Crushable » Weird-Al-Yankovic

5 Songs I Heard For The First Time On Radio Disney

Natalie Zutter — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:50:08 +0000

Do you guys remember Radio Disney? AM 1310, as we knew it in Marin, was the shit back when I was in middle school. Long before Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers, the station played hits by stars like The A*Teens and 98 Degrees; so many teen groups from the ’90s and early ’00s got their start on that station. They also had plenty of chances to call in for contests and just to chat with the DJs (none of whose names I actually remember). Radio Disney turns 15 this month, so here are the songs I can remember hearing for the very first time after the catchphrase “Radio Disney—we’re all ears!”

“Candy” by Mandy Moore

One afternoon I was sitting in my room when the DJ said, “We’ve got a new artist debuting her first single—Mandy Moore!” Since my parents had raised me on a lot of rock like The Who and The Beatles, it was probably the first time I’d heard bubblegum pop. The fact that I heard this on Radio Disney is probably part of the reason why in the battle of saccharine-sweet pop, I’ve always had more of a soft spot for Mandy than for her rival Jessica Simpson.

Ironically, for the longest time I envisioned Mandy as the brunette that we now know her as, as opposed to her natural blond hair.

“The Saga Begins” by Weird Al Yankovic

Although he doesn’t enjoy the same fame he held back in the ’90s, Weird Al is still relevant enough that he had a guest spot on a recent episode of How I Met Your Mother. As an awkward twelve-year-old, I was a true devotee, having stumbled upon all of his parodies from the ’80s. “The Saga Begins” — which poked fun at Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace – is the first Weird Al song I remember being released in my lifetime, though of course that wasn’t the case.

On the afternoon of its world premiere, I waited by the radio with bated breath until the appointed time; I even recorded it on my tape recorder so I could listen to it over and over and memorize the words. Consider that this was before iTunes, iPhone apps, or the Internet to look up lyrics.

It’s not my favorite Weird Al song; it probably doesn’t even crack the top 10. But I still remember the anticipation of waiting for it.

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Pop Culture Pop Quiz: Is It a Weird Al Song?

Molly Horan — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 19:08:45 +0000

Weird Al’s new album, Alpocalypse, is out today. It’s full of polka and parodies, including the Lady Gaga spoof below. Maybe you consider yourself an Al fan, or at least pretty well versed in his big hits, like Amish Paradise, right? But can you tell a real Weird Al Song from a fake? Find out by playing Crushable’s “Is It a Weird Al Song?”

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Lady Gaga Not Amused By Weird Al Yankovic’s ‘Born This Way’ Parody

Lilit Marcus — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 17:17:11 +0000

Weird Al Yankovic is known for his pop culture parodies, and he’s done reworked versions of songs by everyone from Michael Jackson to Nirvana. However, one artist evidently doesn’t find Weird Al’s work to be funny – Lady Gaga. Weird Al announced via his YouTube channel that he wrote a version of Gaga’s song “Born This Way” called “Perform This Way,” and although he intended for the song to appear on his upcoming album it won’t be included. He’s not stating the exact reason why, but he has promised to update fans on the situation on his website soon. Our theory? Gaga put the kibosh on the song because the lyrics make fun of her. We thought she had a better sense of humor than that. Here’s the song:

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Weird Al Spoofs Taylor Hicks

Jason Bean — Thu, 23 Nov 2006 03:17:36 +0000

In my opinion you know you’ve made it to the big leagues when Weird Al Yankovic starts parodying your music. Given that thought, Taylor should be proud because his song “Do I Make You Proud” has been parodied to “Do I Creep You Out” by the master of humor music.

Do I Creep You Out | Send To Friends | Funny Animations at JibJab

You can see the video for free now on JibJab

I’ve always been a big fan of Weird Al. As goofy as his music is, I think he’s really got some talent, both for creativity and actual singing ability. What do you think?

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