The Playlist: 13 Reasons Why "Weird Al" Matters

It's easy to dismiss "Weird Al" Yankovic as a novelty act, a harmless blip on music's radar that pops up every few years or so, raises a chuckle or two and disappears again. Then again, he's been at this for over thirty years now, so at what point do we have to concede that there just might be more to this than cheap laughs?

Perhaps an in-depth investigation into Yankovic's career is counter-productive, as reading so much into the man and his music qualifies as taking it all too seriously by default. True enough, and it's not like he considers himself a serious artiste by any stretch, but a string of successful spoofs and smart satires has to count for more than a smile.

Indeed, Yankovic has crafted himself a fair living off of his parodies, selling millions of records and raking in attention with each new addition to his discography. Mandatory Fun, his fourteenth studio album, was released this week; its accompanying videos have been wildly received, especially the outrageously educational Robin Thicke parody Word Crimes (which, as of this writing, has racked up in excess of 6.5 million YouTube views in about three days). So, clearly, a lot of people are interested in what he has to say.

In light of his continued success, one has to ponder his importance to the industry even while considering his reputation as said industry's skewer. Maybe in this context, we've been guilty of too closely associating importance with seriousness. By discounting Yankovic's music by virtue of its nature, most of us have a sad tendency of reducing his accomplishments as a creative force. But, consider this: if it's so easy to make fun of these songs, why hasn't anyone else done it so successfully for so long? Face it, the guy is an incredibly talented lyricist (don't forget, he once crafted a song's lyrics entirely from palindromes); one can even argue that his uniquely dark sense of humour is a distinct artistic vision all its own.

He's also brilliantly gifted as an observational comedian, lampooning trends and styles when those trends and styles need it most. In this sense, he's chosen the perfect medium for his comedy, as what endures more trends and styles than music? It's almost shocking to think about but, by poking fun not just at artists but the trends they've embodied, "Weird Al" Yankovic has masterfully grown immune of the trends. He's the court jester who's outlived all the royalty, and if you don't think that's a worthy accomplishment you need to give your head a shake.

Here are (in my opinion) "Weird Al" Yankovic's thirteen greatest moments, presented chronologically. Enjoy!