Top 10 Parody Songs LOVED by the Original Artist

#10: “Tacky”

Weird Al Yankovic

Back in 2013, Pharrell Williams’ bubbly pop super-hit “Happy” was pretty much impossible to get away from. Its infectiously optimistic lyrics and catchy groove were an instant hit, with it eventually peaking at number-one in several different countries. Naturally, it didn’t take long until a stream of parodies hit the internet, and sure enough, the king of the spoof, “Weird Al” Yankovic was quick to get involved. Yankovic always pays the artist the courtesy of asking permission to parody their songs first, despite not needing any legal clearance to do so. Not only was Pharrell happy to let him do his thing, he spoke very highly of the end product, “Tacky”, and declared he was honoured to get the “Weird Al” treatment.

#9: “Cups and Cakes”

Spinal Tap

The original track “Cups and Cakes” by Spinal Tap appeared on the soundtrack album to the 1984 film “This Is Spinal Tap”. It was very clearly a parody of British experimental folk of the 1960s, specifically works by Paul McCartney during the mid-to-late Beatles years. Decades later, Macca himself gave the track the ultimate seal of approval by doing a feature on the re-recorded version for the band’s film sequel. McCartney has been around the block enough times now to not take himself too seriously, and this appearance alongside Spinal Tap in 2025 proved it.

#8: “Baby on Board”

The Simpsons

Ok, so hear us out on this one. The iconic Simpsons episode “Homer’s Barbershop Quartet” prominently features the song “Baby on Board”, which is not directly a Beatles spoof. However, the episode itself is very clearly an overall homage to the rise and career of the Fab Four, culminating in one final performance on the top of Moe’s Tavern. Sounds eerily similar to The Beatles’ own final show, which took place on the rooftop of Apple Corps headquarters. Guitarist George Harrison even made a guest appearance in the episode to remind the world that this stunt had, in fact, been pulled off before.

#7: “Photograph”

Nickelback

After years and years of being one of the most meme’d on bands of all-time, it’s pretty cool to see that Nickelback are not unwilling to laugh at themselves. When Chad Kroeger and co. were approached by Google to perform a modified version of their song “Photograph”, they seemingly accepted without hesitation. The song’s lyrics were altered by Google to advertise new features on Google Photos, while keeping the tone of the widely ridiculed and overly sentimental song. Writing a parody and performing it yourself or giving it to a third party is good and all, but if you can actually get the original artist to poke fun at themselves, that’s a different level. The song’s meme status will likely outlive us all.

#6: “Push (Feeling Good on a Wednesday)”

South Park

For many diehard “South Park” fans, nothing tops the Randy-centric episodes. Even by Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s lofty standards, having Randy reveal that he is secretly alternative-pop star Lorde is a wild premise for an episode. In this specific story, he reveals that with the help of a little autotune, he is able to record and release music without anyone suspecting his true identity. When the real Lorde heard about it, she revealed that she got a good laugh out of the whole thing, understanding that being mocked by “South Park” is a pretty clear sign that you’ve made it.

#5: “Head Over Heels (Weather Version)”

Jimmy Fallon & Kevin Bacon

There has been no shortage of song parodies over the years that have featured Jimmy Fallon and random celebrities. We’ll always have a soft spot for the talk-show host’s meteorological take on Tears for Fears' classic “Head Over Heels” alongside Kevin Bacon. Like Fallon, the veteran actor Bacon is no slouch in the musical department.. In this case, their Tears for Fears cover was an instant success… and as it turned out, the band themselves enjoyed it a lot too. The Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith-fronted group took to social media to give the spoof their own personal seal of approval. It likely introduced the song to a whole new generation, too, which is pretty cool when you think about it.

#4: “Like a Surgeon”

“Weird Al” Yankovic

There is only one known time where “Weird Al” Yankovic has openly accepted a song idea directly from another artist. Madonna was apparently walking around with a friend when she openly wondered whether Yankovic would ever parody her song. She even brought the title “Like a Surgeon” to Weird Al’s management through a mutual contact. Yankovic was happy to do the rest, conceptualising a song that would go on to be one of his most beloved creations. Madonna pretty much breathed life into this one single-handedly, and she was supposedly quite happy with the result.

#3: “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air Theme Song”

Jimmy Fallon

Neil Young might not generally give off an overly comedic vibe, but when the time came for him to step up and poke fun at himself and his idiosyncratic style, he exceeded expectations. Jimmy Fallon scored a pretty big viral hit by performing the theme song to “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” in the style of the Canadian troubadour. Though no public response from Young was offered in return, he later made two separate appearances on Jimmy Fallon’s talkshow to duet with the host. Yes, you heard us, the highly acclaimed and artistically revered Neil Young was so happy to do harmonies with someone doing an impression of him, that he did it twice.

#2: “Cheese and Onions”

The Rutles

When it comes to movie spoofs, The Rutles were never trying to be overly subtle about their attempts to lampoon The Beatles. Their film “All You Need is Cash” has since gone on to become a cult classic, spawning a soundtrack album and even a sequel. John Lennon was very enthused by the whole thing, while Ringo and Paul took a little longer to come around. However, George Harrison, who was friends with creator Eric Idle, actually beat them all to the punch - appearing in a cameo role in the film. That’s just about as clear a seal of approval as you’ll ever find.

#1: “Smells Like Nirvana”

“Weird Al” Yankovic

Kurt Cobain was approached by “Weird Al” Yankovic about the prospect of him doing a parody of Nirvana’s earth-shattering hit, “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. When he heard that Yankovic would be making a joke about how hard it is to decipher the lyrics, he was sold. After it came out and proved to be a huge success, Cobain would double down on his approval, citing the song as proof that the band had made it. It went on to become his biggest hit in years, sparking a comeback that carried him through the rest of the 1990s.

But what do you think is the single greatest parody song of all-time? Let us know in the comments below.