Best ‘Weird Al’ songs, ranked

Image via IFC

Musical parody has never been more accessible thanks to the Internet and no one has immortalized it more “Strange Al” Yankovic. Born Alfred Matthew Yankovic, recent American entertainer announced plans a biopic about his life on the Roku streaming service, which will star Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe. The idea was previously satirized in a short web from Funny or deadly in 2010 with Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul as Yankovic.

As his life story nears being told on screen, many may wonder what in his work can really be considered good, or even great. Are all the mockings a waste of time, or are there entries that might surpass the original songs they glorify? As always, we’ve got you covered.

Below you’ll find our ranking of the best songs from Weird Al to date. While other articles of this type often have spoiler warnings attached, it is not really feasible to do so here, since the nature of parodies requires familiarity with the original songs. Needless to say, here are the top 10 Weird Al best songs ⏤ so far.

10. “Smells Like Nirvana” (1992)

Yankovic is known for perfecting the look of his original pieces, and here he expertly captured the grunge aesthetic of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Understandable lyrics mocked the way the song was confusing and almost in need of subtitles, and the mumbling parts spoke for themselves. Kurt Cobain loved it and is said to have felt like the band had finally hit the mark when they were approached to bless the mockery made.

9. “Eat it” (1984)

This parody of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” is said to be the work that brought Al to widespread acceptance, and while it was silly, it’s still compelling to this day. It earned him a Grammy, featured many of the dancers in the original video in its rendition, and also featured American rock legend Rick Derringer’s guitar work, making it a hit. solid musical contributions.

8. “Amish Paradise” (1996)

This tribute to Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” is not without controversy. Although Yankovic doesn’t need the artists’ permission to mock a song, he always looks for it out of respect and as a means of maintaining a good relationship. Later, Coolio got upset about the parody because he felt it didn’t respect the serious meaning of his original work, but the pair made amends in 2016 with Coolio admitting that he He was “stupid”. If you haven’t seen the music video, give it a watch. There’s a great poke at Prince and an interesting cameo you won’t see coming.

7. “Achy Breaky Song” (1993)

It’s one of the few Weird Al songs that doesn’t have a corresponding music video, but it’s on our charts for being a great takedown of Billy Ray Cyrus’ infamous work. Its opening feels familiar, but the song hits a series of divisive and disgusting acts while also poking fun at Cyrus’ “Achy Breaky Heart.” Fun fact: It was played regularly on national radio stations!

6. “Foil” (2014)

A parody of Lorde’s “Royals,” which shows Yankovic working out conspiracies while hosting a cooking show. While it starts with his familiar background in food and culinary references, it’s interesting to watch it transition to the bizarre and crazy stage. Artists who have managed to change a work from one thing to another at a rapid pace can learn a lot from Al here.

5. “Do It This Way” (2011)

A parody of Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way,” this one ranks higher on our list because it’s a clever crack of a hard grain. How does one mock an artist without emphasizing the important song about empowering people in the LGBTQ+ community? Yankovic, as usual, found a way and made it about Gaga’s clothing style. It was a genius move indeed, and he made it even better here by encouraging those who liked the piece to donate to the Human Rights Campaign.

4. “Angry White Boy Polka” (2003)

It’s a myth that different soundtracks can make serious or more difficult songs mellow or ridiculous, and Yankovic proves that it can happen with anything. the track features polka music and lyrics from songs like System of a Down “Chop Suey,” “Rage Against the “Funk Reform” by Machine and others.

3. “Don’t Download This Song” (2006)

Gal Gadot and a host of public figures know that songs about ghostly and ludicrous perception are no good, and Weird Al knew this long before they were educated in the COVID-19 era. This track makes the genre hilarious while not really touching on a particular tune, and the extreme things that happen to a boy who dares defy the music business is his best criticism. Yankovic industry to date.

2. “White & Nerdy” (2006)

A twist on “Ridin” by Chamillionaire and Krayzie Bone, this piece satirizes white men who often want to act like the people they see in urban slum settings and in the media modern mass. Al makes several connoisseur references in it, and this is his first work to achieve a platinum certification from the recording industry. Chamillionaire was also impressed with Yankovic’s rapping skills and said he was “pretty good” and “crazy”.

1. “The Saga Begins” (1999)

In our opinion, a good song by Weird Al Yankovic should mock something famous, show affection while being amusing and have its catchy side along with a great video. This piece, accompanied by Don McLean’s “American Pie” and poked fun Star Wars, is the perfect example of this and his best song to date. George Lucas loves it and anything that can please him at the same time guessing most correctly Volume One of The plot is just amazing.

This ends our list of the best Weird Al Yankovic songs to date. We’re hoping to see a few originals in the upcoming biopic, which promises to explore Yankovic’s “depraved way of life”. Maybe they last as long as the people on this list.