From “Eat It” to “Like a Surgeon,” “Weird Al” Yankovic’s Most Iconic Songs

2 years ago

“Weird Al” Yankovic has parodied countless artists with his distinct brand of musical comedy. Now, his own life story is the subject of a biopic called “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,” starring Daniel Radcliffe. The movie, which premiered on Nov. 4 on the Roku Channel, celebrates Yankovic’s life while – in true “Weird Al” fashion – parodying the art of the musician biopic itself.

Yankovic released his first song, “My Bologna” – a parody of the Knack’s hit “My Sharona” – in 1979. He went on to release 14 studio albums, parodying everyone from Gloria Gaynor and Coolio to Madonna and Lorde along the way.

In tandem with the biopic’s release, 63-year-old Yankovic released a new album, his first since 2014’s “Mandatory Fun.” The 46-song album serves as the movie’s soundtrack and features “a bunch of early Weird Al songs I re-recorded specially for the movie, my brand-new closing credits song ‘Now You Know,’ and the entire orchestral score,” Yankovic tweeted. “There will be CDs and vinyl available next year, but you can get it digitally RIGHT NOW everywhere music is sold, streamed, or stolen.”

Ahead, relive some of “Weird Al”‘s most iconic parodies.

Getty Images for The Roku Channel / Slaven Vlasic

Best "Weird Al" Yankovic Songs: "Like a Surgeon"

1986’s “Like a Surgeon” parodies Madonna’s “Like a Virgin,” placing the song in a decidedly different setting – a hospital. In a surprising turn of events, Madonna’s team actually asked Yankovic to parody her song, per Mental Floss.

Getty Images / Bob Riha Jr

Best "Weird Al" Yankovic Songs: "Eat It"

“Eat It,” a parody of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It,” is almost as catchy as the original thanks to Yankovic’s unique way with food-related words. The song was released in 1984 and wound up winning Yankovic a Grammy for best comedy recording that year.