Category: rock

Parodies’ Paradise: 1981 “Under Pressure”

This Queen hit was written and recorded in collaboration with the singer David Bowie… reached number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the band’s second number-one hit in their home country… only peaked at No. 29 on the US Billboard Hot 100, but would re-chart for one week at No. 45 in the US following Bowie’s death in January 2016… also number 31 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Songs of the ’80s… had been played live at every Queen concert from 1981 until the end of Queen’s touring career in 1986.

Bad Santa and the Angry Elves party on top of this angsty anthem with “Christmas Pressure.” Clap along to, yuno, relieve some.

Parodies’ Paradise: 1980 “Another One Bites the Dust”

Queen made this a worldwide hit… charted number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks… their second number-one single in the country… fifteen weeks in the Billboard top ten (the longest running top ten song of 1980) and 31 weeks total on the chart (more than any other song in 1980)… reached number two on the Hot Soul Singles chart and the Disco Top 100 chart…  number seven on the UK Singles Chart… credited as Queen’s best-selling single, with sales of over 7 million copies… ranked at number 34 on Billboard’s All-Time Top Songs… won an American Music Award for Favorite Rock Single… garnered a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

Duncan G and Brian lean into the gee-tar with “One More Gift for Us.” Listen to it, gang. That’s parody!

Parodies’ Paradise: 1980 “Whip It”

Devo’s biggest hit peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart… #8 on US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play… #13 on US Cash Box… #17 on US Record World… No. 11 on the Canadian Singles chart… the key selling point of the DEV-O Live EP, which album reached number one in Australia’s singles charts… ranked number 62 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Songs of the ’80s… number 15 on the same channel’s 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the ’80s.

Duncan and Brian laugh it up with “Wrap It.” You know what’s coming, but can’t look away.

Parodies’ Paradise: 1977 “Hotel California”

The Eagles’ the most famous recording by the band has a famously long guitar coda… voted the best guitar solo of all time by readers of Guitarist in 1998… awarded the Grammy Award for Record of the Year… topped the Hot 100 singles chart for one week in May 1977… the band’s fourth song to reach No. 1 on that chart… peaked at number 10 on the Easy Listening chart… Billboard ranked it number 19 on its 1977 Pop Singles year-end chart… three months after its first release, the single was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA),…  2009, the song was further certified Platinum (Digital Sales Award) by the RIAA for sales of one million digital downloads… has since sold over 3 million downloads.

“Hotel Can’t Afford Ya” by ApologetiX seems to be an excuse to hit that guitar solo. Fun.

Parodies’ Paradise: 1977 “We Will Rock You”

Queen’s album News of the World yielded this cliche at sports events around the world as a stadium anthem hitting #1 in France, #9 in the Netherlands, and eventually #36 in US Billboard‘s Hot Digital Songs… Rolling Stone ranked it number 330 of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time” in 2004… it placed number 146 on the Songs of the Century list in 2001… 2009 it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame…. it has been covered, remixed, sampled, parodied, referenced and used by multiple recording artists, TV shows, films and other media worldwide.

The Mistletones get slyly hilarious with their down in the lot sales number “We Will Flock You.” Now that’s a hot one.

Parodies’ Paradise: 1977 “Come Sail Away”

Styx’s progrock culminated in this tune which as a single charted at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100… helped The Grand Illusion achieve multi-platinum sales in 1978.

Soaring to higher and higher notes The Mistletones go nearly a cappella with their “Come Fly Away” about Rudolf’s reindeer magic. Watch out for your dogs’ sensitive hearing.

Parodies’ Paradise: 1974 “Cat’s in the Cradle”

Storyteller Harry Chapin’s enduring hit topped the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1974… his only No. 1 hit song… nominated for the 1975 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance… inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011.

Saturated with symphonic folk ApologetiX nails it with “Christ in the Stable.” Appreciate me now, Dad?!

Parodies’ Paradise: 1974 “Takin’ Care of Business”

Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s anthem reached number 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100… number 6 on the Cash Box Top 100…  number 3 on the Canadian RPM charts… spent 20 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, longer than any other BTO single.

Here comes the original singer Randy Bachman with his seasonal cash-in “Takin’ Care of Christmas.”