# 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:** 9
### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2026, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/161 "2026-03-05T18:14:57Z")
And _that’s_ how I feel about Weird Al.
---
### Author:  [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2026, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/162 "2026-03-05T18:22:31Z")
SDMB Murphy’s Law corollary - you go away for a few days, and a perfect thread for you to put your two cents in on starts up right after you leave.
> [@kenobi\_65](#):
>
> He is widely beloved among other musical artists\*…
>
> \*- As noted above, Prince was a notable exception to this.
Did Prince not like him, or did he just not want him to do any parodies? Paul McCartney also once turned down a parody, and I haven’t heard anything about any personal animus there. Now, Al has ribbed Prince musically and in interviews about the latter’s stance, but I don’t know that it caused him to be actually disliked.
> [@HeyHomie](#):
>
> And on the subject of dead artists, I don’t know if Weird Al has ever posthumously parodied someone.
When Al did parodies, on his albums, he always wanted his parodies to be “fresh” - generally based on newly-released (or soon-to-be-released) singles that had or he expected soon would hit it big. His usual pattern for a new album would be to do 6-8 songs of “original” material - his style parodies - then when had a set of songs that he figured would make for good parodies, to record them quickly and then get the album out (along with a polka, of course). Some parodies he had written before and did in concert just didn’t make it onto an album fast enough to get recorded - “It’s Still Billy Joel to Me”, for instance.
There are three main exceptions to the freshness criteria - “Jurassic Park” based on “MacArthur Park”, “The Saga Begins” based on “American Pie”, and “Ode to a Superhero” based on “Piano Man” - in each case, the parodied song is a timeless classic that most of Al’s aging fans will know (and many of his young fans will check out on Youtube).
> [@WildaBeast](#):
>
> Also, besides the parody part, Al is a genuinely talented musician who can play multiple genres.
Al did two tours of almost all non-parody material, “The Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour” and “The Unfortunate Return of the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour”, separated by the pandemic. For each _show_ on each tour, Al and his band did a cover of a _different_ classic rock song - essentially giving his fans a never-to-be-repeated treat at each place he stopped. They couldn’t have had much more than an hour or so per night to rehearse, but they were right on the money for the shows I saw. That takes a lot of talent.
> [@kenobi\_65](#):
>
> As much as I love Weird Al, I suspect that he’s not nearly as well-known or popular outside of North America.
Probably for much the same reasons that comedy movies don’t travel as well.
> [@Chronos](#):
>
> maybe they could at least induct him into the Rocky Road Hall of Fame?
I love it.
> [@Crafter\_Man](#):
>
> > [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#):
> >
> > Weird Al doesn’t take himself seriously
>
> While his popular persona doesn’t hint at it (he comes off as a goofball), I am guessing he is fairly serious, and insists on high standards, when working behind-the-scenes. The production values of his music and videos are _much_ higher than they “need” to be.
I think Al takes his work very seriously - but probably doesn’t take _himself_ too seriously.
> [@Robot\_Arm](#):
>
> 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?
Saw a story one time about someone who put “Craigslist” in the middle of a mixtape (maybe CD, or USB stick) of Doors music after their friend expressed interested in hearing more about the band - and the friend didn’t comment on the fact that there was a style parody in there, it fit so seamlessly.
And, to go back to the thread subject, I tend to be a “small-Hall” advocate, so I wouldn’t put Al in by that criteria. But for the Hall as it is currently constituted, he certainly deserves to be in, though I think in many ways it’s better for him to be outside of it.
---
### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2026, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/163 "2026-03-05T18:25:36Z")
> [@SunUp](#):
>
> Did Prince not like him, or did he just not want him to do any parodies?
I’m not sure. As has been noted, Prince was famously controlling and proprietary about his music, which would suggest that it was more a matter of him not wanting _anyone_ to make funny versions of his songs.
OTOH, there’s also that anecdote of Weird Al being told, by Prince’s management, to not make eye contact with the Purple One at an awards ceremony.
So, who knows?
> [@SunUp](#):
>
> I think Al takes his work very seriously - but probably doesn’t take _himself_ too seriously.
Agreed. _Rolling Stone_ did an article about him a few years ago, in which one of the topics was just how long it takes him to write his parody lyrics, and how exacting he is on what lyrics work, and what don’t. It may be funny music, but his process is absolutely that of a serious lyricist.
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### Author:  [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2026, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/164 "2026-03-05T19:27:33Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#):
>
> OTOH, there’s also that anecdote of Weird Al being told, by Prince’s management, to not make eye contact with the Purple One at an awards ceremony.
Or else what? I would have to find out! 👀
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2026, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/165 "2026-03-05T19:33:30Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#):
>
> > [@kenobi\_65](#):
> >
> > OTOH, there’s also that anecdote of Weird Al being told, by Prince’s management, to not make eye contact with the Purple One at an awards ceremony. -
>
> Or else what? I would have to find out! 👀
Everyone in the row got the same order.
They should have all stared at The Purple One all night
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2026, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/166 "2026-03-05T19:37:13Z")
> [@running\_coach](#):
>
> Everyone in the row got the same order.
if so, then that, too, suggests that Prince had no particular issue with Weird Al; it was just Prince being Prince.
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### Author:  [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2026, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/167 "2026-03-05T19:42:48Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#):
>
> Or else what?
Al would turn to stone, I assume.
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### Author:  [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2026, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/168 "2026-03-05T19:57:19Z")
Hopefully this won’t be too off-topic, but since there’s a gathering of Weird Al fans here, it might be a good place to ask my question:
I’m teaching a fourth grade poetry unit, and I like to end the unit with parodies: they’re a super-fun way to get kids to focus on meter and rhyme, both analytically and creatively. The first year I did this unit, I found a parody of Adele’s Hello called [Snow](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnIRfvFLiWQ). It’s a great parody dealing with snow days from the perspective of a teacher. But it turned out to be terrible for teaching kids, because the original song has a confusing structure and is unfamiliar to kids.
My ideal exemplar would be a parody (Weird Al or someone equally good) that’s squeaky-clean and is a parody of a catchy song that kids know.
[“Tacky”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq7Eki5EZ8o) is pretty close, but there’s enough shirts-with-hands-on-boobs and Jack-Black-twerking that I don’t feel comfortable showing the video.
[Foil](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urglg3WimHA) is a good candidate, but the “New World Order” jokes might not land with kids, and there’s a bit at the end where he’s given a shot in the neck and abducted that might land the wrong way with the more sensitive kiddos.
I’ve shown them [“Bob”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUQDzj6R3p4) before, but it doesn’t follow the rhyme structure of the original song, and since I’m wanting them to get better at meter and rhyme, it won’t serve the right purpose here.
Any suggestions?
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### Author:  [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2026, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/169 "2026-03-05T20:15:13Z")
Ooh, just remembered [This Song is Just Six Words Long](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do5vXn_Rap4), a parody of George Harrison’s [Got My Mind Set On You](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_71w4UA2Oxo). The Weird Al version doesn’t have a video, but the Harrison video is engaging and clean, and you can’t get a clearer structure than this song. There are hardly any rhymes, but maybe that’s okay.
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### Author:  [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2026, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/170 "2026-03-05T20:45:11Z")
Dang, I wish I had a cool fourth-grade teacher!
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### Author:  [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2026, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/171 "2026-03-05T20:54:25Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#):
>
> Warning: nine minutes long. (Is it the longest song of his?)
[Albuquerque](https://youtu.be/JE37e1eK2mY?si=VZTtj0nr9AaaS-yx) is 11:23, and [Trapped in the Drive-Thru](https://youtu.be/SHnTocdD7sk?si=1lzMvybAxT1DOy25) is 10:57. In both cases, the length of the song is part of the humor.
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2026, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/172 "2026-03-05T20:55:26Z")
My favorite “Weird Al” song is “I Lost on Jeopardy,” which does follow the verse structure of the original song, and has a great video. But I’m pretty sure that @Left_Hand_of_Dorkness 's fourth-graders aren’t going to have a clue who Greg Kihn is, much less the original song.
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### Author:  [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2026, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/173 "2026-03-05T21:17:15Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#):
>
> …fourth-graders aren’t going to have a clue who Greg Kihn is, much less the original song.
And more’s the pity, I say. I wouldn’t hang the cliched “under rated” label on him, but “under appreciated” is certainly apt. Those who only know _Jeopardy_ and _The Breakup Song_ are missing out on a pretty decent body of work.
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### Author:  [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2026, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/174 "2026-03-05T23:23:17Z")
> [@SunUp](#):
>
> There are three main exceptions to the freshness criteria - “Jurassic Park” based on “MacArthur Park”, “The Saga Begins” based on “American Pie”, and “Ode to a Superhero” based on “Piano Man”
You’re not counting “Yoda”?
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### Author:  [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)
#### Post date: [March 5, 2026, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/175 "2026-03-05T23:34:33Z")
There are four main exceptions…
I would kinda put “Yoda” into its own category, since it was a huge hit on Demento when he put it out in 1980 (which was my introduction to both Al and Demento, thanks to a summer camp buddy) but he didn’t put it on either of the first two albums, probably because, again, it didn’t seem too “fresh”. (n.b. Wikipedia says it took that long to get the OKs from Lucas and Davies.)
However, it was still a hit when he played it in concerts, and his fanbase from the very start loved it, so he put it onto Dare To Be Stupid for those fans - and ever since it’s been a concert staple complete with the chant.
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### Author:  [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2026, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/176 "2026-03-06T04:49:16Z")
Sure - I thought the rest of my post made it clear _liking_ the band or not isn’t the heuristic. It’s partly genre, partly influence, partly gut feel. Weird Al trips none of those for me.
> [@kenobi\_65](#):
>
> I suspect that he’s not nearly as well-known or popular outside of North America.
Probably right. The _only_ people I know who like him are middle-aged White men, and they are thin on the ground here.
> [@SunUp](#):
>
> Probably for much the same reasons that comedy movies don’t travel as well.
US comedies travel very well, AFAIK.
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### Author:  [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2026, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/177 "2026-03-06T10:31:08Z")
Al has also written some original comedy movie themes including _Spy Hard_ and _Captain Underpants_ (the latter theme, if you haven’t heard it, is [an absolute banger](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJgL9pbDLBE)).
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#):
>
> I don’t know most of her music that well, but _Jolene_ is a hell of a song.
Dolly says she wrote _Jolene_ and _I Will Always Love You_ on **the same day**. That just blows my mind.
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#):
>
> Ooh, just remembered [This Song is Just Six Words Long](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do5vXn_Rap4), a parody of George Harrison’s [Got My Mind Set On You](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_71w4UA2Oxo).
Originally sung by James Ray and released in 1962 fyi.
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#):
>
> I’m teaching a fourth grade poetry unit, and I like to end the unit with parodies: they’re a super-fun way to get kids to focus on meter and rhyme, both analytically and creatively. The first year I did this unit, I found a parody of Adele’s Hello called [Snow](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnIRfvFLiWQ). It’s a great parody dealing with snow days from the perspective of a teacher. But it turned out to be terrible for teaching kids, because the original song has a confusing structure and is unfamiliar to kids.
>
> My ideal exemplar would be a parody (Weird Al or someone equally good) that’s squeaky-clean and is a parody of a catchy song that kids know.
This is a tough one, simply because “pop songs fourth graders are familiar with” is going to be a small group, and those parodied by Al a helluva lot smaller. And those that are “squeaky clean” even smaller. I’d considered “Word Crimes” which is better than the original, but the original is pretty unpleasant and Al included the word “spastic” without realizing its offensive origins.
Actually, maybe you should just go with the Captain Underpants theme song…
---
### Author:  [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2026, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/178 "2026-03-06T13:05:34Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#):
>
> OTOH, there’s also that anecdote of Weird Al being told, by Prince’s management, to not make eye contact with the Purple One at an awards ceremony.
I’m positive Al has done an interview or some other bit where he deconstructs the whole incident. ISTR it involves him trolling the fuck out of Prince, like by standing up and loudly yelling for Prince to come sit next to him. Or something.
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### Author:  [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2026, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/179 "2026-03-06T13:21:38Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#):
>
> Ooh, just remembered [This Song is Just Six Words Long](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do5vXn_Rap4), a parody of George Harrison’s [Got My Mind Set On You](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_71w4UA2Oxo). The Weird Al version doesn’t have a video, but the Harrison video is engaging and clean, and you can’t get a clearer structure than this song. There are hardly any rhymes, but maybe that’s okay.
Heck, the song is about songwriting, and includes a non-rhyming line about finding a good rhyme here…
> [@MrDibble](#):
>
> Probably right. The _only_ people I know who like him are middle-aged White men,
You mean [White and Nerdy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9qYF9DZPdw&list=RDN9qYF9DZPdw&start_radio=1) (you missed an obvious Weird Al joke there).
My suggestion - Eat It. Michael Jackson is still probably ubiquitous enough to be known by 4th graders; they would probably enjoy the original video, and then, of course, the Weird Al version. My first thought was Fat, but the video (and lyrics) do a lot of fat-shaming
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### Author:  [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2026, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-weird-al-belong-in-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/1028142/180 "2026-03-06T13:26:17Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#):
>
> I know it’s already been mentioned, but [Genius in France](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwFf9vGRqcs) is a parody of the style of Zappa, and brilliantly-done I might add.
Wonderful! 65% inspired by “Inca Roads,” 25% from various songs on _Apostrophe_, and the rest is miscellaneous (including a brief nod to Zappa’s own loving parodies of doo-wop back on _Absolutely Free_ and the like).
Anyway…Weird Al does belong in the R&R HoF.
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