Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic (born 23 October 1959 in Downey, California, USA) is an American comedy musician, writer, and actor. He is primarily known for writing and performing comedy songs that parody specific songs by contemporary musicians, as well as for original songs that are style pastiches of other… Read moreShow less
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic (born 23 October 1959 in Downey, California, USA) is an American comedy musician, writer, and actor. He is primarily known for writing and performing comedy songs that parody specific songs by contemporary musicians, as well as for original songs that are style pastiches of other artists’ work and polka medleys of popular songs, often featuring his accordion. Yankovic first gained attention in 1976 when one of his comedy songs was aired on The Dr. Demento Radio Show at age 16. As of 2025, he has sold over 12 million albums, recorded more than 150 parodies and original songs, and performed over 2,000 live shows.
Yankovic’s success has been linked to his use of music videos to parody pop culture, the original songs, and the artists themselves. He has directed some of his own videos and has directed videos for other artists, including Ben Folds, Hanson, the Black Crowes, and the Presidents of the United States of America. With the decline of music television, he began using YouTube and other online platforms to publish his videos, which contributed to sales of his later albums. Since the release of Mandatory Fun (2014), he has focused on releasing singles rather than full albums.
Yankovic has won five Grammy Awards and received eleven further nominations, along with four gold and six platinum records in the United States. His first top ten Billboard album, "Straight Outta Lynwood," and single, "White & Nerdy," were both released in 2006. "Mandatory Fun" became his first number-one album during its debut week.
In addition to his music career, Yankovic wrote and starred in the film "UHF" (1989) and the television series "The Weird Al Show" (1997). He has produced two satirical films about his own life, "The Compleat Al" (1985) and "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story" (2022). He has appeared in various television shows and web series, and starred in "Al TV" specials on MTV. Yankovic has also written two children’s books, "When I Grow Up" (2011) and "My New Teacher and Me!" (2013).
Studio albums
"Weird Al" Yankovic (1983)
"Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D (1984)
Dare to Be Stupid (1985)
Polka Party! (1986)
Even Worse (1988)
UHF: "Weird Al" Yankovic (1989)
Off the Deep End (1992)
Alapalooza (1993)
Bad Hair Day (1996)
Running with Scissors (1999)
Poodle Hat (2003)
Straight Outta Lynwood (2006)
Alpocalypse (2011)
Mandatory Fun (2014)
