Here's What Really Happened To Weird Al Yankovic

For decades, "Weird Al" Yankovic has been delivering brilliant parodies of hit songs. In fact, his career has lasted longer than most of the musicians he's spoofed. And if you're wondering what he's been up to in recent years, there's not doubt that "Weird Al" has been keeping busy. While it's true that "Weird Al" never stepped out of the spotlight — he just doesn't garner the consistent mainstream attention he once did. His engaging and comedic videos were a staple of MTV and other networks in the 1980s and 1990s, but when those channels largely dropped videos in favor of reality shows and scripted programming, artists like Yankovic lost a major promotional outlet and pipeline to fame. Nonetheless, Yankovic has continued to make music, releasing four albums since 2000, including Poodle Hat, Straight Outta Lynwood, Alpocalypse, and Mandatory Fun. All four charted in the top 20 of Billboard's Top 200 albums chart, while Straight Outta Lynwood was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association for sales of half a million copies. That album debuted at No. 10, giving Yankovic the first top 10 album of his career. Simultaneously, the record's lead-off single, "White and Nerdy," hit No. 9 on the Hot 100 singles chart, the highest placement ever for a Yankovic song. Mandatory Fun, Yankovic's fourteenth studio album, brought the music industry veteran a long-awaited achievement: It debuted at Number 1 and some very special people surprised him with the good news. On top of that, Mandatory Fun also earned Yankovic a Grammy Award for best comedy album. Watch the video to see What Really Happened To Weird Al Yankovic! #WeirdAlYankovic #Parody #Musicians A weird spot on the charts | 0:00 Al gets animated | 1:41 Al-ternative comedy | 2:39 Perform this way | 3:20 Welcome to Hollyweird | 4:18 Al the author | 5:32