Novelty song
Encyclopedia
A novelty song is a comical or nonsensical song
, performed principally for its comical effect
. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley
to describe one of the major divisions of popular music
. The other two divisions were ballads and dance music
. Novelty songs achieved great popularity during the 1920s and 30s.
Novelty songs are often a parody
or humor song, and may apply to a current event such as a holiday or a fad such as a dance
. Many use unusual lyrics, subjects, sounds, or instrumentation, and may not even be musical. "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!", has little music and is set to a rhythm tapped out on a snare drum and tambourine. One novelty song, a remix of "Axel F
" by Crazy Frog
, started as a mobile phone ring-tone.
from its start in the late 19th century. They continued to proliferate in the early years of the 20th century; some rising to be among the biggest hits of the era.
Varieties included songs with an unusual gimmick, like the stuttering in "K-K-K-Katy
", silly lyrics like "Yes! We Have No Bananas", and invocations of foreign lands with emphasis of general feel of exoticism rather than geographic or anthropological accuracy, like "Oh By Jingo!
" and "Nagasaki
".
Decades later, a famous 1940s novelty song was the 1942 "Der Fuehrer's Face", and the 1952 #1 single "(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?
" became notable for extensive play and backlash because the song became annoying. Dickie Goodman
, the godfather of the genre, faced a lawsuit for his 1956 "The Flying Saucer
" novelty song which used sampling
. "Yakety Yak
" became a #1 single on July 21, 1958, and is the only novelty song (#346) of the Songs of the Century
. Satirists such as Stan Freberg
and Tom Lehrer
used novelty songs to poke fun at contemporary pop culture in the early 1950s. The first Best Comedy Recording Grammy was awarded to "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)
", which used a speeded-up voice technique to simulate a chipmunk voice. In 1964, the Grammy for Best Country and Western Album was awarded to Roger Miller
's Dang Me/Chug-a-Lug, which had several novelty songs.
In 1991, "The Stonk" novelty song raised over £100,000 for the Comic Relief charity. In 1993, "Mr Blobby
" became the second novelty song to reach the coveted Christmas number one slot in the UK, following Benny Hill
's 1971 chart topper "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)
". After P.D.Q. Bach repeatedly won the Best Comedy Album Grammy from 1990–1993, the category was changed to Best Spoken Comedy Album, and when Best Comedy Album was reinstated in 2004, "Weird Al" Yankovic
won for Poodle Hat
.
Novelty songs were popular on radio through the 1980s, to the point where it was not uncommon to hear novelty songs break into the top 40 (for instance, Chuck Berry
's "My Ding-a-Ling
" went all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100
in 1972). Freeform
and album-oriented rock
stations made use of novelty songs; some of the best-known work from Frank Zappa
, for instance, is his extensive body of novelty music. Beginning in 1970, Dr. Demento
's nationally syndicated radio show gave novelty songs an outlet for much of the country; this lasted through the mid-2000s, when the show (mirroring trends in the genre) faded in popularity until its terrestrial cancellation in June 2010. Novelty songs and parodies are fixtures on morning radio
.
, performed principally for its comical effect
. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley
to describe one of the major divisions of popular music
. The other two divisions were ballads and dance music
. Novelty songs achieved great popularity during the 1920s and 30s.
Novelty songs are often a parody
or humor song, and may apply to a current event such as a holiday or a fad such as a dance
. Many use unusual lyrics, subjects, sounds, or instrumentation, and may not even be musical. "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!", has little music and is set to a rhythm tapped out on a snare drum and tambourine. One novelty song, a remix of "Axel F
" by Crazy Frog
, started as a mobile phone ring-tone.
from its start in the late 19th century. They continued to proliferate in the early years of the 20th century; some rising to be among the biggest hits of the era.
Varieties included songs with an unusual gimmick, like the stuttering in "K-K-K-Katy
", silly lyrics like "Yes! We Have No Bananas", and invocations of foreign lands with emphasis of general feel of exoticism rather than geographic or anthropological accuracy, like "Oh By Jingo!
" and "Nagasaki
".
Decades later, a famous 1940s novelty song was the 1942 "Der Fuehrer's Face", and the 1952 #1 single "(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?
" became notable for extensive play and backlash because the song became annoying. Dickie Goodman
, the godfather of the genre, faced a lawsuit for his 1956 "The Flying Saucer
" novelty song which used sampling
. "Yakety Yak
" became a #1 single on July 21, 1958, and is the only novelty song (#346) of the Songs of the Century
. Satirists such as Stan Freberg
and Tom Lehrer
used novelty songs to poke fun at contemporary pop culture in the early 1950s. The first Best Comedy Recording Grammy was awarded to "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)
", which used a speeded-up voice technique to simulate a chipmunk voice. In 1964, the Grammy for Best Country and Western Album was awarded to Roger Miller
's Dang Me/Chug-a-Lug, which had several novelty songs.
In 1991, "The Stonk" novelty song raised over £100,000 for the Comic Relief charity. In 1993, "Mr Blobby
" became the second novelty song to reach the coveted Christmas number one slot in the UK, following Benny Hill
's 1971 chart topper "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)
". After P.D.Q. Bach repeatedly won the Best Comedy Album Grammy from 1990–1993, the category was changed to Best Spoken Comedy Album, and when Best Comedy Album was reinstated in 2004, "Weird Al" Yankovic
won for Poodle Hat
.
Novelty songs were popular on radio through the 1980s, to the point where it was not uncommon to hear novelty songs break into the top 40 (for instance, Chuck Berry
's "My Ding-a-Ling
" went all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100
in 1972). Freeform
and album-oriented rock
stations made use of novelty songs; some of the best-known work from Frank Zappa
, for instance, is his extensive body of novelty music. Beginning in 1970, Dr. Demento
's nationally syndicated radio show gave novelty songs an outlet for much of the country; this lasted through the mid-2000s, when the show (mirroring trends in the genre) faded in popularity until its terrestrial cancellation in June 2010. Novelty songs and parodies are fixtures on morning radio
.
, performed principally for its comical effect
. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley
to describe one of the major divisions of popular music
. The other two divisions were ballads and dance music
. Novelty songs achieved great popularity during the 1920s and 30s.
Novelty songs are often a parody
or humor song, and may apply to a current event such as a holiday or a fad such as a dance
. Many use unusual lyrics, subjects, sounds, or instrumentation, and may not even be musical. "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!", has little music and is set to a rhythm tapped out on a snare drum and tambourine. One novelty song, a remix of "Axel F
" by Crazy Frog
, started as a mobile phone ring-tone.
from its start in the late 19th century. They continued to proliferate in the early years of the 20th century; some rising to be among the biggest hits of the era.
Varieties included songs with an unusual gimmick, like the stuttering in "K-K-K-Katy
", silly lyrics like "Yes! We Have No Bananas", and invocations of foreign lands with emphasis of general feel of exoticism rather than geographic or anthropological accuracy, like "Oh By Jingo!
" and "Nagasaki
".
Decades later, a famous 1940s novelty song was the 1942 "Der Fuehrer's Face", and the 1952 #1 single "(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?
" became notable for extensive play and backlash because the song became annoying. Dickie Goodman
, the godfather of the genre, faced a lawsuit for his 1956 "The Flying Saucer
" novelty song which used sampling
. "Yakety Yak
" became a #1 single on July 21, 1958, and is the only novelty song (#346) of the Songs of the Century
. Satirists such as Stan Freberg
and Tom Lehrer
used novelty songs to poke fun at contemporary pop culture in the early 1950s. The first Best Comedy Recording Grammy was awarded to "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)
", which used a speeded-up voice technique to simulate a chipmunk voice. In 1964, the Grammy for Best Country and Western Album was awarded to Roger Miller
's Dang Me/Chug-a-Lug, which had several novelty songs.
In 1991, "The Stonk" novelty song raised over £100,000 for the Comic Relief charity. In 1993, "Mr Blobby
" became the second novelty song to reach the coveted Christmas number one slot in the UK, following Benny Hill
's 1971 chart topper "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)
". After P.D.Q. Bach repeatedly won the Best Comedy Album Grammy from 1990–1993, the category was changed to Best Spoken Comedy Album, and when Best Comedy Album was reinstated in 2004, "Weird Al" Yankovic
won for Poodle Hat
.
Novelty songs were popular on radio through the 1980s, to the point where it was not uncommon to hear novelty songs break into the top 40 (for instance, Chuck Berry
's "My Ding-a-Ling
" went all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100
in 1972). Freeform
and album-oriented rock
stations made use of novelty songs; some of the best-known work from Frank Zappa
, for instance, is his extensive body of novelty music. Beginning in 1970, Dr. Demento
's nationally syndicated radio show gave novelty songs an outlet for much of the country; this lasted through the mid-2000s, when the show (mirroring trends in the genre) faded in popularity until its terrestrial cancellation in June 2010. Novelty songs and parodies are fixtures on morning radio
.
A–E
A novelty song is a comical or nonsensical song
, performed principally for its comical effect
. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley
to describe one of the major divisions of popular music
. The other two divisions were ballads and dance music
. Novelty songs achieved great popularity during the 1920s and 30s.
Novelty songs are often a parody
or humor song, and may apply to a current event such as a holiday or a fad such as a dance
. Many use unusual lyrics, subjects, sounds, or instrumentation, and may not even be musical. "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!", has little music and is set to a rhythm tapped out on a snare drum and tambourine. One novelty song, a remix of "Axel F
" by Crazy Frog
, started as a mobile phone ring-tone.
from its start in the late 19th century. They continued to proliferate in the early years of the 20th century; some rising to be among the biggest hits of the era.
Varieties included songs with an unusual gimmick, like the stuttering in "K-K-K-Katy
", silly lyrics like "Yes! We Have No Bananas", and invocations of foreign lands with emphasis of general feel of exoticism rather than geographic or anthropological accuracy, like "Oh By Jingo!
" and "Nagasaki
".
Decades later, a famous 1940s novelty song was the 1942 "Der Fuehrer's Face", and the 1952 #1 single "(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?
" became notable for extensive play and backlash because the song became annoying. Dickie Goodman
, the godfather of the genre, faced a lawsuit for his 1956 "The Flying Saucer
" novelty song which used sampling
. "Yakety Yak
" became a #1 single on July 21, 1958, and is the only novelty song (#346) of the Songs of the Century
. Satirists such as Stan Freberg
and Tom Lehrer
used novelty songs to poke fun at contemporary pop culture in the early 1950s. The first Best Comedy Recording Grammy was awarded to "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)
", which used a speeded-up voice technique to simulate a chipmunk voice. In 1964, the Grammy for Best Country and Western Album was awarded to Roger Miller
's Dang Me/Chug-a-Lug, which had several novelty songs.
In 1991, "The Stonk" novelty song raised over £100,000 for the Comic Relief charity. In 1993, "Mr Blobby
" became the second novelty song to reach the coveted Christmas number one slot in the UK, following Benny Hill
's 1971 chart topper "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)
". After P.D.Q. Bach repeatedly won the Best Comedy Album Grammy from 1990–1993, the category was changed to Best Spoken Comedy Album, and when Best Comedy Album was reinstated in 2004, "Weird Al" Yankovic
won for Poodle Hat
.
Novelty songs were popular on radio through the 1980s, to the point where it was not uncommon to hear novelty songs break into the top 40 (for instance, Chuck Berry
's "My Ding-a-Ling
" went all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100
in 1972). Freeform
and album-oriented rock
stations made use of novelty songs; some of the best-known work from Frank Zappa
, for instance, is his extensive body of novelty music. Beginning in 1970, Dr. Demento
's nationally syndicated radio show gave novelty songs an outlet for much of the country; this lasted through the mid-2000s, when the show (mirroring trends in the genre) faded in popularity until its terrestrial cancellation in June 2010. Novelty songs and parodies are fixtures on morning radio
.
A–E
A novelty song is a comical or nonsensical song
, performed principally for its comical effect
. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley
to describe one of the major divisions of popular music
. The other two divisions were ballads and dance music
. Novelty songs achieved great popularity during the 1920s and 30s.
Novelty songs are often a parody
or humor song, and may apply to a current event such as a holiday or a fad such as a dance
. Many use unusual lyrics, subjects, sounds, or instrumentation, and may not even be musical. "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!", has little music and is set to a rhythm tapped out on a snare drum and tambourine. One novelty song, a remix of "Axel F
" by Crazy Frog
, started as a mobile phone ring-tone.
from its start in the late 19th century. They continued to proliferate in the early years of the 20th century; some rising to be among the biggest hits of the era.
Varieties included songs with an unusual gimmick, like the stuttering in "K-K-K-Katy
", silly lyrics like "Yes! We Have No Bananas", and invocations of foreign lands with emphasis of general feel of exoticism rather than geographic or anthropological accuracy, like "Oh By Jingo!
" and "Nagasaki
".
Decades later, a famous 1940s novelty song was the 1942 "Der Fuehrer's Face", and the 1952 #1 single "(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?
" became notable for extensive play and backlash because the song became annoying. Dickie Goodman
, the godfather of the genre, faced a lawsuit for his 1956 "The Flying Saucer
" novelty song which used sampling
. "Yakety Yak
" became a #1 single on July 21, 1958, and is the only novelty song (#346) of the Songs of the Century
. Satirists such as Stan Freberg
and Tom Lehrer
used novelty songs to poke fun at contemporary pop culture in the early 1950s. The first Best Comedy Recording Grammy was awarded to "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)
", which used a speeded-up voice technique to simulate a chipmunk voice. In 1964, the Grammy for Best Country and Western Album was awarded to Roger Miller
's Dang Me/Chug-a-Lug, which had several novelty songs.
In 1991, "The Stonk" novelty song raised over £100,000 for the Comic Relief charity. In 1993, "Mr Blobby
" became the second novelty song to reach the coveted Christmas number one slot in the UK, following Benny Hill
's 1971 chart topper "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)
". After P.D.Q. Bach repeatedly won the Best Comedy Album Grammy from 1990–1993, the category was changed to Best Spoken Comedy Album, and when Best Comedy Album was reinstated in 2004, "Weird Al" Yankovic
won for Poodle Hat
.
Novelty songs were popular on radio through the 1980s, to the point where it was not uncommon to hear novelty songs break into the top 40 (for instance, Chuck Berry
's "My Ding-a-Ling
" went all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100
in 1972). Freeform
and album-oriented rock
stations made use of novelty songs; some of the best-known work from Frank Zappa
, for instance, is his extensive body of novelty music. Beginning in 1970, Dr. Demento
's nationally syndicated radio show gave novelty songs an outlet for much of the country; this lasted through the mid-2000s, when the show (mirroring trends in the genre) faded in popularity until its terrestrial cancellation in June 2010. Novelty songs and parodies are fixtures on morning radio
.
A–E
F–M
N–Z
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
, performed principally for its comical effect
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley
Tin Pan Alley
Tin Pan Alley is the name given to the collection of New York City music publishers and songwriters who dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century...
to describe one of the major divisions of popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
. The other two divisions were ballads and dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
. Novelty songs achieved great popularity during the 1920s and 30s.
Novelty songs are often a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
or humor song, and may apply to a current event such as a holiday or a fad such as a dance
Novelty and fad dances
Fad dances are dances which are characterized by a short burst of popularity, while novelty dances typically have a longer-lasting popularity based on their being characteristically humorous or humor-invoking, as well as the sense of uniqueness which they have.-Fad dances:These are also called...
. Many use unusual lyrics, subjects, sounds, or instrumentation, and may not even be musical. "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!", has little music and is set to a rhythm tapped out on a snare drum and tambourine. One novelty song, a remix of "Axel F
Axel F
"Axel F" is the electronic instrumental theme from the 1984 film Beverly Hills Cop performed by Harold Faltermeyer. The title comes from the main character's name, Axel Foley , in the film. It topped musical charts in 1985 and remains a popular remix track. Mixes of "Axel F" topped European pop...
" by Crazy Frog
Crazy Frog
Crazy Frog, originally known as Adam King, is a computer-animated character created in 2003 by Erik Wernquist. Marketed by the ringtone provider Jamba!, the animation was originally created to accompany a sound effect produced by Daniel Malmedahl in 1997 while attempting to imitate the sound of a...
, started as a mobile phone ring-tone.
History
Novelty songs were a major staple of Tin Pan AlleyTin Pan Alley
Tin Pan Alley is the name given to the collection of New York City music publishers and songwriters who dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century...
from its start in the late 19th century. They continued to proliferate in the early years of the 20th century; some rising to be among the biggest hits of the era.
Varieties included songs with an unusual gimmick, like the stuttering in "K-K-K-Katy
K-K-K-Katy
"K-K-K-Katy" was a popular World War I-era song written by Geoffrey O'Hara in 1917 and published in 1918. The sheet music advertised it as "The Sensational Stammering Song Success Sung by the Soldiers and Sailors," reflecting a time when speech impediments could be poked fun at—albeit gentle fun...
", silly lyrics like "Yes! We Have No Bananas", and invocations of foreign lands with emphasis of general feel of exoticism rather than geographic or anthropological accuracy, like "Oh By Jingo!
Oh By Jingo!
"Oh By Jingo!" is a 1919 novelty song by Albert Von Tilzer with lyrics by Lew Brown.The song was featured in the Broadway show "Linger Longer Letty", and became one of the biggest Tin Pan Alley hits of the post-World War I era....
" and "Nagasaki
Nagasaki (song)
"Nagasaki" is a jazz song from 1928 by Harry Warren and Mort Dixon that became a popular Tin Pan Alley hit. The silly, bawdy lyrics have only the vaguest relation to the Japanese port city of Nagasaki...
".
Decades later, a famous 1940s novelty song was the 1942 "Der Fuehrer's Face", and the 1952 #1 single "(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?
(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?
" That Doggie in the Window?" is a popular novelty song written by Bob Merrill and Ingrid Reuterskiöld in 1952. The best-known version of the song was recorded by Patti Page on December 18, 1952 and released by Mercury Records as catalog number 70070, with the flip side being "My Jealous Eyes". It...
" became notable for extensive play and backlash because the song became annoying. Dickie Goodman
Dickie Goodman
Richard Dorian "Dickie" Goodman was an American music producer.-Career:In June 1956 Goodman created his first record, "The Flying Saucer", which he co-wrote with his partner Bill Buchanan, and featured a four-minute rewriting of Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds radio show...
, the godfather of the genre, faced a lawsuit for his 1956 "The Flying Saucer
The Flying Saucer (song)
The Flying Saucer is a novelty record released by Bill Buchanan and Dickie Goodman which hit #3 in 1956...
" novelty song which used sampling
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
. "Yakety Yak
Yakety Yak
"Yakety Yak" is a song written, produced, and arranged by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller for The Coasters and released on Atlantic Records in 1958, spending seven weeks as number one on the R&B charts and a week as number one on the Hot 100 pop list...
" became a #1 single on July 21, 1958, and is the only novelty song (#346) of the Songs of the Century
Songs of the Century
The "Songs of the Century" list is part of an education project by the Recording Industry Association of America , the National Endowment for the Arts, and Scholastic Inc. that aims to "promote a better understanding of America’s musical and cultural heritage" in American schools...
. Satirists such as Stan Freberg
Stan Freberg
Stanley Victor "Stan" Freberg is an American author, recording artist, animation voice actor, comedian, radio personality, puppeteer, and advertising creative director whose career began in 1944...
and Tom Lehrer
Tom Lehrer
Thomas Andrew "Tom" Lehrer is an American singer-songwriter, satirist, pianist, mathematician and polymath. He has lectured on mathematics and musical theater...
used novelty songs to poke fun at contemporary pop culture in the early 1950s. The first Best Comedy Recording Grammy was awarded to "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)
The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)
"The Chipmunk Song " is a song written by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. Although it was written and sung by Bagdasarian , the singing credits are given to The Chipmunks, a fictitious singing group consisting of three chipmunks by the names of Alvin, Simon, and Theodore...
", which used a speeded-up voice technique to simulate a chipmunk voice. In 1964, the Grammy for Best Country and Western Album was awarded to Roger Miller
Roger Miller
Roger Dean Miller was an American singer, songwriter, musician and actor, best known for his honky tonk-influenced novelty songs...
's Dang Me/Chug-a-Lug, which had several novelty songs.
In 1991, "The Stonk" novelty song raised over £100,000 for the Comic Relief charity. In 1993, "Mr Blobby
Mr Blobby (song)
"Mr Blobby" is a novelty song performed by character Mr Blobby, famous for appearing in the TV programme Noel's House Party. The song originally peaked at #1 on the chart on 5 December 1993 for one week. It later spent a total of 3 weeks at #1...
" became the second novelty song to reach the coveted Christmas number one slot in the UK, following Benny Hill
Benny Hill
Benny Hill was an English comedian and actor, notable for his long-running television programme The Benny Hill Show.-Early life:...
's 1971 chart topper "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)
Ernie (the Fastest Milkman in the West)
"Ernie " is an innuendo-laden comedy or novelty song, written and performed by the English comedian Benny Hill...
". After P.D.Q. Bach repeatedly won the Best Comedy Album Grammy from 1990–1993, the category was changed to Best Spoken Comedy Album, and when Best Comedy Album was reinstated in 2004, "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
won for Poodle Hat
Poodle Hat
Poodle Hat is the Grammy Award-winning 11th studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It was released on May 20, 2003 on Volcano Records. The album debuted at number 17 on the Billboard 200. The album was released on an Enhanced CD...
.
Novelty songs were popular on radio through the 1980s, to the point where it was not uncommon to hear novelty songs break into the top 40 (for instance, Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
's "My Ding-a-Ling
My Ding-a-Ling
"My Ding-a-Ling" was the title of a novelty song recorded by Chuck Berry, and his only U.S. number-one single on the pop charts. Later that year the song, in a longer unedited form, was on the album The London Chuck Berry Sessions...
" went all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in 1972). Freeform
Freeform (radio format)
Freeform, or freeform radio, is a radio station programming format in which the disc jockey is given total control over what music to play, regardless of music genre or commercial interests. Freeform radio stands in contrast to most commercial radio stations, in which DJs have little or no...
and album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
stations made use of novelty songs; some of the best-known work from Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
, for instance, is his extensive body of novelty music. Beginning in 1970, Dr. Demento
Dr. Demento
Barret Eugene Hansen , better known as Dr. Demento, is a radio broadcaster and record collector specializing in novelty songs, comedy, and strange or unusual recordings dating from the early days of phonograph records to the present....
's nationally syndicated radio show gave novelty songs an outlet for much of the country; this lasted through the mid-2000s, when the show (mirroring trends in the genre) faded in popularity until its terrestrial cancellation in June 2010. Novelty songs and parodies are fixtures on morning radio
Morning zoo
Morning zoo is a format of morning radio show common to English-language radio broadcasting. The name is derived from the "wackiness and zaniness" of the activities, bits, and overall personality of the show and its hosts...
.
Examples of novelty songs
A novelty song is a comical or nonsensical songSong
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
, performed principally for its comical effect
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley
Tin Pan Alley
Tin Pan Alley is the name given to the collection of New York City music publishers and songwriters who dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century...
to describe one of the major divisions of popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
. The other two divisions were ballads and dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
. Novelty songs achieved great popularity during the 1920s and 30s.
Novelty songs are often a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
or humor song, and may apply to a current event such as a holiday or a fad such as a dance
Novelty and fad dances
Fad dances are dances which are characterized by a short burst of popularity, while novelty dances typically have a longer-lasting popularity based on their being characteristically humorous or humor-invoking, as well as the sense of uniqueness which they have.-Fad dances:These are also called...
. Many use unusual lyrics, subjects, sounds, or instrumentation, and may not even be musical. "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!", has little music and is set to a rhythm tapped out on a snare drum and tambourine. One novelty song, a remix of "Axel F
Axel F
"Axel F" is the electronic instrumental theme from the 1984 film Beverly Hills Cop performed by Harold Faltermeyer. The title comes from the main character's name, Axel Foley , in the film. It topped musical charts in 1985 and remains a popular remix track. Mixes of "Axel F" topped European pop...
" by Crazy Frog
Crazy Frog
Crazy Frog, originally known as Adam King, is a computer-animated character created in 2003 by Erik Wernquist. Marketed by the ringtone provider Jamba!, the animation was originally created to accompany a sound effect produced by Daniel Malmedahl in 1997 while attempting to imitate the sound of a...
, started as a mobile phone ring-tone.
History
Novelty songs were a major staple of Tin Pan AlleyTin Pan Alley
Tin Pan Alley is the name given to the collection of New York City music publishers and songwriters who dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century...
from its start in the late 19th century. They continued to proliferate in the early years of the 20th century; some rising to be among the biggest hits of the era.
Varieties included songs with an unusual gimmick, like the stuttering in "K-K-K-Katy
K-K-K-Katy
"K-K-K-Katy" was a popular World War I-era song written by Geoffrey O'Hara in 1917 and published in 1918. The sheet music advertised it as "The Sensational Stammering Song Success Sung by the Soldiers and Sailors," reflecting a time when speech impediments could be poked fun at—albeit gentle fun...
", silly lyrics like "Yes! We Have No Bananas", and invocations of foreign lands with emphasis of general feel of exoticism rather than geographic or anthropological accuracy, like "Oh By Jingo!
Oh By Jingo!
"Oh By Jingo!" is a 1919 novelty song by Albert Von Tilzer with lyrics by Lew Brown.The song was featured in the Broadway show "Linger Longer Letty", and became one of the biggest Tin Pan Alley hits of the post-World War I era....
" and "Nagasaki
Nagasaki (song)
"Nagasaki" is a jazz song from 1928 by Harry Warren and Mort Dixon that became a popular Tin Pan Alley hit. The silly, bawdy lyrics have only the vaguest relation to the Japanese port city of Nagasaki...
".
Decades later, a famous 1940s novelty song was the 1942 "Der Fuehrer's Face", and the 1952 #1 single "(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?
(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?
" That Doggie in the Window?" is a popular novelty song written by Bob Merrill and Ingrid Reuterskiöld in 1952. The best-known version of the song was recorded by Patti Page on December 18, 1952 and released by Mercury Records as catalog number 70070, with the flip side being "My Jealous Eyes". It...
" became notable for extensive play and backlash because the song became annoying. Dickie Goodman
Dickie Goodman
Richard Dorian "Dickie" Goodman was an American music producer.-Career:In June 1956 Goodman created his first record, "The Flying Saucer", which he co-wrote with his partner Bill Buchanan, and featured a four-minute rewriting of Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds radio show...
, the godfather of the genre, faced a lawsuit for his 1956 "The Flying Saucer
The Flying Saucer (song)
The Flying Saucer is a novelty record released by Bill Buchanan and Dickie Goodman which hit #3 in 1956...
" novelty song which used sampling
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
. "Yakety Yak
Yakety Yak
"Yakety Yak" is a song written, produced, and arranged by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller for The Coasters and released on Atlantic Records in 1958, spending seven weeks as number one on the R&B charts and a week as number one on the Hot 100 pop list...
" became a #1 single on July 21, 1958, and is the only novelty song (#346) of the Songs of the Century
Songs of the Century
The "Songs of the Century" list is part of an education project by the Recording Industry Association of America , the National Endowment for the Arts, and Scholastic Inc. that aims to "promote a better understanding of America’s musical and cultural heritage" in American schools...
. Satirists such as Stan Freberg
Stan Freberg
Stanley Victor "Stan" Freberg is an American author, recording artist, animation voice actor, comedian, radio personality, puppeteer, and advertising creative director whose career began in 1944...
and Tom Lehrer
Tom Lehrer
Thomas Andrew "Tom" Lehrer is an American singer-songwriter, satirist, pianist, mathematician and polymath. He has lectured on mathematics and musical theater...
used novelty songs to poke fun at contemporary pop culture in the early 1950s. The first Best Comedy Recording Grammy was awarded to "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)
The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)
"The Chipmunk Song " is a song written by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. Although it was written and sung by Bagdasarian , the singing credits are given to The Chipmunks, a fictitious singing group consisting of three chipmunks by the names of Alvin, Simon, and Theodore...
", which used a speeded-up voice technique to simulate a chipmunk voice. In 1964, the Grammy for Best Country and Western Album was awarded to Roger Miller
Roger Miller
Roger Dean Miller was an American singer, songwriter, musician and actor, best known for his honky tonk-influenced novelty songs...
's Dang Me/Chug-a-Lug, which had several novelty songs.
In 1991, "The Stonk" novelty song raised over £100,000 for the Comic Relief charity. In 1993, "Mr Blobby
Mr Blobby (song)
"Mr Blobby" is a novelty song performed by character Mr Blobby, famous for appearing in the TV programme Noel's House Party. The song originally peaked at #1 on the chart on 5 December 1993 for one week. It later spent a total of 3 weeks at #1...
" became the second novelty song to reach the coveted Christmas number one slot in the UK, following Benny Hill
Benny Hill
Benny Hill was an English comedian and actor, notable for his long-running television programme The Benny Hill Show.-Early life:...
's 1971 chart topper "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)
Ernie (the Fastest Milkman in the West)
"Ernie " is an innuendo-laden comedy or novelty song, written and performed by the English comedian Benny Hill...
". After P.D.Q. Bach repeatedly won the Best Comedy Album Grammy from 1990–1993, the category was changed to Best Spoken Comedy Album, and when Best Comedy Album was reinstated in 2004, "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
won for Poodle Hat
Poodle Hat
Poodle Hat is the Grammy Award-winning 11th studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It was released on May 20, 2003 on Volcano Records. The album debuted at number 17 on the Billboard 200. The album was released on an Enhanced CD...
.
Novelty songs were popular on radio through the 1980s, to the point where it was not uncommon to hear novelty songs break into the top 40 (for instance, Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
's "My Ding-a-Ling
My Ding-a-Ling
"My Ding-a-Ling" was the title of a novelty song recorded by Chuck Berry, and his only U.S. number-one single on the pop charts. Later that year the song, in a longer unedited form, was on the album The London Chuck Berry Sessions...
" went all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in 1972). Freeform
Freeform (radio format)
Freeform, or freeform radio, is a radio station programming format in which the disc jockey is given total control over what music to play, regardless of music genre or commercial interests. Freeform radio stands in contrast to most commercial radio stations, in which DJs have little or no...
and album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
stations made use of novelty songs; some of the best-known work from Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
, for instance, is his extensive body of novelty music. Beginning in 1970, Dr. Demento
Dr. Demento
Barret Eugene Hansen , better known as Dr. Demento, is a radio broadcaster and record collector specializing in novelty songs, comedy, and strange or unusual recordings dating from the early days of phonograph records to the present....
's nationally syndicated radio show gave novelty songs an outlet for much of the country; this lasted through the mid-2000s, when the show (mirroring trends in the genre) faded in popularity until its terrestrial cancellation in June 2010. Novelty songs and parodies are fixtures on morning radio
Morning zoo
Morning zoo is a format of morning radio show common to English-language radio broadcasting. The name is derived from the "wackiness and zaniness" of the activities, bits, and overall personality of the show and its hosts...
.
Examples of novelty songs
A novelty song is a comical or nonsensical songSong
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
, performed principally for its comical effect
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley
Tin Pan Alley
Tin Pan Alley is the name given to the collection of New York City music publishers and songwriters who dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century...
to describe one of the major divisions of popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
. The other two divisions were ballads and dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
. Novelty songs achieved great popularity during the 1920s and 30s.
Novelty songs are often a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
or humor song, and may apply to a current event such as a holiday or a fad such as a dance
Novelty and fad dances
Fad dances are dances which are characterized by a short burst of popularity, while novelty dances typically have a longer-lasting popularity based on their being characteristically humorous or humor-invoking, as well as the sense of uniqueness which they have.-Fad dances:These are also called...
. Many use unusual lyrics, subjects, sounds, or instrumentation, and may not even be musical. "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!", has little music and is set to a rhythm tapped out on a snare drum and tambourine. One novelty song, a remix of "Axel F
Axel F
"Axel F" is the electronic instrumental theme from the 1984 film Beverly Hills Cop performed by Harold Faltermeyer. The title comes from the main character's name, Axel Foley , in the film. It topped musical charts in 1985 and remains a popular remix track. Mixes of "Axel F" topped European pop...
" by Crazy Frog
Crazy Frog
Crazy Frog, originally known as Adam King, is a computer-animated character created in 2003 by Erik Wernquist. Marketed by the ringtone provider Jamba!, the animation was originally created to accompany a sound effect produced by Daniel Malmedahl in 1997 while attempting to imitate the sound of a...
, started as a mobile phone ring-tone.
History
Novelty songs were a major staple of Tin Pan AlleyTin Pan Alley
Tin Pan Alley is the name given to the collection of New York City music publishers and songwriters who dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century...
from its start in the late 19th century. They continued to proliferate in the early years of the 20th century; some rising to be among the biggest hits of the era.
Varieties included songs with an unusual gimmick, like the stuttering in "K-K-K-Katy
K-K-K-Katy
"K-K-K-Katy" was a popular World War I-era song written by Geoffrey O'Hara in 1917 and published in 1918. The sheet music advertised it as "The Sensational Stammering Song Success Sung by the Soldiers and Sailors," reflecting a time when speech impediments could be poked fun at—albeit gentle fun...
", silly lyrics like "Yes! We Have No Bananas", and invocations of foreign lands with emphasis of general feel of exoticism rather than geographic or anthropological accuracy, like "Oh By Jingo!
Oh By Jingo!
"Oh By Jingo!" is a 1919 novelty song by Albert Von Tilzer with lyrics by Lew Brown.The song was featured in the Broadway show "Linger Longer Letty", and became one of the biggest Tin Pan Alley hits of the post-World War I era....
" and "Nagasaki
Nagasaki (song)
"Nagasaki" is a jazz song from 1928 by Harry Warren and Mort Dixon that became a popular Tin Pan Alley hit. The silly, bawdy lyrics have only the vaguest relation to the Japanese port city of Nagasaki...
".
Decades later, a famous 1940s novelty song was the 1942 "Der Fuehrer's Face", and the 1952 #1 single "(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?
(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?
" That Doggie in the Window?" is a popular novelty song written by Bob Merrill and Ingrid Reuterskiöld in 1952. The best-known version of the song was recorded by Patti Page on December 18, 1952 and released by Mercury Records as catalog number 70070, with the flip side being "My Jealous Eyes". It...
" became notable for extensive play and backlash because the song became annoying. Dickie Goodman
Dickie Goodman
Richard Dorian "Dickie" Goodman was an American music producer.-Career:In June 1956 Goodman created his first record, "The Flying Saucer", which he co-wrote with his partner Bill Buchanan, and featured a four-minute rewriting of Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds radio show...
, the godfather of the genre, faced a lawsuit for his 1956 "The Flying Saucer
The Flying Saucer (song)
The Flying Saucer is a novelty record released by Bill Buchanan and Dickie Goodman which hit #3 in 1956...
" novelty song which used sampling
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
. "Yakety Yak
Yakety Yak
"Yakety Yak" is a song written, produced, and arranged by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller for The Coasters and released on Atlantic Records in 1958, spending seven weeks as number one on the R&B charts and a week as number one on the Hot 100 pop list...
" became a #1 single on July 21, 1958, and is the only novelty song (#346) of the Songs of the Century
Songs of the Century
The "Songs of the Century" list is part of an education project by the Recording Industry Association of America , the National Endowment for the Arts, and Scholastic Inc. that aims to "promote a better understanding of America’s musical and cultural heritage" in American schools...
. Satirists such as Stan Freberg
Stan Freberg
Stanley Victor "Stan" Freberg is an American author, recording artist, animation voice actor, comedian, radio personality, puppeteer, and advertising creative director whose career began in 1944...
and Tom Lehrer
Tom Lehrer
Thomas Andrew "Tom" Lehrer is an American singer-songwriter, satirist, pianist, mathematician and polymath. He has lectured on mathematics and musical theater...
used novelty songs to poke fun at contemporary pop culture in the early 1950s. The first Best Comedy Recording Grammy was awarded to "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)
The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)
"The Chipmunk Song " is a song written by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. Although it was written and sung by Bagdasarian , the singing credits are given to The Chipmunks, a fictitious singing group consisting of three chipmunks by the names of Alvin, Simon, and Theodore...
", which used a speeded-up voice technique to simulate a chipmunk voice. In 1964, the Grammy for Best Country and Western Album was awarded to Roger Miller
Roger Miller
Roger Dean Miller was an American singer, songwriter, musician and actor, best known for his honky tonk-influenced novelty songs...
's Dang Me/Chug-a-Lug, which had several novelty songs.
In 1991, "The Stonk" novelty song raised over £100,000 for the Comic Relief charity. In 1993, "Mr Blobby
Mr Blobby (song)
"Mr Blobby" is a novelty song performed by character Mr Blobby, famous for appearing in the TV programme Noel's House Party. The song originally peaked at #1 on the chart on 5 December 1993 for one week. It later spent a total of 3 weeks at #1...
" became the second novelty song to reach the coveted Christmas number one slot in the UK, following Benny Hill
Benny Hill
Benny Hill was an English comedian and actor, notable for his long-running television programme The Benny Hill Show.-Early life:...
's 1971 chart topper "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)
Ernie (the Fastest Milkman in the West)
"Ernie " is an innuendo-laden comedy or novelty song, written and performed by the English comedian Benny Hill...
". After P.D.Q. Bach repeatedly won the Best Comedy Album Grammy from 1990–1993, the category was changed to Best Spoken Comedy Album, and when Best Comedy Album was reinstated in 2004, "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
won for Poodle Hat
Poodle Hat
Poodle Hat is the Grammy Award-winning 11th studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It was released on May 20, 2003 on Volcano Records. The album debuted at number 17 on the Billboard 200. The album was released on an Enhanced CD...
.
Novelty songs were popular on radio through the 1980s, to the point where it was not uncommon to hear novelty songs break into the top 40 (for instance, Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
's "My Ding-a-Ling
My Ding-a-Ling
"My Ding-a-Ling" was the title of a novelty song recorded by Chuck Berry, and his only U.S. number-one single on the pop charts. Later that year the song, in a longer unedited form, was on the album The London Chuck Berry Sessions...
" went all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in 1972). Freeform
Freeform (radio format)
Freeform, or freeform radio, is a radio station programming format in which the disc jockey is given total control over what music to play, regardless of music genre or commercial interests. Freeform radio stands in contrast to most commercial radio stations, in which DJs have little or no...
and album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
stations made use of novelty songs; some of the best-known work from Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
, for instance, is his extensive body of novelty music. Beginning in 1970, Dr. Demento
Dr. Demento
Barret Eugene Hansen , better known as Dr. Demento, is a radio broadcaster and record collector specializing in novelty songs, comedy, and strange or unusual recordings dating from the early days of phonograph records to the present....
's nationally syndicated radio show gave novelty songs an outlet for much of the country; this lasted through the mid-2000s, when the show (mirroring trends in the genre) faded in popularity until its terrestrial cancellation in June 2010. Novelty songs and parodies are fixtures on morning radio
Morning zoo
Morning zoo is a format of morning radio show common to English-language radio broadcasting. The name is derived from the "wackiness and zaniness" of the activities, bits, and overall personality of the show and its hosts...
.
Examples of novelty songs
A–E
- "A-Feudin' and A-Fightin'" by Dorothy Shay
- "AgadooAgadoo"Agadoo" is a novelty song recorded by the band Black Lace in 1984. "Agadoo" peaked at number 2 in the UK Singles Chart, and spent 30 weeks in the top 75. It went on to become the eighth best-selling single of 1984 in the UK....
" by Black LaceBlack Lace (band)Black Lace is a British Euro pop band, best known for novelty party records, including their biggest hit, "Agadoo". The band first came to the public eye after being selected to represent the UK in the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest, in which they finished seventh with the song "Mary Ann"... - "Ahab the ArabAhab The Arab"Ahab the Arab" is a novelty song recorded by Ray Stevens in 1962. In the song, Arab is pronounced "Ay-rab" to rhyme with Ahab.- Lyrics :The song portrays a "sheik of the burning sands" named Ahab. He is highly decorated with jewelry, and every night he hops on Clyde, his camel, on his way to see...
" by Ray StevensRay StevensRay Stevens is an American country music, pop singer-songwriter who has become known for his novelty songs.-Early career:...
- "All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front TeethAll I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth"All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" is a novelty Christmas song written in 1944 by Donald Yetter Gardner while teaching music at public schools in Smithtown, New York...
"" by various artists - "Alley OopAlley Oop (song)"Alley Oop" is a song written by Dallas Frazier. The song, heavily inspired by the V. T. Hamlin-created comic strip of the same name, was first recorded by Frazier as a country tune in 1957.-The Hollywood Argyles:...
" by The Hollywood ArgylesThe Hollywood ArgylesThe Hollywood Argyles were an American musical ensemble, assembled for studio recordings by the producer and songwriter Kim Fowley and his friend and fellow musician Gary Paxton... - "Ain't gonna bump no more (with no big fat woman) by Joe TexJoe TexJoseph Arrington, Jr. , better known as "Joe Tex", was an American Southern soul singer-songwriter, most popular during the 1960s and 1970s...
- "Another One Rides the BusAnother One Rides the Bus"Another One Rides the Bus" is a parody of Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It originally was released on Yankovic's first EP and was later re-released on Yankovic' debut album.-Track listing:...
" by "Weird Al" Yankovic"Weird Al" YankovicAlfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts... - "Arthur Daley 'E's Alright" by The Firm
- "Axel FAxel F"Axel F" is the electronic instrumental theme from the 1984 film Beverly Hills Cop performed by Harold Faltermeyer. The title comes from the main character's name, Axel Foley , in the film. It topped musical charts in 1985 and remains a popular remix track. Mixes of "Axel F" topped European pop...
" by Crazy FrogCrazy FrogCrazy Frog, originally known as Adam King, is a computer-animated character created in 2003 by Erik Wernquist. Marketed by the ringtone provider Jamba!, the animation was originally created to accompany a sound effect produced by Daniel Malmedahl in 1997 while attempting to imitate the sound of a...
- "The Ballad of Davy CrockettThe Ballad of Davy Crockett"The Ballad of Davy Crockett" is a song with music by George Bruns and lyrics by Thomas W. Blackburn.The first recording of the song was made by Fess Parker, quickly followed by versions by Bill Hayes and Tennessee Ernie Ford...
" by Fess Parker
- "Bang the Drum All DayBang the Drum All Day"Bang the Drum All Day" is a 1983 song by Todd Rundgren. The lyrics describe in first person, the singer's drive to "bang the drum all day" to the exclusion of everything else. All the instruments on this track are performed by Rundgren...
" by Todd RundgrenTodd RundgrenTodd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings... - "Barbie GirlBarbie Girl"Barbie Girl" is a song by the Danish-Norwegian dance-pop group Aqua, who released the song in 1997 as their third single overall, and the first United Kingdom release...
" by AquaAqua (band)Aqua is a Danish dance-pop group, best known for their 1997 breakthrough single "Barbie Girl". The group formed in 1989 and achieved huge success across the globe in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The group managed to top the UK Singles Chart with their first three singles. The group released two... - "Basketball Jones featuring Tyrone ShoelacesBasketball Jones featuring Tyrone Shoelaces"Basketball Jones featuring Tyrone Shoelaces" is a song by Cheech and Chong that first appeared on the 1973 album Los Cochinos.Sung in falsetto by Cheech Marin, playing the title character Tyrone Shoelaces, it told the story of Shoelaces' love of basketball. It was a parody of the song "Love...
" by Cheech & Chong
- "The Battle At New Orleans" by Jim Weaver & The Levee Singers (Super Bowl 6)
- "The Battle of New OrleansThe Battle of New Orleans"The Battle of New Orleans" is the title of a song written by Jimmy Driftwood. The song describes the 1815 Battle of New Orleans from the perspective of an American soldier; the lyrics are evidently intended to be comical. It has been recorded by many artists, but the singer most often associated...
" by Johnny HortonJohnny HortonJohn Gale "Johnny" Horton was an American country music and rockabilly singer most famous for his semi-folk, so-called "saga songs" which began the "historical ballad" craze of the late 1950s and early 1960s...
A novelty song is a comical or nonsensical song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
, performed principally for its comical effect
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley
Tin Pan Alley
Tin Pan Alley is the name given to the collection of New York City music publishers and songwriters who dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century...
to describe one of the major divisions of popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
. The other two divisions were ballads and dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
. Novelty songs achieved great popularity during the 1920s and 30s.
Novelty songs are often a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
or humor song, and may apply to a current event such as a holiday or a fad such as a dance
Novelty and fad dances
Fad dances are dances which are characterized by a short burst of popularity, while novelty dances typically have a longer-lasting popularity based on their being characteristically humorous or humor-invoking, as well as the sense of uniqueness which they have.-Fad dances:These are also called...
. Many use unusual lyrics, subjects, sounds, or instrumentation, and may not even be musical. "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!", has little music and is set to a rhythm tapped out on a snare drum and tambourine. One novelty song, a remix of "Axel F
Axel F
"Axel F" is the electronic instrumental theme from the 1984 film Beverly Hills Cop performed by Harold Faltermeyer. The title comes from the main character's name, Axel Foley , in the film. It topped musical charts in 1985 and remains a popular remix track. Mixes of "Axel F" topped European pop...
" by Crazy Frog
Crazy Frog
Crazy Frog, originally known as Adam King, is a computer-animated character created in 2003 by Erik Wernquist. Marketed by the ringtone provider Jamba!, the animation was originally created to accompany a sound effect produced by Daniel Malmedahl in 1997 while attempting to imitate the sound of a...
, started as a mobile phone ring-tone.
History
Novelty songs were a major staple of Tin Pan AlleyTin Pan Alley
Tin Pan Alley is the name given to the collection of New York City music publishers and songwriters who dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century...
from its start in the late 19th century. They continued to proliferate in the early years of the 20th century; some rising to be among the biggest hits of the era.
Varieties included songs with an unusual gimmick, like the stuttering in "K-K-K-Katy
K-K-K-Katy
"K-K-K-Katy" was a popular World War I-era song written by Geoffrey O'Hara in 1917 and published in 1918. The sheet music advertised it as "The Sensational Stammering Song Success Sung by the Soldiers and Sailors," reflecting a time when speech impediments could be poked fun at—albeit gentle fun...
", silly lyrics like "Yes! We Have No Bananas", and invocations of foreign lands with emphasis of general feel of exoticism rather than geographic or anthropological accuracy, like "Oh By Jingo!
Oh By Jingo!
"Oh By Jingo!" is a 1919 novelty song by Albert Von Tilzer with lyrics by Lew Brown.The song was featured in the Broadway show "Linger Longer Letty", and became one of the biggest Tin Pan Alley hits of the post-World War I era....
" and "Nagasaki
Nagasaki (song)
"Nagasaki" is a jazz song from 1928 by Harry Warren and Mort Dixon that became a popular Tin Pan Alley hit. The silly, bawdy lyrics have only the vaguest relation to the Japanese port city of Nagasaki...
".
Decades later, a famous 1940s novelty song was the 1942 "Der Fuehrer's Face", and the 1952 #1 single "(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?
(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?
" That Doggie in the Window?" is a popular novelty song written by Bob Merrill and Ingrid Reuterskiöld in 1952. The best-known version of the song was recorded by Patti Page on December 18, 1952 and released by Mercury Records as catalog number 70070, with the flip side being "My Jealous Eyes". It...
" became notable for extensive play and backlash because the song became annoying. Dickie Goodman
Dickie Goodman
Richard Dorian "Dickie" Goodman was an American music producer.-Career:In June 1956 Goodman created his first record, "The Flying Saucer", which he co-wrote with his partner Bill Buchanan, and featured a four-minute rewriting of Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds radio show...
, the godfather of the genre, faced a lawsuit for his 1956 "The Flying Saucer
The Flying Saucer (song)
The Flying Saucer is a novelty record released by Bill Buchanan and Dickie Goodman which hit #3 in 1956...
" novelty song which used sampling
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
. "Yakety Yak
Yakety Yak
"Yakety Yak" is a song written, produced, and arranged by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller for The Coasters and released on Atlantic Records in 1958, spending seven weeks as number one on the R&B charts and a week as number one on the Hot 100 pop list...
" became a #1 single on July 21, 1958, and is the only novelty song (#346) of the Songs of the Century
Songs of the Century
The "Songs of the Century" list is part of an education project by the Recording Industry Association of America , the National Endowment for the Arts, and Scholastic Inc. that aims to "promote a better understanding of America’s musical and cultural heritage" in American schools...
. Satirists such as Stan Freberg
Stan Freberg
Stanley Victor "Stan" Freberg is an American author, recording artist, animation voice actor, comedian, radio personality, puppeteer, and advertising creative director whose career began in 1944...
and Tom Lehrer
Tom Lehrer
Thomas Andrew "Tom" Lehrer is an American singer-songwriter, satirist, pianist, mathematician and polymath. He has lectured on mathematics and musical theater...
used novelty songs to poke fun at contemporary pop culture in the early 1950s. The first Best Comedy Recording Grammy was awarded to "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)
The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)
"The Chipmunk Song " is a song written by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. Although it was written and sung by Bagdasarian , the singing credits are given to The Chipmunks, a fictitious singing group consisting of three chipmunks by the names of Alvin, Simon, and Theodore...
", which used a speeded-up voice technique to simulate a chipmunk voice. In 1964, the Grammy for Best Country and Western Album was awarded to Roger Miller
Roger Miller
Roger Dean Miller was an American singer, songwriter, musician and actor, best known for his honky tonk-influenced novelty songs...
's Dang Me/Chug-a-Lug, which had several novelty songs.
In 1991, "The Stonk" novelty song raised over £100,000 for the Comic Relief charity. In 1993, "Mr Blobby
Mr Blobby (song)
"Mr Blobby" is a novelty song performed by character Mr Blobby, famous for appearing in the TV programme Noel's House Party. The song originally peaked at #1 on the chart on 5 December 1993 for one week. It later spent a total of 3 weeks at #1...
" became the second novelty song to reach the coveted Christmas number one slot in the UK, following Benny Hill
Benny Hill
Benny Hill was an English comedian and actor, notable for his long-running television programme The Benny Hill Show.-Early life:...
's 1971 chart topper "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)
Ernie (the Fastest Milkman in the West)
"Ernie " is an innuendo-laden comedy or novelty song, written and performed by the English comedian Benny Hill...
". After P.D.Q. Bach repeatedly won the Best Comedy Album Grammy from 1990–1993, the category was changed to Best Spoken Comedy Album, and when Best Comedy Album was reinstated in 2004, "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
won for Poodle Hat
Poodle Hat
Poodle Hat is the Grammy Award-winning 11th studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It was released on May 20, 2003 on Volcano Records. The album debuted at number 17 on the Billboard 200. The album was released on an Enhanced CD...
.
Novelty songs were popular on radio through the 1980s, to the point where it was not uncommon to hear novelty songs break into the top 40 (for instance, Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
's "My Ding-a-Ling
My Ding-a-Ling
"My Ding-a-Ling" was the title of a novelty song recorded by Chuck Berry, and his only U.S. number-one single on the pop charts. Later that year the song, in a longer unedited form, was on the album The London Chuck Berry Sessions...
" went all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in 1972). Freeform
Freeform (radio format)
Freeform, or freeform radio, is a radio station programming format in which the disc jockey is given total control over what music to play, regardless of music genre or commercial interests. Freeform radio stands in contrast to most commercial radio stations, in which DJs have little or no...
and album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
stations made use of novelty songs; some of the best-known work from Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
, for instance, is his extensive body of novelty music. Beginning in 1970, Dr. Demento
Dr. Demento
Barret Eugene Hansen , better known as Dr. Demento, is a radio broadcaster and record collector specializing in novelty songs, comedy, and strange or unusual recordings dating from the early days of phonograph records to the present....
's nationally syndicated radio show gave novelty songs an outlet for much of the country; this lasted through the mid-2000s, when the show (mirroring trends in the genre) faded in popularity until its terrestrial cancellation in June 2010. Novelty songs and parodies are fixtures on morning radio
Morning zoo
Morning zoo is a format of morning radio show common to English-language radio broadcasting. The name is derived from the "wackiness and zaniness" of the activities, bits, and overall personality of the show and its hosts...
.
Examples of novelty songs
A–E
- "A-Feudin' and A-Fightin'" by Dorothy Shay
- "AgadooAgadoo"Agadoo" is a novelty song recorded by the band Black Lace in 1984. "Agadoo" peaked at number 2 in the UK Singles Chart, and spent 30 weeks in the top 75. It went on to become the eighth best-selling single of 1984 in the UK....
" by Black LaceBlack Lace (band)Black Lace is a British Euro pop band, best known for novelty party records, including their biggest hit, "Agadoo". The band first came to the public eye after being selected to represent the UK in the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest, in which they finished seventh with the song "Mary Ann"... - "Ahab the ArabAhab The Arab"Ahab the Arab" is a novelty song recorded by Ray Stevens in 1962. In the song, Arab is pronounced "Ay-rab" to rhyme with Ahab.- Lyrics :The song portrays a "sheik of the burning sands" named Ahab. He is highly decorated with jewelry, and every night he hops on Clyde, his camel, on his way to see...
" by Ray StevensRay StevensRay Stevens is an American country music, pop singer-songwriter who has become known for his novelty songs.-Early career:...
- "All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front TeethAll I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth"All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" is a novelty Christmas song written in 1944 by Donald Yetter Gardner while teaching music at public schools in Smithtown, New York...
"" by various artists - "Alley OopAlley Oop (song)"Alley Oop" is a song written by Dallas Frazier. The song, heavily inspired by the V. T. Hamlin-created comic strip of the same name, was first recorded by Frazier as a country tune in 1957.-The Hollywood Argyles:...
" by The Hollywood ArgylesThe Hollywood ArgylesThe Hollywood Argyles were an American musical ensemble, assembled for studio recordings by the producer and songwriter Kim Fowley and his friend and fellow musician Gary Paxton... - "Ain't gonna bump no more (with no big fat woman) by Joe TexJoe TexJoseph Arrington, Jr. , better known as "Joe Tex", was an American Southern soul singer-songwriter, most popular during the 1960s and 1970s...
- "Another One Rides the BusAnother One Rides the Bus"Another One Rides the Bus" is a parody of Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It originally was released on Yankovic's first EP and was later re-released on Yankovic' debut album.-Track listing:...
" by "Weird Al" Yankovic"Weird Al" YankovicAlfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts... - "Arthur Daley 'E's Alright" by The Firm
- "Axel FAxel F"Axel F" is the electronic instrumental theme from the 1984 film Beverly Hills Cop performed by Harold Faltermeyer. The title comes from the main character's name, Axel Foley , in the film. It topped musical charts in 1985 and remains a popular remix track. Mixes of "Axel F" topped European pop...
" by Crazy FrogCrazy FrogCrazy Frog, originally known as Adam King, is a computer-animated character created in 2003 by Erik Wernquist. Marketed by the ringtone provider Jamba!, the animation was originally created to accompany a sound effect produced by Daniel Malmedahl in 1997 while attempting to imitate the sound of a...
- "The Ballad of Davy CrockettThe Ballad of Davy Crockett"The Ballad of Davy Crockett" is a song with music by George Bruns and lyrics by Thomas W. Blackburn.The first recording of the song was made by Fess Parker, quickly followed by versions by Bill Hayes and Tennessee Ernie Ford...
" by Fess Parker
- "Bang the Drum All DayBang the Drum All Day"Bang the Drum All Day" is a 1983 song by Todd Rundgren. The lyrics describe in first person, the singer's drive to "bang the drum all day" to the exclusion of everything else. All the instruments on this track are performed by Rundgren...
" by Todd RundgrenTodd RundgrenTodd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings... - "Barbie GirlBarbie Girl"Barbie Girl" is a song by the Danish-Norwegian dance-pop group Aqua, who released the song in 1997 as their third single overall, and the first United Kingdom release...
" by AquaAqua (band)Aqua is a Danish dance-pop group, best known for their 1997 breakthrough single "Barbie Girl". The group formed in 1989 and achieved huge success across the globe in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The group managed to top the UK Singles Chart with their first three singles. The group released two... - "Basketball Jones featuring Tyrone ShoelacesBasketball Jones featuring Tyrone Shoelaces"Basketball Jones featuring Tyrone Shoelaces" is a song by Cheech and Chong that first appeared on the 1973 album Los Cochinos.Sung in falsetto by Cheech Marin, playing the title character Tyrone Shoelaces, it told the story of Shoelaces' love of basketball. It was a parody of the song "Love...
" by Cheech & Chong
- "The Battle At New Orleans" by Jim Weaver & The Levee Singers (Super Bowl 6)
- "The Battle of New OrleansThe Battle of New Orleans"The Battle of New Orleans" is the title of a song written by Jimmy Driftwood. The song describes the 1815 Battle of New Orleans from the perspective of an American soldier; the lyrics are evidently intended to be comical. It has been recorded by many artists, but the singer most often associated...
" by Johnny HortonJohnny HortonJohn Gale "Johnny" Horton was an American country music and rockabilly singer most famous for his semi-folk, so-called "saga songs" which began the "historical ballad" craze of the late 1950s and early 1960s...
A novelty song is a comical or nonsensical song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
, performed principally for its comical effect
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley
Tin Pan Alley
Tin Pan Alley is the name given to the collection of New York City music publishers and songwriters who dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century...
to describe one of the major divisions of popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
. The other two divisions were ballads and dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
. Novelty songs achieved great popularity during the 1920s and 30s.
Novelty songs are often a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
or humor song, and may apply to a current event such as a holiday or a fad such as a dance
Novelty and fad dances
Fad dances are dances which are characterized by a short burst of popularity, while novelty dances typically have a longer-lasting popularity based on their being characteristically humorous or humor-invoking, as well as the sense of uniqueness which they have.-Fad dances:These are also called...
. Many use unusual lyrics, subjects, sounds, or instrumentation, and may not even be musical. "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!", has little music and is set to a rhythm tapped out on a snare drum and tambourine. One novelty song, a remix of "Axel F
Axel F
"Axel F" is the electronic instrumental theme from the 1984 film Beverly Hills Cop performed by Harold Faltermeyer. The title comes from the main character's name, Axel Foley , in the film. It topped musical charts in 1985 and remains a popular remix track. Mixes of "Axel F" topped European pop...
" by Crazy Frog
Crazy Frog
Crazy Frog, originally known as Adam King, is a computer-animated character created in 2003 by Erik Wernquist. Marketed by the ringtone provider Jamba!, the animation was originally created to accompany a sound effect produced by Daniel Malmedahl in 1997 while attempting to imitate the sound of a...
, started as a mobile phone ring-tone.
History
Novelty songs were a major staple of Tin Pan AlleyTin Pan Alley
Tin Pan Alley is the name given to the collection of New York City music publishers and songwriters who dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century...
from its start in the late 19th century. They continued to proliferate in the early years of the 20th century; some rising to be among the biggest hits of the era.
Varieties included songs with an unusual gimmick, like the stuttering in "K-K-K-Katy
K-K-K-Katy
"K-K-K-Katy" was a popular World War I-era song written by Geoffrey O'Hara in 1917 and published in 1918. The sheet music advertised it as "The Sensational Stammering Song Success Sung by the Soldiers and Sailors," reflecting a time when speech impediments could be poked fun at—albeit gentle fun...
", silly lyrics like "Yes! We Have No Bananas", and invocations of foreign lands with emphasis of general feel of exoticism rather than geographic or anthropological accuracy, like "Oh By Jingo!
Oh By Jingo!
"Oh By Jingo!" is a 1919 novelty song by Albert Von Tilzer with lyrics by Lew Brown.The song was featured in the Broadway show "Linger Longer Letty", and became one of the biggest Tin Pan Alley hits of the post-World War I era....
" and "Nagasaki
Nagasaki (song)
"Nagasaki" is a jazz song from 1928 by Harry Warren and Mort Dixon that became a popular Tin Pan Alley hit. The silly, bawdy lyrics have only the vaguest relation to the Japanese port city of Nagasaki...
".
Decades later, a famous 1940s novelty song was the 1942 "Der Fuehrer's Face", and the 1952 #1 single "(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?
(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?
" That Doggie in the Window?" is a popular novelty song written by Bob Merrill and Ingrid Reuterskiöld in 1952. The best-known version of the song was recorded by Patti Page on December 18, 1952 and released by Mercury Records as catalog number 70070, with the flip side being "My Jealous Eyes". It...
" became notable for extensive play and backlash because the song became annoying. Dickie Goodman
Dickie Goodman
Richard Dorian "Dickie" Goodman was an American music producer.-Career:In June 1956 Goodman created his first record, "The Flying Saucer", which he co-wrote with his partner Bill Buchanan, and featured a four-minute rewriting of Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds radio show...
, the godfather of the genre, faced a lawsuit for his 1956 "The Flying Saucer
The Flying Saucer (song)
The Flying Saucer is a novelty record released by Bill Buchanan and Dickie Goodman which hit #3 in 1956...
" novelty song which used sampling
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
. "Yakety Yak
Yakety Yak
"Yakety Yak" is a song written, produced, and arranged by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller for The Coasters and released on Atlantic Records in 1958, spending seven weeks as number one on the R&B charts and a week as number one on the Hot 100 pop list...
" became a #1 single on July 21, 1958, and is the only novelty song (#346) of the Songs of the Century
Songs of the Century
The "Songs of the Century" list is part of an education project by the Recording Industry Association of America , the National Endowment for the Arts, and Scholastic Inc. that aims to "promote a better understanding of America’s musical and cultural heritage" in American schools...
. Satirists such as Stan Freberg
Stan Freberg
Stanley Victor "Stan" Freberg is an American author, recording artist, animation voice actor, comedian, radio personality, puppeteer, and advertising creative director whose career began in 1944...
and Tom Lehrer
Tom Lehrer
Thomas Andrew "Tom" Lehrer is an American singer-songwriter, satirist, pianist, mathematician and polymath. He has lectured on mathematics and musical theater...
used novelty songs to poke fun at contemporary pop culture in the early 1950s. The first Best Comedy Recording Grammy was awarded to "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)
The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)
"The Chipmunk Song " is a song written by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. Although it was written and sung by Bagdasarian , the singing credits are given to The Chipmunks, a fictitious singing group consisting of three chipmunks by the names of Alvin, Simon, and Theodore...
", which used a speeded-up voice technique to simulate a chipmunk voice. In 1964, the Grammy for Best Country and Western Album was awarded to Roger Miller
Roger Miller
Roger Dean Miller was an American singer, songwriter, musician and actor, best known for his honky tonk-influenced novelty songs...
's Dang Me/Chug-a-Lug, which had several novelty songs.
In 1991, "The Stonk" novelty song raised over £100,000 for the Comic Relief charity. In 1993, "Mr Blobby
Mr Blobby (song)
"Mr Blobby" is a novelty song performed by character Mr Blobby, famous for appearing in the TV programme Noel's House Party. The song originally peaked at #1 on the chart on 5 December 1993 for one week. It later spent a total of 3 weeks at #1...
" became the second novelty song to reach the coveted Christmas number one slot in the UK, following Benny Hill
Benny Hill
Benny Hill was an English comedian and actor, notable for his long-running television programme The Benny Hill Show.-Early life:...
's 1971 chart topper "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)
Ernie (the Fastest Milkman in the West)
"Ernie " is an innuendo-laden comedy or novelty song, written and performed by the English comedian Benny Hill...
". After P.D.Q. Bach repeatedly won the Best Comedy Album Grammy from 1990–1993, the category was changed to Best Spoken Comedy Album, and when Best Comedy Album was reinstated in 2004, "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
won for Poodle Hat
Poodle Hat
Poodle Hat is the Grammy Award-winning 11th studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It was released on May 20, 2003 on Volcano Records. The album debuted at number 17 on the Billboard 200. The album was released on an Enhanced CD...
.
Novelty songs were popular on radio through the 1980s, to the point where it was not uncommon to hear novelty songs break into the top 40 (for instance, Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
's "My Ding-a-Ling
My Ding-a-Ling
"My Ding-a-Ling" was the title of a novelty song recorded by Chuck Berry, and his only U.S. number-one single on the pop charts. Later that year the song, in a longer unedited form, was on the album The London Chuck Berry Sessions...
" went all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in 1972). Freeform
Freeform (radio format)
Freeform, or freeform radio, is a radio station programming format in which the disc jockey is given total control over what music to play, regardless of music genre or commercial interests. Freeform radio stands in contrast to most commercial radio stations, in which DJs have little or no...
and album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
stations made use of novelty songs; some of the best-known work from Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
, for instance, is his extensive body of novelty music. Beginning in 1970, Dr. Demento
Dr. Demento
Barret Eugene Hansen , better known as Dr. Demento, is a radio broadcaster and record collector specializing in novelty songs, comedy, and strange or unusual recordings dating from the early days of phonograph records to the present....
's nationally syndicated radio show gave novelty songs an outlet for much of the country; this lasted through the mid-2000s, when the show (mirroring trends in the genre) faded in popularity until its terrestrial cancellation in June 2010. Novelty songs and parodies are fixtures on morning radio
Morning zoo
Morning zoo is a format of morning radio show common to English-language radio broadcasting. The name is derived from the "wackiness and zaniness" of the activities, bits, and overall personality of the show and its hosts...
.
Examples of novelty songs
A–E
- "A-Feudin' and A-Fightin'" by Dorothy Shay
- "AgadooAgadoo"Agadoo" is a novelty song recorded by the band Black Lace in 1984. "Agadoo" peaked at number 2 in the UK Singles Chart, and spent 30 weeks in the top 75. It went on to become the eighth best-selling single of 1984 in the UK....
" by Black LaceBlack Lace (band)Black Lace is a British Euro pop band, best known for novelty party records, including their biggest hit, "Agadoo". The band first came to the public eye after being selected to represent the UK in the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest, in which they finished seventh with the song "Mary Ann"... - "Ahab the ArabAhab The Arab"Ahab the Arab" is a novelty song recorded by Ray Stevens in 1962. In the song, Arab is pronounced "Ay-rab" to rhyme with Ahab.- Lyrics :The song portrays a "sheik of the burning sands" named Ahab. He is highly decorated with jewelry, and every night he hops on Clyde, his camel, on his way to see...
" by Ray StevensRay StevensRay Stevens is an American country music, pop singer-songwriter who has become known for his novelty songs.-Early career:...
- "All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front TeethAll I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth"All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" is a novelty Christmas song written in 1944 by Donald Yetter Gardner while teaching music at public schools in Smithtown, New York...
"" by various artists - "Alley OopAlley Oop (song)"Alley Oop" is a song written by Dallas Frazier. The song, heavily inspired by the V. T. Hamlin-created comic strip of the same name, was first recorded by Frazier as a country tune in 1957.-The Hollywood Argyles:...
" by The Hollywood ArgylesThe Hollywood ArgylesThe Hollywood Argyles were an American musical ensemble, assembled for studio recordings by the producer and songwriter Kim Fowley and his friend and fellow musician Gary Paxton... - "Ain't gonna bump no more (with no big fat woman) by Joe TexJoe TexJoseph Arrington, Jr. , better known as "Joe Tex", was an American Southern soul singer-songwriter, most popular during the 1960s and 1970s...
- "Another One Rides the BusAnother One Rides the Bus"Another One Rides the Bus" is a parody of Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It originally was released on Yankovic's first EP and was later re-released on Yankovic' debut album.-Track listing:...
" by "Weird Al" Yankovic"Weird Al" YankovicAlfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts... - "Arthur Daley 'E's Alright" by The Firm
- "Axel FAxel F"Axel F" is the electronic instrumental theme from the 1984 film Beverly Hills Cop performed by Harold Faltermeyer. The title comes from the main character's name, Axel Foley , in the film. It topped musical charts in 1985 and remains a popular remix track. Mixes of "Axel F" topped European pop...
" by Crazy FrogCrazy FrogCrazy Frog, originally known as Adam King, is a computer-animated character created in 2003 by Erik Wernquist. Marketed by the ringtone provider Jamba!, the animation was originally created to accompany a sound effect produced by Daniel Malmedahl in 1997 while attempting to imitate the sound of a...
- "The Ballad of Davy CrockettThe Ballad of Davy Crockett"The Ballad of Davy Crockett" is a song with music by George Bruns and lyrics by Thomas W. Blackburn.The first recording of the song was made by Fess Parker, quickly followed by versions by Bill Hayes and Tennessee Ernie Ford...
" by Fess Parker
- "Bang the Drum All DayBang the Drum All Day"Bang the Drum All Day" is a 1983 song by Todd Rundgren. The lyrics describe in first person, the singer's drive to "bang the drum all day" to the exclusion of everything else. All the instruments on this track are performed by Rundgren...
" by Todd RundgrenTodd RundgrenTodd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings... - "Barbie GirlBarbie Girl"Barbie Girl" is a song by the Danish-Norwegian dance-pop group Aqua, who released the song in 1997 as their third single overall, and the first United Kingdom release...
" by AquaAqua (band)Aqua is a Danish dance-pop group, best known for their 1997 breakthrough single "Barbie Girl". The group formed in 1989 and achieved huge success across the globe in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The group managed to top the UK Singles Chart with their first three singles. The group released two... - "Basketball Jones featuring Tyrone ShoelacesBasketball Jones featuring Tyrone Shoelaces"Basketball Jones featuring Tyrone Shoelaces" is a song by Cheech and Chong that first appeared on the 1973 album Los Cochinos.Sung in falsetto by Cheech Marin, playing the title character Tyrone Shoelaces, it told the story of Shoelaces' love of basketball. It was a parody of the song "Love...
" by Cheech & Chong
- "The Battle At New Orleans" by Jim Weaver & The Levee Singers (Super Bowl 6)
- "The Battle of New OrleansThe Battle of New Orleans"The Battle of New Orleans" is the title of a song written by Jimmy Driftwood. The song describes the 1815 Battle of New Orleans from the perspective of an American soldier; the lyrics are evidently intended to be comical. It has been recorded by many artists, but the singer most often associated...
" by Johnny HortonJohnny HortonJohn Gale "Johnny" Horton was an American country music and rockabilly singer most famous for his semi-folk, so-called "saga songs" which began the "historical ballad" craze of the late 1950s and early 1960s...
- "Because I Got HighBecause I Got High"Because I Got High" is a Grammy-nominated song by American rapper Afroman from his album of the same name. The lyrics of the song describe how cannabis use is degrading his quality of life...
" by AfromanAfromanJoseph Edgar Foreman , better known by his stage name Afroman, is an American rapper who came to prominence with his singles "Because I Got High" and "Crazy Rap". "Because I Got High" circulated around the Internet before becoming a hit worldwide... - "Beep, Beep" by The PlaymatesThe PlaymatesThe Playmates were a late 1950s vocal group, led by the pianist Chic Hetti , drummer; Donny Conn ; and Morey Carr , all from Waterbury, Connecticut.-Career:The Playmates, Donald Claps drummer and lyricist, Carl Cicchetti...
- "The Beerhunter" by Bob and Doug McKenzie
- "Ben CrazyBen CrazyBen Crazy is a novelty single by Dickie Goodman released in 1962.The record is a parody of the medical drama TV series Ben Casey. The single did slightly better than Santa & The Touchables, reaching #44 that year....
" by Dickie GoodmanDickie GoodmanRichard Dorian "Dickie" Goodman was an American music producer.-Career:In June 1956 Goodman created his first record, "The Flying Saucer", which he co-wrote with his partner Bill Buchanan, and featured a four-minute rewriting of Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds radio show... - "Bemida" (KoreanKorean languageKorean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
:뱀이다, lit. It's a Snake) by Hye Yeoun Kim
- "Bloodnok's Rock 'N' Roll Call" The Goons 1956]
- "Born in East L.A." by Cheech MarinCheech MarinRichard Anthony "Cheech" Marin is an American comedian, actor and writer who gained recognition as part of the comedy act Cheech & Chong during the 1970s and early 1980s, and as Don Johnson's partner, Insp. Joe Dominguez on Nash Bridges...
- "Birdie Song" by The Tweets
- "A Boy Named SueA Boy Named Sue"A Boy Named Sue" is a song written by Shel Silverstein and performed by Johnny Cash. Cash was at the height of his popularity when he recorded the song live at California's San Quentin State Prison at a concert on 24 February 1969. The concert was filmed by Granada Television for later...
" by Johnny CashJohnny CashJohn R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century... - "Boyz-n-the-Hood" by Dynamite HackDynamite HackDynamite Hack is a post-grunge band, formed in Austin, Texas in 1997 taking its name from a line in the film Caddyshack in which Carl Spackler describes the marijuana he is smoking as "dynamite hack" to Ty Webb ....
- "Briget The Midget" by Ray StevensRay StevensRay Stevens is an American country music, pop singer-songwriter who has become known for his novelty songs.-Early career:...
- "The Bum Bum Song" by Tom GreenTom GreenMichael Thomas "Tom" Green is a Canadian actor, rapper, writer, comedian, talk show host and media personality. Best known for his shock humour brand of comedy, Green found mainstream prominence via his MTV television show The Tom Green Show...
- "Can We Fix It" by Bob the BuilderBob the BuilderBob the Builder is a British children's animated television show created by Keith Chapman. In the original series Bob appears as a building contractor specialising in masonry in a stop motion animated programme with his colleague Wendy, various neighbours and friends, and their gang of...
- "The Candy ManThe Candy Man"The Candy Man" is a song from the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. It was written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley specifically for the film and does not appear in the original book or the 2005 film adaptation of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory...
" by Sammy Davis, Jr.Sammy Davis, Jr.Samuel George "Sammy" Davis Jr. was an American entertainer and was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities.... - "Cause I'm A Blonde" by Julie BrownJulie BrownJulie Ann Brown is an American actress, comedienne, screen/television writer, singer-songwriter, television director. Brown is perhaps best known for her work in the 1980s, where she often played a quintessential valley girl character...
- "Cement MixerCement mixerA cement mixer is a shot drink. It often consists of:*1 part Bailey's Irish Cream *1 part Lime juice...
" by Alvino Rey - "The Chanukah SongThe Chanukah Song"The Chanukah Song" is a humorous song written by comedian Adam Sandler with Saturday Night Live writers Lewis Morton and Ian Maxtone-Graham and originally performed by Sandler on Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update on December 3, 1994. Sandler subsequently performed the song as part of his...
" by Adam SandlerAdam SandlerAdam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office... - "Charlie BrownCharlie Brown (song)"Charlie Brown" is a popular Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller song that was a top-ten hit for The Coasters in the spring of 1959 . It went to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles charts, and was the first of three top-ten hits for the Coasters that year...
" by The CoastersThe CoastersThe Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group that had a string of hits in the late 1950s. Beginning with "Searchin'" and "Young Blood", their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producing team of Leiber and Stoller... - "Charlie on the MTA" by Kingston Trio
- "The Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum)The Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum)"Cheeky Song " is a 2002 single by Popstars The Rivals contestants The Cheeky Girls. The song was released while the show was still running, on 9 December 2002, and was later included on their debut album PartyTime. It spent four non-consecutive weeks at number two in the UK Singles Chart in...
" by the Cheeky Girls - "Chick-A-Boom (Don't Ya Jes' Love It)" by Daddy DewdropDaddy DewdropDaddy Dewdrop is a pseudonym for an American songwriter named Dick Monda , backed up by some studio musicians, including Tom Hensley who later became the musical director for Neil Diamond, and Butch Rillera who later became a member of the group Redbone...
- "The Chicken SongThe Chicken Song-12" vinyl:-Chart performance:...
" by Spitting ImageSpitting ImageSpitting Image is a British satirical puppet show that aired on the ITV network from 1984 to 1996. It was produced by Spitting Image Productions for Central Television. The series was nominated for 10 BAFTA Awards, winning one for editing in 1989.... - "Chickery Chick" by Sammy KayeSammy KayeSammy Kaye , born Samuel Zarnocay, Jr., was an American bandleader and songwriter, whose tag line, "Swing and sway with Sammy Kaye", became one of the most famous of the Big Band Era.-Biography:...
- "The Chipmunk Song" by David Seville featuring Alvin and the ChipmunksAlvin and the ChipmunksAlvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
- "Christmas Number 1" by Zig & ZagZig and Zag (puppets)Zig and Zag are an Irish puppet duo performed by Mick O'Hara and Ciaran Morrison.The characters are a pair of furry extraterrestrial twins from the planet Zog. They made their television début on RTÉs Dempsey's Den in 1987. A year later they won a Jacob's Award for TV Personalities of the year...
- "Come Outside" by Mike Sarne & Wendy Richard
- "Conchita Marquita Lolita Pepita Rosita Juanita LopezConchita Marquita Lolita Pepita Rosita Juanita LopezConchita Marquita Lolita Pepita Rosita Juanita Lopez is a 1942 novelty song first recorded by the Glenn Miller Orchestra and later by Bing Crosby with the Vic Schoen Orchestra, Tommy Tucker and his Orchestra and the Royal Air Force Dance Orchestra...
" by The Glenn Miller Orchestra - "Convention '72" by The DelegatesThe DelegatesThe Delegates were a novelty song group who scored a hit in the United States in 1972. The "band" was actually Bob DeCarlo, the morning disc jockey at KQV in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Bob was approached by Nick Cenci and Nick Kousaleous, local Pittsburgh record moguls, to make a novelty record...
- "ConvoyConvoy (song)"Convoy" is a 1975 novelty song performed by C. W. McCall that became a number-one song on both the country and pop charts in the US. Written by McCall and Chip Davis, the song spent six weeks at number one on the country charts and one week at number one on the pop charts...
" by C.W. McCall - "Convoy GB" by Laurie Lingo & The Dipsticks
- "Cow Patty" by Jim StaffordJim StaffordJames Wayne "Jim" Stafford is an American comedian, musician, and singer-songwriter, prominent in the 1970s. Stafford is self-taught on guitar, fiddle, piano, banjo, organ and harmonica....
- "The Curly ShuffleThe Curly Shuffle"The Curly Shuffle" is a novelty song by the group Jump 'N the Saddle Band first released in late 1983, an homage to The Three Stooges film comedy team. Jump 'N the Saddle Band had one of the biggest novelty hits of the early 1980s with the song...
" by Jump 'N The Saddle - "D.I.V.O.R.C.E.D.I.V.O.R.C.E."D.I.V.O.R.C.E." is a 1975 UK number-one single by Scottish folk singer and comedian Billy Connolly. A comedy song, it reached #1 for one week in November 1975 and was one of the few songs of its genre to reach this milestone....
" by Billy ConnollyBilly ConnollyWilliam "Billy" Connolly, Jr., CBE is a Scottish comedian, musician, presenter and actor. He is sometimes known, especially in his native Scotland, by the nickname The Big Yin... - "Da Da Da ich lieb dich nicht du liebst mich nicht aha aha ahaDa Da Da"Da Da Da I Don't Love You You Don't Love Me Aha Aha Aha" was an international hit record for German band Trio formed in 1980 by Stephan Remmler, Gert 'Kralle' Krawinkel and Peter Behrens. "Da Da Da" released in 1982 was a hit in Germany and about 30 countries worldwide and sold 3 million copies...
" by TrioTrio (band)Trio was a German band. It formed in the small German town of Großenkneten in 1980. The band is most noted for the song "Da da da, ich lieb dich nicht du liebst mich nicht aha aha aha" which was a hit in 30 countries worldwide. Trio was a product of the Neue Deutsche Welle... - "Dang MeDang Me"Dang Me" is a 1964 song by American country music artist Roger Miller, and that year's Grammy Award winner for Best Country & Western Song. Miller's first major country hit and first Top Ten pop music hit, it was a novelty song whose "jazzy instrumental section" helped make it "the quintessential...
" by Roger MillerRoger MillerRoger Dean Miller was an American singer, songwriter, musician and actor, best known for his honky tonk-influenced novelty songs...
- "Dead SkunkDead Skunk"Dead Skunk" is a 1973 novelty song by Loudon Wainwright III.The song is musically a simple folk song based on acoustic guitar, but accompanied by drums and strings. The lyrics, which literally interpreted describe a dead skunk in the middle of a busy road and the smell it produces for pedestrians,...
" by Loudon Wainwright IIILoudon Wainwright IIILoudon Snowden Wainwright III is a Grammy Award-winning American songwriter, folk singer, humorist, and actor. He is the father of musicians Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche, brother of Sloan Wainwright, and the former husband of the late folk singer Kate McGarrigle.To... - "Der Fuehrer's FaceDer Fuehrer's FaceDer Fuehrer's Face is a 1943 American animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The cartoon, which features Donald Duck in a nightmare setting working at a factory in Nazi Germany, was made in an effort to sell war bonds and is an example of...
" by Spike JonesSpike JonesMel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny and other Warner Brothers cartoon characters, performed a drunken, hiccuping verse for 1942's "Clink! Clink! Another Drink"... - "Detachable PenisDetachable Penis"Detachable Penis" is a song by avant-garde band King Missile. It was the first single from the band's 1992 album Happy Hour, and became a modest hit, reaching #25 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.-Lyrical content:...
" by King MissileKing MissileKing Missile is an American avant-garde band that has been led in various disparate incarnations by poet/singer John S. Hall since 1986. Currently, Hall performs with a new version of the first incarnation, King Missile .... - "Disco DuckDisco Duck"Disco Duck" is a satirical disco novelty song performed by Memphis disc jockey Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots. It became a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for one week in October 1976 . It also made the top 20 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart, peaking at number 15...
" by Rick DeesRick DeesRigdon Osmond "Rick" Dees III is an American comedic performer, entertainer, and radio personality, best known for his internationally syndicated radio show The Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 Countdown and for the novelty song "Disco Duck." He is a People's Choice Award recipient, a Grammy-nominated... - "Do the BartmanDo the Bartman"Do the Bartman" is a pop rap song from the 1990 Simpsons album The Simpsons Sing the Blues. It was performed by The Simpsons cast member Nancy Cartwright and was released as a promotional single from the album on November 20, 1990. The song was written and produced by American recording artist...
" by Bart SimpsonBart SimpsonBartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
- "Donald Where's Your Troosers?Donald Where's Your Troosers?"Donald Where's Your Troosers?" is a comic song about a Scotsman who wears a kilt rather than trousers. It was written by Andy Stewart with music by Neil Grant...
" by Andy StewartAndy Stewart (musician)Andrew "Andy" Stewart MBE was a Scottish singer and entertainer.-Career:The use of tartan patriotism and stereotypical Scottish humour goes back to Sir Harry Lauder and music hall songs. In the 1960s this strand was continued by the entertainer Andy Stewart.He was born in Glasgow, Scotland in... - "Does your chewing gum lose its flavour" - Lonnie Donegan 1961
- "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow" by Frank ZappaFrank ZappaFrank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
- "Don't Shoot Me SantaDon't Shoot Me Santa"Don't Shoot Me Santa" is a song by Las Vegas-based rock band The Killers. The song was released , as a digital download. A portion of the proceeds from this song went to AIDS charities as part of the RED campaign, headed by Bono and Bobby Shriver...
" by The Killers - "Don't Worry, Be HappyDon't Worry, Be Happy"Don't Worry, Be Happy" is a song by musician Bobby McFerrin. Released in September 1988, it became the first a cappella song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, a position it held for two weeks. On the UK Singles Chart, the song reached number 2 during its fifth week on the chart...
" by Bobby McFerrinBobby McFerrinRobert "Bobby" McFerrin, Jr. is an American vocalist and conductor. He is best known for his 1988 hit song "Don't Worry, Be Happy". He is a ten-time Grammy Award winner.-Life:... - "The Duck Song" by Bryant Oden
- "Earache My EyeEarache My Eye"Earache My Eye" is a comedy routine and song by Cheech and Chong which features Alice Bowie .-History:It first appeared on Cheech & Chong's Wedding Album and later on the greatest hits collections Cheech & Chong's Greatest Hit , and Where There's Smoke There's Cheech & Chong, a double-CD...
" by Cheech and ChongCheech and ChongCheech & Chong are a comedy duo consisting of Richard "Cheech" Marin and Tommy Chong, who found a wide audience in the 1970s and 1980s for their films and stand-up routines, which were based on the hippie and free love era, and especially drug culture movements, most notably their love for... - "Eat ItEat It"Eat It" is a hit single by parody artist "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a parody of the song "Beat It" by pop star Michael Jackson. The single reached #1 in Australia, and it was his highest-charting U.S. single on the Billboard Hot 100 at #12 until "White & Nerdy" peaked at #9 in October 2006...
" by "Weird Al" Yankovic"Weird Al" YankovicAlfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts... - "Energy Crisis '74" by Dickie GoodmanDickie GoodmanRichard Dorian "Dickie" Goodman was an American music producer.-Career:In June 1956 Goodman created his first record, "The Flying Saucer", which he co-wrote with his partner Bill Buchanan, and featured a four-minute rewriting of Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds radio show...
(novelty "break-In" song) - "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West)Ernie (the Fastest Milkman in the West)"Ernie " is an innuendo-laden comedy or novelty song, written and performed by the English comedian Benny Hill...
" by Benny HillBenny HillBenny Hill was an English comedian and actor, notable for his long-running television programme The Benny Hill Show.-Early life:...
F–M
- "The Fast Food SongThe Fast Food Song"The Fast Food Song" was the debut single by the British-based band the Fast Food Rockers, released from their album It's Never Easy Being Cheesy. It was the first single release from the album. Its chorus mentions the fast food restaurants McDonald's, Pizza Hut, and Kentucky Fried Chicken. The...
" by the Fast Food RockersFast Food RockersThe Fast Food Rockers were a British pop group known for their novelty music. The band claim to have met at a fast-food convention in Folkestone.-Career:... - "Fish HeadsFish Heads (song)"Fish Heads" is a novelty song by comedy rock duo Barnes and Barnes, featured on their 1980 album Voobaha. It has often been played on the Dr...
" by Barnes & BarnesBarnes & BarnesBarnes & Barnes, fictional twin brothers Art Barnes and Artie Barnes , are a comedy rock duo based in "Lumania", a fictional mythological civilization . Most of their music is standard rock or pop with heavy comedic elements... - "FlappieFlappieFlappie is the name of a Dutch Christmas song written by comedian Youp van 't Hek in 1985. The song became popular in The Netherlands, and it has been played as part of the rotation of Christmas music every year since...
" by Youp van 't HekYoup van 't HekJoseph Jacobus Maria "Youp" van 't Hek is a Dutch comedian and a columnist for NRC Handelsblad.- Biography :Youp was born and raised in the Gooi, a wealthy region to the southeast of Amsterdam. His youth there served as an inspiration for his ironic attitude toward the rich, the successful and all...
- "The Funky Gibbon" by The GoodiesThe GoodiesThe Goodies are a trio of British comedians who created, wrote, and starred in a surreal British television comedy series called The Goodies during the 1970s and early 1980s combining sketches and situation comedy.-Honours:All three Goodies now have OBEs...
- "Gibberish" by Relient KRelient KRelient K is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Canton, Ohio by Matt Thiessen, Brian Pittman, and Matt Hoopes during the band's junior year in high school and their time at Malone University...
- "Gimme Dat Banana" by Black Gorilla
- "Gimme Pizza" by The Olsen Twins
- "GitarzanGitarzan"Gitarzan" is a novelty song released by Ray Stevens in 1969, about a character who lives in a jungle and forms a musical band with his female partner, Jane, and their pet monkey. The song features Tarzan Yells, scat singing, and a funky Boogie Woogie, as well as a quote from the song "Swinging on...
" by Ray StevensRay StevensRay Stevens is an American country music, pop singer-songwriter who has become known for his novelty songs.-Early career:... - "Gossip Calypso" by Bernard CribbinsBernard CribbinsBernard Cribbins, OBE is an English character actor, voice-over artist and musical comedian with a career spanning over half a century who came to prominence in films in the 1960s, has been in work consistently since his professional debut in the mid 1950s, and as of 2010 is still an active...
- "Grandma Got Run Over by a ReindeerGrandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer"Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" is a novelty Christmas song, which led to the creation of an animated movie with the same title.Written by Randy Brooks, the song was originally performed by the husband and wife duo of Elmo and Patsy Trigg Shropshire in 1979...
" by Elmo & PatsyElmo ShropshireElmo Shropshire, D.V.M. , better known as Dr. Elmo, is a singer of comedy songs, most notably "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer." He originally recorded the song in 1979 with his then-wife Patsy. He re-recorded it solo in 1992 for the album Dr. Elmo's Twisted Christmas and again in 2000 for the...
- "The Gummi Bear Song"
- "Harry the Hairy Ape" by Ray StevensRay StevensRay Stevens is an American country music, pop singer-songwriter who has become known for his novelty songs.-Early career:...
- "The Hampster DanceThe Hampster DanceThe Hampster Dance or Hampsterdance is one of the earliest examples of an Internet meme. Created by Canadian art student Deidre LaCarte for a Geocities page, the dance features rows of animated hamsters and other rodents dancing in various ways to a sped-up sample from the song "Whistle Stop" by...
" - "Hello Muddah, Hello FadduhHello Muddah, Hello Fadduh"Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh " is a Grammy Award-winning novelty song by Allan Sherman, based on letters of complaint he received from his son Robert while Robert attended Camp Champlain in Westport, New York. The song is a parody that complains about the fictional "Camp Granada" and is set to the...
" by Allan ShermanAllan ShermanAllan Sherman was an American comedy writer and television producer who became famous as a song parodist in the early 1960s. His first album, My Son, the Folk Singer , became the fastest-selling record album up to that time... - "Hole In The Ground" by Bernard CribbinsBernard CribbinsBernard Cribbins, OBE is an English character actor, voice-over artist and musical comedian with a career spanning over half a century who came to prominence in films in the 1960s, has been in work consistently since his professional debut in the mid 1950s, and as of 2010 is still an active...
- "The Homecoming Queen's Got a GunThe Homecoming Queen's Got a Gun"The Homecoming Queen's Got a Gun" is a 1984 song by American singer–comedian Julie Brown parodying 1950s "teen tragedy" songs.The song and music video—both released more than a decade before school shootings became real-life events— revolve around a teenaged Valley girl's oblivious...
" by Julie BrownJulie BrownJulie Ann Brown is an American actress, comedienne, screen/television writer, singer-songwriter, television director. Brown is perhaps best known for her work in the 1980s, where she often played a quintessential valley girl character...
- "Hot Rod LincolnHot Rod Lincoln"Hot Rod Lincoln" was recorded in 1955, as an answer song to "Hot Rod Race", a 1951 hit for Arkie Shibley and his Mountain Dew Boys. Hot Rod Race tells the story of a late-model Ford and Mercury who end up racing along the highway, neither driver gaining an advantage, and staying "neck and neck"...
" by Charlie Ryan; Jimmy Dolan; Commander Cody and His Lost Planet AirmenCommander Cody and His Lost Planet AirmenCommander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen is an American country rock band founded in 1967. Core members included founder George Frayne, John Tichy, Billy C. Farlow, Bill Kirchen, Andy Stein, Paul "Buffalo" Bruce Barlow, Lance Dickerson, and Bobby Black....
- "(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?" That Doggie in the Window?" is a popular novelty song written by Bob Merrill and Ingrid Reuterskiöld in 1952. The best-known version of the song was recorded by Patti Page on December 18, 1952 and released by Mercury Records as catalog number 70070, with the flip side being "My Jealous Eyes". It...
" by Patti PagePatti PageClara Ann Fowler , known by her professional name Patti Page, is an American singer, one of the best-known female artists in traditional pop music. She was the best-selling female artist of the 1950s, and has sold over 100 million records... - "The Hut-Sut SongThe Hut-Sut SongThe Hut-Sut Song is a novelty song from the 1940s with nonsense lyrics. The song was written in 1941 by Leo V. Killion, Ted McMichael and Jack Owens. The first and most popular recording was by Horace Heidt and His Musical Knights....
" by Horace HeidtHorace HeidtHorace Heidt was an American pianist, big band leader, and radio and television personality. His band, Horace Heidt and His Musical Knights, toured vaudeville and performed on radio and television through the 1930s and 1940s.-Biography:Born in Alameda, California, Heidt attended Culver... - "I'm on a boatI'm on a Boat"I'm on a Boat" is a single from The Lonely Island's debut album Incredibad. It was also featured as a Saturday Night Live Digital Short. The song features R&B singer T-Pain. The song, produced by Wyshmaster, is a parody of many rap video clichés. The music video reached number one on YouTube in...
" by The Lonely IslandThe Lonely IslandThe Lonely Island is an American comedy troupe composed of Akiva "Kiv" Schaffer, Jorma "Jorm" Taccone, and David Andrew "Andy" Samberg, best known for their comedic music. Originally from Berkeley, California, the group is currently based in New York City. The group broke out due to their...
- "I'm a Lonely Little Petunia" by Two-Ton Baker
- "I'm My Own GrandpaI'm My Own Grandpa"I'm My Own Grandpa" is a novelty song written by Dwight Latham and Moe Jaffe, performed by Lonzo and Oscar in 1947, about a man who, through an unlikely combination of marriages, becomes stepfather to his own stepmother — that is, tacitly dropping the "step-" modifiers, he becomes his own...
" by Guy LombardoGuy LombardoGaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo was a Canadian-American bandleader and violinist.Forming "The Royal Canadians" in 1924 with his brothers Carmen, Lebert, and Victor and other musicians from his hometown, Lombardo led the group to international success, billing themselves as creating "The Sweetest... - "I'm the Urban SpacemanI'm the Urban Spaceman"I'm the Urban Spaceman" was the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band's most successful single, released in 1968. It reached #5 in the UK charts. The song was written by Neil Innes and produced by Paul McCartney and Gus Dudgeon under the pseudonym "Apollo C. Vermouth". The B-side was written by Viv Stanshall...
" by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band
- "In the Mood" by Henhouse Five Plus Too (a.k.a. Ray StevensRay StevensRay Stevens is an American country music, pop singer-songwriter who has become known for his novelty songs.-Early career:...
) - "I Tawt I Taw A Puddy TatI Tawt I Taw A Puddy Tat"I Tawt I Taw A Puddy Tat" is a novelty song composed and written by Alan Livingston, Billy May and Warren Foster. It was sung by Mel Blanc, who provided the voice of the bird, Tweety and of his nemesis Sylvester....
" by Mel BlancMel BlancMelvin Jerome "Mel" Blanc was an American voice actor and comedian. Although he began his nearly six-decade-long career performing in radio commercials, Blanc is best remembered for his work with Warner Bros...
and the Billy May OrchestraBilly MayWilliam E. "Billy" May was an American composer, arranger and trumpeter. He composed film and television music, for The Green Hornet , Batman , and Naked City and collaborated on films, such as Pennies from Heaven , and orchestrated Cocoon, and Cocoon: The Return among... - "It's Christmastime (Won't You Be My Ho Ho Ho?" by The Bud Brothers
- "It's 'Orrible Being In Love (When You're 8½)" by Claire and FriendsClaire and FriendsClaire and Friends were a UK one-hit wonder, consisting of Stockport schoolgirl Claire Usher and her friends.Their one hit single was with the novelty record "It's 'Orrible Being in Love ", released by BBC Records, which entered the UK Singles Chart on 7 June 1986, and reached #13...
- "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot BikiniItsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini"Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" is a novelty song telling the story of a shy girl wearing a revealing polka dot bikini at the beach, who in the first verse is too afraid to leave the locker where she has changed into her bikini; in the second, she has made it to the beach but sits...
" by Brian HylandBrian HylandBrian Hyland is an American pop recording artist who was particularly successful during the early 1960s. He continued recording into the 1970s... - "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Cocoanuts"
- "I've Never Seen a Straight BananaI've Never Seen a Straight Banana"I've Never Seen a Straight Banana" is a novelty song from 1926, written by Ted Waite. A short film was made in 1926 in the Phonofilm sound-on-film process with music hall comedian Dick Henderson singing it....
" - "I Want to Marry a Lighthouse Keeper" by Erika Eigen
- "Jeremiah Peabody's Polyunsaturated Quick-Dissolving Fast-Acting Pleasant-Tasting Green and Purple Pills" by Ray StevensRay StevensRay Stevens is an American country music, pop singer-songwriter who has become known for his novelty songs.-Early career:...
- "Jizz in My PantsJizz in My Pants"Jizz in My Pants" is a SNL Digital Short which aired on Saturday Night Live on December 6, 2008 and YouTube on the same day. It serves as the music video for the first single from The Lonely Island's debut album, Incredibad...
" by The Lonely IslandThe Lonely IslandThe Lonely Island is an American comedy troupe composed of Akiva "Kiv" Schaffer, Jorma "Jorm" Taccone, and David Andrew "Andy" Samberg, best known for their comedic music. Originally from Berkeley, California, the group is currently based in New York City. The group broke out due to their... - "Johnny's Cash and Charley's Pride" by Mac WisemanMac WisemanMalcolm B. Wiseman , better known as Mac Wiseman, is an American bluegrass singer, nicknamed The Voice with a Heart. The bearded singer is one of the cult figures of bluegrass....
- "The Jolly Green Giant" by The KingsmenThe KingsmenThe Kingsmen is a 1960s garage rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States. They are best known for their 1963 recording of Richard Berry's "Louie Louie", which held the #2 spot on the Billboard charts for six weeks...
- "Junk Food Junkie" by Larry GroceLarry GroceLarry Groce is an American singer-songwriter and radio host. Since 1983, Groce has served as the host and artistic director of Mountain Stage, a two-hour live music program produced by West Virginia Public Radio and distributed by NPR. He first entered the national spotlight in 1976 when his...
- "Kill The Wabbit" by Ozzy Fudd (Mark McCollum)
- "King TutKing Tut (song)"King Tut" is a novelty song performed by Steve Martin and the Toot Uncommons . It was released as a single in 1978, sold over a million copies, and reached number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Martin previewed the song in a live performance during the April 22, 1978 episode of Saturday...
" by Steve MartinSteve MartinStephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....
and the Toot UncommonsNitty Gritty Dirt BandThe Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is an American country-folk-rock band that has existed in various forms since its founding in Long Beach, California in 1966. The group's membership has had at least a dozen changes over the years, including a period from 1976 to 1981 when the band performed and recorded... - "Knight In Rusty Armour" by Peter & GordonPeter & GordonPeter and Gordon were a British Invasion-era duo and formed by Peter Asher and Gordon Waller, who achieved fame in 1964 with "A World Without Love", and had several subsequent hits in that era.-History:...
- "Kung Fu FightingKung Fu Fighting"Kung Fu Fighting" is a disco song written by Jim Brusatto and Vivian Hawke performed by Carl Douglas, and composed and produced by Biddu. It was released as a single in 1974, at the cusp of a chopsocky film craze, and eventually rose to the top of the British and American charts, in addition to...
" by Carl DouglasCarl DouglasCarl Douglas is a former Jamaican-born, UK-based, singer, best known for his song "Kung Fu Fighting", which hit number one in both the UK Singles Chart and the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1974. The R.I.A.A. awarded gold disc status on 27 November, and it won a Grammy Award for Best Selling Single... - "The Laughing Policeman" by Charles PenroseCharles PenroseCharles Penrose was an English music hall and theatre performer, and later radio comedian, who is best known for his unusual comic song "The Laughing Policeman"...
- " Leader of The Gang (I Am)" by Hulk HoganHulk HoganTerrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
and Green JellyGreen JellÿGreen Jellÿ is a Grammy-nominated American comedy rock band formed in 1981. Originally named Green Jellö, the band changed its name due to legal pressure from the owners of the Jell-O trademark, Kraft Foods, who claimed that it was an infringement of their trademark... - "Leader of the Laundromat" by The DetergentsThe DetergentsThe Detergents were an American music group consisting of Ronnie Dante, Danny Jordan, and Tommy Wynn. The group's speciality was parody songs, as with their first and best-known hit record, "Leader of the Laundromat", written and produced by Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss...
- "Library Book" by Young Rebel Goombas
- "Life is a Rock" by Reunion
- "Like a Surgeon" by "Weird Al" Yankovic"Weird Al" YankovicAlfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
- "Lily the PinkLily the Pink (song)"Lily the Pink" is a modification of the older folk song "The Ballad of Lydia Pinkham", and the modifications were not extensively due to The Scaffold - for example a similar version was the unofficial regimental song of the Royal Tank Corps, at the end of World War II."Lily the Pink" was a...
" by The ScaffoldThe ScaffoldThe Scaffold were a comedy, poetry and music trio from Liverpool, England, consisting of Mike McGear , Roger McGough and John Gorman.-Career:... - "Little Ole Man (Uptight, Everything's Alright)Little Ole Man (Uptight, Everything's Alright)"Little Ole Man " is a 1967 single recorded and released by comedian Bill Cosby, released as a single off the entertainer's first musical comedy album, Silver Throat: Bill Cosby Sings....
" by Bill CosbyBill CosbyWilliam Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, the... - "The Lone Ranger" by Quantum JumpQuantum JumpQuantum Jump was a 1970s British band, consisting of keyboard player and singer Rupert Hine, guitarist Mark Warner, bass player John G. Perry and drummer Trevor Morais .-Career:...
- "Long Tall Texan" by Murray Kellum
- "Lumberjack Song" by Monty PythonMonty PythonMonty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
- "MacarenaMacarena-Places:* Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza de la Macarena , a church in Macarena, Seville* Macarena, Seville, a neighborhood in Seville, Spain, where "La Macarena" is located* Serranía de la Macarena, a range of mountains in Colombia...
" by Los Del Rio - "Mairzy DoatsMairzy DoatsMairzy Doats is a novelty song composed in 1943 by Milton Drake, Al Hoffman and Jerry Livingston. It was first played on radio station WOR, New York, by Al Trace and his Silly Symphonists. The song made the pop charts several times, with a version by the Merry Macs reaching No. 1 in March 1944...
by the Merry Macs - "Managua, Nicaragua" by Guy LombardoGuy LombardoGaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo was a Canadian-American bandleader and violinist.Forming "The Royal Canadians" in 1924 with his brothers Carmen, Lebert, and Victor and other musicians from his hometown, Lombardo led the group to international success, billing themselves as creating "The Sweetest...
- "Monster MashMonster Mash"Monster Mash" is a 1962 novelty song and the best-known song by Bobby "Boris" Pickett. The song was released as a single on Gary S. Paxton's Garpax Records label in August 1962 along with a full-length LP called The Original Monster Mash, which contained several other monster-themed tunes...
" by Bobby "Boris" Pickett - "Mouldy Old DoughMouldy Old Dough"Mouldy Old Dough" is an instrumental single, which was a hit for Lieutenant Pigeon.It was written by Nigel Fletcher and Rob Woodward and first produced by them under the name of their other band, Stavely Makepeace....
" by Lieutenant PigeonLieutenant PigeonLieutenant Pigeon was a British novelty popular music group, originating from Coventry.-Career:Lieutenant Pigeon was a British musical group popular in the early 1970s. A spin-off from an experimental music band Stavely Makepeace, it was fronted by Rob Woodward and managed by David Whitehouse.... - "Mr BlobbyMr Blobby (song)"Mr Blobby" is a novelty song performed by character Mr Blobby, famous for appearing in the TV programme Noel's House Party. The song originally peaked at #1 on the chart on 5 December 1993 for one week. It later spent a total of 3 weeks at #1...
" by Mr Blobby
- "Mr. Jaws" by Dickie GoodmanDickie GoodmanRichard Dorian "Dickie" Goodman was an American music producer.-Career:In June 1956 Goodman created his first record, "The Flying Saucer", which he co-wrote with his partner Bill Buchanan, and featured a four-minute rewriting of Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds radio show...
(novelty "break-In" song)
- "Mr. CusterMr. Custer"Mr. Custer" is a novelty song, sung by Larry Verne, and written by Al DeLory, Fred Darian, and Joseph Van Winkle. It was a number-one song in the United States in 1960, topping the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for the issue dated October 10, 1960, and remained there for one week...
" by Larry VerneLarry VerneLarry Verne was an American novelty song singer. Verne scored two U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart hit singles in 1960: "Mister Livingston" and "Mr. Custer" . "Mr. Custer" was written by Fred Darian, Al DeLory, and Joe Van Winkle. The record sold over one million copies, earning a gold disc. In the... - "My Brother" by Terry ScottTerry ScottOwen John "Terry" Scott was an English actor and comedian who appeared in seven Carry On films. He also appeared in BBC1's popular domestic sitcom Terry and June with June Whitfield...
- "My Ding-a-LingMy Ding-a-Ling"My Ding-a-Ling" was the title of a novelty song recorded by Chuck Berry, and his only U.S. number-one single on the pop charts. Later that year the song, in a longer unedited form, was on the album The London Chuck Berry Sessions...
" by Chuck BerryChuck BerryCharles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B... - "My Girl Bill" by Jim StaffordJim StaffordJames Wayne "Jim" Stafford is an American comedian, musician, and singer-songwriter, prominent in the 1970s. Stafford is self-taught on guitar, fiddle, piano, banjo, organ and harmonica....
- "My old man's a dustman" Lonnie Donegan 1960
N–Z
- "Naughty Naughty Naughty" by Joy SarneyJoy SarneyJoy Sarney is an English female pop singer. Sarney is best known for a UK hit single, "Naughty Naughty Naughty", recorded in 1977.-Career:...
- "The Name GameThe Name Game"The Name Game", or "The Banana Song", is a children's singalong rhyming game that creates variations on a person's name. It was written by U.S...
" by Shirley EllisShirley EllisShirley Ellis is an American soul music singer and songwriter of West Indian origin. She is best known for her novelty hits "The Nitty Gritty" , "The Name Game" and "The Clapping Song"... - "Nellie the ElephantNellie the ElephantNellie the Elephant is a song written in 1956 by Ralph Butler and Peter Hart about a fictional intelligent elephant of the same name.-Original version:...
" by Mandy MillerMandy MillerMandy Miller is an English child actor who made a number of films in the 1950s and is probably best remembered for her recording of the song "Nellie the Elephant".-Early life:... - "N-N-Nineteen Not Out" by The CommentatorsThe CommentatorsThe Commentators was a one-off name used for the song, "N-N-Nineteen Not Out", a 1985 UK hit single recorded by the impressionist Rory Bremner as a parody of Paul Hardcastle's number one hit, "19"...
- "Ohio" by Dan DeaconDan DeaconDan Deacon is an American composer and electronic musician based out of Baltimore, Maryland. Since 2003, Deacon has released eight albums under several different labels...
- "On Top of SpaghettiOn Top of Spaghetti"On Top of Spaghetti" is a ballad and children's song written and originally performed by folk singer Tom Glazer with the Do-Re-Mi Children's Chorus in 1963. The song is sung to the tune of "On Top Of Old Smokey". It is essentially the tale of a meatball that was lost when "somebody sneezed"...
" by Tom Glazer & the Do Re Mi Children's Choir - "Open the Door, RichardOpen the Door, Richard"Open the Door, Richard" is a song first recorded on the Black & White Records label by saxophonistist Jack McVea at the suggestion of A&R man Ralph Bass. In 1947, it was the number-one song on Billboards "Honor Roll of Hits" and became a runaway pop sensation.-Origin:"Open the Door, Richard"...
* by various artists - "Pac-Man FeverPac-Man Fever (song)"Pac-Man Fever" is a hit single by Buckner & Garcia. Capitalizing on the video game craze of the early 1980s, the song, about the classic video game Pac-Man, peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US in March 1982. That same month, it was certified Gold by the RIAA for over 1,000,000 units...
" by Buckner & GarciaBuckner & GarciaBuckner & Garcia was a duo consisting of Jerry Buckner and Gary Garcia from Akron, Ohio. Their first collaboration was in 1980, when they wrote a novelty Christmas song, "Merry Christmas in the NFL", imagining Howard Cosell as Santa Claus...
- "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)-Australia CD Maxi:-Europe CD Maxi:-Composition and lyrics:Beginning with a sample of the pseudo-German nonsense phrase "Gunter glieben glauchen globen" from Def Leppard's song "Rock of Ages," chanted as a replacement for the traditional "1, 2, 3, 4" to start the recording, the song ridicules a...
" by The OffspringThe OffspringThe Offspring is an American punk rock band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1984. Known as Manic Subsidal until 1986, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and drummer Pete Parada... - "Psoriasis" by KingsauceKingsauceKingsauce is a "novelty-pop" project headed by Richie Chodes. They are considered to be an extension of The Elephant 6 Recording Company. Combining elements of mid-1960s pop, 1970s AM radio, and a touch of vaudeville, Kingsauce creates tunes with silly, tongue-in-cheek lyrics. Their last full...
- "Psycho Chicken" by The Fools
- "Puha and Pakeha" Rod Derrett - 1966
- "Puff, the Magic DragonPuff, the Magic Dragon"Puff, the Magic Dragon" is a song written by Leonard Lipton and Peter Yarrow, and made popular by Yarrow's group Peter, Paul and Mary in a 1963 recording. The song achieved great popularity and has entered American and British pop culture.-Lyrics:...
" by Peter, Paul, and Mary - "The Purple People Eater" by Sheb WooleySheb WooleyShelby F. "Sheb" Wooley was a character actor and singer, best known for his 1958 novelty song "Purple People Eater"...
- "Pussy Control" by PrincePrince (musician)Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
- "Rag MopRag Mop"Rag Mop" was a popular American song of the late 1940s-early 1950s.The song, a 12-bar blues, was written by Johnnie Lee Wills and Deacon Anderson and published in 1949...
* by Ames BrothersAmes BrothersThe Ames Brothers were a singing quartet from Malden, Massachusetts, who were particularly famous in the 1950s for their traditional pop music hits.-Biography:The Ames Brothers got their beginning in Malden, where all four were born... - "Rappin' Rodney" by Rodney DangerfieldRodney DangerfieldRodney Dangerfield , was an American comedian, and actor, known for the catchphrases "I don't get no respect!," "No respect, no respect at all... that's the story of my life" or "I get no respect, I tell ya" and his monologues on that theme...
- "Right Said Fred" by Bernard CribbinsBernard CribbinsBernard Cribbins, OBE is an English character actor, voice-over artist and musical comedian with a career spanning over half a century who came to prominence in films in the 1960s, has been in work consistently since his professional debut in the mid 1950s, and as of 2010 is still an active...
- "RingoRingo (song)"Ringo" was a hit single for the Canadian-born actor, Lorne Greene, in 1964.The song's actual sung lyrics are limited to the title word alone, performed by an unidentified male chorus. Throughout the rest of the performance, Greene talks about the legendary gunfighter...
" by Lorne GreeneLorne GreeneLorne Greene , was the stage name of Lyon Himan Green, OC, a Canadian actor.His television roles include Ben Cartwright on the western Bonanza, and Commander Adama in the science fiction movie and subsequent TV Series Battlestar Galactica...
- "Rock LobsterRock lobsterJasus edwardsii, the southern rock lobster, red rock lobster, or spiny rock lobster, is a species of spiny lobster found throughout coastal waters of southern Australia and New Zealand including the Chatham Islands. This species is commonly called crayfish or crays in New Zealand and in Māori...
" by The B-52s - "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" by Gene AutryGene AutryOrvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
- "Shaddup You Face" by Joe DolceJoe DolceJoseph "Joe" Dolce is an American-born, Australian singer/songwriter who achieved fame with his multi-million-selling song, "Shaddap You Face", released under the name of his one-man show, Joe Dolce Music Theatre, in 1980...
- "Short PeopleShort People"Short People" is a song by Randy Newman from his 1977 album Little Criminals, reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. The verses and chorus seem to be a pointed attack on the short...
" by Randy NewmanRandy NewmanRandall Stuart "Randy" Newman is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist who is known for his mordant pop songs and for film scores.... - "Shriner's ConventionShriner's Convention"Shriners Convention" is a country-and-western novelty song written, composed, and performed by Ray Stevens. It is allegedly based on his experiences at a hotel where an actual Shriners convention was being held....
" by Ray StevensRay StevensRay Stevens is an American country music, pop singer-songwriter who has become known for his novelty songs.-Early career:...
- "Sink the Bismark" by Johnny HortonJohnny HortonJohn Gale "Johnny" Horton was an American country music and rockabilly singer most famous for his semi-folk, so-called "saga songs" which began the "historical ballad" craze of the late 1950s and early 1960s...
- "The Smoke Off" by Shel SilversteinShel SilversteinSheldon Allan "Shel" Silverstein , was an American poet, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter and author of children's books. He styled himself as Uncle Shelby in his children's books...
- "Snooker LoopySnooker Loopy"Snooker Loopy" is a humorous song which was released as a single in May 1986 and entered the UK Singles Chart, reaching #6. It was written and performed by Chas & Dave and featured snooker players Steve Davis, Dennis Taylor, Willie Thorne, Terry Griffiths and Tony Meo, as backing vocalists under...
" by Chas and DaveChas and DaveChas & Dave are an English pop rock duo, most notable as creators and performers of a musical style labelled "rockney", which mixes "pub singalong, music-hall humour, boogie-woogie piano and pre-Beatles rock 'n' roll"...
and the Matchroom Mob - "Snoopy Vs. The Red BaronSnoopy Vs. The Red Baron"Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron" is a novelty song written by Phil Gernhard and Dick Holler and recorded in 1966 by the Florida based rock band, The Royal Guardsmen. The song was recorded at the Charles Fuller Productions studio in Tampa, Florida, and was released as a single on Laurie Records...
" by The Royal GuardsmenThe Royal GuardsmenThe Royal Guardsmen are an American rock band, best known for their 1966 hit single "Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron".-Snoopy vs. the Red Baron:...
- "Speed Ball" by Ray StevensRay StevensRay Stevens is an American country music, pop singer-songwriter who has become known for his novelty songs.-Early career:...
- "Spiders and Snakes" by Jim Stafford
- "Star of Wonder" - Fred Dagg (and Trevs)
- "Star Trekkin'Star Trekkin'"Star Trekkin" is a novelty song written by Rory Kehoe with music by John O'Connor, Graham Lister and Bill Martin. It is a parody of the original TV series of Star Trek...
" by The Firm
- "Stole my car" Dene Young 1996
- "Swagger JaggerSwagger Jagger"Swagger Jagger" is song by British singer Cher Lloyd, taken from her debut studio album Sticks + Stones. It was released as the album's leads single on 31 July 2011. The song was written by the two production teams The Runners and The Monarch with Cher Lloyd, Autumn Rowe, Marcus Lomax and Clarence...
" by Cher LloydCher LloydCher Lloyd is a British singer and rapper from Malvern, Worcestershire. Lloyd rose to fame in 2010 when she participated in reality TV series The X Factor, to which she finished in fourth place. Shortly afterwards, Lloyd was signed by Simon Cowell to Sony Records subsidary SyCo Music, releasing...
- "The Marvelous Toy" by Peter, Paul, and Mary
- "The StreakThe Streak"The Streak" is a popular country/novelty song written, produced, and sung by Ray Stevens. It was released in March 1974 as the lead single to his album Boogity Boogity...
" by Ray StevensRay StevensRay Stevens is an American country music, pop singer-songwriter who has become known for his novelty songs.-Early career:... - "The Super Bowl Shuffle" by The Chicago Bears Shufflin' Crew1985 Chicago Bears seasonThe 1985 Chicago Bears season was their 66th regular season and 16th post-season completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 15-1 record, earning them the top seed in the NFC for the playoffs. The Bears defeated their three post season opponents by a combined score of 91-10 en...
- "Take Off" by Bob and Doug McKenzieBob and Doug McKenzieBob and Doug McKenzie are a pair of fictional Canadian brothers who hosted "Great White North", a sketch which was introduced on SCTV for the show's third season when it moved to CBC Television in 1980. Bob is played by Rick Moranis and Doug is played by Dave Thomas...
- "Take This Job and Shove ItTake This Job and Shove It"Take This Job and Shove It" is a song by David Allan Coe from his 1978 album, Family Album about the bitterness of a man who worked long and hard with no apparent reward. The song was famously covered by Johnny Paycheck...
" by David Allan CoeDavid Allan CoeDavid Allan Coe is an American outlaw country music singer who achieved popularity in the 1970s and 1980s. He has written and performed over 280 original songs throughout his career...
, Johnny PaycheckJohnny PaycheckJohnny Paycheck was the legal name of Donald Eugene Lytle , a country music singer and Grand Ole Opry member most famous for recording the David Allan Coe song "Take This Job and Shove It"... - "Teletubbies say "Eh-oh!"Teletubbies say "Eh-oh!"Teletubbies say "Eh-oh!" is a hit single which was number one in the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in December 1997. It remained in the Top 75 for 29 weeks after its first release and three weeks more after two re-releases and sold well enough to be certified as double-platinum. It is mostly a...
by the TeletubbiesTeletubbiesTeletubbies is a BBC children's television series targeted at pre-school viewers and produced from 1997 to 2001 by Ragdoll Productions. It was created by Ragdoll's creative director Anne Wood CBE and Andrew Davenport, who wrote each of the show's 365 episodes. The programme's original narrator was... - "TelstarTelstar (song)"Telstar" is a 1962 instrumental record performed by The Tornados. It was the first single by a British band to reach number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and was also a number one hit in the UK. The record was named after the AT&T communications satellite Telstar, which went into orbit in...
" by The TornadosThe TornadosThe Tornados were an English instrumental group of the 1960s that acted as backing group for many of record producer Joe Meek's productions and also for singer Billy Fury. They enjoyed several chart hits in their own right, including the UK and U.S. Number One "Telstar" , the first U.S...
– a novelty instrumental named after and presumably inspired by the TelstarTelstarTelstar is the name of various communications satellites, including the first such satellite to relay television signals.The first two Telstar satellites were experimental and nearly identical. Telstar 1 was launched on top of a Thor-Delta rocket on July 10, 1962...
communications satellite, which was launched five weeks before the song's release - "Teenage Mutant Kung Fu Chickens" by Ray StevensRay StevensRay Stevens is an American country music, pop singer-songwriter who has become known for his novelty songs.-Early career:...
- "There's A Hole In My Bucket, Dear Liza" by Harry BelafonteHarry BelafonteHarold George "Harry" Belafonte, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, actor and social activist. He was dubbed the "King of Calypso" for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s...
- "The ThingThe Thing (song)"The Thing" is a hit novelty song by Charles Randolph Grean which received much airplay in 1950.The most popular version of the song was recorded by Phil Harris on October 13, 1950 and released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-3968. The record first reached the Billboard charts on...
" by Phil HarrisPhil HarrisHarris and Faye married in 1941; it was a second marriage for both and lasted 54 years, until Harris's death. Harris engaged in a fistfight at the Trocadero nightclub in 1938 with RKO studio mogul Bob Stevens; the cause was reported to be over Faye after Stevens and Faye had ended a romantic... - "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" by Napoleon XIVNapoleon XIVNapoleon XIV was the pseudonym of the American singer-songwriter and record producer Jerry Samuels , who achieved one-hit wonder status with the Top 5 hit novelty song "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" in 1966. Samuels also wrote The Shelter of Your Arms, a top 20 hit for Sammy Davis, Jr...
- "Three Little FishiesThree Little FishiesThree Little Fishies is a song sung by Kay Kyser, with words and music by Saxie Dowell. The song was a #1 hit in 1939....
" by Kay KyserKay KyserJames Kern Kyser was a popular bandleader and radio personality of the 1930s and 1940s.-Early years:He was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, the son of pharmacists Paul Bynum Kyser and Emily Royster Kyser. Editor Vermont C. Royster was his cousin... - "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, SportTie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport"Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" is a song written by Rolf Harris in 1957 which became a hit across the world in the 1960s in two different recordings . Inspired by Harry Belafonte's calypsos, it is about an Australian stockman on his deathbed...
" by Rolf HarrisRolf HarrisRolf Harris, CBE, AM is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, composer, painter and television personality.Born in Perth, Western Australia, Harris was a champion swimmer before studying art. He moved to England in 1952, where he started to appear on television programmes on which he drew the... - "Time Warp" by Transylvanians
- "Tiptoe Through the TulipsTiptoe Through the Tulips"Tiptoe Through the Tulips" is a popular song originally published in 1929. The song was written by Al Dubin and Joe Burke .‘Crooning Troubadour’ Nick Lucas’ recording of "Tip-Toe Through The Tulips" hit the top of the charts in May 1929. The song he introduced in the 1929 musical talkie Gold...
" by Tiny TimTiny Tim (musician)Tiny Tim , , born in Manhattan, was an American singer and ukulele player. He was most famous for his rendition of "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" sung in a distinctive high falsetto/vibrato voice.-Rise to fame:Born to Lebanese parents in 1932, Khaury displayed musical talent at a very young age...
- "Transfusion" by Nervous NorvusNervous NorvusNervous Norvus was the performing name of Jimmy Drake . His novelty song "Transfusion" was a major hit in 1956, as was a second song, "Ape Call," released later that year....
- "The Troglodyte" by the Jimmy CastorJimmy CastorJimmy Castor is an American pop and funk musician. He is best known as a fun disco/funk saxophonist, with his biggest hit single being 1972's million seller, "Troglodyte ".-Career:...
Bunch - "The Twelve Pains Of Christmas" by Bob RiversBob RiversBob Rivers is a well-known American rock and roll radio on air personality in the Pacific Northwest as well as a prolific producer of parody songs, most famous for his Christmas song parodies....
- "Valley GirlValley girlValley Girl is a stereotype leveled at a socio-economic and ethnic class of American women who can be described as colloquial English-speaking and materialistic...
" by Frank ZappaFrank ZappaFrank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
and Moon ZappaMoon ZappaMoon Unit Zappa is an American actress, musician and author. She goes by the name Moon Zappa; "Unit" is her middle name.-Personal life:... - "Watergrate" by Dickie GoodmanDickie GoodmanRichard Dorian "Dickie" Goodman was an American music producer.-Career:In June 1956 Goodman created his first record, "The Flying Saucer", which he co-wrote with his partner Bill Buchanan, and featured a four-minute rewriting of Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds radio show...
(novelty "break-In" song) - "We don't know how lucky we are" by Fred DaggFred DaggFred Dagg is a fictional archetype satirist from New Zealand created and acted on stage, film and television by satirist John Clarke. Clarke graced New Zealand TV screens as Dagg during the mid to late 1970s, "taking the piss" out of the post-pioneering Kiwi bloke and ‘blokesses’.When Clarke first...
- "We Will All Go Together When We Go" by Tom LehrerTom LehrerThomas Andrew "Tom" Lehrer is an American singer-songwriter, satirist, pianist, mathematician and polymath. He has lectured on mathematics and musical theater...
- "White & NerdyWhite & Nerdy"White & Nerdy" is the second single from "Weird Al" Yankovic's album Straight Outta Lynwood, which was released on September 26, 2006. It parodies the song "Ridin'" by Chamillionaire and Krayzie Bone...
" by "Weird Al" Yankovic"Weird Al" YankovicAlfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
- "Who Let the Dogs Out" by Baha MenBaha MenThe Baha Men are Bahamian singers in a Bahamian band. They play a modernised style of Bahamian music called Junkanoo.-Early career as High Voltage :...
- "Who Put The Overalls In Mrs. Murphy's Chowder?" by Bing CrosbyBing CrosbyHarry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
- "Who Put The Turtle In Myrtle's Girdle" by Sid King And The Five Strings
- "Who Stole The Marker (From The Grave Of Bonnie Parker)" by Gene SummersGene SummersGene Summers is an American rock/rockabilly singer and entertainer. Some of his classic recordings include "School of Rock 'n Roll", "Straight Skirt", "Nervous", "Gotta Lotta That", "Twixteen", "Alabama Shake" and his biggest-selling single "Big Blue Diamonds"...
written by Deanna SummersDeanna SummersDeanna Summers is an American songwriter born in Mississippi. The family relocated to Memphis, Tennessee in 1952 where she attended Kingsbury Jr. High School. She also attended Humes High School before her family relocated to Dallas, Texas. She has been an active member of BMI as both a...
,1968
- "Why Don't You Get A Job?Why Don't You Get a Job?"Why Don't You Get a Job?" is a ska song by The Offspring. The song is featured as the 11th track on The Offspring's fifth studio album Americana and was released as the second single from the album. The song also appears as the eighth track on the band's Greatest Hits album...
" by The OffspringThe OffspringThe Offspring is an American punk rock band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1984. Known as Manic Subsidal until 1986, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and drummer Pete Parada... - "Wet Dream" (a.k.a "Let's Get Tanked") by Kip AddottaKip AddottaKip Addotta is an American comedian notable for often being featured on The Tonight Show and the syndicated show Make Me Laugh. He was also featured on "The Dr. Demento Show" for his novelty music, the biggest hits of which are "Wet Dream" and "Life in the Slaw Lane", a series of fish puns and...
- "Witch Doctor" by David Seville
- "Yakety YakYakety Yak"Yakety Yak" is a song written, produced, and arranged by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller for The Coasters and released on Atlantic Records in 1958, spending seven weeks as number one on the R&B charts and a week as number one on the Hot 100 pop list...
" by The CoastersThe CoastersThe Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group that had a string of hits in the late 1950s. Beginning with "Searchin'" and "Young Blood", their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producing team of Leiber and Stoller... - Ying Tong Song "Ying Tong SongYing Tong SongThe "Ying Tong Song" was a novelty song written by Spike Milligan and performed by The Goons, usually led by Harry Secombe...
" by The Goons - "You look Marvelous" by Billy CrystalBilly CrystalWilliam Edward "Billy" Crystal is an American actor, writer, producer, comedian and film director. He gained prominence in the 1970s for playing Jodie Dallas on the ABC sitcom Soap and became a Hollywood film star during the late 1980s and 1990s, appearing in the critical and box office successes...
- "You're a Mean One, Mr. GrinchYou're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch"You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" is a Christmas song that was originally written and composed for the 1966 cartoon special How the Grinch Stole Christmas!. The lyrics were written by Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel, the music was composed by Albert Hague, and the song was performed by Thurl Ravenscroft...
" by Thurl RavenscroftThurl RavenscroftThurl Arthur Ravenscroft was an American voice actor and singer best known as the deep voice behind Tony the Tiger's "They're grrreat!" in Frosted Flakes television commercials for more than five decades. Ravenscroft was also known, however uncredited, as the vocalist for the song "You're a Mean...
