Parody in Music Videos

Below: "Weird Al" Yankovic

Perhaps the most prominent parody musician is musical satirist "Weird Al" Yankovic, who has done numerous parodies of various musician's works and arts. Here below is a parody of Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise": 

The original version of the song was used as a promotional tool in order to boost awareness in the 1995 movie, Dangerous Minds. Footage from the movie is used in the video itself, and the whole video has a serious tone reflecting the corruption of youth and the influence and environment can have on an impressionable individual:

"Look at the situation they got me facin'

I can't live a normal life, I was raised by the streets

So I gotta be down with the hood team

Too much television watching got me chasing dreams..."

These lyrics are altered to the following in Yankovic's parody:

"...in fact I wish him well
'Cause I'll be laughing my head off when he's burning in hell
But I ain't never punched a tourist even if he deserved it
An Amish with a 'tude? You know that's unheard of..."

Coolio's version spent 12 weeks in the top 2 spots of the Billboard Hot 100, making it his most successful single to date. The song has also been consistently ranked as one of the best Hip-Hop songs of all-time in numerous articles; such as being listed at #69 on Billboard’s Greatest Song’s of All-Time, and being ranked #28 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Songs of Hip-Hop.

Yankovic's version of the song parodies several concepts from the original music video, although it is relatively tame when it comes to sharing the originals themes or darker tone. Yankovic's version of the song peaked at No.22 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales in 1996.

Blink-182's "All the Small Things" was a hit when it was released in early 2000, and parodied the following boy bands:

• 'N Sync - Tearin' Up My Heart
• Backstreet Boys - I Want It That Way
• 98º - Because Of You
• Britney Spears - Sometimes

The video is a mockery of the typical cliched boy band's found at the time. However, Blink-182 founder Tom DeLonge apparently wrote this song (alongside bassist/singer Mark Hoppus) about his then-girlfriend and eventual wife, Jenna Jenkins. His anecdotes—like the one about her leaving flowers on the stairs, are actually true. The video was named "Best Video" at the 2000 Kerrang! Awards, as well as nabbing "Best Group Video" at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards.