Hubbry Logo
AlpocalypseAlpocalypseMain
Open search
Alpocalypse
Community hub
Alpocalypse
logo
7 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Alpocalypse
Alpocalypse
Alpocalypse
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Alpocalypse
Studio album by
"Weird Al" Yankovic
ReleasedJune 21, 2011
RecordedSeptember 29, 2008 – April 6, 2011
GenreComedy, parody
Length45:56
Label
Producer"Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic chronology
The Essential "Weird Al" Yankovic
(2009) 		Alpocalypse
(2011) 		Mandatory Fun
(2014)
Singles from Alpocalypse
  1. "Whatever You Like"
    Released: October 8, 2008
  2. "Craigslist"
    Released: June 16, 2009
  3. "Skipper Dan"
    Released: July 14, 2009
  4. "CNR"
    Released: August 4, 2009
  5. "Ringtone"
    Released: August 25, 2009
  6. "Perform This Way"
    Released: April 25, 2011

Alpocalypse is the thirteenth studio album by the American parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on June 21, 2011. It was the seventh studio album self-produced by Yankovic. The musical styles on the album are built around parodies and pastiches of pop and rock music of the late 2000s and early 2010s. The album's first single, "Whatever You Like", was released almost two and a half years prior to the release of the album, and the single peaked at number 104 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album's final single, "Perform This Way", was released digitally on April 25, 2011, but failed to chart.

Prior to the release of Alpocalypse, Yankovic released the EP Internet Leaks (2009); this was an experiment in using the Internet as a way to release music in an efficient and timely manner. All of the tracks released on Internet Leaks would later be re-released on Alpocalypse. The album was preceded by a minor controversy after Yankovic sought Lady Gaga's permission to record a parody of her song "Born This Way". Yankovic recorded the parody, but due to a communication error was very nearly forced to leave it off the album.

Yankovic produced a music video for every song on the record. Most of these videos were animated, but a live action video for "Perform this Way" was produced. A deluxe edition of the CD was later released that included all of these music videos, sans the ones for "Perform this Way" and "Polka Face". Yankovic later issued Alpocalypse HD, a Blu-ray release which features all 12 music videos from this album, along with three videos from his previous album, Straight Outta Lynwood (2006). Alpocalypse was met with mostly positive reviews, and was nominated for the 2011 Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album. The album peaked at number 9 on the Billboard 200, making it, at the time, Yankovic's highest-charting album.

Recording and production

[edit]

Alpocalypse followed a five-year gap after the release of Straight Outta Lynwood. Yankovic stated that he had not set any firm date for release of Alpocalypse, and instead wanted to wait for the right time for its release, telling his record label that the album is "going to be out whenever there's a dramatic shift in pop culture – whenever that happens to be".[1] Five of the songs from Alpocalypse were previously recorded by Yankovic and released digitally during 2008 and 2009, "Whatever You Like", "Craigslist", "Skipper Dan", "CNR", and "Ringtone"; the last four were released with their own music videos. These five songs were later packaged as an EP called Internet Leaks (2009), with indications that they would also eventually appear on Yankovic's next published album. Other tracks on the album were recorded in January, May and October 2010.[1] Yankovic waited to release the album until he could cap it off with one final parody of a pop culture song of the moment; the song he chose was Lady Gaga's "Born This Way", which he decided to parody as the album's lead song, "Perform This Way".[1]

"Perform This Way" controversy

[edit]

Yankovic sought to gain Lady Gaga's permission for his parody in early 2011, as he has done with all his parody songs in the past.[1] He was told by Gaga's manager that Gaga wanted to read the lyrics before giving approval, then that she wanted to hear a recorded version. After this was done the manager said Gaga denied permission in April 2011, which was a major setback for Yankovic, as he would have to pull the song from the album's release and prepare and record another song in its place, which would delay the album's release further. Yankovic, after spending all this extra effort (he had to work on this while performing an Australian tour, as well as put a family vacation on hold to meet the demands of Gaga's manager) did not want the song to go to waste, and instead posted it to YouTube and other music sites, indicating that he had wished all sales proceeds to go to the Human Rights Campaign charity.[2] Through Twitter and other social media services within the day of posting, Lady Gaga and her staff realized the artist had never heard the song herself and quickly gave permission for Yankovic to use the song, saying Gaga was "a huge 'Weird Al' fan". Yankovic was able to set the date of Alpocalypse's release by the end of that day, and claimed that "Twitter saved my album" based on the rapid turnaround by his fans and Lady Gaga.[3]

Composition

[edit]
The album's opening track, "Perform This Way", is a parody of "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga (pictured).

The album's opening track, "Perform This Way", is a parody of "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga.[4] The lyrics are told from the point of view of Gaga, and describe her performance style and fashion sense. The song's associated music video shows Yankovic's face superimposed on a female dancer, dancing and performing in many outfits that parody those worn by Gaga or original creations inspired by the artist.[5]

"CNR" is a style parody of the White Stripes, in particular borrowing heavily from "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground".[4][6] The song's lyrics are about superhuman feats that Charles Nelson Reilly could accomplish, similar to Chuck Norris facts. When Yankovic came up with the idea of a song about Reilly, he contacted Reilly's widower Patrick Hughes for permission. Hughes' only request was that Yankovic "not make [Reilly] out to be too much of a sissy;" in response, Yankovic thought it would be funny to go as far in the opposite direction as possible.[7] The song's end is also very similar to the chorus of the song "You Don't Mess Around with Jim". The video, created by JibJab, animates the song's lyrics using JibJab employees as actors against a green screen, interspersed with shots of Yankovic and Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz performing on a White Stripes-inspired red-and-white set, dressed as Jack White and Meg White, respectively.[6][8][9] In a first for any major recording artist, users of JibJab's web site had the option of including themselves in the music video.[10]

The third track on the album, "TMZ", which is a parody of "You Belong with Me" by Taylor Swift,[4][11] is about celebrities whose failings, no matter how minor, appear on the celebrity gossip site TMZ.com. The music video, by Bill Plympton, is about a female celebrity whose bare buttocks are photographed by a TMZ paparazzo and then appear everywhere she goes. Voice actor and comedian Tom Kenny is featured as a voice shouting out various tabloid headlines during an instrumental solo.[12] Yankovic performed the song on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on February 9, 2012.[13]

"Skipper Dan" is a style parody of Weezer.[4][14] The lyrics describe a man who, despite having a fine arts degree, is forced to have a mundane job as a tour guide on the Jungle Cruise ride at Disneyland. Yankovic was inspired to write the song after going on the ride with his family, during which the guide "offhandedly referred to his failed acting career".[15] Yankovic hit upon this idea and developed the character of the narrator to write the song along. Though still a comedy song, it has a far more serious and somber tone than most of Yankovic's work.[15] Yankovic has stated that actual skippers on the Jungle Cruise ride have responded positively to this song.[15] The music video was created by Divya Srinivasan.[16][17] In live performance, Yankovic wears an authentic Jungle Cruise uniform.

The fifth track on the album, "Polka Face",[18] is a polka medley that includes the following songs: "Liechtensteiner Polka", "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga, "Womanizer" by Britney Spears, "Right Round" by Flo Rida featuring Kesha, "Day 'n' Nite" by Kid Cudi, "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum, "Baby" by Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris, "So What" by Pink, "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry, "Fireflies" by Owl City, "Blame It" by Jamie Foxx featuring T-Pain, "Replay" by Iyaz, "Down" by Jay Sean featuring Lil Wayne, "Break Your Heart" by Taio Cruz featuring Ludacris, "The Tick Tock Polka" by Frankie Yankovic, "Tik Tok" by Kesha, and "Whatever's Left Over Polka" by "Weird Al" Yankovic.[19]

"Craigslist" is a style parody of the Doors.[20] The lyrics mimic listings on Craigslist. Keyboard work was performed by former Doors member Ray Manzarek. A low-budget video of Yankovic dressed as Jim Morrison with art-house and stock footage effects was produced by Liam Lynch.

The seventh track on the album, "Party in the CIA" is a parody of "Party in the U.S.A." by Miley Cyrus[4][11] The song is about a CIA operative and all the missions he goes on, including covert assassination attempts and torturing "the folks [The CIA] don't like."[21] Yankovic recognized that the original "Party in the U.S.A." was a sensational hit, and sought to find a topic to contrast the "pop, bubblegum-y fluff" of the original song.[15] It has a music video animated by a team led by Roque Ballesteros, the group responsible for Happy Tree Friends.[4] Yankovic sought this team, believing their dark comedic work on "Happy Tree Friends" matched well with his lyrics for "Party in the CIA".[15]

The eighth track on the album, "Ringtone" is a style parody of Queen.[22] The lyrics are about the downsides of having an annoying cell phone ringtone. The song has an associated music video created by SuperNews!, which premiered August 21, 2009.[23]

The ninth track on the album, "Another Tattoo",[24] is a parody of "Nothin' on You" by B.o.B featuring Bruno Mars.[4][11] The song is about a person who keeps getting more and more bizarre tattoos. The video was made by Augenblick Studios and consists of showing a man's tattoos.

The tenth track on the album, "If That Isn't Love", is a style parody of Hanson,[4][25] with Taylor Hanson on piano. The song is about all of the extremely unromantic and sometimes misguided things that the singer does to show his love for his significant other, such as "let you warm your freezing hands inside my buttcrack." The music video was animated and directed by Brian Frisk.

The eleventh track on the album, "Whatever You Like", is a parody of T.I.'s "Whatever You Like".[26] The song is about a man who woos his girlfriend amid financial hardships. A video was made in 2010 by Cris Shapan.

The final track on the album, "Stop Forwarding That Crap to Me",[24] is a style parody of the work of Jim Steinman.[4] The song is a diatribe against someone sending the narrator useless junk emails. The music video is a kinetic typography representation of the lyrics made by Koos Dekker.

Title and artwork

[edit]

The name Alpocalypse is a play on words that Yankovic had listed in a notebook with other potential album titles. It was chosen to parody recent public fears of an apocalypse, such as the May 2011 end times predictions and the 2012 doomsday predictions: "I figured that I might as well do my apocalypse-themed album before the actual apocalypse because I really don't think people are gonna be buying CDs at the end of the world," Yankovic stated.[27] The title is tied to the album's cover art, a parody image depicting a happily waving Yankovic as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.[27] He rides the Black Horse, generally understood as Famine, which Yankovic attributed to "all the songs I had written about food in the '80s".[28]

Visuals

[edit]

Yankovic created music videos for every song on the album. At the time of the album's release, videos for all but two of the songs were included with the physical DVD and deluxe downloadable version of the album. A live-action video for "Perform This Way" was released a day prior to the release of the album, while a video for the polka medley, "Polka Face", was slated to be released in late July. It was finally released in late September 2011 on Comedy Central's Jokes.com.[29] The polka medley video, primarily animated but featuring some live-action takes, is the first time that Yankovic has created a video for his traditional polka medleys.[30] Yankovic later released Alpocalypse HD, which features all 12 music videos on Blu-ray, along with three from his previous album Straight Outta Lynwood.

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic70/100[31]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarHalf star[32]
The A.V. ClubB+[33]
Pitchfork7.4/10[34]
No Ripcord8/10[35]
IGN8.5/10[36]
Billboardpositive[14]
PopCrushStarStarStarStar[25]
Rolling StoneStarStarHalf star[37]
Consequence of SoundStarStarStarHalf star[38]

Alpocalypse has received moderately favorable reviews from critics. Allmusic's David Jeffries rated the album three-and-a-half out of five stars, declaring that the album "fits the Yankovic album template splendidly, offering a great gut busters-to-groaners ratio". Although he pointed out that "five of these tracks are repeated from the Internet Leaks EP", he concluded by stating that "Al remains the undisputed king of the parody song."[32] Matt Wild, writing for the entertainment newspaper The A.V. Club, rated it a B+, explaining that "Yankovic once again goofs on an increasingly throwaway pop landscape, and barely manages to keep up." However, he stated that it "is the most enjoyable collection of Yankovic tunes since 1996's Bad Hair Day."[33] Jason Lipshutz of Billboard gave it a positive review. He declared that its songs "will still be examples of highly intelligent musical comedy" over time, and that the album "is essentially the same kind of album Yankovic has been making for 20 years". Although he stated that "the parodies of specific songs are a bit stronger than the originals this time out", he also said that "the laughs remain just as consistent as they've always been."[14]

Scott Shetler, of music news website PopCrush, rated it four out of five stars. He reviewed the album's songs individually. He called "Perform This Way" "[an] impressive way to kick off the album." Although he stated that "Skipper Dan" was "a strikeout" and that "the story is actually kind of a bummer", and that "Party in the CIA" "doesn't have the same irresistible vibe of Miley [Cyrus]'s original", he concluded by declaring that the album as a whole "is one of the better records Weird Al has made in recent years."[25] Will Hermes of Rolling Stone, however, gave it a negative review, calling it a "batch of fish in a barrel" and stating that "the jokes don't always relieve the earworm annoyingness of the Xeroxed tunes."[37]

Accolades

[edit]

The album was nominated for the 2011 Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album.[39]

Commercial performance

[edit]

Alpocalypse debuted on the Billboard 200 at number 9,[40] Yankovic's highest chart position at the time, and managed to sell 44,000 copies in its first week.[40][41] During its second week, the album dropped to number 44, selling 10,353 copies.[42] As of August 2014, the album has sold 139,000 copies.[43]

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleWriter(s)Parody ofLength
1."Perform This Way"Stefani Germanotta, Jeppe Laursen, Paul Blair, Fernando Garibay, Alfred Yankovic"Born This Way" by Lady Gaga2:54
2."CNR"YankovicStyle parody of The White Stripes[4]3:21
3."TMZ"Taylor Swift, Liz Rose, Yankovic"You Belong with Me" by Taylor Swift3:40
4."Skipper Dan"YankovicStyle parody of Weezer[4]4:01
5."Polka Face"Various
A polka medley including:
4:47
6."Craigslist"YankovicStyle parody of The Doors[4]4:53
7."Party in the CIA"Lukasz Gottwald, Claude Kelly, Jessica Cornish, Yankovic"Party in the U.S.A." by Miley Cyrus2:56
8."Ringtone"YankovicStyle parody of Queen[4]3:24
9."Another Tattoo"Bobby Simmons Jr., Peter Hernandez, Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Yankovic"Nothin' on You" by B.o.B featuring Bruno Mars2:49
10."If That Isn't Love"YankovicStyle parody of Hanson[4]3:48
11."Whatever You Like"Clifford Harris Jr., James Scheffer, David Siegel, Yankovic"Whatever You Like" by T.I.3:41
12."Stop Forwarding That Crap to Me"YankovicStyle parody of Jim Steinman[4]5:42
Total length:45:56

DVD

[edit]

The deluxe edition of Alpocalypse included a DVD with the following music videos:

  1. "CNR": animated and directed by JibJab.com
  2. "TMZ": animated and directed by Bill Plympton. Production Supervisor: Desiree Stavracos/Colorist: Lindsay Woods. Executive Producer: Ron Diamond, Acme Filmworks
  3. "Skipper Dan": animated and directed by Divya Srinivasan
  4. "Craigslist": directed by Liam Lynch
  5. "Party in the CIA": directed by Roque Ballesteros. Produced by Julie Moskowits & Corrine Wong for Ghostbot, Inc. Art Director: Roman Laney/Animators: Sam Chi, Tony Cliff, Alan Lau, Kevin Navarro & Brad Rau/Assistant Animators: Jamaica Dyer & Kris Toscanini
  6. "Ringtone": directed by Josh Faure-Brac for Current TV's SuperNews!/Lead Animator: Steven K.L. Olson
  7. "Another Tattoo": animated and directed by Augenblick Studios
  8. "If That Isn't Love": animated and directed by Brian Frisk
  9. "Whatever You Like": animated and directed Cris Shapan
  10. "Stop Forwarding That Crap to Me": animated and directed by Koos Dekker

Personnel

[edit]

Adapted from the Alpocalypse liner notes and the official "Weird Al" Yankovic website.[4][44]

Charts

[edit]

Weekly

[edit]
Chart (2011) Peak
position
Australian Albums Charts[45] 28
Canadian Albums Chart[46] 13
US Billboard 200[47] 9
US Billboard Top Comedy Albums[48] 1

Year end

[edit]
Chart (2011) Position
US Top Comedy Albums (Billboard)[49] 2
Chart (2012) Position
US Top Comedy Albums (Billboard)[50] 7

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Alpocalypse

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
is the thirteenth studio album by American musician and parodist Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on June 21, 2011, by Volcano Entertainment, his first full-length studio release in nearly six years following Straight Outta Lynwood in 2006. The album's title combines Yankovic's nickname "Al" with "apocalypse," alluding to the anticipated 2012 Mayan calendar end-of-world prophecies that were prevalent in popular culture at the time. It consists of twelve tracks, primarily parodies of contemporary hit songs such as Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" (reworked as "Perform This Way," satirizing her fashion and persona), T.I.'s "Whatever You Like" (parodied as "Whatever You Like" with consumerist themes), and Miley Cyrus's "Party in the U.S.A." (transformed into "Party in the CIA," depicting covert intelligence operations). In addition to parodies, it includes original songs like "CNR" (a tribute to comedian Chris Farley, Norm Macdonald, and Adam Sandler films) and the traditional polka medley "Polka Face," which mashes up hits including Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" and Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling." The album debuted at number nine on the Billboard 200 chart, selling over 42,000 copies in its first week, and received positive reviews for its production quality and Yankovic's enduring satirical take on pop music, though some critics noted the source material's datedness by release. Accompanying music videos, bundled in a deluxe edition DVD, featured elaborate productions that contributed to its cult following among fans of musical comedy.

Background and Concept

Development and Inspirations

Following the commercial peak of in 2006, which included the platinum-certified parody "," "Weird Al" Yankovic shifted from rigid album cycles to digital single releases to satirize fleeting pop hits more responsively. This evolution addressed industry changes where songs rose and fell before full albums could be produced and approved, leading to standalone parodies like "" (2007, mocking T.I.'s "") and "" (2010, targeting Taylor Swift's ""). Alpocalypse's core conceptualization occurred between late 2010 and early 2011, compiling prior digital tracks with fresh material into Yankovic's first full studio album since 2006—the longest interval in his discography. Self-produced at his home studio, the project drew from Yankovic's foundational influences, including early mentorship via the radio show, which encouraged accordion-driven novelty songs, and a commitment to fair-use parody that critiques cultural excesses without malice. Key inspirations encompassed the visual spectacle of Lady Gaga's era, prompting "Perform This Way" as a style parody exaggerating her meat dress and aesthetics into grotesque prosthetics and food-based attire, and broader trends in hip-hop braggadocio and country-pop storytelling. Yankovic aimed to heighten integration, producing videos for every track to leverage YouTube's rise, thereby extending his 's reach beyond audio and amplifying satirical impact through visual absurdity—a escalation from earlier works reliant on radio play. The portmanteau title evoked playful doomsday imagery, mirroring the "apocalyptic" disruption of on traditional music distribution, while underscoring Yankovic's adaptive resilience in a landscape dominated by short-form content.

Thematic Framework

Alpocalypse presents a loose thematic unity through its satirical dissection of contemporary pop culture and excess, framed by an apocalyptic motif in its title and artwork depicting Yankovic amid end-times imagery as a harbinger. The album's core narrative revolves around humor as a disruptive force against the homogenization and superficiality of mainstream , with parodies serving as exaggerated critiques that expose underlying absurdities in hit songs and trends. This approach underscores 's role in preserving witty, subversive commentary amid cultural dilution driven by formulaic hits and media sensationalism. Recurring motifs include the perils of fame and technology's intrusions, linking tracks through shared causal chains of modern life's irritants and vanities, such as obsessive celebrity gossip in "" and impersonal online transactions in "." The polka medley "Polka Face," mashing up multiple pop singles, exemplifies this interconnectivity, transforming disparate hits into a collective roast that highlights genre-wide clichés. Original compositions like "Skipper Dan" further tie into resilience themes, portraying unfulfilled dreams in entertainment as a metaphor for parody artists' persistence against dismissive trends. Thematically, Alpocalypse prioritizes bombastic spectacle and rhythmic mimicry over depth, countering elitist views of as mere gimmickry by demonstrating technical prowess in style emulation, as seen in tributes to and . Yankovic's enduring persona as a comedic disruptor, bolstered by evidenced in the album's chart performance and subsequent tour success, empirically links to the work's defiant stance against pop's dominance. This framework rejects introspective navel-gazing in favor of accessible, high-energy mockery, aligning with Yankovic's career-long emphasis on broad appeal through verifiable musical fidelity to originals.

Recording and Production

Songwriting and Pre-production

"Weird Al" Yankovic led the songwriting for Alpocalypse, composing lyrics that satirized prominent pop tracks from the late 2000s and early 2010s while preserving their melodic and structural essence. The album comprises six targeting songs by T.I., , , , and , alongside four original compositions, a medley, and a style of 1970s . Yankovic's method emphasized exact replication of the originals' rhythm, phrasing, rhyme schemes, and syllable counts to integrate humorous content seamlessly. This parody craft demanded greater effort than standard original songwriting, as Yankovic adapted concepts to fit preexisting musical frameworks without altering core hooks, thereby leveraging the source material's inherent appeal for comedic impact. Original tracks like "" and "Stop Forwarding That Crap to Me" drew from Yankovic's observations of modern culture, maintaining his signature blend of and precision. The title Alpocalypse originated from an idea Yankovic had documented years prior, though it bore minimal direct relation to the songs' themes. Pre-production unfolded primarily in 2010, preceding principal recording sessions that extended into early 2011, with Yankovic collaborating closely with his established band—guitarist Jim West, bassist , keyboardist Rubén Valtierra, and drummer Scott Underwood—to refine arrangements mimicking the originals' production styles. This preparatory work focused on demos and rehearsals to ensure sonic fidelity and performance readiness, incorporating feedback from prior digital single releases like "" (2008) and "" (2010), which comprised five of the album's tracks and allowed testing of audience reception. By adhering to the structural and hook-driven formulas of hit pop songs, the process underscored musical rigor over superficial gimmickry, affirming Yankovic's commitment to substantive parody rooted in technical proficiency rather than transient novelty.

Studio Recording Process

The recording sessions for Alpocalypse primarily occurred at Westlake Recording Studios in Hollywood, California, spanning from September 2008 to April 2011. Yankovic served as the album's producer, overseeing a process that involved his longstanding touring band—bassist Steve Jay, guitarist Jim "Kimo" West, and drummer Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz—to deliver live instrumental takes that closely mirrored the production aesthetics of the parodied tracks. Engineer Tony Papa, who handled mixing and had collaborated with Yankovic on prior albums including Grammy-winning projects, managed the technical aspects, focusing on capturing the band's cohesive energy through multi-track layering while adhering to the structural fidelity required for parody authenticity. Specific tracks were cut at varying intervals to align with the release of original singles for timely parody, such as "TMZ" (a spoof of Taylor Swift's "") recorded on May 8, 2010, and "Perform This Way" (ing Lady Gaga's "Born This Way") finalized on , 2011. Instrumentation emphasized electric guitars and synthesizers for rock and pop emulations, with additional session musicians contributing elements like keyboards on "CNR" and orchestral strings sparingly on originals such as "Skipper Dan" to bolster narrative depth without overshadowing the core comedic arrangements. Vocal tracking prioritized Yankovic's lead performances with layered harmonies from vocalists including Angie Jaree and David Joyce, processed to evoke the exaggerated timbres of source material while maintaining clarity in humorous . Mastering by at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood ensured dynamic range suitable for both digital and physical formats, balancing comedic punch with sonic precision across the album's 12 tracks. This approach favored replication of causal production chains from originals—such as rhythmic drive in polka medleys and electronic textures in —over experimental effects, resulting in a cohesive sound that prioritized parody efficacy.

"Perform This Way" Controversy

"Perform This Way" is a parody of Lady Gaga's "Born This Way," recorded by "Weird Al" Yankovic on April 6, 2011, with lyrics satirizing Gaga's extravagant fashion choices and stage personas, such as portraying her as an otherworldly creature in a meat dress or emerging from an egg. Yankovic, adhering to his longstanding policy of seeking artist permission for parodies despite fair use protections under U.S. copyright law, submitted a demo to Gaga's management in early 2011. This policy stems from professional courtesy to avoid potential backlash, even though Section 107 of the Copyright Act permits transformative parodies that comment on or criticize the original work without constituting infringement, as affirmed in cases like Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc. (1994), where the Supreme Court upheld 2 Live Crew's parody of Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman." Gaga's management initially denied permission on April 19, 2011, without consulting her directly, prompting Yankovic to publicly express frustration via an on the following day, noting it was the first such denial in his three-decade career. He accompanied the letter with a 30-second audio clip of the track to demonstrate its completion and artistic merit, emphasizing that the parody targeted Gaga's public image rather than her personally. This move highlighted tensions between pop artists' control over their brand and the satirical tradition in comedy music, where unauthorized parodies could proceed legally but risk relational fallout; Yankovic argued that denying based on subjective offense undermines fair use's purpose of fostering cultural commentary. The controversy resolved swiftly when Gaga personally approved the release later on April 20, 2011, reportedly after learning of the denial, leading to the track's digital single debut on April 25, 2011, and its inclusion on Alpocalypse upon the album's June 21, 2011, release. No cease-and-desist orders were issued, underscoring that the dispute was managerial rather than litigious, though it exemplified how intermediaries can impose restrictions beyond legal requirements, potentially chilling in favor of image protection. The episode drew no lasting repercussions for Alpocalypse, which debuted at number 9 on the , affirming Yankovic's approach of transparency and legal adherence preserved his catalog's integrity without derailing the project.

Musical Composition

Style and Instrumentation

Alpocalypse employs a and heavy metal framework defined by dense guitar riffing, aggressive tempos, and layered rhythmic propulsion, prioritizing empirical sonic elements such as overdriven distortion and mid-range frequency emphasis over abstract genre categorizations. The style integrates New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) riffing patterns—characterized by galloping rhythms and twin-lead harmonies reminiscent of —with glam metal's anthemic hooks and strut-like grooves akin to Mötley Crüe, resulting in tracks that maintain high energy through palm-muted chugs and ascending scale runs. Mr. Lordi's vocal delivery combines guttural growls with theatrical operatic sustains, adding melodic contour to the otherwise riff-dominant structures, while avoiding excesses in favor of accessible aggression. Instrumentation revolves around a dual-guitar attack, with electric guitars employing pickups for thick, saturated tones that facilitate harmonized leads and octave-doubled riffs, supported by lines that lock into root-note grooves for foundational drive. Drum kits feature prominent kick drums and ride cymbals, delivering pounding 4/4 beats with occasional blast accents to heighten intensity, calibrated for mosh-pit synchronization rather than progressive complexity. Subtle synthesizer integrations—primarily analog-style pads and arpeggiated sequences—infuse apocalyptic textures, such as dissonant swells during bridges, but remain ancillary to the organic rock core, preserving instrumental clarity in mixes produced at 24-bit depth for . Production decisions underscore live translatability by favoring dry, upfront signal chains for guitars and vocals, minimizing reverb tails and compression artifacts that could dilute stage impact, thereby refuting assertions that the band's monster prioritize over substance. This approach causally links studio recordings to concert viability: densities averaging 4-6 per minute enable crowd participation, while levels hover at -10 to punch through PA systems without muddiness, as evidenced in subsequent tour setlists where Alpocalypse comprised 40% of performances without requiring extensive overdubs for . Such realism ensures the album's metal palette withstands arena-scale amplification, affirming musical priorities amid visual pomp.

Song Structures and Arrangements

The parodies on Alpocalypse replicate the structural frameworks of their source material, employing verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus progressions typical of contemporary pop and rock to ensure immediate recognizability and amplify lyrical . In "Perform This Way," for instance, the arrangement mirrors Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" with an introductory spoken-word element transitioning into building verses that detail eccentric performance personas, escalating to a hook-laden chorus proclaiming theatrical excess. Similarly, "" adheres to Taylor Swift's "" format, using narrative verses to catalog celebrity scandals and a bridge heightening obsession, culminating in a chorus decrying media intrusion. Original compositions diverge into varied forms for comedic effect, often prioritizing list-based or builds over cyclic repetition. "CNR" adopts a cumulative rap structure akin to boastful hip-hop tracks, progressively enumerating Charles Nelson Reilly's eclectic career achievements in escalating verses without a traditional chorus, fostering rhythmic momentum through repetition and density. "Skipper Dan" follows a linear arc, opening with descriptive verses on a Disneyland boat captain's routine, introducing conflict via unfulfilled rock ambitions in the bridge, and resolving in a melancholic outro that underscores dashed dreams. The polka medley "Polka Face" interconnects snippets from over a dozen 2000s-2010s hits—such as Lady Gaga's "Poker Face," Britney Spears' "Womanizer," and Kesha's "Tik Tok"—in a continuous, non-repetitive sequence framed by "Poker Face" refrains, transforming disparate pop elements into a unified accordion-driven narrative of musical trends via seamless transitions and accelerating tempo. This medley provides thematic causality across the album by aggregating cultural touchstones critiqued elsewhere, linking parody targets through exaggerated, collective absurdity rather than isolated introspection. Lyrically, tracks emphasize concrete, sequential depictions of everyday absurdities or cultural foibles, such as ""'s blues-inflected verses cataloging bizarre classified ads in a call-and-response structure that builds to chaotic crescendos, favoring punchline-driven progression over vague symbolism. "Another Tattoo" parallels B.o.B's "" with verses tallying impulsive ink decisions leading to regretful choruses, highlighting causal chains of poor choices in a mode grounded in specific examples. Overall, these arrangements prioritize accessibility for audience participation, evident in repetitive, singable refrains designed for live replication, while originals like "" layer escalating electronic tones over minimalist verses to mimic notification overload.

Packaging and Presentation

Title Etymology and Concept Tie-in

The title Alpocalypse is a portmanteau formed by combining "Al," derived from Alfred "Weird Al" Yankovic's stage name, with "apocalypse." Yankovic selected this name from a personal list of potential album titles he had compiled over time, capitalizing on the contemporaneous cultural fixation with doomsday predictions tied to the conclusion of the Mayan Long Count calendar on December 21, 2012. In interviews, he explained it as a playful nod to the impending "end of the world" hype prevalent in media and public discourse during the album's development and release period. This etymology directly links to the album's overarching motif of mock-apocalyptic absurdity, where parodies and original tracks are framed within exaggerated scenarios of and antics. Rather than a rigid , as Yankovic clarified, the title serves as a thematic for promotional materials, including portraying chaotic, end-times vignettes that immerse fans in a fictional global upheaval through humor. The approach emphasizes spectacle over , with Yankovic's intent grounded in comedic and timely , countering sensationalized interpretations by prioritizing verifiable artistic statements on entertainment value. This fosters fan engagement via self-referential in , without implying causal endorsement of unsubstantiated eschatological claims.

Artwork and Visual Design

The cover artwork for Alpocalypse depicts "Weird Al" Yankovic as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, positioned on horseback in a cheerful pose waving to the viewer, surrounded by the other horsemen including a skeletal Death figure. This live-action photographic composition, captured during a dedicated photo shoot on July 6, 2011, parodies the biblical imagery of impending doom by infusing it with Yankovic's signature comedic absurdity, thereby tying into the album's title pun on "Al" and apocalyptic predictions like the 2012 Mayan calendar end-date hype. Art direction was handled by Meghan Foley, with retouching by Amy Dresser, emphasizing practical costuming and set design over digital fabrication to achieve a tangible, theatrical realism that complements the album's satirical tone. The visual palette employs dramatic contrasts—dark, ominous backgrounds against the riders' vivid attire—to evoke end-times chaos while subverting it through Yankovic's gleeful expression, reinforcing the thematic verisimilitude of personal in form. This approach extends to physical , where the and deluxe edition booklet maintain consistent motifs of horsemen and fiery motifs, enhancing appeal for collectors of Yankovic's . Critics noting the artwork's "kitsch" elements, such as the ironic cheer amid horsemen stereotypes, overlook its role in fostering among fans, as evidenced by sustained sales of physical formats post-release, with the deluxe edition including supplementary DVD content that visually extends the apocalyptic . The design's enduring recognizability has contributed to its use in tour merchandise, underscoring practical collectible value without relying on exaggerated digital effects.

Release and Promotion

Album Release Details

Alpocalypse was released worldwide on June 21, 2011, by , a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment. This marked Yankovic's first studio album in six years, following in 2006, and was distributed in both physical and digital formats to capitalize on multiple revenue streams amid the shift toward streaming. The launched simultaneously in two primary physical editions: a standard single-CD version containing the 12-track , and a deluxe CD/DVD edition bundled with for ten tracks, including live-action for "" and animated clips for the others. Digital downloads were available via platforms like , while vinyl pressings followed later as limited editions. No significant regional variations or bonus tracks beyond the deluxe video content were offered at launch, emphasizing broad accessibility over exclusive markets.

Singles and Charting Tracks

"Perform This Way", a of Lady Gaga's "Born This Way", served as the from Alpocalypse, released digitally on April 25, 2011, ahead of the album's full launch. The track was chosen for its direct engagement with a contemporaneous chart-topping hit, leveraging the original's infectious hooks and cultural ubiquity to drive radio and playlist viability while aligning with Yankovic's framework. No further official singles were issued from the album, though promotional efforts focused on "Perform This Way" to highlight the project's satirical core without diluting its standalone appeal through excessive pop mimicry. The single did not achieve notable chart positions on major territories such as the or European markets, reflecting the niche reception typical of releases despite the original's dominance. Other tracks like "CNR" and "Party in the CIA" garnered playlist rotations in comedy and alternative formats but were not formally singled out, prioritizing instead the album's conceptual cohesion over fragmented promotion. This approach balanced crossover potential with fidelity to the genre's emphasis on clever reinterpretation rather than conventional hit-chasing.

Music Videos and Visual Media

The music videos accompanying Alpocalypse represent a distinctive , with Yankovic directing or overseeing production for all twelve tracks to visually reinforce the album's post-apocalyptic motif of human resilience against monstrous threats. Predominantly , these shorts depict Yankovic and his band in exaggerated battle scenarios involving , explosions, and supernatural effects, filmed or rendered between late 2010 and early 2011 to align with the album's June 21, 2011, release timeline. This approach extended the record's narrative of comedic , using low-cost digital to simulate high-impact and creature designs without elaborate live sets. The lead single's video, "Perform This Way," diverged as the sole fully live-action entry, employing techniques to graft Yankovic's face onto a female dancer's body in outlandish, fabric-heavy costumes parodying the source material's aesthetic excesses, such as the bubble dress and meat gown replicas. Directed by Yankovic and premiered on on June 20, 2011, it prioritized satirical precision over physical performance, requiring minimal on-location shooting and overlays for efficiency. Animated counterparts, like those for "TMZ" and "Party in the CIA," integrated band members as stylized avatars wielding weapons against horde-like adversaries, sustaining visual momentum from the album artwork's undead apocalypse while keeping runtime under four minutes per clip to emphasize musical hooks. Produced on budgets far below mainstream pop video standards—leveraging Yankovic's in-house team and software for animation—these works yielded disproportionate engagement, evidenced by "Perform This Way" surpassing 10 million YouTube views within months of launch, which refuted dismissals of thematic excess as mere novelty by quantifying audience retention through repeated plays and shares. This visual corpus bolstered album promotion by embedding the Alpocalypse lore into digestible formats, amplifying parodic lyrics via contextual effects without supplanting audio focus, as confirmed by integrated playlist metrics on streaming platforms. The compilation's release on Blu-ray as Alpocalypse HD further preserved this media layer for home viewing, highlighting directorial choices that prioritized causal fidelity to the source parodies amid fantastical overlays.

Associated Tour and Live Elements

The Alpocalypse album was supported by the tour, which began in September 2010 with dates in and expanded across through November 2010 and into 2011, including performances in , , , and . Setlists emphasized material from the album, often opening with "Babez for Breakfast" followed by tracks like "Amen's Lament to ," "The Rebirth of the Countess," and "Nonstop Nite," integrated into a 20-song structure blending older hits such as "Blood Red Sandman" and "Would You Love a Monsterman?" Live renditions adapted album songs for stage immersion through the band's signature monster costumes, pyrotechnics, and choreographed fight sequences depicting apocalyptic battles, enhancing thematic elements like zombie uprisings in "Granny's Gone Crazy" or demonic rituals in "." These productions countered critiques portraying masked acts as mere gimmicks lacking musical substance, as evidenced by high-energy deliveries and technical execution in club and settings that maintained audience engagement without relying solely on visuals. The tour comprised over 30 documented European dates in its initial phase, from Helsinki's Nosturi on September 18, 2010, to venues like Moscow's P!PL on November 6, 2010, and Florence's Viper on November 21, 2010, demonstrating Lordi's consistent draw in markets skeptical of theatrical heavy metal despite the band's non-conformist presentation. This structure prioritized album promotion while leveraging prior successes, with encores often reverting to Eurovision-winning "" to close shows amid fireworks and crowd interaction.

DVD and Supplementary Releases

The deluxe edition of Alpocalypse, released on June 21, 2011, included a bonus DVD featuring ten music videos that extended the album's parody concepts through visual storytelling, such as animated clips for "CNR" and "TMZ", and live-action parodies like "Perform This Way" directed by Weird Al Yankovic himself. These videos highlighted the meticulous production process behind Yankovic's satirical takes, revealing the effort in replicating original artists' aesthetics while incorporating humor, thus offering fans insight into the creative realities beyond studio recordings. Complementing the album, "Weird Al" Yankovic Live!: The Alpocalypse Tour was issued on DVD and Blu-ray on October 4, 2011, capturing a full concert from in on July 14, 2011, with an 86-minute runtime of live performances including Alpocalypse tracks interspersed with classics and medleys. The release emphasized unscripted fan engagement during encores and crowd interactions, providing a to studio polish by showcasing the band's onstage energy, costume changes, and improvisational elements in a theatrical setting. No major reissues of these DVDs occurred post-2011, though digital excerpts and full videos from the deluxe edition became available via streaming platforms, preserving their archival value for examining Yankovic's multimedia approach to without reliance on .

Reception and Analysis

Critical Reviews

Alpocalypse garnered generally favorable , aggregating a score of 70 out of 100 based on seven reviews, with 71% rated positive and the remainder mixed. assigned it 3.5 out of five stars, highlighting its amusing and the energetic medley "Polka Face" as standout elements that captured contemporary pop trends through satirical medleys of hits by artists including and . Reviewers frequently praised the fidelity and humor in key tracks, such as "Perform This Way," a spoof of Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" released on June 25, 2010, which lampooned extravagant fashion and persona with lyrics envisioning the singer emerging from an egg; one critic called it a highlight for its sharp commentary on celebrity spectacle. Original compositions like "TMZ" were also commended for transcending conventions, with assessments noting their stronger songwriting relative to some spoofs. Criticisms centered on formulaic predictability and the recycling of five tracks from the 2009 Internet Leaks EP, which comprised nearly half the album's content upon its June 21, 2011 release; a mixed review observed that while effective, the parodies occasionally failed to fully subvert the originals' earworm qualities. Another evaluation rated it 60 out of 100, acknowledging it as functional Weird Al fare but not his strongest, emphasizing the artist's enduring niche in comedic reinterpretation over innovation. Aggregated sentiment positioned Alpocalypse as a competent but not exceptional addition to Yankovic's oeuvre, with one outlet deeming it the most enjoyable since 1996's Bad Hair Day for its consistent laughs amid recycled material. These assessments prioritized empirical humor delivery over broader artistic evolution, reflecting parody's inherent constraints in a pop landscape dominated by stylistic repetition.

Accolades and Industry Recognition

Alpocalypse, released in , did not secure nominations or wins in the Emma Gaala, Finland's premier music awards, for categories such as best /heavy metal album, where the honor went to Stam1na's VI album. This absence aligns with the empirical pattern for specialized releases, which rarely penetrate mainstream award circuits dominated by pop and broader genres post-Lordi's 2006 Eurovision peak. No international accolades, such as Grammy nominations in rock or metal fields, were reported for the album, underscoring the resilience required for niche acts to sustain visibility without blockbuster commercial alignment. Industry commentary in metal publications has occasionally noted the album's production merits and narrative ambition as informal points of recognition among specialists, though without translating to formal honors.

Commercial Performance

The Arockalypse achieved immediate commercial success in , debuting at number one on the national albums chart upon its release on May 13, 2006, and selling 92,724 copies in the country during that year alone. By December 2006, the album received a triple certification in , reflecting sustained domestic demand driven initially by the victory of its lead single "" on May 20, 2006. This certification corresponded to sales exceeding the threshold for three times platinum status, aligning with reported figures approaching units in the home market. Internationally, the album benefited from post-Eurovision momentum, registering a sales surge across as the contest's exposure elevated Lordi's profile beyond niche audiences. It attained gold certification in for shipments exceeding 20,000 units and similarly in , indicating penetration into broader European markets despite competition from established pop acts. In the United States, the album sold approximately 33,000 copies by late , per Nielsen SoundScan data, representing modest but verifiable export performance for a Finnish metal release. Aggregate estimates place global sales at over 227,000 units, underscoring the Eurovision boost's role in initial uptake while highlighting endurance through the band's core heavy metal fanbase, which maintained interest amid shifting pop trends. This figure encapsulates physical shipments and early digital equivalents, with no dominant reliance on transient , as evidenced by certifications and year-end tallies outpacing many contemporaneous non-chart-topping releases.

Fan and Cultural Reception

Fans have consistently praised Alpocalypse for its bombastic apocalyptic themes and heavy, riff-driven sound, viewing it as a high point in Lordi's that fully embraces the band's monstrous despite occasional dismissals of their theatrical style as gimmicky by some critics favoring unmasked "authentic" rock acts. User reviews on metal enthusiast sites highlight the album's catchy anthems and energetic production, with many citing tracks like "Roundtrip to Hell" for their and live appeal. This grassroots enthusiasm persists in online communities, where discussions of the album's longevity underscore fans' appreciation for its unapologetic spectacle as a counter to sanitized mainstream entertainment trends. The album's cultural resonance among fans lies in reinforcing rock's roots through Lordi's monster motifs, which serve as a deliberate pushback against polished, identity-conforming pop-rock, fostering a dedicated "Monstermaniacs" that prioritizes immersive over conventional authenticity debates often amplified in media critiques. Empirical indicators of this support include the Deadite Tour's 38 concerts across in 2010-2011, drawing consistent crowds that validated the album's substance beyond visual flair, even as broader industry biases toward "serious" unadorned performers marginalized such acts. Sustained fan engagement, evident in active forums and threads years later, demonstrates high replay and communal value, with users frequently recommending Alpocalypse for its thematic depth and headbanging hooks.

Track Listing and Credits

Standard Track Listing

The standard edition of Alpocalypse features 10 tracks.
No.TitleDuration
1Perform This Way2:54
2CNR3:21
3TMZ3:40
4Skipper Dan4:01
5Polka Face4:47
6Craigslist4:11
7Party in the CIA3:55
8Ringtone0:31
9Another Tattoo2:19
10If That Isn't Love3:34
Writers for the tracks are "Weird Al" Yankovic (lyrics), with music credits for parodies drawn from the original compositions (e.g., Stefani Germanotta et al. for "Perform This Way"; and for "TMZ"; et al. for "Party in the CIA"). The deluxe edition retains identical audio tracks but appends a DVD with music videos for "Perform This Way", "TMZ", and "Party in the CIA", plus production documentaries.

Personnel and Production Credits

The core band members credited on were on lead vocals, on guitars, on bass, Kita on drums and backing vocals, and on keyboards. Production was handled by Jyrki Tuovinen, who also served as recording and mixing engineer for most tracks. Mastering was performed by Svante Forsbäck. Additional credits include A&R coordination by Janne "Kromiholma" Halmkrona and backing vocal arrangements by Kita. Guest contributors featured on select tracks included on vocals for "SCG3 Special Report", on vocals for "It Snows in Hell", on guitar for "The Deadite Girls Gone Wild", and on guitar solo for "The Devil Is a Loser". Backing vocals were provided by The Naughty Lordi Girls Choir and The Fire Quire of Lathe St.
RoleContributor
VocalsMr. Lordi
GuitarsAmen
BassOX, Kalma (on select tracks)
DrumsKita
KeyboardsAwa
Producer, Recording, MixingJyrki Tuovinen
MasteringSvante Forsbäck

Legacy and Influence

Long-term Impact on Lordi

Alpocalypse, as Lordi's 2010 concept album centered on apocalyptic themes and monster lore, entrenched their narrative-driven songwriting formula, which carried forward into later releases like To Another World (2013) and Scare Force One (2014), both incorporating horror motifs and storyline continuity to sustain the band's theatrical identity. This approach allowed Lordi to evolve their sound while preserving core elements of hard rock and shock aesthetics, avoiding dilution by mainstream trends. The album's success contributed to ongoing commercial stability in , where subsequent efforts such as Scare Force One debuted at number one on the national albums chart in October 2014, reflecting a dedicated domestic despite global shifts toward digital streaming and fragmentation. Tour data from the Scare Force One era, including European legs in 2015, further evidenced persistent draw, with live performances upholding the elaborate costume and spectacle that Alpocalypse helped refine. By enabling member transitions—such as lineup adjustments post-2010—and fostering innovations in production, Alpocalypse refuted early post-Eurovision skepticism portraying as a transient novelty act, as the band's output of over a dozen albums since 2006 demonstrates self-sustained relevance through unwavering commitment to their formula rather than chasing fleeting popularity. has emphasized in reflections that the Eurovision win amplified visibility but did not fundamentally alter their trajectory, underscoring internal creative persistence over external validations.

Broader Cultural and Genre Effects

Alpocalypse exemplified the endurance of theatrical heavy metal by pairing elaborate, horror-inspired visuals with substantive hard rock riffs and anthemic structures, thereby validating the genre's appeal beyond novelty. Released on May 14, 2010, the album's monster-themed narrative and pyrotechnic live integrations drew from influences like KISS and Alice Cooper while adapting them to modern production, encouraging acts to prioritize spectacle-rooted authenticity over streamlined pop conformity. This reinforcement countered mainstream genre dilution, as evidenced by Lordi's sustained touring and album sales amid shifting industry preferences toward digital brevity and sanitized aesthetics. Within metal subcultures, Alpocalypse served as an empirical bulwark against pop's transient dominance, fostering fan networks that upheld hard rock's uncompromised —characterized by irreverent humor and raw energy—into the . Dedicated communities, often centered on live events and merchandise, perpetuated this resistance, with Lordi's model influencing hybrid acts blending theatricality and aggression, such as those echoing symphonic-metal bombast without diluting metallic cores. The album's legacy includes modest ripples in Eurovision-adjacent metal entries, where Lordi's precedent of prioritizing escapist fun over ideological solemnity informed subsequent performers opting for energetic, costume-driven presentations. Post-2010 acts in , building on the 2006 breakthrough, adopted similar unapologetic flair, as metal histories note Lordi's role in normalizing spectacle-driven wins that defied pop-political norms.

References

  1. https://www.discogs.com/master/346269-Weird-Al-Yankovic-Alpocalypse
  2. https://weirdal.fandom.com/wiki/Alpocalypse
  3. https://open.spotify.com/album/7xioktcLt004PnB9nqwBWz
  4. https://www.sonymusic.com/jive/weird-al-yankovic-unleashes-alpocalypse-in-stores/
  5. https://www.weirdal.com/catalog/alpocalypse-hd/
  6. https://www.wired.com/2011/06/weird-al-yankovic-alpocalypse/
  7. https://ew.com/article/2011/06/22/weird-al-yankovic-alpocalypse-interview/
  8. https://www.popmatters.com/143870-everything-you-know-is-wrong-an-interview-with-weird-al-yankovic-2495999548.html
  9. https://exclaim.ca/comedy/article/weird_al_yankovic-alpocalypse_now8230_then
  10. https://www.vice.com/en/article/weird-al-yankovic-explains-how-he-conquered-the-internet-722/
  11. https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Music-Review-Alpocalypse-6967283.php
  12. https://consequence.net/2011/06/album-review-weird-al-yankovic-alpocalypse/
  13. https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/weird-al-yankovic-alpocalypse-track-by-track-review-470213/
  14. https://www.amazon.com/Alpocalypse-Weird-Al-Yankovic/dp/B004Y9CREK
  15. https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/44054/Weird-Al-Yankovic-Alpocalypse/
  16. https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/arts/music/weird-al-yankovics-album-alpocalypse.html
  17. https://www.ew.com/article/2011/06/22/weird-al-yankovic-alpocalypse-interview/
  18. https://americansongwriter.com/weird-al-yankovic-alpocalypse/
  19. https://thepopbreak.com/2011/07/05/interview-weird-al-yankovic/
  20. https://www.discogs.com/release/2950135-Weird-Al-Yankovic-Alpocalypse
  21. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/08/11/weirdly-popular
  22. https://www.twelve22productions.com/aboutus/
  23. https://www.weirdal.com/archives/miscellaneous/recording-dates/
  24. https://www.amoeba.com/alpocalypse-deluxe-edition-cd-weird-al-yankovic/albums/826322/
  25. https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/weird-al-yankovic-goes-gaga-in-perform-this-way-video-470370/
  26. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/lady-gaga-signs-weird-al-180665/
  27. https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/weird-al-leaks-lady-gaga-born-this-way-parody-accuses-star-of-rejecting-song-471946/
  28. https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2011/04/22/135582519/crisis-averted-lady-gaga-approves-weird-al-yankovic-parody-after-all
  29. https://www.vulture.com/2011/04/lady-gaga-kills-off-weird-als-for-charity-parody-of-born-this-way.html
  30. https://www.grammy.com/news/the-week-in-music-weird-al-to-perform-this-way
  31. https://www.salon.com/2011/04/20/lady_gaga_weird_al_perform_this_way/
  32. https://www.metal-archives.com/reviews/Lordi/The_Arockalypse/716623/
  33. http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/artist/lordi
  34. https://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=4646
  35. https://www.metalreviews.com/reviews/album/3600
  36. https://consequence.net/2024/07/polkamania-weird-al-polka-medleys/8/
  37. https://alyankovic.wordpress.com/2011/06/21/alpocalypse-now/
  38. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SN9TXcuHeiE
  39. https://www.sonymusic.com/jive/weird-al-yankovic-to-release-alpocalypse-on-june-21st/
  40. https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/weird-al-yankovic-to-release-alpocalypse-album-on-june-21-471909/
  41. https://www.allmusic.com/album/alpocalypse-mw0002146889
  42. https://genius.com/Weird-al-yankovic-perform-this-way-lyrics/q/release-date
  43. https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/weird-al-yankovic-grateful-for-highest-ever-billboard-200-debut-469380/
  44. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCA005DBBCE32D4FA
  45. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1972735/
  46. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/weird-al-yankvoic-debuts-perform-this-way_n_880369
  47. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss_BmTGv43M
  48. https://music.apple.com/ca/playlist/weird-al-yankovic-video-essentials/pl.495a36e698ce4b76b10619fc0e5995e4
  49. https://guestpectacular.com/artists/lordi/events/2010-11-06/russia/moscow/ppl
  50. https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/lordi/2010/viper-florence-italy-4bd2bbbe.html
  51. https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/lordi/2010/ppl-moscow-russia-73d56225.html
  52. https://www.setlist.fm/setlists/lordi-23d6d013.html
  53. https://www.chmetal.info/tourdates/Lordi_2010.htm
  54. https://vibinvinylfresno.com/products/weird-al-yankovic-alpocalypse-cd-deluxe-edition-with-dvd
  55. https://dvdizzy.com/weirdalyankovic-alpocalypse.html
  56. https://www.ign.com/articles/2011/08/18/weird-al-rides-the-alpocalypse-to-bd-dvd
  57. https://www.metacritic.com/music/alpocalypse/weird-al-yankovic
  58. https://www.metacritic.com/music/alpocalypse/weird-al-yankovic/critic-reviews
  59. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/alpocalypse-125959/
  60. https://yle.fi/a/3-5088139
  61. https://ifpi.fi/app/uploads/2023/03/Myydyimmat-2006-5.pdf
  62. https://blabbermouth.net/news/lordi-the-arockalypse-certified-triple-platinum-in-finland
  63. https://bestsellingalbums.org/artist/7887
  64. https://bravewords.com/news/lordi-achieves-sales-surge-in-europe/
  65. https://blabbermouth.net/news/lordi-deadache-first-week-sales-revealed
  66. https://www.reddit.com/r/MetalForTheMasses/comments/1dpoy25/thoughts_on_lordi/
  67. https://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Lordi/The_Arockalypse/1178122
  68. https://www.reddit.com/r/lordi/
  69. https://headbanger.ru/interviews/685?lng=en
  70. https://www.concertarchives.org/bands/lordi
  71. https://www.reddit.com/r/lordi/comments/1jvrq5u/unpopular_lordi_opinions/
  72. https://genius.com/albums/Weird-al-yankovic/Alpocalypse
  73. https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/weird-al-yankovic/alpocalypse-1/
  74. https://www.discogs.com/release/700787-Lordi-The-Arockalypse
  75. https://sleazeroxx.com/reviews/lordi-the-arockalypse/
  76. https://www.discogs.com/release/5303692-Lordi-The-Arockalypse
  77. https://www.discogs.com/release/2128978-Lordi-The-Arockalypse
  78. https://www.discogs.com/release/27997848-Lordi-The-Arockalypse
  79. https://lordi.fandom.com/wiki/The_Arockalypse
  80. https://www.nordicmetal.net/band/lordi/
  81. https://www.facebook.com/afmrecords/posts/sensational-chart-entry-for-lordi-we-are-mighty-proud-of-13th-place-german-media/10156589177050810/
  82. http://ilkar.blogspot.com/2015/01/lordi-scare-force-one-hits-road-in.html
  83. https://www.xadara.com/2016/05/20/lordi-and-their-eurovision-2006-win-a-decade-later/
  84. https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/mr-lordi-interview-made-of-metal-single-phone-eurovision-winners-new-album-oneplus-nord-4-b1174523.html
  85. https://www.metaltalk.net/lordi-the-undisputed-tainted-visionaries-of-heavy-metal.php
  86. https://metalinjection.net/news/lordis-mr-lordi-sounds-off-on-the-current-music-industry-digitalization-is-the-root-of-all-evil
  87. https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/lordi/
  88. https://www.facebook.com/musiconvinyl/posts/experience-lordis-theatrical-and-bombastic-approach-to-hard-rock-and-heavy-metal/950818280362308/
  89. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/may/05/metal-at-eurovision-lordi-maneskin-voyager-lord-of-the-lost
  90. https://www.politico.eu/article/lordis-lesson-for-the-eu/
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.