Hangin' Out In 100b

So I was wondering what some of the weirdest songs to chart in the U.S. and U.K. The U.K. tends to have more electic tastes, so that’s not really fair game. So, here are a handful of mostly U.S. notable releases to pique the public’s interest enough to at least dip a toe into chart glory. The compilation is by no means exhaustive, to say the least.

In chronological order …

Producer and comedian Allan Sherman’s third album, My Son, The Nut, topped the charts for eight weeks in 1963. “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh”, which Americans of all ages will no doubt recognize, is the soundtrack to this parody using clips from Lost.

Ray Stevens hit #1 in the U.S. and U.K. with “The Streak”. …

Rick Dees’ “Disco Duck” also reached #1 in 1976 and the song even made an appearance in Saturday Night Fever. Those of us who really came of age in the 1990s and beyond cannot judge. All I have to say is … Crazy Frog (which will not be making an appearance in this post).

The U.S. went bonkers over the touring exhibit of Tutankhamun’s artifacts between 1976-1979. I remember going as a kid in NYC. Steve Martin jumped on the bandwagon with “King Tut” (which I remember either from the time or from 1980s playback) and goof-balled his way to #17.

Is Frank Zappa’s 1982 #32 “Valley Girl” – off Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch and featuring his daughter Moon Unit – really what lead to so many in the U.S. speaking like this?

Weird Al Yankovic is who many of us probably think of first when it comes to novelty music. Weird Al was pervasive in the 1980s and in 1984 “Eat It” soared to #12 in the U.S. singles chart.

Fast forward to everyone’s favorite loser – William Hung of American Idol fame. His 2004 album Inspiration broke into the charts at, believe it or not, #34 and has sold hundreds of thousands of copies since. Listen to his signature song, Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs”, and the awesome cover of the Eagles’ “Hotel California” and prepare to be won over.

All is right with the world.