Comedians Referencing Pop Music Chart Hits

[Satchmo Distel]

In Xmas 1980, Eddie Large did an entire routine based on chart hits, such as Eddie Waring doing D.I.S.C.O. with Rugby replacing Disco. When did comedy writers start plundering the pop charts in this way and when did the trend end given that the charts no longer resonate as much?

(I assume that impersonating a celeb performing a current pop track would not be a staple of current light entertainment but when did that change occur?).

[MuteBanana]

Must be plenty of pop stars who comedians could be making fun of. Does it ever happen anymore?

Imagine Greg Davies appearing on the same Graham Norton episode as Lady Gaga and coming out in a big flamboyant carnival drag outfit. That'd show her.

[Brundle-Fly]

I'm always impressed by Harry Hill's ability to this day to randomly slip in a lyric from one of the latest pop chart hits.

[thenoise]

French and Saunders were still doing this well into the 00s, parodying Britney Spears videos etc. Katy Brand also did something similar in her 'big ass show' circa 2008.

Around the same year Peter Kay did his Talent Show spoof, which was probably a better reflection of how the modern person consumed pop culture/music. Unfortunately it was considerably less funny than the real thing.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

In Xmas 1980, Eddie Large did an entire routine based on chart hits, such as Eddie Waring doing D.I.S.C.O. with Rugby replacing Disco.

That was the era when the Barron Knights were doing song spoofs and Kenny Everett parodied Rod Stewart.

[Jackson K Pollock]

I'm pretty sure I've posted this video about a half dozen or more times on this forum, but if this isn't the death knell of 'comedians' mocking chart hits, I don't know what is. How he has the gall to prance back on at the end and smugly proclaim "just a little point I've always wanted to make about modern acting" instead of literally dying with embarrassment, I don't know...

https://youtu.be/U8K2Avfevng


(And because I hate when people just post a YouTube link without saying what it is, it's Ben Elton and "The Throat Lolly Song")

[Mobius]

I'm pretty sure I've posted this video about a half dozen or more times on this forum, but if this isn't the death knell of 'comedians' mocking chart hits, I don't know what is. How he has the gall to prance back on at the end and smugly proclaim "just a little point I've always wanted to make about modern acting" instead of literally dying with embarrassment, I don't know...

https://youtu.be/U8K2Avfevng


(And because I hate when people just post a YouTube link without saying what it is, it's Ben Elton and "The Throat Lolly Song")

Fucking hell.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

Bell Endon. 

I like how someone comments 'comedy gold' on the video, then someone else comments 'comedy tin.'

[Sin Agog]

Bell Endon. 

I like how someone comments 'comedy gold' on the video, then someone else comments 'comedy tin.'

Checkoutgirl!

[Cuellar]

I'm pretty sure I've posted this video about a half dozen or more times on this forum, but if this isn't the death knell of 'comedians' mocking chart hits, I don't know what is. How he has the gall to prance back on at the end and smugly proclaim "just a little point I've always wanted to make about modern acting" instead of literally dying with embarrassment, I don't know...

https://youtu.be/U8K2Avfevng


(And because I hate when people just post a YouTube link without saying what it is, it's Ben Elton and "The Throat Lolly Song")

Jesus CHRIST

[ajsmith2]

Comedians referencing or parodying pop music has been part of comedy forever, it's part of the DNA of most comedy and isn't noteworthy in itself. Certainly you can trace it easily back to at least music hall days without even trying. I betcha court jesters were doing ribald parodies of Summer Is A Cumin In back in the middle ages too.

If it's begun dying out very recently it's cos the personalised media options of today mean there isn't the same shared monoculture these days. I think George Ezragate on the Vic and Bob thread is a good example of this: about as big a pop star as you can get today appearing on Big Night Out but many on the thread were complaining of having never heard of him cos these days it's easy to just tune something you don't like completely out of your media intake. If this was 1978 (or even 1998) you'd be familiar with him whether you liked it or not as he'd have done the rounds on the talk and variety shows on the other 2/3/4 channels while you were waiting for content you enjoyed to come on.

[Icehaven]

David Baddiel did a parody of Brett Anderson from Suede at their Newman and Baddiel Live and In Pieces show at Wembley Arena in the mid 90s, mocking him for trying too hard to be sexually ambiguous by mincing on to the stage in a ridiculous wig, shaking his arse and singing about 'wanting to be spanked by Lionel Blair.' It wasn't that funny.

Edit; 1993 apparently, Christ.

[Captain Z]

One of the Apollo comedians, possibly Micky Mackintyre, did a dissemination of Akorn & Eminem's 'Smack That', which must have been as recent as 2006.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

David Baddiel did a parody of Brett Anderson from Suede at their Newman and Baddiel Live and In Pieces show at Wembley Arena in the mid 90s, mocking him for trying too hard to be sexually ambiguous by mincing on to the stage in a ridiculous wig, shaking his arse and singing about 'wanting to be spanked by Lionel Blair.' It wasn't that funny.

Edit; 1993 apparently, Christ.

Twenty years after Bowie/glam rock had got going, and ten since Boy George, Pete Burns and Marilyn had.  What up-to-date humour.

[Icehaven]

If it's begun dying out very recently it's cos the personalised media options of today mean there isn't the same shared monoculture these days. I think George Ezragate on the Vic and Bob thread is a good example of this: about as big a pop star as you can get today appearing on Big Night Out but many on the thread were complaining of having never heard of him cos these days it's easy to just tune something you don't like completely out of your media intake. If this was 1978 (or even 1998) you'd be familiar with him whether you liked it or not as he'd have done the rounds on the talk and variety shows on the other 2/3/4 channels while you were waiting for content you enjoyed to come on.

This is true, I actively hated stuff like The Spice Girls and Take That etc. when I was growing up partly because I had to sit through them on TOTP waiting for that week's token guitar band, but kidz these days don't seem to have the same level of vitriol towards innocent pop acts because it's so easy to ignore what you aren't into. I've still only once knowingly heard one Ed Sheeran song. You don't even get acts deliberately designed to be hated like Jedward or Mr. Blobby anymore because ubiquity no longer exists so neither can the contempt it garners, and even notoriety is incredibly difficult to achieve because attracting any attention whatsoever is nearly impossible full stop.

[The Culture Bunker]

Twenty years after Bowie/glam rock had got going, and ten since Boy George, Pete Burns and Marilyn had.  What up-to-date humour.

In the "In Pieces" show, he did a bit about his nan's hearing aid feeding back, and how she was now on tour with the Jesus and Mary Chain. This being about seven or eight years after "Psychocandy" came out.

[KennyMonster]

In the "In Pieces" show, he did a bit about his nan's hearing aid feeding back, and how she was now on tour with the Jesus and Mary Chain. This being about seven or eight years after "Psychocandy" came out.

Rob Newman kept it up to date though with the "people who can't be taken seriously because of their strange looks" support group.

https://youtu.be/HgWp5Ee8JGg

[Better Midlands]

Portlandia featured music based sketches

Battle of the gentle bands

https://youtu.be/kyL-iJQSk5A

[Mark Steels Stockbroker]

Portlandia featured music based sketches

Battle of the gentle bands

https://youtu.be/kyL-iJQSk5A

That'll be the sketch show made by an actual indie rock guitarist.


Would the first TV comedian doing a music parody have been Peter Sellers with his Hard Days Night/Olivier monologue.

[bim sherman shirts]

Comedians referencing or parodying pop music has been part of comedy forever, it's part of the DNA of most comedy and isn't noteworthy in itself. Certainly you can trace it easily back to at least music hall days without even trying. I betcha court jesters were doing ribald parodies of Summer Is A Cumin In back in the middle ages too.

If it's begun dying out very recently it's cos the personalised media options of today mean there isn't the same shared monoculture these days. I think George Ezragate on the Vic and Bob thread is a good example of this: about as big a pop star as you can get today appearing on Big Night Out but many on the thread were complaining of having never heard of him cos these days it's easy to just tune something you don't like completely out of your media intake.

Totally. This is why the use of Adele in the recent time travelling bigamist show revival didn't really work. We all kind-of know who she is but you actively have to seek out her music if you want to hear it, unlike the general knowledge Beatles songs/showtunes Gary Sparrow plundered in the original series. The one off show went on at length about how society has changed since 1999 with smartphones etc but made a bit of a glaring error here.

I actively hated stuff like The Spice Girls and Take That etc. when I was growing up partly because I had to sit through them on TOTP waiting for that week's token guitar band, but kidz these days don't seem to have the same level of vitriol towards innocent pop acts because it's so easy to ignore what you aren't into. I've still only once knowingly heard one Ed Sheeran song.

Very true. Only the over 35s seem to rant against 'manufactured pop' now, and even then it seems like their hearts aren't really in it, they're only saying it out of habit. A kind of heritage anger almost, nostalgic for the days of scraping "Bros are cunts" into school desks with a compass.

[easytarget]

In the "In Pieces" show, he did a bit about his nan's hearing aid feeding back, and how she was now on tour with the Jesus and Mary Chain. This being about seven or eight years after "Psychocandy" came out.

Same bit where he talks about a fat roadie in a "near-vana" t-shirt?

[Satchmo Distel]

Would the first TV comedian doing a music parody have been Peter Sellers with his Hard Days Night/Olivier monologue.

No, Stan Freberg started the trend.

[Mark Steels Stockbroker]

To be fair to David Baddiel, the Jesus & Mary Chain were still touring in 1992/3 and playing their 80s material. And 25 years later they still are, whereas David hasn't said "That's you, that is" for some time.

[easytarget]

you see those trolls on social media? that's you that is.
It's an adaptable phrase.
Timeless.