Music History Events: Funny
October 30, 2010 Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) makes a rare public appearance, performing "Peace Train" at the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear, which is organized and hosted by Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. Midway through the song, Colbert interrupts him and introduces Ozzy Osbourne, who starts performing "Crazy Train." Stevens and Osbourne go back and forth, resulting in a strange and hilarious train wreck.More
April 1, 2008 On April Fools' Day, YouTube tricks users with the popular bait-and-switch prank called Rickrolling by featuring video links that actually lead to Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" music video. Several other websites have the same idea, creating an unintentional, internet-wide April Fools' joke.More
April 1, 2007 Proving she understands irony just fine, Alanis Morissette transforms the Black Eyed Peas' booty anthem "My Humps" into a mournful piano ballad for April Fools' Day. The accompanying music video debuts on YouTube and becomes a viral sensation, garnering millions of views.More
April 1, 2006 Spin magazine publishes a review of the Guns N' Roses album Chinese Democracy, which Axl Rose and his gang have been working on since 1994. It's an April Fool: the album isn't released until 2008.
March 17, 2003 On the very first episode of MTV's practical joke show Punk'd, host Ashton Kutcher stages a prank involving the IRS that makes Justin Timberlake cry.More
November 10, 2002 Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Tom Petty, Elvis Costello, Lenny Kravitz, and Brian Setzer guest star on The Simpsons in an episode where they run a rock and roll fantasy camp. The first rule of the camp: There are no rules! Second rule: No outside food.More
April 8, 2000 In a Saturday Night Live skit where Blue Öyster Cult is recording "(Don't Fear) The Reaper," Christopher Walken demands more cowbell from Will Ferrell, who complies. A catch phrase is born.More
January 2, 1999 "Chocolate Salty Balls (P.S. I Love You)" from the TV series South Park hits #1 in the UK.More
December 3, 1994 Adam Sandler performs "The Chanukah Song" on the Weekend Update segment of Saturday Night Live, enlightening us to the fact that Harrison Ford, Paul Newman and David Lee Roth (among many others) are, in fact, Jewish. Released as a single the following year, the song reaches #10 US and becomes a seasonal favorite.More
November 21, 1992 Adam Sandler sings "The Thanksgiving Song" on Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update.More
May 31, 1986 Jeff Krulik and John Heyn film the parking-lot antics of fans tailgating at a Judas Priest concert in Landover, Maryland. The result is Heavy Metal Parking Lot, a 16-minute film that captures the energy and absurdity of heavy metal culture in the '80s.More
March 2, 1984 This Is Spinal Tap is released in theaters, chronicling the hapless heavy metal band with exploding drummers and an amp that goes to 11. It leaves some in laughter and some in tears. Ozzy Osbourne is just confused.More
February 1, 1982 Bill Murray is the first guest on Late Night with David Letterman, hosted by an irreverent comedian with funny teeth. He sings the hit song "Physical," doing an aerobic routine along with his performance.More
April 22, 1978 Steve Martin performs "King Tut" on Saturday Night Live, popularizing goofy Egyptian dancing. The song, which portrays the pharaoh as his "favorite honky," goes on to sell over 500,000 copies.
March 22, 1978 A Beatles parody special called The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash, airs on ABC. The special stars various members of the Monty Python troupe.More
November 20, 1976 Paul Simon opens Saturday Night Live dressed as a turkey (in honor of Thanksgiving).More
February 25, 1968 The Jimi Hendrix Experience play two shows at the Civic Opera House in Chicago. Between shows, Hendrix gets "casted" by the inventive groupie Cynthia Plaster Caster, who makes a mold of his love gun.More
June 16, 2023 Re-creating a scene from the "All The Small Things" video, Kourtney Kardashian announces her pregnancy with blink-182 drummer Travis Barker by holding up a sign reading "Travis I'm Pregnant" at the band's concert in Los Angeles.
October 30, 2021 Harry Styles, known to wear a dress on occasion, plays his Madison Square Garden show in costume as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, with his band dressed like characters from the movie. He calls it "Harryween"; the next night he takes the stage as a Pierrot clown.
March 30, 2015 21-year-old Justin Bieber gets roasted on Comedy Central, where he's taken to task for his headline-grabbing petulant behavior. Martha Stewart steals show, saying she's there to "give Justin some tips to use when he inevitably ends up in prison."
February 23, 2015 Warren G and Kenny G (no relation) team up to perform a saxy version of Warren's hit "Regulate" on Jimmy Kimmel Live. It's part of Kimmel's "Mash Up Mondays" series that also pairs Aloe Blacc with Blackstreet ("Aloe Blaccstreet"), Weezer with ZZ Top ("Wee-Z Top") and Morris Day And The Time with Haim ("Morris Day And The Haim").
July 30, 2012 Pitbull makes an appearance in Kodiak, Alaska, winner of an online contest skewed by the #exilepitbull campaign. The Miami rapper takes it in stride, enthusiastically greeting fans in the remote city before flying back to the mainland to resume his tour.
July 12, 2010 Jewel puts on a disguise and, posing as a shy, nervous businesswoman named Karen, sings her own songs at a karaoke bar to a stunned crowd. Billed as "Undercover Karaoke," the video quickly goes viral.
November 7, 2009 Taylor Swift, 19, hosts Saturday Night Live for the first time. She writes a bespoke song for the opening monologue poking fun at her proclivity for writing songs about her exes, including Joe Jonas, "The guy who broke up with me on the phone."
April 4, 2007 An article is published in New Musical Express quoting Keith Richards as saying, "I snorted my father." Richards later claims it was an April Fools' joke.
November 17, 2004 The Postal Service - the electronic duo known for "Such Great Heights" and "We Will Become Silhouettes" - perform at the postmaster general's National Executive Conference as part of an agreement to use the name, which is trademarked by the stamps-and-letters Postal Service.
February 10, 2004 Eminem is among the guests heard on the second season premiere episode of Comedy Central's Crank Yankers. The rapper gives voice to "Bobby's Brother" opposite comedian Jim Florentine's "Bobby" in a prank phone call to a restaurant.
August 14, 1999 Before an in-store signing in Norridge, Illinois, the nine guys in Slipknot change into their masks and jumpsuits behind a jewelry store, and the cops show up, thinking they're going to rob the place. After they prove they're a theatrical metal band and not a crime ring, the police escort them to the signing.
January 30, 1999 In Deerfield Beach, Florida, Cake play the Bar Mitzvah of superfan Mitchell Schop, who wrote them a letter with the request. The next day they start their world tour with a show in Orlando, supporting their album Prolonging The Magic and the hit single "Never There."
November 23, 1993 The Beavis And Butt-Head Experience, an album where the animated morons offer their thoughts on songs like "I Got You Babe" and "Search And Destroy," is released. It sells over 2 million copies in America.
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