Polka-style medleys of cover songs are a distinguishing part of American musician, satirist, parodist, and songwriter "Weird Al" Yankovic's catalog. Twelve of his fourteen albums contain them; his self-titled debut and Even Worse omit them. [1]
The medleys are composed of various popular songs, each one reinterpreted as a polka (generally an instrumentation of accordion, banjo, tuba, clarinet, and muted brass interspersed with sound effects) with the choruses or memorable lines of various songs juxtaposed for humorous effect and profane lyrics are covered with cartoon sound effects. Yankovic has been known to say that converting these songs to polka was "...the way God intended." [2] Yankovic said that the medleys were something he did "even before I had a record deal" in live performances, and that many of the songs are included due to not receiving a full parody version - "if there’s a song that I think is really ripe for parody but I just can’t think of a clever enough idea, sometimes it’ll end up in the polka medley." [3] Regarding their popularity, Yankovic has said, "At this point, it's sort of mandatory for me to do a polka medley. Fans would be rioting in the streets, I think, if I didn't do a polka medley." [2] Yankovic has always asked permission from every artist whose songs compose a medley due to royalties issues. [4] He acknowledged some influence of Spike Jones in the medleys, such as the sound effects. [5]
Three of Yankovic's polka medleys—"Hooked on Polkas", "Polka Power!", and "The Hamilton Polka"—have been released as singles (either in international markets or domestically). "Polka Your Eyes Out" and "Polkas on 45" were also the only polkas to appear on a greatest hits album and "Polka Face" is the only polka to have an official video released for it that are not clips of the original songs music videos.
A Yankovic composition, originally titled "Ear Booker Polka" but retitled for later medleys, appears in each medley and is "...[Any] part of the medley that is not directly attributable to another songwriter...". [6]
"Polkas on 45" | |
---|---|
Song by "Weird Al" Yankovic | |
from the album "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D | |
Released | February 28, 1984 |
Recorded | December 13, 1983 [7] |
Genre | |
Length | 4:23 |
Label | Scotti Brothers |
"Polkas on 45" is Yankovic's first recorded polka medley. [8] It appears on his second album, In 3-D . This and "The Hot Rocks Polka" are Yankovic's only polka medleys to focus on popular rock songs from the 1960s and 1970s rather than contemporary songs, though "Polkas on 45" includes some of the latter (e.g. Talking Heads and The Police). The song title is a take on the medley-releasing novelty band Stars on 45 and their self-titled 1981 single.
The following songs are contained in the medley:
Notes:
"Hooked on Polkas" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by "Weird Al" Yankovic | ||||
from the album Dare to Be Stupid | ||||
Released | June 18, 1985 (Japan only) | |||
Recorded | March 25, 1985 [7] | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:51 | |||
Label | Scotti Brothers | |||
"Weird Al" Yankovic singles chronology | ||||
|
"Hooked on Polkas" is the second polka medley recorded by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It appeared on his third album, Dare to Be Stupid . The song was released as a single in Japan.
Its title is a reference to the 1981 record Hooked on Classics , in which very recognizable extracts from classical music pieces were played over a continuous, more disco-style beat. [11]
The following songs are contained in the medley:
"Polka Party!" | |
---|---|
Song by "Weird Al" Yankovic | |
from the album Polka Party! | |
Released | October 21, 1986 |
Recorded | August 29, 1986 [7] |
Genre | |
Length | 3:15 |
Label | Scotti Brothers |
Songwriter(s) | "Weird Al" Yankovic |
"Polka Party!" is the third polka medley recorded by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It appears on his fourth album, Polka Party! .
The following songs are contained in the medley:
Notes:
"The Hot Rocks Polka" | |
---|---|
Song by "Weird Al" Yankovic | |
from the album UHF | |
Released | July 18, 1989 |
Recorded | May 24, 1989 [7] |
Genre | |
Length | 4:50 |
Label | Scotti Brothers |
Songwriter(s) |
"The Hot Rocks Polka" is the fourth polka medley recorded by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It appears on his sixth studio album, UHF - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff . All of the songs in "The Hot Rocks Polka" medley are songs by The Rolling Stones, with the addition of Yankovic's "Ear Booker Polka" at the end. The title of the song refers to Hot Rocks 1964-1971 , a greatest hits album of The Rolling Stones music.
The following songs are contained in the medley:
"Polka Your Eyes Out" | |
---|---|
Song by "Weird Al" Yankovic | |
from the album Off the Deep End | |
Released | April 14, 1992 |
Recorded | January 27, 1992 [7] |
Genre | |
Length | 3:50 |
Label | Scotti Brothers |
"Polka Your Eyes Out" is the fifth polka medley by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is included on his 1992 album, Off the Deep End , and also on his Greatest Hits Volume 2 compilation. It was first performed in 1991 at the Dr. Demento 20th Anniversary show.
The following songs are contained in the medley:
"Bohemian Polka" | |
---|---|
Song by "Weird Al" Yankovic | |
from the album Alapalooza | |
Released | October 5, 1993 |
Recorded | July 17, 1993 [7] |
Genre | |
Length | 3:39 |
Label | Scotti Brothers |
Songwriter(s) | Freddie Mercury (arr. "Weird Al" Yankovic) |
Music video | |
"Bohemian Polka" on YouTube |
"Bohemian Polka" is a cover of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody", done in Yankovic's traditional polka style. Though it primarily consists of a single song in its entirety, Yankovic's official website has categorized "Bohemian Polka" as a polka medley. [14]
The following songs are contained in the medley:
"The Alternative Polka" | |
---|---|
Song by "Weird Al" Yankovic | |
from the album Bad Hair Day | |
Released | March 12, 1996 |
Recorded | January 3, 1996 [7] |
Genre | |
Length | 4:50 |
Label | Scotti Brothers |
Music video | |
"The Alternative Polka" on YouTube |
"The Alternative Polka" is the seventh polka medley recorded by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It appears on his 1996 album, Bad Hair Day . The medley primarily consists of alternative rock songs, with the title being a reference to the genre.
The following songs are contained in the medley:
"Polka Power!" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by "Weird Al" Yankovic | ||||
from the album Running with Scissors | ||||
Released | September 26, 1999 (Germany only) | |||
Recorded | April 20, 1999 [7] | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:20 | |||
Label | ||||
"Weird Al" Yankovic singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Polka Power!" on YouTube |
"Polka Power!" is the eighth polka medley recorded by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It appears on his 1999 album, Running with Scissors . The title of the song is a reference to "Girl Power!" a phrase made popular by the Spice Girls, the first act to be featured in the polka.[ citation needed ] The song was released as a single in Germany.
The following songs are contained in the medley:
"Angry White Boy Polka" | |
---|---|
Song by "Weird Al" Yankovic | |
from the album Poodle Hat | |
Released | May 20, 2003 |
Recorded | March 21, 2003 [7] |
Genre | |
Length | 5:04 |
Label | Volcano |
Music video | |
"Angry White Boy Polka" on YouTube |
The "Angry White Boy Polka" is the ninth polka medley recorded by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It appears on his 2003 album Poodle Hat and consists of Christian metal, nu metal, rap metal, garage rock, and rap tracks performed primarily by white males; however, members from groups System of a Down, Rage Against the Machine and P.O.D. are multiracial and drummers Meg White of The White Stripes and Stefanie Eulinberg of Kid Rock's band are female. Rage Against the Machine would have their style parodied on the 2006 track "I'll Sue Ya" from Straight Outta Lynwood.
The following are contained in the medley:
"Polkarama!" | |
---|---|
Song by "Weird Al" Yankovic | |
from the album Straight Outta Lynwood | |
Released | September 24, 2006 |
Recorded | April 12, 2006 [7] |
Genre | |
Length | 4:17 |
Label | Volcano |
Music video | |
"Polkarama!" on YouTube |
"Polkarama!" is the tenth polka medley by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It was released on his 2006 album, Straight Outta Lynwood .
The following songs are contained in the medley:
"Polka Face" | |
---|---|
Song by "Weird Al" Yankovic | |
from the album Alpocalypse | |
Released | June 21, 2011 |
Recorded | May 8, 2010 [7] |
Genre | |
Length | 4:47 |
Label | Volcano |
Music video | |
"Polka Face" on YouTube |
"Polka Face" is the eleventh Weird Al polka medley. It was performed in concert in 2010, and was released on the 2011 album Alpocalypse . The medley consists of then-recent dance-pop, hip hop, and R&B songs.
The following songs are contained in the medley: [21]
The title is a reference to Lady Gaga's song "Poker Face".
On September 25, 2011, Comedy Central's website Jokes.com premiered an animated music video for this polka medley. [22] The video features a distinctive animation style for each of the segments of the parody. Some are Flash-animated ("Right Round", "Baby", "Blame It", "Break Your Heart", and "I Kissed a Girl"), others contain cut-out ("Fireflies"), hand-drawn ("Down"), stop-motion ("Womanizer"), and experimental scribbling animation ("Replay").
Chart (2011) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Comedy Digital Tracks ( Billboard ) [23] | 6 |
"Now That's What I Call Polka!" | |
---|---|
Song by "Weird Al" Yankovic | |
from the album Mandatory Fun | |
Released | July 15, 2014 |
Recorded | April 15, 2014 [7] |
Genre | |
Length | 4:06 |
Label | RCA |
"Now That's What I Call Polka!" is the twelfth polka medley recorded by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It appears on his 2014 album Mandatory Fun , and the title of the medley is the parody of compilation album series Now That's What I Call Music!
The following songs are included in the medley: [24]
On 11 May 2020, a fan-animated music video for the song, known as the #CollAlb, would be released. This features the collaborative works of 14 online animators and was uploaded by Rizatch (the animator who did the Wrecking Ball scene), and as of January 2024, it has amassed almost 10.7 million views. [25]
Chart (2014) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Comedy Digital Tracks ( Billboard ) [26] | 4 |
"The Hamilton Polka" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by "Weird Al" Yankovic | ||||
Released | March 1, 2018 | |||
Recorded | February 13, 2018 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 5:01 | |||
Songwriter(s) | Lin-Manuel Miranda | |||
"Weird Al" Yankovic singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"The Hamilton Polka" on YouTube |
"The Hamilton Polka" is the thirteenth polka medley recorded by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It was released on March 1, 2018, as a digital single and is composed primarily of songs from the Broadway musical Hamilton , written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and based on the life of Alexander Hamilton. [27] The song was released as part of Miranda's "Hamildrop" series. [28]
The following songs are included in the medley:
Yankovic's polka medleys are often well-received by fans, with some calling them "a staple of his albums" and "often featured as a highlight for fans of his unique musical style and comedic sensibilities." [31] However some polka musicians such as The Dreadnoughts have criticized them, saying that they play into the "dumb euro" stereotype (portraying Slavic and Eastern European people as "goofy" or "unintelligent") and that they "unwittingly [teach] the next two generations that polka is just a mashup comedy style." [32]
Poodle Hat is the eleventh studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on May 20, 2003. It was the fifth studio album self-produced by Yankovic. The musical styles on the album are built around parodies and pastiches of pop of the early-2000s. The album's lead single, "Couch Potato", is a parody of "Lose Yourself" by Eminem. The single failed to chart, although the album's song "eBay" eventually peaked at 15 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles in 2007.
Bad Hair Day is the ninth studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on March 12, 1996. It was Yankovic's last studio album for the Scotti Brothers label before it was purchased by Volcano Entertainment in 1999. The album produced an array of hit comedy singles; lead single "Amish Paradise", which lampoons both Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise" and the Amish lifestyle, charted at No. 53 on the Billboard Hot 100, while "Gump", which parodies "Lump" by the Presidents of the United States of America and the movie Forrest Gump, reached at No. 102.
Off the Deep End is the seventh studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released in 1992. This album was the first album self-produced by Yankovic, after six albums with Rick Derringer. Recorded between June 1990 and January 1992, the album was a follow-up to the unsuccessful soundtrack to Yankovic's 1989 film UHF. Off the Deep End and its lead single "Smells Like Nirvana" helped to revitalize Yankovic's career after a lull following his last hit single, "Fat", in 1988.
Even Worse is the fifth studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on April 12, 1988. The album was produced by former The McCoys guitarist Rick Derringer. Recorded between November 1987 and February 1988, this album helped to revitalize Yankovic's career after the critical and commercial failure of his previous album Polka Party! (1986).
"Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on February 28, 1984, by Rock 'n Roll Records. The album was one of many produced by former McCoys guitarist Rick Derringer. Recorded between October and December 1983, the album was Yankovic's follow-up to his modestly successful debut LP, "Weird Al" Yankovic.
Polka Party! is the fourth studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on October 21, 1986. The album was produced by former The McCoys guitarist Rick Derringer. Recorded between April and September 1986, the album was Yankovic's follow-up to his successful 1985 release, Dare to Be Stupid. The album's lead single, "Living With a Hernia", failed to chart.
Greatest Hits Volume II is a compilation album of songs by "Weird Al" Yankovic, featuring his best known songs that did not appear on "Weird Al" Yankovic's Greatest Hits, plus the new single "Headline News" which had first appeared on the box set Permanent Record: Al In The Box, released a month prior. The compilation album was met with mostly positive critical reviews, and it managed to chart on the Billboard 200 at number 198. However, it ranks as one of Yankovic's least-selling records.
Permanent Record: Al in the Box is a four disc compilation box set of songs by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on September 27, 1994. The album, released by Scotti Brothers Records so that the label could make monetary projections for the fiscal year, collects Yankovic's favorite songs from his first eight studio albums. The collection also includes alternate versions of "My Bologna", "Happy Birthday", "UHF" and the new single, "Headline News", a parody of "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" by Crash Test Dummies. It peaked at number 104 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"You're Pitiful" is a parody of the James Blunt song "You're Beautiful" written and recorded by American parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic. It was released exclusively online on June 7, 2006. In it, Yankovic chides a 42-year-old man who lives a pitiful existence. It was originally intended as the lead single of his twelfth studio album, Straight Outta Lynwood.
Straight Outta Lynwood is the twelfth studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on September 26, 2006, the title drawing inspiration from hip hop group N.W.A's Straight Outta Compton. It was the sixth studio album self-produced by Yankovic. The musical styles on the album are built around parodies and pastiches of pop and rock music of the mid-2000s. The album's lead single, "White & Nerdy", is a parody of Chamillionaire's hit single "Ridin'". The single debuted at #28 on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at #9 the following week; "Canadian Idiot", a parody of Green Day's "American Idiot", also charted, peaking at #82.
"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. The song both satirizes and celebrates nerd culture, as recited by the subject, who cannot "roll with the gangstas" because he is "just too white and nerdy". It includes many references to activities stereotypically associated with nerds and/or white people, such as collecting comic books and action figures, being fluent in JavaScript and Klingon, editing Wikipedia, and playing Dungeons & Dragons (D&D).
"Canadian Idiot" is a song by American parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on 26 September 2006 from his album Straight Outta Lynwood. It is a parody of Green Day's song "American Idiot".
The discography of American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, actor and parodist "Weird Al" Yankovic consists of fourteen studio albums, two soundtrack albums, nine compilation albums, eleven video albums, two extended plays, two box sets, forty-six singles and fifty-four music videos. Since the debut of his first comedy song in 1976, he has sold more than 12 million albums—more than any other comedy act in history—recorded more than 150 parody and original songs, and performed more than 1,000 live shows. His works have earned him five Grammy Awards among sixteen nominations, along with several gold and platinum record certifications in the United States. Yankovic's first single, "My Bologna", was released in 1979, and he made his chart debut two years later with his second single, "Another One Rides the Bus", which peaked at number four on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart. His self-titled debut studio album was released on Scotti Brothers Records on May 3, 1983, peaking at number 16 on the US Billboard 200 and being certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). "Ricky", the album's third single, became his first single to chart on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 64.
"Trapped in the Drive-Thru" is the eleventh song from "Weird Al" Yankovic's twelfth studio album Straight Outta Lynwood, which was released on September 26, 2006. This song is a parody of Trapped in the Closet by R. Kelly. To date, the song is Yankovic's longest parody, and his second longest song ever released on his studio albums.
"Pancreas" is a song by American musician Weird Al Yankovic from his 2006 album Straight Outta Lynwood. It is a pastiche of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds and Smile albums.
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American musician and comedian. He is best known for writing and performing comedy songs that often parody specific songs by contemporary musicians. He also performs original songs that are style pastiches of the work of other acts, as well as polka medleys of several popular songs, most of which feature his trademark accordion.
Alpocalypse is the thirteenth studio album by American parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on June 21, 2011. It was the seventh studio album self-produced by Yankovic. The musical styles on the album are built around parodies and pastiches of pop and rock music of the late 2000s and early 2010s. The album's first single, "Whatever You Like", was released almost two and a half years prior to the release of the album, and the single peaked at number 104 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album's final single, "Perform This Way", was released digitally on April 25, 2011, but failed to chart.
"Weird Al" Yankovic Live! - The Alpocalypse Tour is a live video recording of "Weird Al" Yankovic's concert during the Alpocalypse tour, at Massey Hall, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that aired on Comedy Central on October 1, 2011. It was released in an extended edition on Blu-ray and DVD on October 4, 2011. For copyright reasons video clips were edited out.
Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of "Weird Al" Yankovic is a 15-album box set by American comedy musician "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on November 24, 2017. Squeeze Box marks Yankovic's second box set since 1994's Permanent Record: Al in the Box.
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