WARF Presents: The Weird Al Top 20 Video Countdown

[WARF]

#20 One More Minute

Several jokes in the music video are inspired by a scene in the movie Top Secret!, a movie Yankovic cites as one of his favorites.

[WARF]

#19 Money For Nothing/Beverly Hillbilies

Originally the title of the song was going to be simply "Beverly Hillbillies"; however, the title of the song was changed to "Money for Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies*" (with an asterisk), and it is legally copyrighted and registered as such. Yankovic commented on the legal complications with the titling of the song in the DVD audio commentary for the film UHF, explaining: "We had to name that song 'Money for Nothing "slash" Beverly Hillbillies "asterisk"' because the lawyers told us that had to be the name. Those wacky lawyers! Whatcha gonna do?"

[WARF]

#18 craigslist

The music style of "Craigslist" has been considered to be a "dead-on parody of The Doors".

[WARF]

#17 It's All About The Pentiums

[WARF]

#16 Tacky

"Tacky" is a song by American musician "Weird Al" Yankovic from his fourteenth studio album, Mandatory Fun (2014). The song is a parody of the 2013 single "Happy" by Pharrell Williams. The song mocks questionable taste in fashion as well as activities considered gauche. Yankovic recorded the song as one of the last on Mandatory Fun, and received Williams' approval directly, through email. He remarked he was "honored" to have his work spoofed by Yankovic.

[WARF]

#15 Christmas at Ground Zero


"Christmas at Ground Zero" is an original song by "Weird Al" Yankovic, the tenth and final track on his 1986 album, Polka Party! and the final single from the album, released just in time for the 1986 Christmas season. It is done in the style of The Ronettes' numerous 1960s-era Christmas carols, with bells and a saxophone section, with a melody and meter loosely borrowed from the 1949 novelty song "I Yust Go Nuts At Christmas" by Yogi Yorgesson. It is one of Yankovic's darkest songs.

[WARF]

#14 Amish Paradise

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #53 (1996)

Although Yankovic traditionally secures permission from the artists he parodies (even though this is not legally required, as parodies are covered under fair use guidelines), and was told by his record label that Coolio had given permission, Coolio later claimed that he had not given such permission (and in fact publicly expressed disgust saying that Yankovic's parody "desecrated the song"). This created a minor controversy, as speculation surfaced that Coolio had actually given permission but later claimed he had not in the fear that allowing the parody would not be seen as "cool", or that Yankovic's record label had lied to Yankovic in the hopes that the song would become popular.

Yankovic later stated on VH1's Behind the Music that he had written a sincere letter of apology to Coolio which was never returned, and that Coolio never complained when he received his royalty check from proceeds of the song. A series of photos taken at the XM Satellite Radio booth at the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show suggests that Yankovic and Coolio may have made amends.

On June 27, 2013 during an "Ask Me Anything" on Reddit, Yankovic was asked "Is Coolio still upset about Amish Paradise?", to which Yankovic replied "Coolio's cool with me now. We ran into each other a few years ago and it's all water under the proverbial bridge." Coolio stated in a 2014 interview that the decision to refuse the parody at the time was "stupid" and wished that someone on his management would have stopped him, and considers the final parody to be "funny".

[WARF]

#13 Dare To Be Stupid

"Dare to Be Stupid" is an original song by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a musical pastiche (or "style parody") of the band Devo. In an interview on VH1's Behind The Music, Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh stated in reaction to the song that: "I was in shock. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard. He sort of re-sculpted that song into something else and, umm... I hate him for it, basically."

[WARF]

#12 Word Crimes

US Billboard Hot 100 #39 (2014)

"Word Crimes" is a song by American musician "Weird Al" Yankovic from his fourteenth studio album, Mandatory Fun (2014). The song is a parody of the 2013 single "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke, featuring Pharrell Williams and T.I.. The song spoofs misuse of proper English grammar, reflecting Yankovic's own rigor for proper grammatical usage. When he decided to parody Thicke's song, he chose a topic that would be distinct from those used in many pre-existing parodies, and that would avoid the misogyny issues which had arisen from the source material.

[WARF]

#11 Ricky

Billboard Hot 100 #63 (1983)

"Ricky" is a 1983 song by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a parody of the 1982 song "Mickey" by Toni Basil. The song focuses on the show I Love Lucy, and ends with a segment of the theme from the show.

[WARF]

I'll be back later with the top 10.

[Seshmeister]

Top 20?

A top 5 would be pushing it.

[DONNIEP]

#18 craigslist

The music style of "Craigslist" has been considered to be a "dead-on parody of The Doors".

Too good. Woulda been better if he'd been shit faced drunk, but I like it.

[DONNIEP]

#19 Money For Nothing/Beverly Hillbilies

How could this be 19?? This is one of the greatest songs ever recorded! And the video kicks ass!

[DONNIEP]

I can't put my finger on it, but there's something about this one...