1 January

Pick a Day

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.

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.

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.

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.

November 30, 1984 On their morning show, a Houston radio station reports that Bruce Springsteen's concert from the night before is still going on, and that he has just pulled the 250th girl from the audience to join him on "Dancing In The Dark." Some of their more gullible listeners believe it.

May 7, 1983 Stevie Wonder makes his only appearance on Saturday Night Live, where he's the host and musical guest. He plays a Stevie Wonder impersonator in a skit with Eddie Murphy and stars in a camera commercial spoof with the tagline, "so simple, even Stevie Wonder can use it."

April 29, 2016 Jimmy Fallon and Paul Rudd do a shot-for-shot remake of the Styx video for "Too Much Time On My Hands."More

January 12, 2002 Saturday Night Live skewers the uproar over the rumor that 'N Sync will be appearing in the latest installment of the Star Wars franchise, Attack of the Clones. The skit features an over-the-top cameo by the boy band, including Jimmy Fallon as Justin Timberlake, singing their hit "Bye Bye Bye" and a Star Wars-themed ballad about being a "Jedi knight in these Jedi days."

November 7, 1996 On the Seinfeld episode "The Checks," Elaine is frustrated by her new boyfriend's obsession with the Eagles' song "Desperado." The actor, James Patrick Stuart, has a real-life musical connection: His dad is Chad Stuart, half of the '60s pop duo Chad & Jeremy.

May 6, 1994 Donna Summer appears on an episode of Family Matters, playing Steve Urkel's shy Aunt Oona (from Altoona). Oona comes out of her shell when she belts out "Last Dance" at karaoke.

August 23, 1993 Testifying in court against his former Guns N' Roses bandmate Steve Adler, Duff McKagan is asked about "the spaghetti incident," referring to a time when Adler may or not have eaten McKagan's leftover pasta. The band finds this hilarious and names their next album The Spaghetti Incident.

April 1, 1991 At his Wembley Arena concert in London, Rod Stewart calls for his wife Rachel Hunter to join him on stage for "You're In My Heart (The Final Acclaim)," but she instead sends out his buddy Elton John, dressed in women's clothes and makeup, to prank her husband. Stewart gamely plays along and sings to Elton.

April 12, 1977 At The Rathskeller in Boston, The Damned get a tepid reception for their first set, so when they return to the stage, they sit down and eat pizza while they play, telling the crowd, "We can sit on our asses just like you."

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