List of "Weird Al" Yankovic polka medleys
Polka-style medleys of cover songs are a distinguishing part of American musician, satirist, parodist, and songwriter "Weird Al" Yankovic's catalog. Twelve of his fourteen albums contain them; his self-titled debut and Even Worse omit them.
The medleys are composed of various popular songs, each one reinterpreted as a polka (generally an instrumentation of accordion, banjo, tuba, clarinet, and muted brass interspersed with sound effects) with the choruses or memorable lines of various songs juxtaposed for humorous effect. Yankovic has been known to say that converting these songs to polka was "...the way God intended."[1] Yankovic said that the medleys were something he did "even before I had a record deal" in live performances, and that many of the songs are included due to not receiving a full parody version - "if there’s a song that I think is really ripe for parody but I just can’t think of a clever enough idea, sometimes it’ll end up in the polka medley."[2] Regarding their popularity, Yankovic has said, "At this point, it's sort of mandatory for me to do a polka medley. Fans would be rioting in the streets, I think, if I didn't do a polka medley."[1] Yankovic has always asked permission from every artist whose songs compose a medley due to royalties issues.[3] He acknowledged some influence of Spike Jones in the medleys, such as the sound effects.[4]
Three of Yankovic's polka medleys—"Hooked on Polkas", "Polka Power!", and "The Hamilton Polka"—have been released as singles (either in international markets or domestically). "Polka Your Eyes Out" and "Polkas on 45" were also the only polkas to appear on a greatest hits album and "Polka Face" is the only polka to have an official video released for it.
"Polkas on 45"
"Polkas on 45" | |
---|---|
Song by "Weird Al" Yankovic | |
from the album "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D | |
Released | February 28, 1984 |
Recorded | December 13, 1983[5] |
Genre | |
Length | 4:23 |
Label | Scotti Brothers |
"Polkas on 45" is Yankovic's first polka medley. It appears on his second album, In 3-D. This and "The Hot Rocks Polka" are Yankovic's only polka medleys to focus on popular rock songs from the 1960s and 1970s rather than contemporary songs, though "Polkas on 45" includes some of the latter (ex:Talking Heads and The Police). The song title is a take on the medley-releasing novelty band Stars on 45 and their self-titled 1981 single.
The following songs are contained in the medley:
- "Beer Barrel Polka" by Jaromír Vejvoda
- "Jocko Homo" by Devo
- "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple
- "Sex (I'm A...)" by Berlin
- "Hey Jude" by The Beatles
- "L.A. Woman" by the Doors
- "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" by Iron Butterfly
- "Hey Joe" by Jimi Hendrix
- "Burning Down the House" by Talking Heads
- "Hot Blooded" by Foreigner
- "Bubbles in the Wine" by Bob Calame (1913–1967), Lawrence Welk's long-standing theme song
- "Every Breath You Take" by the Police
- "Should I Stay or Should I Go" by the Clash
- "Jumpin' Jack Flash" by the Rolling Stones
- "My Generation" by the Who
- "Ear Booker Polka" by "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Hooked on Polkas"
"Hooked on Polkas" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by "Weird Al" Yankovic | ||||
from the album Dare to Be Stupid | ||||
Released | June 18, 1985 | (Japan only)|||
Recorded | March 25, 1985[5] | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:51 | |||
Label | Scotti Brothers | |||
"Weird Al" Yankovic singles chronology | ||||
|
"Hooked on Polkas" is the second polka medley recorded by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It appeared on his third album, Dare to Be Stupid. The song was released as a single in Japan.
Its title is a reference to the 1981 record Hooked on Classics, in which very recognizable extracts from classical music pieces were played over a continuous, more disco-style beat.[6]
The following songs are contained in the medley:
- "Twelfth Street Rag" by Euday L. Bowman
- "State of Shock" by the Jacksons and Mick Jagger
- "Sharp Dressed Man" by ZZ Top
- "What's Love Got to Do with It" by Tina Turner
- "Method of Modern Love" by Hall & Oates
- "Owner of a Lonely Heart" by Yes
- "We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister
- "99 Luftballons" by Nena
- "Footloose" by Kenny Loggins
- "The Reflex" by Duran Duran
- "Bang Your Head (Metal Health)" by Quiet Riot
- "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
- "Ear Booker Polka" by "Weird Al" Yankovic
Single track listing
- "Hooked on Polkas" - 3:51
- "I Want a New Duck" - 3:01
"Polka Party!"
"Polka Party!" | |
---|---|
Song by "Weird Al" Yankovic | |
from the album Polka Party! | |
Released | October 21, 1986 |
Recorded | August 29, 1986[5] |
Genre | |
Length | 3:15 |
Label | Scotti Brothers |
Songwriter(s) | "Weird Al" Yankovic |
"Polka Party!" is the third polka medley recorded by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It appears on his fourth album, Polka Party!.
The following songs are contained in the medley:
- "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel
- "Sussudio" by Phil Collins
- "Party All the Time" by Eddie Murphy
- "Say You, Say Me" by Lionel Richie
- "Freeway of Love" by Aretha Franklin
- "What You Need" by INXS
- "Harlem Shuffle" by The Rolling Stones, originally by Bob & Earl
- "Venus" by Bananarama, originally by Shocking Blue
- "Nasty" by Janet Jackson
- "Rock Me Amadeus" by Falco
- "Shout" by Tears for Fears
- "Papa Don't Preach" by Madonna
- "Ear Booker Polka" by "Weird Al" Yankovic
"The Hot Rocks Polka"
"The Hot Rocks Polka" | |
---|---|
Song by "Weird Al" Yankovic | |
from the album UHF | |
Released | July 18, 1989 |
Recorded | May 24, 1989[5] |
Genre | |
Length | 4:50 |
Label | Scotti Brothers |
Songwriter(s) |
"The Hot Rocks Polka" is the fourth polka medley recorded by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It appears on his sixth studio album, UHF - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff. All of the songs in "The Hot Rocks Polka" medley are songs by The Rolling Stones, with the addition of Yankovic's "Ear Booker Polka" at the end. The title of the song refers to Hot Rocks 1964-1971, a greatest hits album of The Rolling Stones music.
The following songs are contained in the medley:
- "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)"
- "Brown Sugar"
- "You Can't Always Get What You Want"
- "Honky Tonk Women"
- "Under My Thumb"
- "Ruby Tuesday"
- "Miss You"
- "Sympathy for the Devil"
- "Get Off of My Cloud"
- "Shattered"
- "Let's Spend the Night Together"
- "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"
- "Ear Booker Polka" by "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Polka Your Eyes Out"
"Polka Your Eyes Out" | |
---|---|
Song by "Weird Al" Yankovic | |
from the album Off the Deep End | |
Released | April 1992 |
Recorded | January 27, 1992[5] |
Genre | |
Length | 3:50 |
Label | Scotti Brothers |
"Polka Your Eyes Out" is the fifth polka medley by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is included on his 1992 album, Off the Deep End, and also on his "Greatest Hits Volume 2" compilation. It was originally performed in 1991 on the Dr. Demento show.[citation needed]
The following songs are contained in the medley:
- "Cradle of Love" by Billy Idol
- "Tom's Diner" by DNA featuring Suzanne Vega
- "Love Shack" by the B-52's
- "Clarinet Polka" by A. Humpfat
- "Pump Up the Jam" by Technotronic
- "Losing My Religion" by R.E.M.
- "Unbelievable" by EMF
- "Do Me!" by Bell Biv DeVoe
- "Enter Sandman" by Metallica
- "The Humpty Dance" by Digital Underground
- "Cherry Pie" by Warrant
- "Miss You Much" by Janet Jackson
- "I Touch Myself" by Divinyls
- "Dr. Feelgood" by Mötley Crüe
- "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice
- "Ear Booker Polka" by "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Bohemian Polka"
"Bohemian Polka" | |
---|---|
Song by "Weird Al" Yankovic | |
from the album Alapalooza | |
Released | October 5, 1993 |
Recorded | July 17, 1993[5] |
Genre | |
Length | 3:39 |
Label | Scotti Brothers |
Songwriter(s) | Freddie Mercury (arr. "Weird Al" Yankovic) |
"Bohemian Polka" is a polka rendition of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody". Yankovic's official website has categorized "Bohemian Polka" as a polka medley.[7]
The following songs are contained in the medley:
- "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen
- "Ear Booker Polka" by "Weird Al" Yankovic
"The Alternative Polka"
"The Alternative Polka" | |
---|---|
Song by "Weird Al" Yankovic | |
from the album Bad Hair Day | |
Released | March 12, 1996 |
Recorded | January 3, 1996[5] |
Genre | |
Length | 4:50 |
Label | Scotti Brothers |
"The Alternative Polka" is the sixth polka medley recorded by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It appears on his 1996 album, Bad Hair Day. The medley primarily consists of alternative rock songs, with the title being a reference to the genre.
The following songs are contained in the medley:
- "Loser" by Beck
- "Sex Type Thing" by Stone Temple Pilots
- "All I Wanna Do" by Sheryl Crow
- "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails
- "Bang and Blame" by R.E.M.
- "You Oughta Know" by Alanis Morissette
- "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" by The Smashing Pumpkins
- "My Friends" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
- "I'll Stick Around" by Foo Fighters
- "Black Hole Sun" by Soundgarden
- "Basket Case" by Green Day
- "Ear Booker Polka" by "Weird Al" Yankovic
- Notes
- "The Alternative Polka" was originally going to have an interpretation of the Weezer song "Buddy Holly" between "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" and "My Friends". However, Rivers Cuomo decided against the idea at the last minute, forcing Yankovic to edit the song out of the medley. Weezer, however, was thanked in the liner notes since the layout had been prepared beforehand.[8] Weezer later allowed Al to include their hit "Beverly Hills" in the polka medley from Straight Outta Lynwood. On August 22, 2009, Al released the "unmixed, physically-deleted-from-the-master-tape 'Buddy Holly' polka" on Twitter and later on YouTube.[9][10][11]
"Polka Power!"
"Polka Power!" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by "Weird Al" Yankovic | ||||
from the album Running with Scissors | ||||
Released | September 26, 1999 | (Germany only)|||
Recorded | April 20, 1999[5] | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:21 | |||
Label | ||||
"Weird Al" Yankovic singles chronology | ||||
|
"Polka Power!" is the seventh polka medley recorded by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It appears on his 1999 album, Running with Scissors. The title of the song is a reference to "Girl Power!" a phrase made popular by the Spice Girls, the first act to be featured in the polka.[citation needed] The song was released as a single in Germany.
The following songs are contained in the medley:
- "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls
- "Flagpole Sitta" by Harvey Danger
- "Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)" by Pras featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard and Mýa
- "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" by the Backstreet Boys
- "Walkin' on the Sun" by Smash Mouth
- "Intergalactic" by the Beastie Boys
- "Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba
- "Ray of Light" by Madonna
- "Push" by Matchbox Twenty
- "Semi-Charmed Life" by Third Eye Blind
- "The Dope Show" by Marilyn Manson
- "MMMBop" by Hanson
- "Sex and Candy" by Marcy Playground
- "Closing Time" by Semisonic
- "W.A.Y. Moby Polka" by "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Angry White Boy Polka"
"Angry White Boy Polka" | |
---|---|
Song by "Weird Al" Yankovic | |
from the album Poodle Hat | |
Released | May 20, 2003 |
Recorded | March 21, 2003[5] |
Genre | |
Length | 5:04 |
Label | Volcano |
The "Angry White Boy Polka" is the eighth polka medley recorded by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It appears on his 2003 album Poodle Hat and consists of Christian metal, nu metal, rap metal, garage rock, and rap tracks performed primarily by white males; however, members from groups Rage Against the Machine and P.O.D. are multiracial and drummers Meg White of The White Stripes and Stefanie Eulinberg of Kid Rock's band are female. Rage Against the Machine would have their style parodied on the 2006 track "I'll Sue Ya" from Straight Outta Lynwood.
The following are contained in the medley:
- "Last Resort" by Papa Roach
- "Chop Suey!" by System of a Down
- "Get Free" by The Vines
- "Hate to Say I Told You So" by The Hives
- "Fell in Love with a Girl" by The White Stripes
- "Last Nite" by The Strokes
- "Down with the Sickness" by Disturbed
- "Renegades of Funk" by Rage Against the Machine, originally by Afrika Bambaataa
- "My Way" by Limp Bizkit
- "Outside" by Staind
- "Bawitdaba" by Kid Rock
- "Youth of the Nation" by P.O.D.
- "The Real Slim Shady" by Eminem
- "Poodle Hat Polka" by "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Polkarama!"
"Polkarama!" | |
---|---|
Song by "Weird Al" Yankovic | |
from the album Straight Outta Lynwood | |
Released | September 24, 2006 |
Recorded | April 12, 2006[5] |
Genre | |
Length | 4:17 |
Label | Volcano |
"Polkarama!" is the ninth polka medley by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It was released on his 2006 album, Straight Outta Lynwood.
The following songs are contained in the medley:
- "Chicken Dance" by Werner Thomas
- "Let's Get It Started" by The Black Eyed Peas
- "Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand
- "Beverly Hills" by Weezer
- "Speed of Sound" by Coldplay
- "Float On" by Modest Mouse
- "Feel Good Inc." by Gorillaz featuring De La Soul
- "Don't Cha" by Pussycat Dolls featuring Busta Rhymes
- "Somebody Told Me" by The Killers
- "Slither" by Velvet Revolver
- "Candy Shop" by 50 Cent featuring Olivia
- "Drop It Like It's Hot" by Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell
- "Pon de Replay" by Rihanna
- "Gold Digger" by Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx
- "The Nina Bobina Polka" by "Weird Al" Yankovic
- Notes
- "Polkarama!" was used as the set opener for Yankovic's 2007-08 Straight Outta Lynwood tour.[12]
- Yankovic initially wanted to include a verse of "Photograph" by Nickelback, and even got the band's permission. However, since he was unable "to find a way to incorporate the song into 'Polkarama' where it didn't sound wedged in or tacked on", Yankovic decided not to use it, but still thanked Nickelback in the liner notes for the album.[13]
"Polka Face"
"Polka Face" | |
---|---|
Song by "Weird Al" Yankovic | |
from the album Alpocalypse | |
Released | June 21, 2011 |
Recorded | May 8, 2010[5] |
Genre | |
Length | 4:47 |
Label | Volcano |
"Polka Face" is the tenth Weird Al polka medley. It was performed in concert in 2010, and was released on the 2011 album Alpocalypse. The medley consists of recent dance-pop, hip hop, and R&B songs.
The following songs are contained in the medley:[14]
- "Liechtensteiner Polka" by Will Glahé
- "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga
- "Womanizer" by Britney Spears
- "Right Round" by Flo Rida ft. Ke$ha
- "Day 'n' Nite" by Kid Cudi
- "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum
- "Baby" by Justin Bieber ft. Ludacris
- "So What" by Pink
- "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry
- "Fireflies" by Owl City
- "Blame It" by Jamie Foxx ft. T-Pain
- "Replay" by Iyaz
- "Down" by Jay Sean ft. Lil Wayne
- "Break Your Heart" by Taio Cruz ft. Ludacris
- "The Tick Tock Polka" by Frankie Yankovic
- "Tik Tok" by Kesha
- "Poker Face" (Reprise) by Lady Gaga
- "Whatever's Left Over Polka" by "Weird Al" Yankovic
The title is a reference to Lady Gaga's song "Poker Face".
On September 25, 2011, Comedy Central's website Jokes.com premiered an animated music video for this polka medley.[15]
The video features a distinctive animation style for each of the segments of the parody. some are flash-animated ("Right Round", "Baby", "Blame It", "Break Your Heart", and "I Kissed a Girl"), others contain cut-out ("Fireflies"), hand-drawn ("Down") and experimental scribbling animation ("Replay"), while only one used stop-motion animation ("Womanizer").
Weekly chart positions
Chart (2011) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Comedy Digital Tracks (Billboard)[16] | 6 |
"NOW That's What I Call Polka!"
"NOW That's What I Call Polka!" | |
---|---|
Song by "Weird Al" Yankovic | |
from the album Mandatory Fun | |
Released | July 15, 2014 |
Recorded | April 15, 2014[5] |
Genre | |
Length | 4:06 |
Label | RCA |
"NOW That's What I Call Polka!" is the eleventh polka medley recorded by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It appears on his 2014 album Mandatory Fun, and the title of the medley is the parody of compilation album series Now That's What I Call Music!.
The following songs are included in the medley:[17]
- "Too Fat Polka" by Arthur Godfrey
- "Wrecking Ball" by Miley Cyrus
- "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster the People
- "Best Song Ever" by One Direction
- "Gangnam Style" by Psy
- "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen
- "Scream & Shout" by will.i.am feat. Britney Spears
- "Somebody That I Used to Know" by Gotye feat. Kimbra
- "Timber" by Pitbull feat. Kesha
- "Sexy and I Know It" by LMFAO
- "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Wanz
- "Get Lucky" by Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams
- "Mandatory Polka" by "Weird Al" Yankovic
Weekly chart positions
Chart (2014) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Comedy Digital Tracks (Billboard)[18] | 4 |
"The Hamilton Polka"
"The Hamilton Polka" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Single by "Weird Al" Yankovic | ||||
Released | March 1, 2018 | |||
Recorded | 2018 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 5:01 | |||
Songwriter(s) | Lin-Manuel Miranda | |||
"Weird Al" Yankovic singles chronology | ||||
|
"The Hamilton Polka" is the twelfth polka medley recorded by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It was released on March 1, 2018 as a digital single and is composed entirely of songs from the Broadway musical Hamilton, written by Lin-Manuel Miranda.[19] The song was released as part of Miranda's "Hamildrop" series.[20] It also marks the first song by Yankovic to feature profanity ("whore" in the first few lines of the opening number, and subsequently of the medley. The word "bastard" is also used, but Yankovic previously used it in Don't Download This Song), as in previous Polka medleys, profane lyrics were covered with cartoon sound effects.
The following songs are included in the medley:
- "Alexander Hamilton"
- "Wait for It"
- "The Schuyler Sisters"
- "Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)"
- "Dear Theodosia"
- "You’ll Be Back"
- "The Room Where It Happens"
- "Right Hand Man"
- "Guns and Ships"
- "Washington on Your Side"
- “Helpless”
- "Non-Stop"
- "History Has Its Eyes on You"
- "My Shot"
- "Alexander Hamilton" (reprise)
Others
- A 1986 television special "Weird Al's Guide to the Grammys" featured Al and fellow accordionist Frankie Yankovic (no relation) performing a short polka medley of Grammy nominees. It included the songs "Born in the USA" by Bruce Springsteen, "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits, "The Boys of Summer" by Don Henley, "The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News and "We Are the World" by USA for Africa.[21]
- "Patterns" is a polka song and video made in 1991 for Square One Television.[22]
- "Polkamon" is the tenth track on the Pokémon: The Movie 2000 soundtrack, though instead of being a medley, Al just lists off Pokémon names during its two-minute duration.[23]
- "The North Korea Polka" is a live polka performance on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, which was in response to the nuclear tensions that were escalating between the United States and North Korea in 2017.
See also
References
- ^ a b Moss, Corey (2006-09-26). "Track By Track: In Weird Al's Lynwood, Green Day's 'Idiot' Is Canadian". MTV Networks. Retrieved 2010-07-04.
- ^ Watercutter, Angela (2011-06-20). "Alpocalypse Now: 'Weird Al' Yankovic Says 'Twitter Saved My Album'". Wired. Retrieved 2011-06-20.
- ^ ""Weird Al" Yankovic: The Ask Al Archive". Weirdal.com. Retrieved 2016-02-14.
- ^ ""Weird Al" Yankovic: The Ask Al Archive". Weirdal.com. Retrieved 2016-02-14.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Archive of recording dates for Weird Al songs". weirdal.com. Archived from the original on 2010-07-09. Retrieved 2014-07-02.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link), October 6, 2014 - ^ AllMusic
- ^ "Parodies & Polkas". Zomba Recordings LLC. Archived from the original on 2007-01-13. Retrieved 2010-07-04.
- ^ Ask Al: July/August 1996 retrieved on February 14, 2016
- ^ [1] Archived March 3, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Yankovic, Al. "... Cut out of "The Alternative Polka" at the last minute due to a misunderstanding with Rivers Cuomo…". Twitter. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXsbVQM8SP4
- ^ ""Weird Al" Yankovic: Concert Set Lists". Weirdal.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
- ^ "Ask Al June 6, 2007". Retrieved 2016-02-14.
- ^ "Live performance of 2010 polka medley". Retrieved August 11, 2010.
- ^ [2] Archived September 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Comedy Digital Tracks: July 7, 2014". Billboard. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
- ^ Mandatory Fun (liner notes). "Weird Al" Yankovic. RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. 2014.
- ^ "Comedy Digital Tracks: August 2, 2014". Billboard. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
- ^ Greene, Andy (March 2, 2018). "Lin-Manuel Miranda, 'Weird Al' Yankovic Talk New 'Hamilton Polka'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
- ^ Miranda, Lin-Manuel. "Hamilton's Hamildrops". Hamildrops. Archived from the original on March 5, 2018. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
- ^ "Weird Al's Guide to the Grammys". Retrieved November 23, 2010.
- ^ "Weird Al - Patterns - YouTube".
- ^ "Polkamon". Retrieved March 21, 2018.