Top 10 Comedy Musicians
Who said music had to be serious business? Join http://www.watchmojo.com as we count down our picks for the Top 10 Comedy Musicians. For this list, we're focusing on musicians primarily known for being comedic at heart, not rock bands with a hilarious sense of humor.
Special thanks to Hans Gougar and Stephen Cartwright for submitting the idea at WatchMojo.comsuggest!
#10: Tim Minchin
He’s a musician at heart, but his sounds are steeped in comedic satire. Born in England and raised in Western Australia, Tim Minchin has the appearance of a red-haired Edward Scissorhands, and his pronounced atheism cuts through each and every performance. He’s a self-aware composer of cabaret spectacles, and one can expect a complete orchestra to accompany his sharp social commentary. While Minchin never actually attended a comedy show before the start of his career, watching him on stage one would think he born with comedic talent.
#9: Ninja Sex Party
If you hear the name of this band and find yourself whispering “yes, please,” well then you’ll probably enjoy their brand of synth pop comedy. Composed of Danny Sexbang and Ninja Brian, these goofballs offer up sex advice while making you fall over from laughing so hard. Sure, you may not find them lighting up the stage at Carnegie Hall, but you can expect them to help you take control of your sex life courtesy of hilarious music videos and astonishingly profound lyrics. Or if video games are more your thing, then give their side project Starbomb a shot.
#8: The Axis of Awesome
Behold, a trio of pop culture poets from Sydney, Australia – “The Axis of Awesome.” They can move you with their angelic voices and only “4 Chords,” and they are capable of mashing up pretty much any pop hit you can think of. They’ll teach you the basic fundamentals of how to write a love song and make you laugh while they’re doing it. These guys take fashion seriously and are quickly becoming the pop culture pros of comedy rock.
#7: Bo Burnham
Back in 2006, a Massachusetts teenager became a YouTube sensation when his piano interludes of youth angst appeared on Break.com. Less than two years later, Bo Burnham had a deal with Comedy Central Records and began sharing his satirical takes on sexuality and taboo topics. His meta commentaries were featured in the MTV series “Zach Stone is Gonna Be Famous,” and given his ability to challenge the comfort level of audiences, it seems that Burnham is only getting started. While his on stage persona is supposedly a “more arrogant, stuck-up version of himself,” this is what keeps us coming back to his work with every new release.
#6: Steel Panther
Prepare to have your face melted and brain ravaged by the thrashing comedy of these glamorous monsters of comedic rock. Imagine if Motley Crue or Poison had cared more about making people laugh than hard drugs and sex. The result would have been Steel Panther, as their “rock out with your c*ck out” style of performing has led to a prominent following on the Sunset Strip just like their '80s predecessors. With an exaggerated stage presence and explicitly awesome music videos, Steel Panther has established themselves as the illustrious bad boys of hilarious hair metal parody bands.
#5: Tenacious D
They are the chosen ones, and in 2006, they gave us “The Pick of Destiny”. With Kyle Gass plucking’ away on the guitar and Hollywood veteran Jack Black offering his own style of heightened theatrics, Tenacious D leans more toward the epic than ironic, sophomoric stunts. These guys know they are superstars, and their big-boy performances took them all the way to the American Music Awards. They first made a name for themselves by appearing in various late 90s films, and by the dawn of a new decade, they were the wonder boys of HBO.
#4: Flight of the Concords
Speaking of HBO, this New Zealand duo held down their own series from 2007 to 2009, similarly to Tenacious D. The folk musicians originally formed in 1998 when they were college roommates, and by 2004, their polished act allowed them to heavily improvise on their own BBC2 radio series, which ultimately paved the way for their American mockumentary experience. While “Flight of the Conchords” has been off the radar for a number of years, their international influence always leaves the door open for a welcomed re-emergence.
#3: The Lonely Island
In 2005, Andy Samberg made his debut on “Saturday Night Live,” but it was his work with a Los Angeles comedy group that led to the big gig. After years of establishing a devoted following, The Lonely Island joined writing forces with Jimmy Fallon for the 2005 MTV Movie Awards, and by year’s end, the entire gang was employed by Lorne Michaels. With some seriously impressive collaborations, these guys made comedy music accessible to every audience with poppy production and hilarious music videos. The Lonely Island don’t shy away from juvenile content, although their rhymes make them the Senior Executives of surrealistic hip-hop comedy.
#2: Spinal Tap
The most pretentious of rock stars are unlikely to find any humor in this fictional rock band, and most probably thought the 1984 feature film was actually about them. Rob Reiner’s satirical take on musicians and the filmmakers who cover them not only earned a cult following, but is notable for its heavy improvisation. The band’s lineup consisted of Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer, all of whom slayed their roles in leading many to believe their faux rock unit was a real thing, and in the scope of iconic films and comedy musicians, they certainly are. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Ylvis Green Jellÿ The Dan Band Kollektivet
#1: “Weird Al” Yankovic
He’s the Godfather of musical satire and the President of Pop Culture Parodies. Originally touted by Dr. Demento, a teenaged Al Yankovic offered his own take on The Knack’s “My Sharona” in 1979, which led to his first record deal. It’s not that he boasts a beautiful voice or leading man looks, it’s that he’s always working and knows how to hit the right chords with mainstream audiences. Even in the internet age, Weird Al still knows how to stay relevant, as his most recent album hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Keep rockin’ Weird Al. So, do you agree with our selections? Who is your favorite comedy musician? For more mind-blowing Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.