# Novelty Songs post-1984 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 7, 2013, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novelty-songs-post-1984/673350 "2013-11-07T18:50:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novelty-songs-post-1984/673350/61 "2013-11-10T06:12:12Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > Istanbul is a cover of a song off an old educational record Are you thinking of “Why Does The Sun Shine”? The sun is a mass of incandescent gas/A gigantic nuclear furnace/Where hydrogen is built into helium/At temperatures of millions of degrees ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novelty-songs-post-1984/673350/62 "2013-11-10T06:48:30Z")
Another one that doesn’t quite qualify as a novelty song but is worthy of mention is “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. ---
**Author:** ![tripthicket](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripthicket/32/297_2.png) [@tripthicket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tripthicket)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novelty-songs-post-1984/673350/63 "2013-11-10T18:03:02Z")
“Ladies and gentlemen, [the MAN song](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCdKiRDdohA)!” ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novelty-songs-post-1984/673350/64 "2013-11-10T23:16:14Z")
The Sweater Song I Kissed a Girl (Not the Katy Perry one) You Klingon Bastard, You Killed My Son (Might be unknown outside the DC area) My Girl’s Pussy (R. Crumb and his Cheap Suit Serenaders; the song itself is unbelievably old, like 1929) ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novelty-songs-post-1984/673350/65 "2013-11-11T00:07:50Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > The Sweater Song > I Kissed a Girl (Not the Katy Perry one) I don’t consider those novelty songs. (Weezer and Jill Sobule.) ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novelty-songs-post-1984/673350/66 "2013-11-11T01:13:08Z")
Popular by Nada Surf Tangerine Speedo by Caviar The latter is questionable as a novelty song, but it has the elements of weird subject matter and blatantly tongue in cheek delivery. Then again, so did many of the songs by the similar postmoderner-than-thou band Dandy Warhols, and I don’t consider their songs to be novelty. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novelty-songs-post-1984/673350/67 "2013-11-11T03:11:22Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Popular by Nada Surf Not a novelty song. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novelty-songs-post-1984/673350/68 "2013-11-11T03:19:16Z")
Hey **Justin Bailey** : How 'bout you suggest a song? Or are you just here to poop all over everybody’s suggestions. My suggestion: Tubthumping by Chumbawumba. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novelty-songs-post-1984/673350/69 "2013-11-11T05:14:30Z")
> [@Accidental\_Martyr](#): > > I don’t consider those novelty songs. (Weezer and Jill Sobule.) I’d say [anything on Dr. Demento’s playlist](http://dmdb.org/cgi-bin/plinfo.pl?drd08.0727.html) qualifies. > [@](#): > > #2 I Kissed A Girl - Jill Sobule ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novelty-songs-post-1984/673350/70 "2013-11-11T05:32:12Z")
> [@Accidental\_Martyr](#): > > I don’t consider those novelty songs. (Weezer and Jill Sobule.) Different “[The Sweater](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFfy0dMKIi8)” (Meryn Cadell). I misremembered the title, sorry. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novelty-songs-post-1984/673350/71 "2013-11-11T05:34:52Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > Hey **Justin Bailey** : > > How 'bout you suggest a song? > > Or are you just here to poop all over everybody’s suggestions. > My suggestion: Tubthumping by Chumbawumba. 1 hit wonder, not novelty song. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novelty-songs-post-1984/673350/72 "2013-11-11T06:19:10Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > I’d say [anything on Dr. Demento’s playlist](http://dmdb.org/cgi-bin/plinfo.pl?drd08.0727.html) qualifies. Quote: #2 I Kissed A Girl - Jill Sobule * * * Sorry, I still wouldn’t consider that a novelty song. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![chancetx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@chancetx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chancetx)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novelty-songs-post-1984/673350/73 "2013-11-11T11:41:16Z")
“Tarzan Boy” - Baltimora (1985) “I Spent My Last $10 (On Birth Control And Beer)” - Two Nice Girls (1989) “I’m Too Sexy” (1992) ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novelty-songs-post-1984/673350/74 "2013-11-11T14:34:14Z")
Where are you getting your definition of “novelty song” from? Wikipedia? That’s not the only interpretation. The first non-Wikipedia entry when I googled “novelty song” was from [Encyclopedia Britannica](http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/421146/novelty-song): > [@](#): > > novelty song, popular song that is either written and performed as a novelty or that becomes a novelty when removed from its original context. Regardless of which of these two categories applies, the assumption is that the song is popular because of its novelty, because it sounds different from everything else being played on the radio or jukebox. It follows that novelty hits are unique; the second time around, the sound is no longer novel. However, a novelty song can change people’s listening assumptions, and hits that the record industry has treated as novelties have often turned out to be precursors of new musical styles. Under their definition, just about everything in this thread qualifies, though I personally think that it’s a bit too broad/inclusive. The OP will decide where to draw the line with regard to what he’ll include in his name-that-tune game, of course. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novelty-songs-post-1984/673350/75 "2013-11-11T15:30:11Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > The OP will decide where to draw the line with regard to what he’ll include in his name-that-tune game, of course. Ha. Yeah, it’s sort of a gray area. First off, it a party for my church group so some of these songs are right out on that accord. I can imagine the reaction if I played “My Girl’s Pussy”! (which I found very clever and fun BTW). As far as what constitutes a “novelty song” vs. just a off-beat tune or one-hit wonder…I’ll just go with a gut feeling. For the purposes of my party, the song has to be recognizable to at least a few people, else the game won’t be any fun. Most of my playlist will be things that have stood the test of time, so the older songs will be heavily represented. Lot’s of Dr. Demento stuff. But I do want to have some more recent items and this thread has given me some good ideas. Even if I don’t use them for the contest, I’ll enjoy listening to (most of) them. So, thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novelty-songs-post-1984/673350/76 "2013-11-11T15:50:14Z")
[Will Ray - Invisible Birds](http://www.last.fm/music/Will+Ray/_/Invisible+Birds) ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novelty-songs-post-1984/673350/77 "2013-11-11T15:56:38Z")
The Bear and The Maiden Fair. If that’s not a novelly song, I dunno what is. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novelty-songs-post-1984/673350/78 "2013-11-11T21:27:42Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Are you thinking of “Why Does The Sun Shine”? > > The sun is a mass of incandescent gas/A gigantic nuclear furnace/Where hydrogen is built into helium/At temperatures of millions of degrees Probably. I mean, I knew that Why Does the Sun Shine was but I also thought Istanbul was as well. I was half right anyway, it was a cover of [a 1953 song recorded by The Four Lads.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istanbul_(Not_Constantinople)) It also apparently reached #10 on the Billboard charts at the time and got The Four Lads their first gold record. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novelty-songs-post-1984/673350/79 "2013-11-11T23:17:22Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > Hey **Justin Bailey** : > > How 'bout you suggest a song? > > Or are you just here to poop all over everybody’s suggestions. I’m actually not too familiar with novelty songs, and I popped in because I was curious what people came up with. However, this board has a tendency to pull out some really bizarre choices for stuff (Example… Q: “What’s the most underrated movie of the 70s?” A: “Star Wars”) and that started happening within less than an hour. So I decided to jump in and point out that slightly odd singles from massively popular bands aren’t really “novelty songs.” ---
**Author:** ![Clothilde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@Clothilde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothilde)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2013, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novelty-songs-post-1984/673350/80 "2013-11-12T04:18:19Z")
**divemaster** , how about “Do the Bartman” by the Simpsons and Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire”? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novelty-songs-post-1984/673350.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novelty-songs-post-1984/673350.md?page=5)