Comedy rock merges rock music's instrumentation and energy with intentionally humorous lyrics, absurdist themes, and satirical commentary. Emerging in the late 1960s and flourishing through the 1970s–1990s, the genre distinguishes itself from straightforward comedy through its commitment to legitimate musical craftsmanship—often employing complex arrangements, virtuosic playing, and diverse rock subgenre pastiche. Unlike alternative or progressive rock, which may contain incidental humor, comedy rock centers comedic intent as its primary artistic goal, using rock as the vehicle for parody, character-driven narratives, or surrealist wordplay. It differs from pure comedy by requiring musical proficiency that stands independent of the jokes, and from hard rock by prioritizing wit over aggression.
Artists range from parodists deconstructing pop culture to bands embedding comedy within original compositions. The genre frequently lampoons rock's own tropes—stadium excess, machismo, technical pretension—while simultaneously celebrating the form. Lyrical subjects span novelty songs, social satire, genre parody, and self-aware mockery of the music industry itself.
The genre is represented by artists such as "Weird Al" Yankovic, Tenacious D, Frank Zappa, Spinal Tap, and The Aquabats.
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List updated:
| #52 | ByThe Bonzo Dog Band | Released:1968-11 | |||
| #68 | BySquallor | Released:1974 | |||
| #10 | ByFrank Zappa | Released:1979-03-03 | |||
| #33 | By"Weird Al" Yankovic | Released:1983-04-26 | comedy rock | ||
| #11 | BySpinal Tap | Released:1984-03-02 | |||
| #64 | ByUltraje A Rigor | Released:1985-04 | |||
| #22 | By"Weird Al" Yankovic | Released:1985-10-05 | comedy rock | ||
| #34 | ByThe Dead Milkmen | Released:1985 | |||
| #51 | ByКоммунизм | Released:1988-01-30 | rockcomedy rock | ||
| #9 | By"Weird Al" Yankovic | Released:1988-04-12 | |||
| #17 | ByThe Dead Milkmen | Released:1988 | |||
| #31 | ByElio e le Storie Tese | Released:1989 | |||
| #57 | ByДюна | Released:1990 | comedy rock | ||
| #49 | BySkankin' Pickle | Released:1991-01-01 | |||
| #13 | ByWeen | Released:1991-09-20 | |||
| #58 | ByClaudio Bisio | Released:1991 | comedy rock | ||
| #8 | By"Weird Al" Yankovic | Released:1992-04-14 | comedy rock | ||
| #48 | ByElio e le Storie Tese | Released:1992-06-10 | |||
| #18 | ByBarenaked Ladies | Released:1992-07-28 | |||
| #5 | ByWeen | Released:1992-11-10 | |||
| #25 | ByRaimundos | Released:1994-01 | |||
| #96 | BySkankin' Pickle | Released:1994-02-23 | |||
| #7 | ByMamonas Assassinas | Released:1995-06-23 | |||
| #21 | ByWeen | Released:1996-05-06 | |||
| #14 | By"Weird Al" Yankovic | Released:1996 | |||
| #69 | ByКоммунизм | Released:1996 | musique concretecomedy rock | ||
| #6 | ByWeen | Released:1997-06-24 | |||
| #56 | ByElektryczne Gitary | Released:1997 | |||
| #29 | ByMamonas Assassinas | Released:1999 | |||
| #20 | Byblink-182 | Released:2000-11-07 | |||
| #45 | ByThe Aquabats | Released:2000-11-07 | |||
| #71 | ByThreebrain | Released:2001-01-01 | indie rockcomedy rock | ||
| #44 | ByBig Dumb Face | Released:2001-03-06 | comedy rockexperimental rock | ||
| #2 | ByTenacious D | Released:2001-09-25 | |||
| #19 | ByBeatallica | Released:2001 | |||
| #73 | ByElektryczne Gitary | Released:2002 | |||
| #32 | ByElio e le Storie Tese | Released:2003 | |||
| #99 | ByApologetiX | Released:2003 | christian rockcomedy rock | ||
| #50 | ByBudyń | Released:2004-05-10 | comedy rock | ||
| #30 | ByPogodno | Released:2004 | comedy rock | ||
| #42 | ByBérurier Noir | Released:2004 | |||
| #47 | ByHard 'n Phirm | Released:2005-02-22 | |||
| #66 | ByКоммунизм | Released:2005 | |||
| #1 | ByTenacious D | Released:2006-09-26 | |||
| #12 | By"Weird Al" Yankovic | Released:2006-09-26 | |||
| #81 | ByL-Dópa | Released:2007-05-11 | alternative rockcomedy rock | ||
| #84 | ByMy Mouth is Full of Dropkicking Astronauts | Released:2007-07-25 | |||
| #86 | ByWeen | Released:2007 | |||
| #91 | ByThe Clement Peerens Explosition | Released:2008-08-12 | comedy rockrock n roll | ||
| #63 | ByI Set My Friends on Fire | Released:2008-11-24 | |||
| #76 | ByBallgard | Released:2008 | |||
| #54 | ByBeatallica | Released:2009-08-04 | |||
| #77 | ByI Set My Friends on Fire | Released:2009-09-15 | |||
| #70 | ByYour Favorite Martian | Released:2010-12-24 | comedy rockbitcore | ||
| #35 | ByWeen | Released:2010 | comedy rocknoise rock | ||
| #74 | ByVine | Released:2011-12-06 | |||
| #4 | ByTenacious D | Released:2012-05-11 | |||
| #53 | Bybrentalfloss | Released:2012-06-07 | |||
| #87 | ByWinny Puhh | Released:2013-04 | art punkcomedy rock | ||
| #72 | ByКоммунизм | Released:2013-12-05 | |||
| #59 | Bybrentalfloss | Released:2014-02-25 | |||
| #27 | BySteel Panther | Released:2014-03-28 | |||
| #3 | By"Weird Al" Yankovic | Released:2014-07-15 | comedy rock | ||
| #38 | ByJarrod Alonge | Released:2015-05-26 | |||
| #37 | ByDevin Townsend Project | Released:2015-11-13 | |||
| #26 | BySunrise Skater Kids | Released:2016-04-01 | |||
| #67 | BySunrise Skater Kids | Released:2016-04-01 | |||
| #65 | BySunrise Skater Kids | Released:2016-04-01 | |||
| #23 | ByWeen | Released:2016-06-10 | |||
| #46 | ByRed Vox | Released:2016-09-15 | |||
| #80 | ByAmidst The Grave's Demons | Released:2016 | |||
| #15 | BySunrise Skater Kids | Released:2017-02-10 | pop punkcomedy rock | ||
| #28 | BySunrise Skater Kids | Released:2017-02-10 | |||
| #43 | BySunrise Skater Kids | Released:2017-02-10 | |||
| #55 | ByCanadian Softball | Released:2017-07-28 | |||
| #75 | ByJarrod Alonge | Released:2017-08-17 | |||
| #41 | ByСМЕТАНА band | Released:2017-08-29 | pop rockcomedy rock | ||
| #39 | ByFrank Zappa | Released:2017-10-20 | |||
| #61 | ByNocny Kochanek | Released:2018-06-21 | |||
| #82 | ByVermicide Violence | Released:2018-12-21 | |||
| #83 | ByKevin and the Bikes | Released:2019-01-05 | |||
| #89 | ByRubeus and the Hagrids | Released:2019-11-24 | metalcomedy rock | ||
| #16 | ByNEGATIVE XP | Released:2020-04-20 | |||
| #79 | ByThe Aquabats! | Released:2020-05-08 | |||
| #97 | ByMath the Band | Released:2020-07-06 | |||
| #90 | ByPagefire | Released:2020-11-24 | metalcomedy rock | ||
| #24 | ByNEGATIVE XP | Released:2021-04-20 | |||
| #62 | ByWeen | Released:2021-12-17 | |||
| #93 | ByBack Garden Light | Released:2021-12-25 | |||
| #78 | ByКоммунизм | Released:2022-06-15 | comedy rock | ||
| #95 | ByMarshal Keep | Released:2022-07-22 | |||
| #40 | ByDracondaz | Released:2022-12-23 | |||
| #60 | BySteel Panther | Released:2023-02-24 | |||
| #85 | ByVarious Artists | Released:2023-04-01 | |||
| #88 | BySalmonella Sailor | Released:2023-05-26 | comedy rock | ||
| #36 | ByKyle Gordon | Released:2024-03-01 | |||
| #92 | BytHE dELOS gAYLORDS | Released: | comedy rockrock | ||
| #94 | ByYellin Kelin | Released: | |||
| #98 | Byawesomoff. | Released: | comedy rock | ||
| #100 | ByFlaming Humidifier Teabag From Hell | Released: | indie rockcomedy rock |