What rock ’n’ roll songs made you laugh out loud the first time you heard them? I’m not talking witty, sardonic, or smug. What’s flat-out funny? Certain artists specialize in the theater of the clever and absurd. Frank Zappa, Randy Newman, Warren Zevon, and Steely Dan come to mind. Even the Eagles gave us the Mercedes bends. But what cracked you up, then or now? Here’s a handful of my picks:
- Chuck Berry, “My Ding-a-Ling”
It’s somewhat sick that this novelty hit, which Berry didn’t write, was his only number one single in the USA. Chuck pushed his double-stop twangs to the top of the charts with evocative poems set to brilliant, blues-based beats, but it was his personality that pulled off the execution of this classic. Upon its release in 1972, the edgy, masterfully performed piece made you want to sing along with a smile pasted on your face. - Bob Dylan, “Idiot Wind”
Many of Dylan’s best songs follow simple patterns, with vivid images that don’t require fancy progressions. This screed, from 1975’s Blood on the Tracks, makes no effort to hide its disgust while delivering an exhilarating payoff in the melody. Disappointed, perplexed, and fucking pissed off, the singer’s despair comes through loud and clear. It’s outrageous yet true to life and delivered with such dead-serious hostility that it’s funny. Dylan’s Nobel Prize could be based on this one album, if you ask me. - Joe Walsh, “Life’s Been Good”
From another artist, this outlandish tale from 1978 could’ve been boring, cocky, and forgettable. But Joe instills warmth, authenticity, and a tender sense of vulnerability. It sounds like his story as a guy who never ran from the spotlight or his rock star lunacy. Add a tasty lick as the intro, as well as more great guitar interplay along the way, and you’ve got a recipe for a classic—one that accentuates its frivolity. - The B-52s, “Rock Lobster”
The extraordinary vocal performances and deceptively sophisticated chords employed by members of this Athens, Georgia, group get obscured by their “party band” vibe, but to me they’re more “arty” than “party.” This smash, from their debut album in 1978, released as a single in 1979, refuses to follow any convention in verse, chorus, lyrics, instrumentation, or performance. Its wild, reckless beat makes you want to dance, yet it still tickles your funny bone on repeat listenings. With this off-the-wall anthem to irreverence, the B-52s served notice that they could balance their boards on rogue new waves while focused on steady radio airplay. - Sparks, “I Predict”
The LA-based Mael brothers, Russell and Ron, outdid themselves with this 1982 gem, or I should say, crystal ball. A perfectly played indictment of the phony prognosticators who get major media attention as every new year approaches, they glide effortlessly from one silly proposition to another. My favorite part is the end, when the lyrics predict a fade-out. The tune starts to do that, then abruptly stops, proving the singer wrong. I laughed out loud then and still do now.
Please share your own favorites. I know many are missing from this short list.