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'Weird Al' Yankovic Gets First No. 1 Album On Billboard 200 with 'Mandatory Fun'
Billboard ^ | 07/24/2014 | By Keith Caulfield

Posted on 07/24/2014 6:37:03 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

After more than 30 years on the charts, comedian-singer "Weird Al" Yankovic earns his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200, as "Mandatory Fun" debuts atop the list. The album is the first comedy set to top the chart since 1963, and logs the largest sales week for a comedy album since 1994.

"Mandatory Fun" was released July 15 through Way Moby and RCA Records, and sold 104,000 copies in the week ending July 20, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It was promoted by a well-receiveddaily viral video campaign that launched Monday, July 14. Starting with his parody of Pharrell's "Happy," Yankovic released eight music videos for the album through the week on various sites, like The Wall Street Journal, Yahoo, Nerdist, College Humor and YouTube.

"Mandatory" is the first comedy album to top the Billboard 200 since Allan Sherman's "My Son, the Nut" spent eight weeks at No. 1 beginning on the chart dated Aug. 31, 1963. A couple of comedy sets came close since then, including Steve Martin's No. 2-peaking "A Wild and Crazy Guy" back in 1978 and a pair of No. 2 Cheech & Chong titles in the early 1970s.

(Excerpt) Read more at billboard.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Music/Entertainment; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: billboard; comedy; mandatoryfun; top10; weirdal; weirdalyankovic; yankovic
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To: SeekAndFind

I saw an interview of Al. Comes off as a very normal, ordinary guy.


61 posted on 07/24/2014 7:52:50 AM PDT by fatnotlazy
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To: Hegewisch Dupa

What about the Reggae/Zepplin/Elvis themed novelty band “Dread Zepplin” that had some hits and toured in the 90s?


62 posted on 07/24/2014 7:54:36 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (Elian Gonzalez sought asylum and was sent back to Cuba, send these kids back to THEIR parents.)
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To: dfwgator
You’d have to be living under a rock to not at least be familiar with “Happy.”

I am familiar with the word "happy", and I believe one of the 7 dwarfs was named "Happy". What is this "Happy" of which you speak? Is it a song? Why would I be familiar with it if, as I already said, I only listen to Sinatra or classical music? I'm at my desk at work listening to the Darmstadt Overtures by Georg Phillip Telemann as I write this.

63 posted on 07/24/2014 7:54:54 AM PDT by Sans-Culotte (Psalm 14:1 ~ The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”)
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To: Sans-Culotte

I don’t know, his stuff is still pretty funny even if you don’t know what he’s spoofing. Sure you’re missing 1 joke of the song, but there’s always 8 or 9 jokes. He is just plain a funny guy.


64 posted on 07/24/2014 7:55:42 AM PDT by discostu (Villains always blink their eyes.)
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To: Sans-Culotte

The Rolling Stones had a song called Happy on their Exile on Main St. album back in the early 70s.

I clicked on the Weird Al clip and it didn’t sound like that.

And I didn’t recognize the Weird Al music for Tacky even as anything I’ve heard in the background.

Avoiding the mall has its rewards.


65 posted on 07/24/2014 7:57:25 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (Elian Gonzalez sought asylum and was sent back to Cuba, send these kids back to THEIR parents.)
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To: dfwgator

I must live under a rock. The only “Happy” I know is a relatively obscure Rolling Stones song from Exile on Main St. Me and pop music don’t get along.


66 posted on 07/24/2014 7:58:58 AM PDT by discostu (Villains always blink their eyes.)
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To: Sans-Culotte

I bet you’ll find you don’t need to know the original material to find him funny. He’s not merely satirizing songs; he’s largely using their melodies and arrangements as a medium for his own funny lyrics; he also creates several of his own melodies.


67 posted on 07/24/2014 8:02:21 AM PDT by dangus
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To: Maceman

The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. Maybe the funniest comic strip ever.


68 posted on 07/24/2014 8:16:35 AM PDT by driftless2 (For long term happiness, learn how to play the accordion.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Love his songs. “Traffic Jam” and “Frank’s 2000 Inch TV” cracked me up.


69 posted on 07/24/2014 8:21:32 AM PDT by knittnmom (Save the earth! It's the only planet with chocolate!)
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To: fatnotlazy

A woman I used to work met him while she was on vacation in LA at of all places the La Brea Tar Pits. She said he was a very nice guy. I never did find out what he was doing there.


70 posted on 07/24/2014 8:24:40 AM PDT by driftless2 (For long term happiness, learn how to play the accordion.)
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To: Mr. K

Yep..the riff from the Gilligan’s Island Theme in the middle is brilliant


71 posted on 07/24/2014 8:24:45 AM PDT by tophat9000 (An Eye for an Eye, a Word for a Word...nothing more)
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To: Maceman

I apologize for my misspelling. You are right, I was singing it correctly, but typed it incorrectly.

The album may only be worth 79 cents, but the memories of listening to it with mom and dad, are priceless.


72 posted on 07/24/2014 8:27:41 AM PDT by Gefn ("I am waiting for a rebirth of wonder ")
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To: FatherofFive
Art died with the Impressionists. Classical Music died with Mozart.

Picasso and Beethoven have a bone to pick with you.

73 posted on 07/24/2014 8:36:48 AM PDT by stormhill
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To: dangus

No, he’s very talented and sharp. But it just doesn’t have the same kick when current pop stuff hasn’t been inflicted upon you at all. I also like his originals and the medleys, but his main gig is making fun of the newest thing at the time, and it doesn’t work as well if you thankfully haven’t been subjected to the newest thing for years.

He should do a classics album or go back and get some of the songs he missed, but then of course he’s cutting down on his audience in the other direction.

FReegards


74 posted on 07/24/2014 8:36:53 AM PDT by Ransomed
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To: dfwgator

“You’d have to be living under a rock to not at least be familiar with “Happy.””

Pop culture sucks. Quite happy under my rock.


75 posted on 07/24/2014 8:40:13 AM PDT by Rebelbase
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To: Rebelbase
RE: Quite happy under my rock.

I have a song for you....

76 posted on 07/24/2014 8:52:27 AM PDT by SeekAndFind (If at first you don't succeed, put it out for beta test.)
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To: stormhill
Picasso and Beethoven have a bone to pick with you.

I'll give you Beethoven and Chopin. Picasso not so much.

77 posted on 07/24/2014 9:03:38 AM PDT by FatherofFive (Islam is evil and must be eradicated)
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To: Sans-Culotte
I will never be able to enjoy Weird Al’s parodies again, because I am 100% unfamiliar with the material he is satirizing.

Here's one on usage of the English language that is hilarious. You should be familiar with that subject matter.

Word Crimes

78 posted on 07/24/2014 9:06:21 AM PDT by Bloody Sam Roberts (Can anyone tell me who the head of the Muslim peace movement is?)
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To: Gefn
I don’t have those Cheech and Chong albums

I do. I still have the giant rolling paper inside the Big Bambu album.

79 posted on 07/24/2014 9:08:26 AM PDT by Bloody Sam Roberts (Can anyone tell me who the head of the Muslim peace movement is?)
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To: driftless2
Somehow the La Brea Tar Pits seem appropriate for him. :)
80 posted on 07/24/2014 9:36:02 AM PDT by fatnotlazy
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