Ready to take the Weird Al Crazy Parody Quiz?

By: Olivia Cantor
Estimated Completion Time
5 min
Ready to take the Weird Al Crazy Parody Quiz?
Image: tmdb

About This Quiz

There's no one like Weird Al when it comes to making parody songs. You could say that he's the big survivor of a genre that has its roots in comedy recordings. But how much do you know of the Weird One's eclectic and hilarious discography? Take the Weird Al Parody Quiz now!
"Eat it" was a special case for Weird Al. Which song did it parody?
"It Wasn't Me"
"Beat It"
Michael Jackson's "Beat It" was transformed into "Eat It," one of the early food parodies that Weird Al did. Also, Weird Al did a nearly shot-for-shot send-up of the music video.
"P.Y.T."
"Billie Jean"

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What was the original song for "My Bologna," an ode to Oscar Mayer wieners?
"My Sharona"
Weird Al's first song legitimately played on air was "My Bologna," a cover of The Knack's "My Sharona." Dr. Demento, a DJ who loved parody songs, put it up on his on-air countdown.
"Rhinestone Cowboy"
"Purple Haze"
"My Way"

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Cutting for the very first time, what song was "Like a Surgeon" based on?
the Star Trek Theme Song
"(Love is Like A) Heatwave"
"Cuts Like a Knife"
"Like a Virgin"
Weird Al took some advice from Madonna, and "Like a Virgin" became "Like a Surgeon," one of his enduring songs. It's also a Billboard charter.

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It may be obvious, but what song did "Money for Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies" make use of?
"Mony Mony"
"Money for Nothing"
Apparently, there were some legal issues with renaming the song when Weird Al did a parody mash-up with the Beverly Hillbillies. He couldn't use another title for it, hence the awkward name.
"Money Changes Everything"
"Money"

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"Another One Rides The Bus" was a parody of which song from a famous '70's and '80's band?
"Bus Stop"
"I'm Not The Only One"
"Another One Bites the Dust"
"Another One Rides The Bus" was an early, accordion-driven song that helped established Weird Al as a parody master, with its lyrics about weird people riding the bus. Taken off from Queen's "Another One Bites The Dust," it was never re-recorded for a polished version.
"Do You Know the Way to Santa Fe"

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The dessert ditty "I Love Rocky Road" came from this cultural anthem. What was the song?
"Rock This Town"
"Rock Lobster"
"I Love Rock 'n' Roll"
It's no surprise if you sing "I Love Rocky Road," instead of "I Love Rock 'n' Roll," given this parody's popularity. Here's a fun fact: For the video, they had to use mashed potatoes instead of ice cream, since the real thing would melt under the lights.
"Rock and Roll Music"

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Weird Al had too much fun with "Fat," where he supersized himself in the music video. What was it a parody of?
"Black or White"
"Thriller"
"Bad"
One could say that the shot-for-shot technique that Weird Al did for his early parody videos reached a peak with the "Fat" music video. They used the actual set from the "Moonwalker" segment, based on the original "Bad" music video.
"Can You Feel it"

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The paranoid sci-fi parody "I Think I'm A Clone Now" wouldn't be so far out in today's medical technology. Which song did it use for the arrangements?
"Just the Two of Us"
"Alone Again, Naturally"
"I Think We're Alone Now"
Tiffany's teenybopper ode to doing naughty stuff, "I Think We're Alone Now," was transformed by Weird Al into a first-person song from a clone. And we're not talking phones, here.
"You and I"

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It's actually a parody of a modified cover song. What was the original song that was the basis for "Amish Paradise?"
"Let's Get It On"
"Papa was a Rolling Stone"
"Gangsta's Paradise"
Weird Al actually had a bit of trouble with "Amish Paradise," since Coolio had some issues with "Gangsta's Paradise" being parodied. Of course, that sounds funny, since the song is a hip-hop update of Stevie Wonder's “Pastime Paradise."
"Another Day in Paradise"

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Weird Al's sensational YouTube hit, "Perform This Way," was an exaggerated parody of which song?
"Keep Feeling Fascination"
"Express Yourself"
"Born This Way"
With this song about simply being born weird, Weird Al poked fun at how people saw Lady Gaga." "Perform This Way" also had a joke about how "Born This Way" and Madonna's "Express Yourself" had similarities.
"Sex Crime"

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Weird Al joked about national stereotypes with "Canadian Idiot." What was the original song?
"Horse with No Name"
"Let Me Be Your Dog"
"American Idiot"
Weird Al flipped the meaning of "American Idiot" on its side, to come out with a hilarious song about stereotypes in "Canadian Idiot." It's a hoot!
"American Pie"

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Weird Al had a visually faithful and funny video for "Smells like Nirvana." Which of Nirvana's songs did he parody with this one?
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Nirvana members were supposedly very happy that Weird Al covered "Smells Like Teen Spirit" with "Smells Like Nirvana," as this proved that they were definitely famous. Some other artists don’t see it that way, though.
"Heart-Shaped Box"
"Lithium"
"Come As You Are"

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Weird Al doesn’t just parody single songs - sometimes, he does parodies of multiple songs, all put together. Which artist got that treatment with "The Bedrock Anthem?"
Incubus
Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Bedrock Anthem" was a parody of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, featuring two of their songs. The video, however, has a visual tie-in to "No Rain," from Blind Melon.
Blink-182
No Doubt

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Where was "It's all about the Pentiums," a geek anthem, taken from?
"Mr. Roboto"
"It's All About the Benjamins"
Weird Al's parody of P. Diddy's "It's all about the Benjamins" was based on the rock remix version, not the original arrangement. "It's all about the Pentiums" is one of Weird Al's more popular early works on YouTube and Spotify.
"Electric Dreams"
"Space Cowboy"

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Which song was Weird Al's kooky riff on divorce, "Alimony," based on?
"We're only in it for the Money"
"Money"
"Love Makes The World Go 'Round"
"Mony Mony"
Since Billy Idol's 1987 live version of "Mony Mony" was the smash #1 hit, Weird Al decided to parody that version with "Alimony," over the studio version. Weird Al likes to get his arrangements right.

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The parody stalker song "Do I Creep You Out" had the most touching beginnings. Which song was it based on?
"Doo-Wah-Diddy-Diddy"
"Do I Make You Proud"
Taylor Hicks' finale song, "Do I Make You Proud," provided Weird Al with the base for his stalker-song parody, "Do I Creep You Out." Sadly, the song may never recover after you hear Weird Al's parody. It even has applause at the end!
"Send in the Clowns"
"I Can't make You Love Me"

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The conspiracy theorist theme song "Foil" is light years away from the original song it parodies. Which song was it?
"Man on the Moon"
"Duck and Cover"
"Royals"
"Foil," based off Lorde's "Royals," starts innocently with the practical uses of tinfoil. And then it takes a left-turn into paranoia land. The video does the same thing. It's a hoot!
"Life on Mars"

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Weird Al must be great at telling people the stories of movies he watched. Which song did he use as the framework for his song, "Jurassic Park"?
"MacArthur Park"
Using "MacArthur Park" as the parody basis, Weird Al managed to tell the story of the movie "Jurassic Park." It's deadpan and straightforward, told in an epic way because of how dramatic the original song was.
"Imagine"
"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother"
"Eleanor Rigby"

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From which hit pop song was "eBay" based on?
"The Way You Look Tonight"
"My Way"
"I Want It That Way"
"eBay," a song about being hooked on online auctions, was taken from the Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way." Not surprisingly, there are lines about celebrity stuff.
"All the Way"

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Which song did Weird Al use for his parody about American Intelligence, "Party in the CIA?"
"Girls Just Want To Have Fun"
"I Want Candy"
"Party in the USA"
Weird Al may not talk about serious issues, but being the parody master that he is, he has no problem weaving it into a parody song. "Party in the CIA," a parody of Miley Cyrus' "Party in the USA," pretty much points a funny gun at intelligence issues.
"Party All The Time"

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What was the song that got the parody treatment with "Cavity Search?"
"Hold Me, Thrill me, Kiss Me, Kill Me"
It's both funny and horrific, but "Cavity Search," a parody of U2's "Hold me, Thrill me, Kiss me, Kill me," is about a visit to the dentist. The nightmare fuel part is that Weird Al incorporates drill noises and groans of pain. And exits with muzak.
"Sunday Bloody Sunday"
"Where the Streets Have No Name"
"One"

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"This Song's Just Six Words Long" was a parody of a song from a famous ex-Beatle. Which song was it?
"Live and Let Die"
"My Sweet Lord"
"I've Got My Mind Set On You"
"This Song's Just Six Word Long" is a parody of "I've Got My Mind Set on You," a hit from George Harrison's solo career. George may have been the perfect Beatle to parody, as he supported many comedy-based businesses.
"Woman"

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What song was the recent "educational" parody song "Word Crimes" based on?
"I Walk the Line"
"White Lines"
"Blurred Lines"
The "Blurred Lines" parody song, "Word Crimes," became a tutorial on spelling and grammar. Grammar police squad members, you may rejoice now.
"Lyin' Eyes"

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Which glam-like rock song was the base for the parody "Livin' in the Fridge?"
"Living for the City"
"The Living Years"
"Livin' on the Edge"
Aerosmith's song about being on the edge of normal, "Livin' on the Edge," became part of that subset of parodies that Weird Al loves so much. Yes, he does have a thing for food.
"Edge of Seventeen"

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"The Achy Breaky Song" is a parody of the original song's popularity. What is the original song?
"It's a Heartache"
"Achy Breaky Heart"
"Achy Breaky Song" is a parody that targets the original song, Billy Ray Cyrus' "Achy Breaky Heart." If anything, that gives one an idea of how outrageously popular that song was in its time.
"Just Take My Heart"
"Heartbreaker"

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This isn't a specific parody, but "Don't Download This Song" takes from, among others, this particular charity song.
"We are the World"
Even though "Don't Download This Song" wasn't a specific parody, the melody and arrangement were obviously taken from "We are the World" and other charity songs like it. Of course, in this case, the song is sarcastically self-serving -- a perfect parody.
"Do They Know It's Christmas"
"That's What Friends are For"
"Candle in the Wind"

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Which song was "Another Tattoo," about being addicted to tattoos, based on?
"Careless Whisper"
"Nothin' on You"
Weird Al turned a poppy, hip-hoppy love song into one for tattoo obsession, by parodying "Nothin' on You" by B.o.B. and Bruno Mars. "Another Tattoo" is understating what the lyrics say.
"It's Gucci Time"
"I'm Not the Only One"

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What was the original song for the lazy rap parody "Couch Potato"?
"Without Me"
"Lose Yourself"
Eminem had no problem with Weird Al doing a parody named "Couch Potato," based on his song "Lose Yourself." However, he did request that it not be a single, and no video be done for it.
"Bawitdaba"
"Because I Got High"

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This very long song, "Trapped in a Drive-Thru," is actually a somewhat faithful parody when it comes to arrangement. What was the original song?
"Keep it in the Closet"
"The Closer I Get to You"
"Trapped in the Closet"
"Trapped in a Drive-Thru" is a faithful arrangement and lyrical treatment, when you compare it to "Trapped in the Closet." Of course, the subject matter is entirely different, and less serious.
"Close to Me"

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Which famous recent song is the basis for Weird Al's hit, "Tacky?"
"Make it Mine"
"Ordinary People"
"Around the World"
"Happy"
"Tacky," from Pharrell Williams's "Happy," changes the feel-good song to feeling good about being, well, tacky. It's a perfect call-out to friends and loved ones who may be overstepping their bounds, or just looking bad.

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The slyly snarky "You're Pitiful" was a jab on many levels. Which song was used for it?
"Come on"
"The Blower's Daughter"
"You're Beautiful"
James Blunt supposedly had said yes, but his label team suddenly said no. But Weird Al released the parody song "You're Pitiful," based on Blunt's "You're Beautiful," online. It's a fitting song for the situation.
"Bittersweet Symphony"

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The two-for-one parody "The Saga Begins" skewered the first Star Wars prequel, "The Phantom Menace." What song did Weird Al use as the base for his parody?
"You Don’t Bring Me Flowers"
"Send in the Clowns"
"Summer Breeze"
"American Pie"
"The Saga Begins" is a sprawling parody of Don McLean's "American Pie," and it still manages to be a "big story" song. This time, though, Weird Al talks about the first Star Wars prequel movie, "The Phantom Menace," while keeping the lyrical style pretty much like McLean's song.

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"Handy" turned Weird Al into an updated Home Improvement guy. Which blockbuster song did he use for it?
"Everything She Wants"
"Holidae In"
"Fancy"
Iggy Azalea's poppishly infectious rap song, "Fancy," about living the high life, was perfectly brought down to blue-collar level with Weird Al's “Handy." It was about your friendly neighborhood fix-it guy.
"Are You In"

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"Phony Calls" highlighted the hilarity of prank calling. Which song was the basis for this parody?
"Waterfalls"
"Phony Calls" was a snapshot of the prank call culture, set to TLC's "Waterfalls." As a bonus, it has a sample of a prank call made by Bart Simpson.
"Telephone"
"Memphis Tennessee"
"Wichita Lineman"

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"White and Nerdy" glorified the geeky life. What was the original song for this driving tune?
"Ridin'"
Chamillionaire and Krayzie Bone's collaboration, "Ridin'" gave Weird Al the perfect way to make a big joke about geek cred within the community. And in the end, it does resemble how normal people also have their status things.
"Juicy"
"Gin and Juice"
"California Love"

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