Kurt Cobain once said that he knew his group, Nirvana, made it, because they were the subject of a "Weird Al" parody. Al has said that if he parodies a band, it's meant to be a tribute. When a parody isn't practical, Al will sometimes do a style parody of a band he likes, or include them in a polka. Again these are tributes. A style parody is an original song done in he style of a band, or specific genre of music.
All of "Weird Al" Yankovic's song's fall into at least one of five categories: parody, style parody, polka, cover version, or original.
Some songs, like "Bohemian Polka" or "The Brady Bunch," fall into more than one category. For example, "Bohemian Polka" is both a polka and a cover version. And "The Brady Bunch" is both a parody and, in part, a cover version of the show's theme song. Of course, there are a lot more that overlap, but that is not the focus of this list.
Since an original isn't meant to specifically pay tribute to any one band (except Al's, of course!), a band can not be honored in an original. Technically, I suppose a band could, if Al mentioned the band in the song, but for the purpose of this list, straight originals do not apply.
That leaves four ways a band can be honored by Al. This list will cover bands that are honored by parody, style parody, polka, and cover version.
Please note that some style parodies are subjective. Therefore, style parodies that make the list are at my discretion. They may or may not reflect what Al was thinking when he wrote the song, but I try to reflect what I think Al was thinking as accurately as I can. If you think a style parody fits a particular style that I don't have listed, please let me know.
This list includes data from all of Al's full-length albums through "Straight Outta Lynwood" and unreleased songs.
To date, no band or artist has achieved The Ultimate Honor. The Ultimate Honor would include all four marks of respect: a parody, a style parody, a polka, and a cover version. Cover versions are rare, and usually involve TV themes, so chances that a band would ever reach The Ultimate Honor are rare.
There are only a handful of bands so far that receive a "Hat Trick." In order to get a Hat Trick, the band must achieve three of the four marks of respect.
| Band/Artist | Parody | Style Parody | Polka | Cover Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madonna | Like A Surgeon | Polka Party! ["Papa Don't Preach"] Polka Power! ["Ray Of Light"] |
Secret | |
| Queen | Another One Rides The Bus | Bohemian Polka | Bohemian Polka (Bohemian Rhapsody) | |
| R.E.M. | Spam | Frank's 2000" TV | Polka Your Eyes Out ["Losing My Religion"] The Alternative Polka ["Bang and Blame"] |
|
| Talking Heads | Take Me To The Liver | Dog Eat Dog | Polkas On 45 ["Burning Down The House"] | |
| The Police | King Of Suede | Velvet Elvis | Polkas On 45 ["Every Breath You Take"] | |
| The Who | Won't Eat Prunes Again | Polkas On 45 ["My Generation"] | My Generation |
Some bands are already halfway there. With Al's next album, will some move up to the coveted Hat Trick category? Only Al knows for sure!
| Band/Artist | Parody | Style Parody | Polka | Cover Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alanis Morissette | Fast Food | The Alternative Polka ["You Oughta Know"] | ||
| Backstreet Boys | eBay | Polka Power! ["Everybody (Backstreet's Back)"] | ||
| Beck | Wanna B Ur Lovr | The Alternative Polka ["Loser"] | ||
| Billy Idol | Alimony | Polka Your Eyes Out ["Cradle Of Love"] | ||
| Devo | Dare To Be Stupid | Polkas On 45 ["Jocko Homo"] | ||
| Eminem | Couch Potato | Angry White Boy Polka ["The Real Slim Shady"] | ||
| Green Day | [TBA] | Alternative Polka ["Basket Case"] | ||
| John Mellencamp | Homer And Marge | Buckingham Blues | ||
| Mick Jagger | Toothless People | Hooked On Polkas ["State Of Shock"] | ||
| Nine Inch Nails | Germs | The Alternative Polka ["Closer"] | ||
| Nirvana | Smells Like Nirvana Bite Me |
Callin' In Sick | ||
| Red Hot Chili Peppers | Bedrock Anthem | The Alternative Polka ["My Friends"] | ||
| The B-52s | Mr. Popeil | Polka Your Eyes Out ["Love Shack"] | ||
| The Beastie Boys | Twister | Polka Power! ["Intergalactic"] | ||
| The Beatles | Gee, I'm A Nerd Pac-man |
Polkas On 45 ["Hey Jude"] | ||
| The Rolling Stones | Miss You/Beverly Hillbillies Fatter |
The Hot Rocks Polka Polkas On 45 ["Jumpin' Jack Flash"] Polka Party! ["Harlem Shuffle"] |
||
| Tina Turner | We Won't Eat Another Hero | Hooked On Polkas ["What's Love Got To Do With It?"] | ||
| Soul Asylum | Syndicated, Inc. | The Night Santa Went Crazy |
This list was inspired by a post by J. on alt.music.weird-al.