Parodies’ Paradise: 1964 “Hello Dolly”

Louis Armstrong’s massive number reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, ending The Beatles’ streak of three number-one hits in a row over 14 consecutive weeks (in addition to holding the second and third chart positions)…the most successful single of Armstrong’s career… spent nine weeks atop the adult contemporary chart… made Armstrong the oldest artist ever to reach #1 on the Hot 100 since its introduction in 1958… the No. 3 song of 1964 as ranked by Billboard… won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1965… and Armstrong received a Grammy for Best Vocal Performance, Male.

Just about my fave-o Bob Rivers novelty Christmas song is “He’s So Jolly.” After dozens of listens, it still gets a grin.

Parodies’ Paradise: 1964 “Oh, Pretty Woman”

Roy Orbison spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100… the second single by Orbison to top the US charts… Orbison’s third single to top the UK Singles Chart (for a total of three weeks)… ultimately sold seven million copies and marked the high point in Orbison’s career… within months of its release the single was certified gold by the RIAA… Billboard ranked it the number four song of 1964… 1999 the song was honored with a Grammy Hall of Fame Award… named one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame‘s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll… Rolling Stone magazine ranked it #224 on their list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time”… 2008 The Library of Congress selected the song for preservation in the National Recording Registry.

The Mistletones get silly with divebombing reindeer in “Speedy Reindeer.” Look out!

Parodies’ Paradise: 1963 “Money (That’s What I Want)”

Berry Gordy’s 1959 record became a more famous song in the mouths of the Beatles… advance orders for the album With the Beatles of a half million and sold another half million by September 1965… the second album to sell a million copies in the United Kingdom… remained at the top of the charts for 21 weeks. (Never a single, but the album hit #11 on the record sales chart.)

Bob River’s antic ways disallows him to straight up parody a property. He throws a bit of Thurston Howell III into the mash for his “Christmas Money (That’s What I Want).”

Parodies’ Paradise: 1963 “Louie Louie”

The fabled Kingsman song is notorious for errors and profanity and was considered bad music, but it entered the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for December 1963, and peaked at number two the following week, a spot which it held for six non-consecutive weeks–remaining in the top 10 through December and January before dropping off in early February… did reach number one on the Cashbox pop chart for two weeks, as well as number one on the Cashbox R&B chart… quickly became a standard at teen parties in the U.S. during the 1960s, even reappearing on the charts in 1966.

The ’60s Invasion, of course, honors “Santa Santa” with all the slurred and repeated lines of the original. Sell it, boys.

Parodies’ Paradise: 1961 “Can’t Help Falling in Love”

Elvis’s slow dance ballad topped the British charts… was certified by the RIAA as a Platinum record, for US sales in excess of one million copies… peaked at number two on the US pop chart… went to number one on the Easy Listening chart for six weeks.

ApologetiX couldn’t resist the wise men referent, hence “Wise Men Still.” Whadja bring?

Parodies’ Paradise: 1960 “Shop Around”

The Miracles’ big hit was their first number 1 on the Billboard R&B singles chart… eight weeks at the top… also hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100… also reached No. 1 on the Cash Box magazine Top 100 pop chart… the first million-selling record for the Miracles and for the Motown Record Corporation… a 2006 Grammy Hall of Fame inductee.

The Mistletones get easy mileage out of awkward lingerie gift getting by guys in their “Shop Around.” Oh my!

Parodies Paradise: 1959 “Mack the Knife”

Bobby Darin rode Louis Armstrong’s hit to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and number six on the Black Singles chart, and earned him a Grammy Award for Record of the Year… Frank Sinatra and Simon Cowell have raved about this version descended from Brecht’s Die Dreigroschenoper, alienating Marxist theater. Most of us mack fun of the finger-snapping, cool-scatting lounge lizard it spawned.

Make way for Joel Kopischke’s “Santa’s Back in Town.” Yeah, i think it’s cool. ‘Cuz it is.

Parodies’ Paradise: 1956 “Hotebreak Hotel”

The first of Elvis’s hits topped Billboards Top 100 chart for seven weeks… Cashboxs pop singles chart for six weeks… No. 1 on the Country and Western chart for seventeen weeks… reached No. 3 on the R&B chart… his first million-seller… reached the top 5 of Country and Western, pop, and Rhythm ‘n’ Blues charts simultaneously… eventually be certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America… inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame… in 2004 Rolling Stone magazine named it one of the ‘500 Greatest Songs of All Time’… also included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s ‘500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.’

Those chameleons of ApologetiX has transformed the lyrics but not the smooth soul for “Cut-Rate Hotel.” I think they mean manger.