Category: rock

Parodies’ Paradise: 2014 “All About That Bass”

Meghan Trainor’s hit off her debut album became a strong candidate for “Song of the Summer”… in a negative review, Time named “All About That Bass” as the fifth worst song of the year… with 16 weeks in total it holds the record for total most weeks in number one at the Slovenian official singles charts SloTop50… received Grammy Award nominations for Record of the Year and Song of the Year… spent eight weeks atop the US Billboard Hot 100… topped the charts in 20 other countries, including Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United Kingdom… sold 11 million units worldwide… the third best-selling song of 2014 and one of the best-selling singles of all time.

Girls of Suburbia honor Santa’s size in their parody of no clever name.

Streator High School love/hate Santa’s girth with “All About that Waist.” Kids today!

Jennifer Rose gets a bit more lascivious with the chubby chasing in “I Love My Santa Claus,” shimmying and gyrating like this is a ‘Santa Baby’ parody. (Hang on, a plate of burger and fries for Santa?!)

LindZ Owen plays sultry to Santa as well to get “On the Nice List.” Nice hair brush vocals.

shayshaymb approaches Santa from another side with “All About that Beard.” Is that all that saint is to you?

Richard Peachey dips shallowly for “All About that Base” honoring the Christmas tree stand. Mmmm–maybe.

Nisah (for Mig Me) changes the subject with “All About the Feast.” You know it’s a feast when there’s pasta, and rice, and fries.

curveball111 throws the food topic into another court with “I Wanna Stuff My Face” full of latkes. Oi, oil.

Mission Church Ventura make the best of their talent pool with their secular crit and religious twist: “All About that Baby.”

Faith Promise Church likes presents and trees as much as the baby king with “All About that Bass – Christmas Remix.” Bass here is the low sound of that pop guitar playing (i guess).

Allegra DelRossi (and family) feature Jesus in “All About that Babe,” a Christmas song that piggybacks on religion.

Vapid blond devotees shake it for “All About the Christ” starring Heather Krol. That million mile stare creeps the bajeepers outta me, though.

Notching the cross up a bit AJ Sheffield go high with “All About the Christ” apparently recorded on a flip phone, but skitted out by frolicsome teen believers. (Why does Mary have a knitted beard?)

Aubrey Howell gets the idea of parody with “All About that List.” I like it because it’s heartfelt fun.

Parodies’ Paradise: 2012 “Hopeless Wanderer”

Mumford and Sons’ album Babel debuted at number one in the UK selling 159,000 copies… the fastest selling album of 2012… debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 600,000 copies… spent a total of 15 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Alternative Albums chart… made it the fourth best-selling album in the US in 2012… the eleventh best-selling album of 2013 with 1,096,000 copies sold for the year. The original song was somewhere tucked in tight on this album.

Joel Kopischke gets bluesy about present presentation with “Hopeless Wrapper.” His humor has integrity.

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: 1999 “Kryptonite”

The 3 Doors Down song was originally released as a demo for local play by 97.9 WCPR-FM in Biloxi, Mississippi… first charted on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart reaching number-one for 9 weeks… then hit the Modern Rock Tracks also staying at number-one for 11 weeks… one of the longest-running songs on the chart… reached number one on the Pop Songs chart for 5 non-consecutive weeks… peaked at number 4 on the Adult Top 40 chart… number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100… the band’s highest-charting single there.

ApologetiX feel with the birth of JC with their “Christmasnite.” Hard rocking gospelity.

Parodies’ Paradise: 1999 “Mambo No. 5”

Lou Bega’s mambo and jive dance song (originally by Cuban Dámaso Pérez Prado in 1949) was a hit in the United Kingdom and in Australia, where it reached number-one… stayed at number-one in Australia for eight weeks, ultimately becoming the best-selling single of the year… also topped almost every chart in continental Europe…  number-one in France for 20 weeks (longer than any stay at the top spot ever on the US or UK charts)… reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US on November 2, 1999, giving Bega his only Top 40 hit in the US… seven-year copyright trial between Prado’s estate.

ApologetiX’s scriptural annunciation courtesy of “Micah No. 5.”

Parodies’ Paradise: 1989 “Rockin’ in a Free World”

Neil Young dropped this off his 1989 album Freedom… the lyrics criticized the George H. W. Bush administration… became the de facto anthem of the collapse of communism…  rated number 216 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Chris Townsend’s annual Xmas exacta knife humor revisits this tough time with “Keep on Shopping’ in a Free World.” Yeah, it’s mad about materialism.

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: 1988 “Wild Thing”

Tone Lōc’s song peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in… spawned at least two parodies (by ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic, called ‘Isle Thing,’ about Gilligan’s Island and was Yankovic’s first rap parody, and by Christian band ApologetiX, called ‘Child King’)… eventually sold over two million copies… peaked at number 21 on the UK Singles Chart.

Not too many of these parodies get the Wikipedia nod. Go ApologetiX. Go “Child King.”

Parodies’ Paradise: 1988 “Desire”

U2’s first number-one single in the UK and Australia… reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S… topped both the Modern and Mainstream Rock Tracks charts (the first song to reach the top of both of these charts simultaneously)… reached number two on the Dutch Top 40… won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

“Messiah” by ApologetiX almost loses its meaningfulness in the balls out R+B.

Parodies’ Paradise: 1988etc. “If I Had $1000000”

Never a single, never a video, this Barenaked Ladies crowd pleaser has been included in several of their albums and ALL of their live shows. So no charting, but apparently this one has become a special memory for concert-goers worldwide.

Joel Kopischke does it again with “If I Had a Secret Santa.” Noel, Joel.