The New Weird Al Yankovic Top 40 Singles Era!

Yankovic-Gretzky · Post by **Yankovic-Gretzky** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 4:00 pm

Weird Al Yankovic's studio albums have always been charting on Billboard's Top 40 Albums Chart. Now Straight Outta Lynwood is his first Top 10 album. As far as Top 40 Singles, "Eat It" reached # 12 in 1984 and it went GOLD, "Smells Like Nirvana" reached # 35 in 1992, and now Weird Al Yankovic has his third Top 40 hit, his first in 14 years, "White & Nerdy" which is also his first Top 10 hit, reaching # 9. Thanks to sales on iTunes, I'm guessing that from now on, whenever Weird Al Yankovic releases a new album, the first single from each album will enter the Top 40, and maybe the Top 10, as long as the artists he's doing a parody of don't tell him that they don't want him to make a video, like EMINEM did.

How many Top 40 hits do you think Weird Al Yankovic will acheive before he retires or dies. He has three so far. Can he make it to 10?

Do you think Straight Outta Lynwood's Top 10 debut had anything to do with the death of Al's parents. Whenever an artist dies or someone close to them dies, the next album they release charts high. Fans and past fans go out and start buying like mad! Plus, how come Al didn't make any mention or dedication to his parents on the Special Thanks page on the back pages of the booklet for Straight Outta Lynwood? I guess because it's a personal matter and he doesn't want to make a public sentiment like other artists do on their CD booklets. That's good though.

MarsBar · Post by **MarsBar** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 4:19 pm

Yankovic-Gretzky @ Nov 17 2006, 09:00 AM wrote: Plus, how come Al didn't make any mention or dedication to his parents on the Special Thanks page on the back pages of the booklet for Straight Outta Lynwood?

Probably because they were referenced on the 027 NLY license plate.

Post by **Kevbo1987** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 7:14 pm

Yankovic-Gretzky @ Nov 17 2006, 09:00 AM wrote:
Do you think Straight Outta Lynwood's Top 10 debut had anything to do with the death of Al's parents. Whenever an artist dies or someone close to them dies, the next album they release charts high. Fans and past fans go out and start buying like mad!

I highly doubt it. Al's parents passed away over two years before the album came out. I haven't heard of artists' sales going up when someone close to them dies. I'll agree that sales go up when they die. I think maybe if the album had come out immediately after the tragedy, the sales may have been affected. I think SOL's sucess is mostly due to "White and Nerdy".

crazygurl14 · Post by **crazygurl14** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 11:27 pm

I dont think that the albums success has anything to do about his parents. Most non Al fans have probably forgotten about it. But i actually was suprised that he didnt dedicate the album to his parent or include their names in the Thank you's. I suprised that he never has, i was looking through all the cd booklets i had a few days ago and not in any one of them did he thank his parents and those are the first people i'd think of to thank.

But the licence plate thing was a nice idea and he managed to get another 27 into his work

Post by **Well, Well, Well** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 11:32 pm

crazygurl14 @ Nov 17 2006, 03:27 PM wrote: But i actually was suprised that he didnt dedicate the album to his parent or include their names in the Thank you's. I suprised that he never has, i was looking through all the cd booklets i had a few days ago and not in any one of them did he thank his parents and those are the first people i'd think of to thank.

I think this sort of thing is reserved more for people that rarely talk to their parents, and thus feel giving them a thank you in liner notes is a way of saying 'hi.' But as we know, Al was close enough with his parents that he didn't need to do that.

Post by **algonacchick** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 11:47 pm

Well, Al kinda did do a shout-out to his parents with the license plate on the album cover, as MarsBar stated above. He has mentioned his folks numerous times during interviews, and how supportive they always were, so he figured he didn't need to thank them in liner notes on any albums. As far as the success of SOL, I think Kevbo is right, and it's due to "White and Nerdy".

Sat Nov 18, 2006 1:02 am

Well, Well, Well @ Nov 17 2006, 09:32 PM wrote: I think this sort of thing is reserved more for people that rarely talk to their parents, and thus feel giving them a thank you in liner notes is a way of saying 'hi.' But as we know, Al was close enough with his parents that he didn't need to do that.

I think you're right there. My mom used to say that she didn't like to be taken out for dinner on Mother's Day because it depressed her to see the other mothers whose kids were only nice to them once a year, unlike her children.

Besides, I think that being an artist with a reputation for doing really silly stuff, Al prefers subtle references to important and serious matters... for example, the subway on the cover of Poodle Hat could be seen as a quiet sign of solidarity with New York on his post 9/11 album.

Yankovic-Gretzky · Post by **Yankovic-Gretzky** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 1:36 am

MarsBar @ Nov 17 2006, 03:19 PM wrote: Probably because they were referenced on the 027 NLY license plate.

Why is it NLY and not NMY? His parents names were Nick and Mary.

What's the story behind the number 27? I don't get it.

The only reoccuring number for Al on Billboard is the # 17.

Weird Al has had three albums stop at 17:

In 3-D, Off The Deep End, and Poodle Hat.

Post by **crazymelon** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 1:37 am

NLY is Nina's initials, I belive.

Post by **algonacchick** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 1:38 am

NLY are Nick's initials: Nicholas Louis Yankovic, but they are also Nina's: Nina Louise Yankovic. The 27 is for Mary's birthday, which was February 7th, or 2/7.