguishable. But this is the first Al discussion I'm not regretting clicking on!
posted by mark k at 1:25 PM on May 3, 2023 [7 favorites]
posted by mark k at 1:25 PM on May 3, 2023 [7 favorites]
Yes all Al songs are #1, except Girls Just Wanna Have Lunch and a few overly pitch-corrected later tracks not on this list. But also, this list is a little heavy on this century. And yes Dare to Be Stupid is the GOAT with several great pandemic era cover videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tc6UbEYI4M
posted by 3j0hn at 1:36 PM on May 3, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by 3j0hn at 1:36 PM on May 3, 2023 [4 favorites]
So with the MeFi font choice AI and Al are nigh indistinguishable.
But at least you don’t have to wonder if they are talking about A1 steak sauce.
posted by TedW at 1:37 PM on May 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
But at least you don’t have to wonder if they are talking about A1 steak sauce.
posted by TedW at 1:37 PM on May 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
Wait, Al has a steak sauce?
posted by Etrigan at 1:40 PM on May 3, 2023 [10 favorites]
posted by Etrigan at 1:40 PM on May 3, 2023 [10 favorites]
I'm also still grateful to Al for his pandemic handwashing video which I can no longer find in which he reveals that his favorite part of handwashing is the thumbs: saying "Vroom VROOM!" as he washes each thumb like he was revving a motorcycle.
I still smile about every time I wash my hands, and I still do my fingers better than I did before. VROOM!
posted by straight at 1:41 PM on May 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
I still smile about every time I wash my hands, and I still do my fingers better than I did before. VROOM!
posted by straight at 1:41 PM on May 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
And yes Dare to Be Stupid is the GOAT with several great pandemic era cover videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tc6UbEYI4MI second this. this is a fantastic cover and a great video.
posted by Sauce Trough at 2:19 PM on May 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
If you need more Weird Al content about his songs, check out Nathan Rabin's range of Weird Al books!
posted by JDC8 at 2:27 PM on May 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by JDC8 at 2:27 PM on May 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
2. "One More Minute," Dare To Be Stupid (1985)
1. "White & Nerdy," Straight Outta Lynwood (2006)
Damn, he's good.
posted by Melismata at 2:41 PM on May 3, 2023
1. "White & Nerdy," Straight Outta Lynwood (2006)
Damn, he's good.
posted by Melismata at 2:41 PM on May 3, 2023
always forget that key and peele are the "gangsters" in white and nerdy.
posted by lkc at 2:42 PM on May 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by lkc at 2:42 PM on May 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
*I* always forget. that wasn't a command.
posted by lkc at 2:49 PM on May 3, 2023 [9 favorites]
posted by lkc at 2:49 PM on May 3, 2023 [9 favorites]
Oh, and I guess they didn't have "One Week" because it's dated (just listened to it again in honor of Springer's death), but when I first heard it I was like DAMN how does he do that??
posted by Melismata at 2:50 PM on May 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Melismata at 2:50 PM on May 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
It's amazing to me that he's stuck around so long given the limitedness of his 80s shtick. Kudos to him.
I'd be remiss not to link to this hilarious "'white' & nerdy" vid for those of you who remember Psych.
posted by praemunire at 3:07 PM on May 3, 2023
I'd be remiss not to link to this hilarious "'white' & nerdy" vid for those of you who remember Psych.
posted by praemunire at 3:07 PM on May 3, 2023
Am I the only one here that likes Jackson Park Express? Especially the super cute fan-made video? It's a great spoof of Cat Stevens / Harry Chapin songs with a nice dash of Weird Al creepiness if you haven't heard it.
posted by ensign_ricky at 3:36 PM on May 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by ensign_ricky at 3:36 PM on May 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
(I) always forget that key and peele are the "gangsters" in white and nerdy.
They lock the door on a convertible. That's beautiful.
Which I guess makes sense, because Mr. Nerdy would always open the door to get in the car and never just hop in.
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 3:46 PM on May 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
They lock the door on a convertible. That's beautiful.
Which I guess makes sense, because Mr. Nerdy would always open the door to get in the car and never just hop in.
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 3:46 PM on May 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
My favorite Weird Al song is not even a parody, but a glorious mashup of Money for Nothing and the Beverly Hillbillies theme song.
posted by swift at 4:49 PM on May 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by swift at 4:49 PM on May 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
Party in the CIA is just so perfect
But yes dare to be stupid is my number 1
posted by eustatic at 5:50 PM on May 3, 2023
But yes dare to be stupid is my number 1
posted by eustatic at 5:50 PM on May 3, 2023
...I got up on that dance floor and rocked out to Weird Al at a wedding.
I now realize that a wedding DJ could have a pretty decent party going by playing nothing but Weird Al cover songs all evening long.
posted by ovvl at 6:36 PM on May 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
I now realize that a wedding DJ could have a pretty decent party going by playing nothing but Weird Al cover songs all evening long.
posted by ovvl at 6:36 PM on May 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
A great list, with a lot of great content.
Obviously the big problem is that this celebrating his 40 year career and is unconnected with the most recent post on Metafilter, but sure, Sheryl Crow should be honoured ahead of someone who had his first top 40 hit a decade before hers, his most recent top 40 hit eight years after hers, and in contrast has a #1 album. If it makes the voters happy, it can't be that bad, and all.
But anyways, one of the songs that I would have added in my top 40 is a pastiche of 1965 era Dylan. The band does a great job fitting the style, Al nails the voice and delivery and the already strung out lyrics are replaced with a series of increasingly ridiculous palindromes. It's a perfect execution of a concept, all the way down to the title... Bob.
The other one I'd stan for is from UHF: Money For Nothing / Beverly Hillbillies, which is another great concept executed perfectly -- the wordy folksy TV theme song sung (including virtually every word) to the tune of the Dire Straits classic. Complete with a great music video that I feel like must have cost a fair penny -- this wasn't that much later than the original, which was groundbreaking in terms of it's computer animation. And it does improve on the original in singing about a "little Clampett" rather than a slur. Fun trivia note: Mark Knopfler refused to give permission unless Al let him be the one to play the iconic guitar solo on the song.
In the spirit of having a top 40 and not a top 42, I realize that a couple have to drop out, and I might begrudgingly pick "Gump", which is a parody of a forgettable song about a should-be-forgotten movie. And "Canadian Idiot", which seems to me like it could have been produced by ChatGPT, and which doesn't do a great job at matching the guitar tone of the original.
Personally, I'd probably pick "Dare To Be Stupid" as my number one, but I remember doing a mediocre fan video to "One More Minute" back circa 1990 before fan videos were a thing, and his flow in "White and Nerdy" is really impressive (Chamillionaire gave Al credit for his Grammy - it made it clear that Ridin' was the song of the year; I'm now halfway down a wormhole watching reaction videos).
In conclusion, Weird Al Yankovic should be elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
posted by Superilla at 10:27 PM on May 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
Obviously the big problem is that this celebrating his 40 year career and is unconnected with the most recent post on Metafilter, but sure, Sheryl Crow should be honoured ahead of someone who had his first top 40 hit a decade before hers, his most recent top 40 hit eight years after hers, and in contrast has a #1 album. If it makes the voters happy, it can't be that bad, and all.
But anyways, one of the songs that I would have added in my top 40 is a pastiche of 1965 era Dylan. The band does a great job fitting the style, Al nails the voice and delivery and the already strung out lyrics are replaced with a series of increasingly ridiculous palindromes. It's a perfect execution of a concept, all the way down to the title... Bob.
The other one I'd stan for is from UHF: Money For Nothing / Beverly Hillbillies, which is another great concept executed perfectly -- the wordy folksy TV theme song sung (including virtually every word) to the tune of the Dire Straits classic. Complete with a great music video that I feel like must have cost a fair penny -- this wasn't that much later than the original, which was groundbreaking in terms of it's computer animation. And it does improve on the original in singing about a "little Clampett" rather than a slur. Fun trivia note: Mark Knopfler refused to give permission unless Al let him be the one to play the iconic guitar solo on the song.
In the spirit of having a top 40 and not a top 42, I realize that a couple have to drop out, and I might begrudgingly pick "Gump", which is a parody of a forgettable song about a should-be-forgotten movie. And "Canadian Idiot", which seems to me like it could have been produced by ChatGPT, and which doesn't do a great job at matching the guitar tone of the original.
Personally, I'd probably pick "Dare To Be Stupid" as my number one, but I remember doing a mediocre fan video to "One More Minute" back circa 1990 before fan videos were a thing, and his flow in "White and Nerdy" is really impressive (Chamillionaire gave Al credit for his Grammy - it made it clear that Ridin' was the song of the year; I'm now halfway down a wormhole watching reaction videos).
In conclusion, Weird Al Yankovic should be elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
posted by Superilla at 10:27 PM on May 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
In conclusion, Weird Al Yankovic should be elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
He's not yet? Tha fuck they doin over there?
Whether he's to your taste or not, he clearly belongs on objective grounds of musical architectonics and dramaturgy and rocking.
posted by away for regrooving at 12:18 AM on May 4, 2023 [2 favorites]
He's not yet? Tha fuck they doin over there?
Whether he's to your taste or not, he clearly belongs on objective grounds of musical architectonics and dramaturgy and rocking.
posted by away for regrooving at 12:18 AM on May 4, 2023 [2 favorites]
What, no "Handy" ?! That's in my personal top five!
Which would probably be, in no particular order: Handy, Tacky, Amish Paradise, Party in the CIA.... And a fight for the last place between Word Crimes, eBay and Biggest Ball of twine in Minnesota.
posted by stillnocturnal at 12:50 AM on May 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
Which would probably be, in no particular order: Handy, Tacky, Amish Paradise, Party in the CIA.... And a fight for the last place between Word Crimes, eBay and Biggest Ball of twine in Minnesota.
posted by stillnocturnal at 12:50 AM on May 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
Why even bother if you're not going to include "My Bologna" and "Another One Rides the Bus"? DO YOU HATE FUN?
Also disappointed at the absence of "Angry White Boy Polka".
posted by The Tensor at 3:03 AM on May 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
Also disappointed at the absence of "Angry White Boy Polka".
posted by The Tensor at 3:03 AM on May 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
Personal favorite from when I was the ideAl age: "You Make Me", which I didn't know at the time was a style parody of Oingo Boingo.
posted by HeroZero at 6:00 AM on May 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by HeroZero at 6:00 AM on May 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
Have told this story before, will tell it again...
So, in 2000, I went on a solo road trip that was a sort of Quest for Kitsch; I deliberately stopped at the cheeseball roadside attractions, ate in diners, and ended up in Vegas (mooching half of a free hotel room off a reporter friend who was covering a convention there). It was a blast, and a year later, when I met a guy on Match.com, I was still talking about it.
The guy ("C") and I only dated briefly, but then not only stayed friend when we broke up, we started working together - he ran a theater company and invited me to join. And so we got SUPER-tight (albeit in a different way) over the next 20-odd years. I was there when he met the love of his life ("N"), he counseled me through some other romantic misadventures, and I was there to watch C and N gradually morph into a photographer and a rental property owner. I helped them inaugurate their property in Utah when they first bought it in 2012, and C made a point of telling me about the Hole N" The Rock "because I have a feeling you'd like it".
Then just before the pandemic, C and N decided to leave Brooklyn and move to Colorado. Their "farewell tour" included several months of them doing various things with various people, and setting up outings so all had chances to hang. One of the things C proposed was Weird Al's Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour; Al was playing at the Apollo Theater. And for whatever reason, I was the only taker. So it was just C and me there...C was a big fan, while I am a more casual one, so that night was an introduction to many of Al's non-parody songs - including "Biggest Ball Of Twine in Minnesota." And - I thought that "Ball of Twine" was absolutely charming, and as we were heading back to Brooklyn on the subway, I told C that; it was the first I'd heard it, and I thought it was very sweet.
C gave me a sheepish look at that, and said: "You know something? For the past 20 years now, that song has always reminded me of you."
(Not sure if that counts as us having an "our song" since we're just friends, but I thought it was sweet...)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:11 AM on May 4, 2023 [2 favorites]
So, in 2000, I went on a solo road trip that was a sort of Quest for Kitsch; I deliberately stopped at the cheeseball roadside attractions, ate in diners, and ended up in Vegas (mooching half of a free hotel room off a reporter friend who was covering a convention there). It was a blast, and a year later, when I met a guy on Match.com, I was still talking about it.
The guy ("C") and I only dated briefly, but then not only stayed friend when we broke up, we started working together - he ran a theater company and invited me to join. And so we got SUPER-tight (albeit in a different way) over the next 20-odd years. I was there when he met the love of his life ("N"), he counseled me through some other romantic misadventures, and I was there to watch C and N gradually morph into a photographer and a rental property owner. I helped them inaugurate their property in Utah when they first bought it in 2012, and C made a point of telling me about the Hole N" The Rock "because I have a feeling you'd like it".
Then just before the pandemic, C and N decided to leave Brooklyn and move to Colorado. Their "farewell tour" included several months of them doing various things with various people, and setting up outings so all had chances to hang. One of the things C proposed was Weird Al's Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour; Al was playing at the Apollo Theater. And for whatever reason, I was the only taker. So it was just C and me there...C was a big fan, while I am a more casual one, so that night was an introduction to many of Al's non-parody songs - including "Biggest Ball Of Twine in Minnesota." And - I thought that "Ball of Twine" was absolutely charming, and as we were heading back to Brooklyn on the subway, I told C that; it was the first I'd heard it, and I thought it was very sweet.
C gave me a sheepish look at that, and said: "You know something? For the past 20 years now, that song has always reminded me of you."
(Not sure if that counts as us having an "our song" since we're just friends, but I thought it was sweet...)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:11 AM on May 4, 2023 [2 favorites]
The Weirdly Enduring Appeal of Weird Al Yankovic [NYT Magazine, 2020]
posted by neuron at 9:02 AM on May 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by neuron at 9:02 AM on May 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
@Superzilla: My rabbithole of reaction vids, sparked by this thread, is Hardware Store. Rappers losing their shit over Weird Al's flow 😁😆☠
Then there's ASL performances ...
posted by Quasirandom at 10:51 AM on May 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
Then there's ASL performances ...
posted by Quasirandom at 10:51 AM on May 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
I'm just here to agree with everyone that this list sucks because my 7 or 8 favorite Weird Al songs aren't all #1.
posted by Tehhund at 1:22 PM on May 4, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by Tehhund at 1:22 PM on May 4, 2023 [5 favorites]
Weird Al is an artist who always surprises me how much I love his originals and how much I dislike his covers, which I find generally lazy and obvious. But I guess they pay the bills, and he'd probably be an obscure cult artist without them. In that light, this list has far too many of those covers near the top, so I disagree with that. Amish Paradise, Smells Like Nirvana, White and Nerdy - who can listen to those more than once?
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:51 AM on May 5, 2023
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:51 AM on May 5, 2023
Anyone with two ears and a heart.
posted by bondcliff at 8:02 AM on May 5, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by bondcliff at 8:02 AM on May 5, 2023 [5 favorites]
who can listen to those more than once?
There's a lot of good tunes that I like Weird Al's version way better than the original.
I've listened to "eBay" a hundred times and "I Want it that Way" maybe three? It's a good tune, but Al's version is just way more entertaining. Al's lyrics are more often than not much more clever and fun to listen to than the original, and he's often at least as good a singer as the original artist.
posted by straight at 9:09 AM on May 5, 2023 [3 favorites]
There's a lot of good tunes that I like Weird Al's version way better than the original.
I've listened to "eBay" a hundred times and "I Want it that Way" maybe three? It's a good tune, but Al's version is just way more entertaining. Al's lyrics are more often than not much more clever and fun to listen to than the original, and he's often at least as good a singer as the original artist.
posted by straight at 9:09 AM on May 5, 2023 [3 favorites]
Amish Paradise, Smells Like Nirvana, White and Nerdy - who can listen to those more than once?
I mean, how many times do you need to learn about what it's like to be a gangsta, or how the youth were disaffected in 1992, or how some people hate it when you roll?
posted by Etrigan at 9:17 AM on May 5, 2023
I mean, how many times do you need to learn about what it's like to be a gangsta, or how the youth were disaffected in 1992, or how some people hate it when you roll?
posted by Etrigan at 9:17 AM on May 5, 2023
Enjoyed this "Good One" podcast episode interviewing Yankovic about "Word Crimes" and his recent career.
Weird Al Yankovic is one of those artists whose work has been intertwined with my entire life as a sentient person developing and enjoying my own aesthetic tastes. His career is infrastructural to me. I cannot have perspective on it the way that I cannot have perspective on the planet I stand upon.
Along with Fred Rogers, he's one of the creators of children's/family entertainment who inspire me to make edutainment. Like Rogers, he's a Christian, and that's important to him, but he never proselytizes through his art and a little Hindu kid like me never thought she wasn't meant to enjoy it.
posted by brainwane at 10:19 AM on May 5, 2023 [3 favorites]
Weird Al Yankovic is one of those artists whose work has been intertwined with my entire life as a sentient person developing and enjoying my own aesthetic tastes. His career is infrastructural to me. I cannot have perspective on it the way that I cannot have perspective on the planet I stand upon.
Along with Fred Rogers, he's one of the creators of children's/family entertainment who inspire me to make edutainment. Like Rogers, he's a Christian, and that's important to him, but he never proselytizes through his art and a little Hindu kid like me never thought she wasn't meant to enjoy it.
posted by brainwane at 10:19 AM on May 5, 2023 [3 favorites]
Thanks to this thread, I've been listening to the Weird Al Essentials playlist from Apple Music. TL,DR: the songs hold up well, except one -- "Smells Like Nirvana," where the target of the parody is the original song instead of something other and unexpected. It comes off as just plain mean.
Agree with straight that "eBay" in particular is much better than the original. So is "Eat It."
posted by Quasirandom at 8:42 AM on May 10, 2023
Agree with straight that "eBay" in particular is much better than the original. So is "Eat It."
posted by Quasirandom at 8:42 AM on May 10, 2023
the songs hold up well, except one -- "Smells Like Nirvana," where the target of the parody is the original song instead of something other and unexpected. It comes off as just plain mean.
As is his wont, Al got permission from Nirvana first. He spoke directly with Kurt Corbain, who agreed - and then asked "so it's gonna be about food again, right?" Al told him "Well, no, it’s going to be a song about how nobody can understand your lyrics.” Kurt said “Oh, sure, of course, that’s funny.”
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:08 AM on May 10, 2023 [4 favorites]
As is his wont, Al got permission from Nirvana first. He spoke directly with Kurt Corbain, who agreed - and then asked "so it's gonna be about food again, right?" Al told him "Well, no, it’s going to be a song about how nobody can understand your lyrics.” Kurt said “Oh, sure, of course, that’s funny.”
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:08 AM on May 10, 2023 [4 favorites]
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