Mandatory Fun Chart Watch

[MatthewChojnacki]

Where is his album number one on billboard 200? I just looked and it's not there.

http://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They announce the top 10 via an article on Wednesdays, and then update the charts on Thursdays.

[minnick27]

Not officially official until tomorrow

[weird_el]

I got real for me when Al posted it on his Facebook page.

[mrmeadows]

I'm also loving the thought that many of those who bought this album to put it over the top were likely a new generation of Al fans. Wouldn't be surprised if a lot of them are only discovering him for the first time.

[MandatoryPun]

'Word Crimes' enters the Hot 100 at #39. 4th Top 40 Hit!

Hot 100 debuts include 5 Seconds of Summer's "Everything I Didn't Say" (No. 24) and new Billboard 200 leader Weird Al Yankovic's grammar-lesson parody of Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines," "Word Crimes" (No. 39). The comic icon scores his fourth top 40 hit on the Hot 100, following "Eat It" (No. 12, 1984), "Smells Like Nirvana" (No. 35, 1992) and "White & Nerdy" (No. 9, 2006). Reinforcing his longevity, he's, thus, now sent a new single into the top 40 in each of the last four decades, something that only two other acts have done: Michael Jackson and Madonna, both of whom, he's, of course, ribbed in his inimitable good-natured way. (Jackson's streak actually stretches back to the '70s, as, earlier this year, "Love Never Felt So Good," with Justin Timberlake, rose to No. 9. The peak made the late King of Pop the first artist with top 10s in five distinct decades, and six if including his hits with the Jackson 5.)

[Moneybags]

This is fantastic! I was trying to goad my friends on Facebook into buying the discounted album on Amazon, generally in the form of badgering them about how great "Jackson Park Express" is (y'know, since they couldn't see a video for it).

It seems like we're living in a really interesting era. Al's presence in the world of social media has really worked to his advantage in a way that never could have happened in the 90's. It seems like the country is at a point where it's considered downright "cool" to love and appreciate Weird Al Music (capital M intended), and although "White & Nerdy" might have paved the way for this, it's gotten to the point where it's almost blasphemous to speak (or type) ill of him -- probably because he's such a nice dude. It's abundantly clear that he worked his butt off to make an amazing album and put forth an incredible effort to make the world recognize the album's existence and inherent goodness, and he deserves all the respect and acclaim that he gets.

It's about dang time.

[Kevbo1987]

Wow! The news gets even better! I'm thrilled "Word Crimes" charted in the Top 40, and reading that Al joins Madonna and Michael Jackson as the only artists to have a Top 40 hit in each of the last four decades gave me goosebumps. How in the world is Al not in the Rock Hall yet?

[Just a Bill]

Borrowing bits and pieces from news stories and posts on these forums, here's what I just posted as my facebook status.


I've been a "Weird Al" Yankovic fan since the early 80s. In spite of people sometimes claiming he's passé, his new album "Mandatory Fun" is debuting at #1 (yep, #1) on the Billboard top 200. (This is pretty amazing; the last time the top spot was taken by a *comedy* album was over half a *century* ago, in 1963.)

Not only that, but he has also scored another top 40 hit with "Word Crimes." This means Al has sent a new single to the top 40 in each of the last four decades, something that has only ever been accomplished twice before (by Michael Jackson and Madonna). Love him or hate him, that's some pretty impressive longevity.

What's not generally known about Al is that he composes about half of his own songs, and his underappreciated band is one of the best and most versatile groups working today. This week's coup is well earned, and maybe even long overdue.

[TMBJon]

Al joins Madonna and Michael Jackson as the only artists to have a Top 40 hit in each of the last four decades

Wow, that is truly unbelievable!

[Yankovic-Gretzky]

Why did Word Crimes do better than Tacky?