Parody/Polka Target Chart Successes: An Analysis

[avesjohn]

As a close follower of the Billboard music charts as well as a huge Al fan, I've always found the relative chart success of Al's choice of songs for parodies and polkas to be an interesting subject. So, after seeing some interest in this on another board on the forum, I decided to share what I've compiled from my Billboard books.

USER'S GUIDE:
* This first post is all the parodies to date. The second will be the polkas.
* For each of the original songs, I've listed next to the artist the song's highest chart position on the most relevant chart (the Hot 100 unless otherwise specified) and the year it achieved this peak, and if applicable, the chart position of Al's parody (in italics). If the song being parodied/polkafied was a cover version, I've added the chart info for the original artist's version, if possible.
* For convenience, songs are arranged by the album/polka in which they were parodied/polkafied.
* "Unofficial" song targets (unreleased, e.g., "I'm In Love With The Skipper" or legal issues, e.g., "Buddy Holly" in "The Alternative Polka") are in [brackets].

If anyone has any questions/comments/suggestions for the list, don't hesitate to ask!

PARODIES

“Weird Al” Yankovic (1983)
“Mickey” by Toni Basil - #1 (1982) / “Ricky” - #63 (1983)
“I Love Rock And Roll” by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - #1 (1982) / “I Love Rocky Road” - #106 (1983)
[“Jack And Diane” by John Cougar - #1 (1982)]
“Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” by Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty - #3 (1981)
“My Sharona” by The Knack - #1 (1979)
“Another One Rides The Bus” by Queen - #1 (1980) / “Another One Rides The Bus” - #106 (1981)

In 3-D (1984)
“Beat It” by Michael Jackson - #1 (1983) / “Eat It” - #12 (1984)
“The Safety Dance” by Men Without Hats - #3 (1983)
“Jeopardy” by The Greg Kihn Band - #2 (1983) / “I Lost On Jeopardy” - #81 (1984)
“King Of Pain” by The Police - #3 (1983) / “King Of Suede” - #62 (1984)
“Eye Of The Tiger” by Survivor - #1 (1982)

Dare To Be Stupid (1985)
“Like a Virgin” by Madonna - #1 (1984) / “Like A Surgeon” - #47 (1985)
“I Want A New Drug” by Huey Lewis & The News - #3 (1984)
“Lola” by The Kinks - #9 (1970)
“Girls Just Want To Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper - #2 (1984)

Polka Party! (1986)
“Living In America” by James Brown - #4 (1986)
“Addicted To Love” by Robert Palmer - #2 (1986)
“Who’s Johnny” by El DeBarge - #3 (1986)
“Ruthless People” by Mick Jagger - #51 (1986)

Even Worse (1988)
“Bad” by Michael Jackson - #1 (1987) / “Fat” - #99 (1988)
“Got My Mind Set On You” by George Harrison - #1 (1988)
“I Think We’re Alone Now” by Tiffany - #1 (1987) (Tommy James & The Shondells - #4, 1967)
“La Bamba” by Los Lobos - #1 (1987) (Ritchie Valens - #22, 1954)
“Mony Mony” by Billy Idol - #1 (1987) (Tommy James & The Shondells - #3, 1968)

UHF (1989)
“Money For Nothing” by Dire Straits - #1 (1985)
“Wild Thing” by Tone Loc - #2 (1989)
“She Drives Me Crazy” by Fine Young Cannibals - #1 (1989)
“Stand” by R.E.M. - #6 (1989)

Off The Deep End (1992)
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana - #6 (1992) / “Smells Like Nirvana” - #35 (1992)
“U Can’t Touch This” by MC Hammer - #8 (1990)
“You Got It (The Right Stuff)” by New Kids On The Block - #3 (1989)
“Rico Suave” by Gerardo - #7 (1991)
“Baby Don’t Forget My Number” - #1, “Blame it on the Rain," - #1, by Milli Vanilli (1989)

Alapalooza (1993)
“MacArthur Park” by Richard Harris - #2 (1968)
“Under The Bridge” - #2, “Give It Away” - #73 by Red Hot Chili Peppers (1992)
“Achy Breaky Heart” by Billy Ray Cyrus - #4 (1992)
“Livin’ On The Edge” by Aerosmith - #18 (1993)

“Headline News” (1994) - #104
“Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm” by Crash Test Dummies - #4 (1994)

Bad Hair Day (1996)
“Gangsta’s Paradise” by Coolio - #1 (1995) / “Amish Paradise” - #53 (1996)
“Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me” by U2 - #16 (1995)
“Lump” by The Presidents Of The United States of America - #21 (1995) / “Gump” - #102 (1996)
“Misery” by Soul Asylum - #20 (1995)
“Waterfalls” by TLC - #1 (1995)

Running With Scissors (1999)
“American Pie” by Don McLean - #1 (1972)
“Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)” by The Offspring - #53 (1999)
“One Week” by Barenaked Ladies - #1 (1998 – for 1 week!)
“It’s All About The Benjamins” by Puff Daddy f/ Notorious B.I.G., Lil’ Kim, The Lox, Dave Grohl, Perfect, FuzzBubble & Rob Zombie - #2 (1998)
“Zoot Suit Riot” by Cherry Poppin’ Daddies - #41 (1998)

Poodle Hat (2003)
“Lose Yourself” by Eminem - #1 (2002)
“Hot In Herre” by Nelly - #1 (2002)
“Complicated” by Avril Lavigne - #2 (2002)
“Piano Man” by Billy Joel – #25 (1974)
“I Want It That Way” by Backstreet Boys - #6 (1999) / “eBay” - #115 (2007)

“You’re Pitiful” (2006)
“You’re Beautiful” by James Blunt - #1 (2006)

[“I’m In Love With The Skipper” (2006)
“I’m N Luv (Wit A Stripper)” by T-Pain f/ Mike Jones - #5 (2006)]

Straight Outta Lynwood (2006)
“Ridin’” by Chamillionaire f/ Krayzie Bone - #1 (2006) / “White & Nerdy” - #9 (2006)
“American Idiot” by Green Day - #61 (2004) / “Canadian Idiot” - #82 (2006)
“Confessions Part II” by Usher - #1 (2004)
“Do I Make You Proud” by Taylor Hicks - #1 (2006)
“Trapped In The Closet” by R. Kelly - #22 (2005)

Alpocalypse (2011)
“Born This Way” by Lady Gaga - #1 (2011)
“You Belong With Me” by Taylor Swift - #2 (2009)
“Party In The U.S.A.” by Miley Cyrus - #2 (2009)
“Nothin’ On You” by B.o.B. f/ Bruno Mars - #1 (2010)
“Whatever You Like” by T.I. - #1 (2008) / “Whatever You Like” - #104 (2008)

Mandatory Fun (2014)
"Fancy" by Iggy Azalea f/ Charli XCX - #1 (2014)
"Royals" by Lorde - #1 (2013)
"Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke f/ T.I. & Pharrell - #1 (2013)
"Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons - #3 (2013)
"Happy" by Pharrell Williams - #1 (2014)

[avesjohn]

POLKAS

“Polkas On 45” (1984)
“Jocko Homo” by Devo – N/A (1978)
“Smoke On The Water” by Deep Purple - #4 (1973)
“Sex (I’m A…)” by Berlin - #62 (1983)
“Hey Jude” by The Beatles - #1 (1968)
“L.A. Woman” by The Doors – N/A (1971)
“In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” by Iron Butterfly - #30 (1968)
“Hey Joe” by The Jimi Hendrix Experience – N/A (1967) (The Leaves - #31, 1966)
“Burning Down The House” by Talking Heads - #9 (1983)
“Hot Blooded” by Foreigner – #3 (1978)
“Every Breath You Take” by The Police - #1 (1983)
“Should I Stay Or Should I Go” by The Clash - #45 (1982)
“Jumpin’ Jack Flash” by The Rolling Stones - #3 (1968)
“My Generation” by The Who - #74 (1966)

“Hooked On Polkas” (1985)
“State Of Shock” by The Jacksons - #3 (1984)
“Sharp Dressed Man” by ZZ Top – #56 (1983)
“What’s Love Got To Do With It” by Tina Turner - #1 (1984)
“Method Of Modern Love” by Hall & Oates - #5 (1985)
“Owner Of A Lonely Heart” by Yes - #1 (1984)
“We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister - #21 (1984)
“99 Luftballons” by Nena - #2 (1984)
“Footloose” by Kenny Loggins - #1 (1984)
“The Reflex” by Duran Duran - #1 (1984)
“Bang Your Head (Metal Health)” by Quiet Riot - #31 (1984)
“Relax” by Frankie Goes To Hollywood - #10 (1985)

“Polka Party!” (1986)
“Sledgehammer” by Peter Gabriel - #1 (1986)
“Sussudio” by Phil Collins - #1 (1985)
“Party All The Time” by Eddie Murphy - #2 (1985)
“Say You, Say Me” by Lionel Richie - #1 (1985)
“Freeway Of Love” by Aretha Franklin - #3 (1985)
“What You Need” by INXS - #5 (1986)
“Harlem Shuffle” by The Rolling Stones - #5 (1986) (Bob & Earl - #44, 1964)
“Venus” by Bananarama - #1 (1986) (Shocking Blue - #1, 1970)
“Nasty” by Janet Jackson - #3 (1986)
“Rock Me Amadeus” by Falco - #1 (1986)
“Shout” by Tears For Fears - #1 (1985)
“Papa Don’t Preach” by Madonna - #1 (1986)

“The Hot Rocks Polka” (1989 – all songs by The Rolling Stones)
“It’s Only Rock N’ Roll (But I Like It)” - #16 (1974)
“Brown Sugar” - #1 (1971)
“You Can’t Always Get What You Want” - #42 (1973)
“Honky Tonk Women” - #1 (1969)
“Under My Thumb” – N/A (1966)
“Ruby Tuesday” - #1 (1967)
“Miss You” - #1 (1978)
“Sympathy For The Devil” – N/A (1968)
“Get Off Of My Cloud” - #1 (1965)
“Shattered” - #31 (1979)
“Let’s Spend The Night Together” – #55 (1967)
“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” - #1 (1965)

“Polka Your Eyes Out” (1992)
“Cradle Of Love” by Billy Idol - #2 (1990)
“Tom’s Diner” by DNA f/ Suzanne Vega - #5 (1990)
“Love Shack” by The B-52’s - #3 (1989)
“Pump Up The Jam” by Technotronic f/ Felly - #2 (1990)
“Losing My Religion” by R.E.M. - #4 (1991)
“Unbelievable” by EMF - #1 (1991)
“Do Me!” by Bell Biv DeVoe - #3 (1990)
“Enter Sandman” by Metallica - #16 (1991)
“The Humpty Dance” by Digital Underground - #11 (1990)
“Cherry Pie” by Warrant - #10 (1990)
“Miss You Much” by Janet Jackson - #1 (1989)
“I Touch Myself” by The Divinyls - #4 (1991)
“Dr. Feelgood” by Motley Crue – #6 (1989)
“Ice Ice Baby” by Vanilla Ice - #1 (1990)

“Bohemian Polka” (1993)
“Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen - #9 (1976), #2 (1992 – following Freddie Mercury’s death)

“The Alternative Polka” (1996)
“Loser” by Beck - #10 (1994)
“Sex Type Thing” by Stone Temple Pilots - #23 Mainstream Rock (1993)
“All I Wanna Do” by Sheryl Crow - #2 (1994)
“Closer” by Nine Inch Nails - #41 (1994)
“Bang And Blame” by R.E.M. - #19 (1995)
“You Oughta Know” by Alanis Morissette - #13 Hot 100 Airplay (1995)
“Bullet With Butterfly Wings” by Smashing Pumpkins - #22 (1996)
[“Buddy Holly” by Weezer - #18 Hot 100 Airplay (1995)]
“My Friends” by Red Hot Chili Peppers - #27 (1995)
“I’ll Stick Around” by Foo Fighters - #51 Hot 100 Airplay (1995)
“Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden - #24 Hot 100 Airplay (1994)
“Basket Case” by Green Day – #26 Hot 100 Airplay (1994)

“Polka Power!” (1999)
“Wannabe” by Spice Girls - #1 (1997)
“Flagpole Sitta” by Harvey Danger - #38 Hot 100 Airplay (1998)
“Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)” by Pras Michel f/ Ol’ Dirty Bastard & Mya - #15 (1998)
“Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” by Backstreet Boys - #4 (1998)
“Walkin’ On The Sun” by Smash Mouth – #2 Hot 100 Airplay (1998)
“Intergalactic” by Beastie Boys - #28 (1998)
“Tubthumping” by Chumbawamba - #6 (1997)
“Ray Of Light” by Madonna - #5 (1998)
“Push” by Matchbox Twenty - #5 Hot 100 Airplay (1997)
“Semi-Charmed Life” by Third Eye Blind - #4 (1997)
“The Dope Show” by Marilyn Manson - #122 (1998)
“MMMBop” by Hanson - #1 (1997)
“Sex And Candy” by Marcy Playground - #8 (1998)
“Closing Time” by Semisonic - #11 Hot 100 Airplay (1998)

“Angry White Boy Polka” (2003)
“Last Resort” by Papa Roach – #57 (2000)
“Chop Suey!” by System of a Down - #76 (2002)
“Get Free” by The Vines - #122 (2002)
“Hate To Say I Told You So” by The Hives - #86 (2002)
“Fell In Love With A Girl” by The White Stripes - #121 (2002)
“Last Nite” by The Strokes - #108 (2002)
“Down With The Sickness” by Disturbed - #104 (2001)
“Renegades Of Funk” by Rage Against The Machine - #109 (2001)
“My Way” by Limp Bizkit - #75 (2001)
“Outside” by Staind - #111 (2001)
“Bawitdaba” by Kid Rock - #104 (1999)
“Youth Of The Nation” by P.O.D. - #28 (2002)
“The Real Slim Shady” by Eminem - #4 (2000)

“Polkarama!” (2006)
“Let’s Get It Started” by The Black Eyed Peas - #21 (2004)
“Take Me Out” by Franz Ferdinand - #66 (2004)
“Beverly Hills” by Weezer - #10 (2005)
“Speed Of Sound” by Coldplay - #8 (2005)
“Float On” by Modest Mouse - #68 (2004)
“Feel Good, Inc.” by Gorillaz - #14 (2005)
“Don’t Cha” by The Pussycat Dolls f/ Busta Rhymes - #2 (2005)
“Somebody Told Me” by The Killers - #51 (2004)
“Slither” by Velvet Revolver - #56 (2004)
“Candy Shop” by 50 Cent f/ Olivia - #1 (2005)
“Drop It Like It’s Hot” by Snoop Dogg f/ Pharrell - #1 (2004)
“Pon De Replay” by Rihanna - #2 (2005)
“Gold Digger” by Kanye West f/ Jamie Foxx - #1 (2005)

"Polka Face" (2011)
“Poker Face” by Lady Gaga - #1 (2009)
“Womanizer” by Britney Spears - #1 (2008)
“Right Round” by Flo Rida f/ Ke$ha - #1 (2009)
“Day ‘n’ Nite” by Kid Cudi - #3 (2009)
“Need You Now” by Lady Antebellum - #2 (2010)
“Baby” by Justin Bieber f/ Ludacris - #5 (2010)
“So What” by Pink - #1 (2008)
“I Kissed A Girl” by Katy Perry - #1 (2008)
“Fireflies” by Owl City - #1 (2009)
“Blame It” by Jamie Foxx f/ T-Pain - #2 (2009)
“Replay” by Iyaz - #2 (2010)
“Down” by Jay Sean f/ Lil’ Wayne - #1 (2009)
“Break Your Heart” by Taio Cruz f/ Ludacris - #1 (2010)
“Tik Tok” by Ke$ha - #1 (2010)

"NOW That's What I Call Polka!" (2014)
“Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus - #1 (2013)
“Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People - #3 (2011)
“Best Song Ever” by One Direction - #2 (2013)
“Gangnam Style” by PSY - #2 (2012)
“Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen - #1 (2012)
“Scream & Shout” by will.i.am f/ Britney Spears - #3 (2013)
“Somebody That I Used To Know” by Gotye f/ Kimbra - #1 (2012)
“Timber” by Pitbull f/ Ke$ha - #1 (2014)
“Sexy And I Know It” by LMFAO - #1 (2012)
“Thrift Shop” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis f/ Wanz - #1 (2013)
“Get Lucky” by Daft Punk f/ Pharrell Williams - #2 (2013)

[Genius in Maine]

Nice work, though I'm quite surprised "Sharp Dressed Man" wasn't a bigger hit.

[anthontherun]

Nicely done! Thanks for doing this. I count just 10 parody targets that didn't make the top 10 (and only an additional six that didn't make the top 5), so this could be useful in helping us scope out potential parodies.

[avesjohn]

You'll notice interesting things like Even Worse is also the only album (so far) in which every parody target was a #1 hit (but the majority of those targets were covers of previous hits).

[Killingsworth]

Nice work on this list, but I noticed a couple of mistakes in the "parodies" list. Under Even Worse, "Got My Mind Set On You" is also a cover. The original was made famous by Rudy Clark. For OTDE, you forgot to include "Blame It On The Rain".

[just2good]

This thread is made for people like me. I frikin' love following the billboard charts. I have all of the chart positions of Al's stuff remembered, and follow the Billboard Charts ever so closely.

[anthontherun]

"Got My Mind Set On You" is also a cover. The original was made famous by Rudy Clark.

Rudy Clark wrote the song, but the original was recorded by James Ray in 1962--and he didn't make it famous; it never charted, which is presumably why avesjohn didn't mention it.

I fixed the Milli Vanilli entry.

[avesjohn]

^ Thanks for fixing that for me. In making the list I was remembering the "girl you know it's true" line in "The Plumbing Song" and must have forgotten it was an homage to that song and not a direct parody.

Also, the list doesn't show that 6 of the "Alternative Polka" songs were #1 Modern Rock (Alternative) hits (as were 3 of the AWBP selections), which shows how huge those songs were in their respective genre, if not the mainstream.

And yes, I didn't mention the original "Got My Mind Set On You" because it didn't chart. It says something about the 80s that 4 out of 5 of Al's parodies on Even Worse were of covers, but I don't know what. (And what are Al's albums but little time capsules?)

[avesjohn]

I've updated the lists with the parody and polka originals featured on Mandatory Fun.

The first thing I noticed upon seeing all the songs listed together is that none of the songs featured in MF peaked below #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. I thought that was pretty impressive.