"Weird Al" Yankovic's 10 greatest parody songs
23 October 2022, 19:00
Celebrate the king of musical parodies by looking at our rundown of some of his greatest works.
"Weird Al" Yankovic celebrates his 63rd birthday this week.
The American musician, who was born on 23 October 1959 is known for his iconic musical parodies- and he's even outlasted some of the careers of the musicians he's copied. And he's now the subject of a biopic - Weird: The Al Yankovic Story - where he's played by Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe.
But how do you choose between all the songs and epic videos which made the wacky comedic genius famous? Take a look at our Top 10 here:
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Perform This Way
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Perform This Way (Parody of "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga)
Perform This Way sees "Weird Al" take on Lady Gaga's Born This Way hit with hilarious consequences.
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Fat
Michael Jackson's Bad video is one of the most famous music videos of all time, which makes Al's Fat send up all the more hilarious.
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Fat Official Music Video
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Bedrock Anthem
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Bedrock Anthem
If you're a fan of Red Hot Chili Peppers' Blood Sugar Sex Magik era then you're sure to recognise plenty of these references.
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Smells Like Nirvana
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Smells Like Nirvana
No one is safe from a Weird Al send up... not even the late Kurt Cobain and Nirvana.
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Foil
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Foil (Official Video)
Just to prove Al's relevance throughout the decades, here he tackles Lorde's Royals hit and manages to talk about everything from lunch to conspiracy theories in one song.
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Like A Surgeon
When Madonna's Like a Virgin was released in 1984, no one could have imagined it would go on to depict a highly unexperienced surgeon with dodgy practices.
Like a Surgeon
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Handy
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Handy (Official Video)
Another more recent classic comes in the form of Handy, a take on Iggy Azalea's Fancy featuring Charli XCX.
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White & Nerdy
"Weird Al" Yankovic - White & Nerdy (Official Music Video)
Who needs The Offspring's Pretty Fly For A White Guy when you've got Weird Al's White & Nerdy? Plus it's all set to the tune of Chamillionaire's Ridin' Dirty.
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Eat It
"Weird Al" has done quite a few Michael Jackson parodies in his time, but Eat It has got to be one of the most popular.
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Eat It Official Music Video
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Amish Paradise
"Weird" Al Yankovic - Amish Paradise (Official Parody of "Gangsta's Paradise")
Surely nothing can be better than Amish Paradise? Al's take on Coolio's Gangsta's Paradise absolutely nails it from its opening lines and has become one of his most famous parodies to date with a whopping 88 million views and counting!
