Here's a little tunesmith trivia: Songs were invented by the cave man. Back in 1,000 B.C., Larry the Rock Guy began singing for no reason at all, which surprised the people in his sedimentary community as no one had ever put a melody to words before.
Singing songs like: "Hair, Hair, Everywhere," made him a big rock star (no pun intended) at community gatherings. His silly lyrics went something like this: "Where have all the razors gone?/What! They haven't been invented yet?/How am I going to shave my pet?/This beard on me just seems wrong." (Not great lyrics, but he did the best he could.) Musical traditions apparently began during the Greek Orientalizing Period (750 - 650 B.C.) but novelty songs didn't show up on song sheets for another 3,000 years.
Novelty songs became popular back in the 1930s when the great Cab Calloway introduced the song "Minnie the Moocher," which sold more than a million copies. With the invention of rock 'n' roll around 1955, novelty songs picked up speed. (By the way, Larry the Rock Guy would be totally pissed if he knew that the DJ Alan Freed was credited with coming up with the term "rock and roll.")
Here's the countdown of the top 10 rock 'n' roll novelty songs. Sit at your desk, turn up the volume and smile.
