The Real "Weird Al" Yankovic
Weird Al Yankovic songs alongside the real songs he parodies.
Well it was fun while it lasted.
When Napster was offering free music, you could listen to the songs below in their entirety. The playlist played the Weird Al song followed by the real song or songs that he imitated.
The playlist covered Weird Al Yankovic's first two albums.
Unfortunately, Napster pulling the plug on their free music silenced Knowzy's Real Weird Al page.
You can still view the playlist. You just can't play the songs.
If you click the song's album art, you can usually hear a 30 second preview on Amazon.
If you really must hear some full-length Al songs or songs spoofed by Al, Rhapsody offers 20 free songs per month. You don't need to sign up, despite what the pop-up may lead you to believe (just click "Continue to Rhapsody" if you see the pop-up).
Finally, Wikipedia offers an exellent, album-by-album guide to Weird Al songs and their origins.
Album #1, "Weird Al" Yankovic, 1983
Weird Al's first, self-titled album contains some of his classics: "Another One Rides the Bus," "I Love Rocky Road" and "Stop Draggin' My Car Around" to name a few.
The album contains a nearly equal number of original songs, which is uncharacteristic of his later albums. This is evident by the number of empty spots on the right side of the comparison chart- there's no song to compare it to!
See how Weird Al Yankovic got his start. In this first album, his style is still taking shape. The music is simpler and more reliant on the accordion and fart noises. These are his cream-of-the-crop songs he developed as he sought out a record label willing to sign him.
See Weird Al before he became reasonably wealthy and famous. Check out his first album: "Weird Al" Yankovic.
| Weird Al Song | | Real Song | | Track #1 |  | Track #2 MickeyAlbum The Best of Toni Basil: Mickey and Other Love Songs | | Track #3 Commentary A Weird Al original as far as I know (please correct me if I'm mistaken). While it has a funky beat, "Gotta Boogie" doesn't refer to Disco! | | | Track #4 | | Track #5 I Love Rock 'n RollArtist Joan Jett & The Blackhearts | | Track #6 | | Track #7 Jack & DianeAlbum American Fool (Rpkg) Commentary Lyrics resemble Jack & Diane at times but music does not. Weird Al Yancovic does another cover of this song in his guest appearance on the Simpsons episode "Three Gays of the Condo" | | Track #8 | | Track #9 The Funky Western CivilizationAlbum Life in the Foodchain | | Track #10 Stop Draggin' My Car Around | | Track #11 Stop Draggin' My Heart AroundArtist Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers | | Track #12 | | Track #13 My SharonaAlbum Retrospective: Best of | | Track #14 Commentary Another Weird Al Yankovic Original. | | | Track #15 Another One Rides the Bus | | Track #16 Another One Bites the DustAlbum The Game (+ Bonus Track) | | Track #17 I'll Be Mellow When I'm DeadCommentary Weird Al original #3. | | | Track #18 | | | Track #19 Mr. Frump In The Iron Lung | | Track #20 |
Album #2, In 3-D, 1984
"In 3-D," is a big improvement on "Weird Al's" first album. The sound is more polished and musically diverse. His style is more defined. And only one song is accented by fart noises. Only his lyrical wit and humor is consistent with his first album- "Weird Al" is as funny and sharp as he was in his debut!
In this album, Weird Al pokes fun at many of pop music's greatest performers. Michael Jackson, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Bob Marley, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Elton John, The Police, The Who, The B-52's and more. Don Pardo even makes a guest appearance, berating the contestant who "Lost on Jeopardy."
This is the first album to feature a Polka where Weird Al pays tribute to some of pop culture's most memorable songs. His fast-paced "Polkas on 45" covers of 14 different songs in 4 minutes and 20 seconds! Weird Al weaves snippets of the original lyrics to form a semi-coherent thread, allowing the Polka to stand on its own.
In his first album, Weird Al featured a number of original songs. This led to large gaps on the "Real Song" side of the chart. Weird Al's second album has only one original, making a more interesting right side. (The original is even said to be in the style of the Kinks, though I'm not convinced).
"In 3-D" cemented "Weird Al" Yankovic's style and his pop star status. His parody songs match the originals more closely than his first album. Most of all the album is a lot of fun. Enjoy the 11 songs on the album plus the 27 original songs he parodies.
| Weird Al Song | | Real Song | | Track #21 | | Track #22 | | Track #23 | | Track #24 | | Track #25 | | Track #26 | | Track #27 | | Track #28 Buffalo SoldierArtist Bob Marley & Wailers Album Legend: The Best of Bob Marley and The Wailers - Sound+Vision | | Track #29 Get Up, Stand UpArtist Bob Marley & Wailers Album Legend: The Best of Bob Marley and The Wailers - Sound+Vision | | Track #30 | | Track #31 | | Track #32 Commentary This is the Weird Al's first Polka, a montage of many songs at a breakneck pace. "Polkas on 45" imitates 14 songs in just over 4 minutes! Every Weird Al Yankovic album after this has a similar Polka mash-up, with the exception of his fifth album, "Even Worse." His eighth album, "Alapalooza" does feature a Polka, but only parodies one song, Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody." Please forgive all of the empty space on this side of the comparison. I'm trying to fill it up with commentary, but I'd have to write a whole book fill the space of 14 songs on the right side! Here's an interesting fact: The 14 songs, played full-length, total about 75 minutes. The entire Weird Al in 3-D album is only 45 minutes! Enjoy the Polka and the real songs it is made of. And again, my apologies for all the blank space that follows! | | Track #33 | | Track #34 | | Track #35 | | Track #36 | | Track #37 | | Track #38 | | Track #39 Hey JoeArtist The Jimi Hendrix Experience | | Track #40 Burning Down The HouseAlbum Talking Heads: Speaking in Tongues | | Track #41 Hot BloodedAlbum Double Vision (Mlps) | | Track #42 | | Track #43 | | Track #44 Should I Stay Or Should I Go | | Track #45 Jumpin' Jack FlashAlbum Through The Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2) | | Track #46 My GenerationAlbum Who Sings My Generation | | Track #47 | | Track #48 | | Track #49 | | Track #50 | | Track #51 Commentary According to Wikipedia, this song is in the style of the Kinks. I don't hear the resemblance and I'm fairly well versed in their career. If you have examples of Kinks songs that are similar to this one, please let me know. | | | Track #52 Theme from Rocky VIII (The Rye or the Kaiser) | | Track #53 | | Track #54 | | Track #55 Funeral for a Friend / Love Lies BleedingAlbum Goodbye Yellow Brick Road | | Track #56 Stairway to HeavenAlbum Led Zeppelin IV (aka ZOSO) | | Track #57 | | Track #58 A Day in the LifeAlbum Sgt.Pepper's Loney Heart's Club Band (Reis) |
Talk About the Mix Tape
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Special Thanks to "Weird Al" Biographers at Wikipedia
The "Weird Al" Yankovic entry on Wikipedia is a "featured article" and for good reason. The immense amount of detail and in particular the discography, were invaluable in creating this page. Great work!
Originally Published: Tuesday, July 17, 2007, 5:00 PM PT Last Updated: Wednesday, June 1, 2011, 2:09 PM PT Version 2
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