ABSTRACT
Humor has always been a part of the popular music soundscape, whether on stage, in performance, on record, or on film. Like jazz, popular music might not need definition for its fans. Indeed, one might suggest that all kinds of music are “popular” with someone; hence, it is tempting to define popular music in terms of the size of its audience. Less cerebral than the work of Tom Lehrer, Flanders and Swann, or the Danish musical humorist Victor Borge, is the comedy novelty record. In earlier times, novelty songs also served to parody both musical trends and popular artists and celebrities; as such, they were precursors to both musical mockumentaries such as This Is Spinal Tap and the work of comedy artists such as Jimmy Fallon in his impersonations/parodies of Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Neil Young. The irreverence displayed in music hall songs mocking the upper classes was also extended to other social divisions and mores.
