‘Weird Al’ Yankovic says he’s unbothered by Rock Hall snub, hopes comedic acts get considered while peers praise his lasting cultural impact.
Despite nearly five decades as one of pop culture’s most inventive parodists, “Weird Al” Yankovic says he’s far from losing sleep over his absence from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
In a wide-ranging Vulture interview, the accordion-wielding satirist told the magazine he wouldn’t be heartbroken if the Hall never came calling — though he did offer a tongue-in-cheek pitch for consideration.
Asked to lay out his case for induction, Yankovic struck a pragmatic tone: the Hall “is going to do what they’re going to do,” he said, noting the institution has gradually broadened what it counts as rock & roll. He added that, if the Hall ever decided to induct a comedic act, he’d hope to be in the conversation — but that he’d be “upset” if another accordion-playing parody writer beat him to it. Yankovic emphasized that public outrage over his omission isn’t something he craves; he’d prefer being quietly overlooked to creating a fuss.
That low-key acceptance stands in contrast to occasional calls from other public figures. Comedian John Mulaney recently argued that Yankovic’s parodies — notably “Smells Like Nirvana,” which made Nirvana’s original more approachable for some listeners — helped guide fans toward the source material and deserved formal recognition.
Mulaney told Vulture that Yankovic “brought more people to music than is recognized,” praising how comedy can open musical doors for new listeners.
The Rock Hall’s leadership has at least discussed Yankovic’s place in music history. Chairman John Sykes told reporters earlier this year that Yankovic “has come up in conversations” and called him “a genius,” while conceding that the musician has not come close to the formal ballot in the past.
Those comments underline the Hall’s ongoing internal debate about where novelty and comedic performers fit in an institution built around rock’s canon.
Yankovic has been eligible for Hall consideration for years but — as he acknowledged — has never been formally nominated. That reality comes as the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame prepares to honor a diverse 2025 class that includes Bad Company, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Cyndi Lauper, Outkast, Soundgarden and The White Stripes.
The induction ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and will stream live on Disney+, with an edited special to air later on ABC and be available on Hulu afterward.
For now, Yankovic seems content to let the Hall puzzle over its own criteria. Whether he ever becomes an inductee, his impact — from “Eat It” to “White & Nerdy” — remains clear: he’s turned parody into a durable art form that has, by many accounts, helped listeners find the music beneath the joke.
