It’s hard to call anybody other than “Weird Al” Yankovic the GOAT when it comes to comedy music. He’s become a pop culture staple, but that hasn’t translated to him getting into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, which John Mulaney thinks is a shame.
In a recent Rolling Stone interview, the comedian said:
“I’m a big proponent of novelty music. I’m a big proponent of ‘Weird Al’ getting into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. This is one step closer, though I don’t know why they need to be led via steps. ‘Weird Al’ brought more people to music than is recognized at all.
I will, in fact, greatly devalue my coolness by saying [when I was young], it wasn’t until ‘Smells Like Nirvana’ defanged ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ that I could enjoy ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit.’ It was scary at first. It just was like, ‘I’m pretty happy, I’m a kid.’ I needed a way in. And after you laugh at ‘Smells Like Nirvana,’ you go, ‘Oh, this is a really good song.’”
In a 2024 interview, Rock Hall chairman John Sykes noted that while Yankovic is on the Hall’s radar, currently, it seems unlikely he’ll make it onto the ballot: “‘Weird Al’ has come up in conversations. He’s a genius. He has made brilliant versions of the songs, but I’ll be honest: He’s never made it close to the ballot.”
Read the full Mulaney interview here.