"Weird Al" Yankovic (album)
"Weird Al" Yankovic is the debut studio album by American parodist Alfred "Weird Al" Yankovic. The album was the first of many produced by former The McCoys guitarist Rick Derringer. Mostly recorded in March 1982, the album was released by Rock 'n Roll Records as an LP and on Compact Cassette in 1983.
| "Weird Al" Yankovic | ||||
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| Released | May 3, 1983 | |||
| Recorded | September 14, 1980 – February 11, 1983 | |||
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| Genre | Comedy | |||
| Length | 32:59 | |||
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| Producer | Rick Derringer | |||
| "Weird Al" Yankovic chronology | ||||
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| Singles from "Weird Al" Yankovic | ||||
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Consisting of five direct parodies and seven original songs, "Weird Al" Yankovic parodies pop and rock music of the late 1970s and early 1980s, and satirizes American culture and experiences of the same time period. Nearly half of the album is made up of parodies based on the works of Toni Basil, Joan Jett, Stevie Nicks, the Knack and Queen. Yankovic's trademark instrument—the accordion—is used on all songs featured on the album.
Fueled by the underground success of the singles "My Bologna" and "Another One Rides the Bus", the album charted at No. 139 on the Billboard 200. Critically, the album received a lukewarm reception, with many reviewers feeling that Yankovic was a throw-away act who would not be able to overcome the stigma of a novelty record.