# Weird Al: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame potential? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 17, 2014, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-potential/693326 "2014-07-17T01:37:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-potential/693326/61 "2014-07-23T18:52:12Z")
> [@Reyemile](#): > > [Skipper Dan](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0cCRRFi1aA) is one of the most depressing and soul-crushing songs I’ve ever heard. It’s wonderful. Haha! I’d forgotten all about that one. It’s original gems like these that folks who don’t know anything other than Weird Al’s most popular parodies need to hear so they can realize how oddly insightful his songs can be from time to time. [Since you been gone](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4539G-5yUgg) is another great one with a punch 😃 ---
**Author:** ![dzeiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dzeiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzeiger)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-potential/693326/62 "2014-07-23T18:59:52Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > With respect to the part about “no historic importance or influence,” I agree completely. That’s what keeps him out in my mind. Now, if Weird Al had managed to spark a whole perfect-parody genre and all these parody bands were out there just trying to be as awesome as Weird Al’s work and some of them succeeding – as in, he started a whole Parody Thing, then yes. RRHoF nominee. If his clever lyrics had some political influence or sparked any sort of social awareness/change/movement at all, again, yes. But he’s pretty much about very well-crafted (don’t get me wrong; I appreciate his talent) musical parody that has amounted to fluff, like cultural wallpaper. So, are you talking about criteria that you think should be there to be allowed in a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, or are you looking at the actual criteria as seen by who’s already been inducted? I mean, is the History of Music completely changed if John Melloncamp doesn’t exist? Doesn’t “fluff, like cultural wallpaper” describe KISS pretty well? ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-potential/693326/63 "2014-07-23T19:44:07Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > With respect to the part about “no historic importance or influence,” I agree completely. The first “Weird Al” record came out 31 years ago. People who grew up listening to his records are now well in to their own careers. Tenacious D, Flight of the Conchords, The Lonely Island all cite Al as a major influence. Their are many other artists that are loved by comedy music fans, I’m pointing to the “Big Three” that are known beyond fans of the genre. Why do pretty much all of the most well-known comedic musicians avoid doing song parodies? Because Al has pretty much sewn up that entire thing. There are other parody artists and they all get the same question, “Oh, like “Weird Al”?” It is the _lack_ of well known parody artists that illustrates Al’s immense influence. I do comedy music, I _don’t_ do parodies, and I _still_ get asked “Oh, like “Weird Al”?” The other reason the artists who cite him as an influence do not do parodies themselves is because, like most serious Al fans, many of their favorite songs are Al’s original songs. Al has had plenty of influence. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-al-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-potential/693326.md?page=3)