Category: pop music

Parodies’ Paradise: 2006 “Apologize”

This debut single by OneRepublic from their debut album was the biggest radio airplay hit in the history of the Mainstream Top 40 chart in North America, with 10,394 plays in one week… a major hit internationally, reaching number one in 16 countries, including Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Sweden, Turkey, and the Netherlands, as well as staying at number one for eight consecutive weeks on the Billboard Pop 100 chart… peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, staying in the top-10 for 25 weeks, and spent 13 weeks at number one in Canada… earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals… ranked number 50 on the list of the Billboard Hot 100’s All-Time Top Songs list from the chart’s first 50 years… spent 25 consecutive weeks in the top 10… also ranked number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 Songs of the Decade.

The Murrays worry that Christmas is too much with us in their “Christmastime.” Damned fine funny business this.

Parodies’ Paradise: 2003 “Stacy’s Mom”

Fountains of Wayne’s tune reached number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100… the band’s highest-charting hit in the United States… peaked within the top 10 in Ireland… and the top 20 in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia… certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America… nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Vocal Pop Performance… the only mainstream hit by Fountains of Wayne… frequently misattributed to pop punk band Bowling for Soup, who in 2011 released their own cover version of the song. Bummer.

ApologetiX goes almost mellow (for them) with “JC’s Mom.” Oh i get it.

Parodies’ Paradise: 2002 “Complicated”

Avril Lavigne’s hot hit reached number one in Australia (for six weeks), New Zealand and Mexico (for nine weeks)… number two on the Billboard Hot 100… number three in the United Kingdom… became her second most successful single… one of the most successful releases of 2002 with sales of over 3 million copies sold worldwide… broke a record set by holding the number one spot on the Adult Top 40 chart for 16 weeks in a row… nominated for two Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Robert Lund strikes back against “Overdecorated” Christmas spree people.

Parodies’ Paradise: 2000 “All the Small Things”

Blink-182’s second single released from their third album was created as something “really catchy and basic”… promptly charted worldwide… a number one hit on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart… peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart… number six on the Billboard Hot 100… the band’s most successful single to date… selected by Rolling Stone as one of the “100 Greatest Pop Songs”… listed in the 2010 book 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die.

The Krazy Kyles rock in your face “Tree Lights, Stockings.” Voices are almost too pretty, but their aim is true.

Parodies’ Paradise: 1994 “The Sign”

The Swedish Ace of Base’s international hit… reached number two in the United Kingdom… and six non-consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States… became the top song on Billboard’s 1994 Year End Chart… the No. 1 song of 1994 according to Billboard magazine’s year-end charts… ranked at number 60 on The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs for the first 50 years of the Hot 100 chart… received a nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance By a Group or Duo at the 1995 Grammy Awards.

N. Fla. comedy sketch troupe Awkward Silence Jax fill the void of the necessary Christmas parody with a smidge of ability in their “Spend.” This is all about the epiphany of angry holiday shopping–it gets pushy.

Parodies’ Paradise: 1989 “Love Shack”

B-52s had their biggest hit and first million-copy seller with this song…  their first song to reach the Billboard Top 40 charts…  peaking at number 3… also reaching number 2 on the UK Singles Chart… and number 1 for eight weeks in Australia… number 1 for 4 weeks in New Zealand… number 1 in the Republic of Ireland… number 1 on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart… named as one of the 365 Songs of the Century in 2001… named the Best Single of 1989 by Rolling Stone… ranked #246 in Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Bob Rivers gets on board with “Toy Sack.”

As do The Mistletones with–ahem–“Toy Sack.” They’re lyrically diffie, i swear (mostly).

Parodies’ Paradise: 1989 “We Didn’t Start the Fire”

Billy Joel’s instanthem hit #1 US Billboard Hot 100… #2 Australia, Canada… #3 Ireland… #4 Germany… #7 Austria, UK… as a fun cultural puzzle, its lyrics included brief, rapid-fire allusions to more than 100 headline events between 1949, the year of Joel’s birth, and 1989… its album Storm Front was nominated for the Grammy Award for Record of the Year.

Not an easy parody, but when you are as devoted as ApologetiX “We Didn’t Start Messiah” writes itself.

Parodies’ Paradise: 1987 “Faith”

George Michael needed a hit after deserting Wham! and he got it. This signature number held the number one position on Billboard Hot 100 chart for four weeks… according to Billboard magazine, it was the number one single of the year in the United States in 1988.

Joel Kopischke (+ Kelli Cramer) (live) builds nicely with his “George Michael ‘Faith’ Christmas Parody.” A kinky title to say the least for a professional, but the fun of the comedy here is what the take off on the title leads to during this time of present wrapping strife.

Parodies’ Paradise: 1984 “One Night in Bangkok”

From Murray Head’s Chess album came a single which topped the charts in many countries, including South Africa, West Germany, Switzerland and Australia… peaked at no. 3 in both Canada and the United States… no. 12 in Head’s native United Kingdom.

Look out public–here’s ApologetiX’s “One Night in Betlehem.”

Parodies’ Paradise: 1981 “Urgent”

Foreigner’s song entered the U.S. pop charts and reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, holding that spot for the entire month of September… hit #1 on the Billboard Rock Tracks chart also for four weeks… the most successful single from the 4 album on album-oriented rock radio… the album has since been certified multi-platinum by the RIAA, for selling over six million copies in the U.S. alone… the song was Foreigner’s second-best-selling single… reached #1 in Canada… #20 in Sweden… in Australia #24…  in the UK #54.

A nod to Jesus’ mama with ApologetiX’s “Virgin.” Mmm hmm.