# Does Weird Al belong in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Tags:** music
**Created:** [March 2, 2026, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142 "2026-03-02T15:52:34Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 8
### Author:  [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2026, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/141 "2026-03-04T12:55:26Z")
There is no “objectively”. That’s the difference between something like the RHOF and, say a platinum record. There’s no rubric for who gets in and who doesn’t.
And so, _subjectively_ to me, parody/pure comedy is a disqualifier - I wouldn’t vote for Tom Lehrer, either, and I _like_ his stuff.
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### Author:  [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2026, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/142 "2026-03-04T14:50:55Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#):
>
> you never saw a Dolly Parton album in the Rock section.
You know who else doesn’t think Dolly belongs in the RRHoF? Dolly. She knows she’s a country star.
So instead of fighting them, she went out and recorded a rock n roll album.
> **[Rockstar (Dolly Parton album)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockstar_(Dolly_Parton_album))**
>
> Rockstar is the forty-ninth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on November 17, 2023, by Butterfly Records and Big Machine Records. The album is a collaborative project with a variety of rock musicians, marking Parton's first album-length foray into the genre.
> Lead single "World on Fire" was released on May 11, 2023, with the singles "Magic Man" featuring Ann Wilson, "Bygones" featuring Rob Halford and Nikki Sixx and John 5, "We Are the Champions"/"We ...
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### Author:  [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2026, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/143 "2026-03-04T15:01:19Z")
She’s so rad. She’s another near-universally beloved figure. I don’t know most of her music that well, but _Jolene_ is a hell of a song. Plus she gives books to kids.
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### Author:  [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2026, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/144 "2026-03-04T16:45:33Z")
If Al gets in, hey, why not Howard? (I’m not a fan, just throwing it out there)
[Nancy Wilson of Heart makes push to get Howard Stern inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/music/articles/nancy-wilson-heart-makes-push-123154159.html)
> “I am a big fan of Howard Stern…There’s another list coming up that would include him in a special category…So I suggest that you all talk about putting him on the special list for this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Howard Stern. Let’s go!”
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### Author:  [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2026, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/145 "2026-03-04T16:46:38Z")
This thread spawned a contentious morning discussion at The House Sitnam breakfast table this morning. My son and I were firmly in camp Weird Al, my wife and daughter vehemently opposed.
I had no idea I was sleeping with a Weird Al Hater!
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### Author:  [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2026, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/146 "2026-03-04T17:04:14Z")
> [@Sitnam](#):
>
> I had no idea I was sleeping with a Weird Al Hater!
Grounds for divorce, IMHO.
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2026, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/147 "2026-03-04T17:09:43Z")
There’s a song for that.
[One More Minute](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWhpk-8QLFQ)
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### Author:  [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2026, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/148 "2026-03-04T17:42:42Z")
Interesting. My husband is “meh” on Weird Al but thinks he belongs in the HoF.
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### Author:  [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2026, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/149 "2026-03-04T17:48:53Z")
> [@blondebear](#):
>
> why not Howard
What instruments does he play? How many hit records has he sold? How many bands did he influence? Was Nancy high at the time?
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2026, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/150 "2026-03-04T17:54:55Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#):
>
> What instruments does he play? How many hit records has he sold? How many bands did he influence?
There _is_ a category for “non-performers” (DJs, songwriters, record producers, industry executives, etc.), now called the “Ahmet Ertegun Award for Lifetime Achievement.” It’s an annual honor (and _is_ an induction into the Hall), but not part of the main performer ballot. That said, I was not aware that Stern was particularly influential in the music industry, though I have no doubt that he has had many musicians as guests on his talk show.
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### Author:  [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)
#### Post date: [March 4, 2026, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/151 "2026-03-04T17:56:11Z")
Well I guess I’m in the minority here. I’m just not seeing it. Yes, he’s had some charting songs but they are novelty songs. Not even, really, because he didn’t write the melodies - he just takes popular songs and makes up funny words to them. Even his originals didn’t do that well.
“White & Nerdy” is a **parody** of the 2005 song “Ridin’”. “You Don’t Love Me Anymore” didn’t break into the top 40.
He might be a ‘great’ musician, but so are thousands of other people who are not included.
From the RRHoF website:
_“Nominees are chosen based on musical excellence, influence, and impact on the development of rock and roll.”_
I don’t see how he has influenced the genre or impacted the development of Rock and roll.
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#):
>
> That’s like people saying that America isn’t a democracy but a constitutional republic. It’s true that the founders didn’t like the term democracy, but America has since become the dictionary definition of democracy.
>
> It’s also true that in the early days in Britain, what the Beatles did was referred to as, wait for it, beat music. Rock as a term gained popularity a couple of years later, around 1964.
>
> But not in America. From their first massive appearance in 1964, they were the dictionary definition of rock music. And so was the rest of the British Invasion, including Herman’s Hermits.
>
> The definition of rock music has been changing; we’ve had lots of threads arguing what is or isn’t rock. I listen to the Beatles today and think they’re a genre of their own. Somehow they managed to influence everybody without anybody truly sounding like them (including Badfinger and Klaatu). Makes no difference to the RHoF. If it did, half the first class shouldn’t have been there.
Good post
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### Author:  [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2026, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/152 "2026-03-05T00:35:49Z")
I found [an article that talks about 135[!] people](https://ultimateclassicrock.com/paul-mccartney-rock-hall-promise-broken/) and groups who are eligible but haven’t been voted in, many of them never even nominated, although they’ve produced some of the greatest albums of all time. (Scroll past the opening piece on McCartney to read the descriptions.)
Most of them have good reasons for being overlooked, true, but a good percent could be swapped for people and groups already in and the overall Hall wouldn’t be much different.
And yeah, Weird Al is one of them.
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### Author:  [@Disinfectus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disinfectus)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2026, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/153 "2026-03-05T02:14:50Z")
> [@echoreply](#):
>
> “Penny Lane” uses the piccolo from “Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F major
To be clear, the piccolo solo is not from the Brandenburg Concerto. Your article only states that, while listening to that Concerto, McCartney liked the sound of the piccolo, so he used a piccolo in the Beatles song. The notes in the solo, however, are not from any Bach piece, and didn’t influence what was played on the Beatles song. Only the instrument did.
Sorry, I’ll drop the hijack now.
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### Author:  [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2026, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/154 "2026-03-05T04:28:10Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#):
>
> Most of them have good reasons for being overlooked, true, but a good percent could be swapped for people and groups already in and the overall Hall wouldn’t be much different.
Possibly so, but without actually counting on a quick scan through I wouldn’t support 90% of those 135 entries. Certainly none of the artists already inducted as band members. For example Stephen Stills is already inducted twice, but his solo work is so not deserving of being inducted. It’s fine, but c’mon. Same for David Gilmour, Pete Townsend et al.
There are also so, so many bands on that list that are just bog standard (semi-)successful rock bands or have very limited careers OR both. I mean Ram Jam? Sure their version of ‘Black Betty’ is kinda fun, but never.
Of course I’m a HoF minimalist. I’ve seen multiple people on this board advocate for bands like Supertramp. I like Supertramp, but I would never, ever vote them in. They were good, they were significant in their time, but nope.
Weird Al? No. I’m one who wouldn’t nominate a more or less pure parody/novelty act. The closest I might consider is the B-52’s who border on novelty a good bit of the time, but I think are arguably significant enough.
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### Author:  [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2026, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/155 "2026-03-05T12:06:04Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#):
>
> Of course I’m a HoF minimalist.
I guess there are two ways of interpreting this thread’s title question:
1. Given all the acts that _have_ been inducted into the HoF, does Weird Al belong among them—is he at least as deserving as they are?
2. Who do you think _does_ belong in the HoF—and, specifically, is Weird Al among them?
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### Author:  [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2026, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/156 "2026-03-05T13:48:04Z")
See. B-52s I can get behind. Definitely not just a novelty act (especially after they ditched the wigs) and a [groundbreaking queer band](https://www.popmatters.com/the-b-52s-warner-reprise-set).
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### Author:  [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2026, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/157 "2026-03-05T17:11:30Z")
I hadn’t heard _Dog Eat Dog_ in ages, so I searched for it last night and played it from youtube. One of the comments said the of Talking Heads had performed that song that no one would have even thought it wasn’t their original.
To me, that’s a very interesting idea; which of Al’s style parodies are so good that they could have been played by the original band with no one the wiser?
Ong the style parodies, I don’t think anyone has mentioned _Frank’s 2000" TV_ yet.
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2026, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/158 "2026-03-05T17:39:52Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#):
>
> I hadn’t heard _Dog Eat Dog_ in ages, so I searched for it last night and played it from youtube. One of the comments said the of Talking Heads had performed that song that no one would have even thought it wasn’t their original.
>
> **To me, that’s a very interesting idea; which of Al’s style parodies are so good that they could have been played by the original band with no one the wiser?**
>
> Ong the style parodies, I don’t think anyone has mentioned _Frank’s 2000" TV_ yet. -
[Craiglist](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4sALru9IJk) (The Doors)
The fact that Ray Manzarek plays keyboards might be cheating.
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### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2026, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/159 "2026-03-05T17:49:10Z")
> [@MrDibble](#):
>
> There is no “objectively”. That’s the difference between something like the RHOF and, say a platinum record. There’s no rubric for who gets in and who doesn’t.
I don’t like The Who at all, but if they had to revote the entire Hall and I had a vote, I would vote for them in a heartbeat.
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### Author:  [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2026, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/160 "2026-03-05T17:50:30Z")
> [@RickJay](#):
>
> I don’t like The Who at all, but if they had to revote the entire Hall and I had a vote, I would vote for them in a heartbeat.
I feel exactly the same way about Rush. The gave/give me nothing, but I can’t deny their influence, their staying power, etc.
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