Kylie Galaviz | April 27, 2025
Have you ever caught yourself humming a silly song that has been stuck in your head all day? Something ridiculously funny, but somehow musically impressive too? I know I have fallen victim to this with Crazy Frog’s music. Specifically, their song “Axel F” is the one that every so often gets stuck on a loop in my head when circulating the internet. Whether it’s a parody from TikTok, a meme, or a musical joke from a comedian, funny music has a way of attracting an audience and being memorable. Yet it is rarely viewed as “real” music. Comedic songs are brushed off as jokes and not worthy of the same respect as more serious genres such as pop, rock, and hip-hop. But truthfully, comedy in music is both complex and creative. Comedic music deserves recognition as a valid and meaningful genre because of the techniques it displays, the strong sentiments it creates, and the cultural connections it builds.
While comedy in music has existed for centuries, it has not been treated with the same level of validity as other genres. Scholars are beginning to pay more attention to how music and humor work together, but there's still disagreements about its value. One side of the conversation, represented by Miguel Mera and Peter Kay, focuses on the musical complexity involved in creating humor. Mera argues that music can be funny even without lyrics, especially in film scores. He writes, “The comic effect arises not just from the music itself but from the way it is placed and timed within a scene” (Mera 94). This idea shows that comedy in music isn't completely random, but it relies on rhythm, structure, and control as most other scores do. Peter Kay also supports this view by alluring that parody music, for example, requires deep knowledge of the genre it imitates. It takes real musical skill to make something sound both accurate and absurd.
On the other hand, there are those who approach comedic music through its emotional and cultural impact, like Julia Moriarty and Eduardo Viñuela. Moriarty looks at Bo Burnham’s Inside, arguing that his comedic songs reflect deep personal and social issues. She says, “Burnham’s comedy is not simply to entertain; it is a strategy for coping with cultural and psychological crises” (42). This shows that funny songs can go beyond making people laugh, but they can also make people think, feel, and reflect on their internal and external problems. Viñuela adds to this by looking at how humor spreads through music on social media. He explores how “videomemes” use music to lampoon culture, showing that this type of comedy has become part of how young people express themselves and share ideas online. Yet, despite these points, comedic music still faces criticism on its plausibility. Some people believe it's not worthy of being called a genre at all. They see it as superficial or just something that belongs to internet culture and not “real” music. I want to challenge the idea that comedy in music is less meaningful or serious than other styles. Musicians use humor as a tool for expression and connection, and it deserves to be appreciated as a real genre.
The word genre is defined as a category of artistic, musical, or literary composition characterized by a particular style, form, or content, in this case music, that encompasses similar styles or themes. Comedic music does fall in this category because of the similar techniques such as exaggeration and satirical remarks used in most funny songs. These recurring elements parallel the structure of other established genres, which further solidify comedy's place as a genre. Comedy should be a valid music genre since most funny songs have similar styles and techniques that are used to create each and every one.
What makes genre so important to comedic music is the ability for individuals to have their own pride. Having a genre that encapsulates all the funny music that people enjoy, creates a sense of comfort and dignity. They’re able to claim the genre as their own and resonate with the tunes in its category. Elevating the status quo of typical genres is important to give recognition to this lesser-known type of music, but not to outshine long existing music. With comedic music being more underground, having the accessibility of being able to find such songs is beneficial to many groups of people. While there is honor in generic music classification, having these atypical genres allow these songs to be recognized by its enjoyers and sought out by its seekers. Expanding the landscape to include unconventional categories like comedic music ensures that all forms of artistic expression receive the recognition they deserve among individuals.
Comedic music and composition showcase a wide variety of techniques that convey the creativity and skill of its artists. Historically, composers like Haydn and Mozart included musical jokes in their compositions through unexpected pauses, dissonance, or repetitive rhythms. One of my favorite examples is Mozart’s A Musical Joke (German: Ein musikalischer Spaß) K. 522, which includes every funny musical technique I could possibly think of. For example, there are dissonate chords played by the entire ensemble that come out of complete nowhere. Also, the violin part has a written in cadenza, an improvised, ornamental passage played by a soloist, that is played so high that one of the strings snaps in the middle of the performance! These techniques are some of many examples of how music could be funny to an audience without relying on lyrics. This concept continues today in film scores and comedic performances, where humor is often hidden within the technicalities of the music. Miguel Mera explains that “the comic effect arises not just from the music itself but from the way it is placed and timed,” showing how musical elements like tone and rhythm can evoke laughter in the same way the punchline of a joke would (94). The humor works because the artist knows the style so well, they can bend or break its rules in clever ways. Comedic music requires not just creativity, but also deep musical literacy. Artists like “Weird Al” Yankovic demonstrate this skill by producing songs that are not only funny but musically accurate, making the humor even more effective. These examples show that comedic music is a genre that demands just as much technical ability, creativity, and understanding as any other.
Bo Burnham’s Inside represents a powerful case for the emotional and intellectual depth of comedic music. This comedy special was the main thing that piqued my interest in this topic. Coming out of a vulnerable time in my life, quarantine, and being exposed to Burnham’s comedy, made me rethink how I view funny music, especially as a genre. His songs like “That Funny Feeling” and “Welcome to the Internet” blend tragedy and humor to comment on mental health, media saturation, and social decay. These songs are not just parodies, but they are emotionally charged performances that use humor as a way to express the anxiety and uncertainty of the 2020 quarantine. As Moriarty notes, “humor becomes a mechanism of survival” (44). This kind of complexity positions comedy as more than an entertainment tool; it becomes a way in which listeners tune in to the world. Specifically, his song “That Funny Feeling” sounds incredibly light-hearted at first, but it carries a deeper message of looming doubt for the future. For example, here’s a phrase of the song that encapsulates the depressed feeling but is characterized by an upbeat melody and light guitar chords, “total disassociation, fully out your mind, Googling "derealization", hating what you find, that unapparent summer air in early fall, the quiet comprehending of the ending of it all,” (Burnham). The mix of sadness and humor makes this song emotionally powerful and it’s clear that Burnham’s work shows how comedy can help people deal with tough emotions. It is not just about making people laugh, but it’s about making them think and feel something too. Being able to identify these songs with a unified genre brings more power to the listeners; they’re able to connect and claim their emotions with the genre. This proves that comedy as a music genre can do just as much emotionally for others as any serious song could.
In today’s digital culture, comedy in music has become a powerful tool that shapes the way people connect, create, and communicate. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube have turned funny musical content into global phenomenons, where humorous songs and sounds go viral in minutes. These musical memes transform listeners from passive consumers into active users as they remix, lip-sync, and reinterpret songs through comedic lenses, adding their own humor and context to the original sound. As a young adult in today’s world, I can say I have fallen victim to becoming an active user of funny sounds online when posting TikTok's or consuming Instagram reels content. I will also quote musical memes from Vine with my friends. It's sort of our inside joke that makes us laugh and bond with one another. This widespread, playful engagement gives comedic music a strong social relevance within small groups and all around the globe. Viñuela explains that this circulation “transforms music consumption into a participatory, interpretive act,” showing how comedy in music drives online creativity and community (449). Instead of making music seem less important, this trend shows how humor can help people express themselves and connect with others in meaningful ways. With the songs floating around the Internet, people are going to become fond of the song and be curious about what it's called or where to find it. Having a unified genre where all of these songs can be classified makes it so much easier for people to be able to consume the music and spread it further.
Considering the implications of my claim, something can be done about making comedy a widely known music genre. Currently, comedy is only a recognized genre in podcasts or audiobooks on all streaming platforms. This is an issue considering there are thousands of songs that could find their home in the comedy genre. “Weird Al” Yankovic, who I mentioned above, has music that would perfectly fit into this genre. As of now, his music is misclassified and considered pop or rock, which is not one hundred percent accurate. It is misleading to listeners who might not be familiar with “Weird Al” and will give them the wrong idea of his songs if it remains in the wrong genre. By formally recognizing comedy as its own genre, popular streaming platforms like Spotify or Apple Music can better reflect the diversity of musical expression and give comedic artists the respect and acknowledgement they deserve.
However, it could be argued that creating an entirely new genre just for comedic music is completely unnecessary. Humor is the most subjective thing from person to person, so who’s to say what songs are classified under this genre? The comedic element in music is, like I said, subjective; what one listener finds funny, another might not. This could make it difficult for streaming platforms to categorize songs consistently, leading to even more misclassification issues. Because comedic songs often share the musical styles of existing genres like pop, rock, or even country, separating them based solely on their humorous lyrics might cause confusion for the listeners. For example, a parody of a pop song would still musically sound like pop, and listeners might be frustrated if songs are grouped only by their comedic sound. While all this could be true, the evolution of comedic music categorization reflects something much bigger.
Comedic music deserves to be recognized as a real genre because it takes skill to create, connects people emotionally, and plays an important role in today’s culture. The songs create powerful emotional responses, proving that comedy in music is not just about entertainment, but also has emotional depth. In today’s digital culture, comedic music also plays a crucial part in shaping how people create viral moments and build communities across popular social platforms. As humorous songs continue to influence trends and spark new forms of creativity, it's clear that comedy in music has evolved into an essential genre that reflects the state of our current world. We need to appreciate comedic music for what it truly is: a powerful genre that not only entertains, but shapes the way we experience and understand the world through music.
Works Cited
Burnham, Bo. "That Funny Feeling.” Inside, Imperial/Republic Records, 2021, www.netflix.com/watch/7092701.
Kay, Peter. “Music and Humor: What’s So Funny?” Music Reference Services Quarterly, vol. 10, no. 1, Mar. 2006, pp. 37–53. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.libproxy.library.unt.edu/10.1300/J116v10n01_03.
Mera, Miguel. “Is Funny Music Funny? Contexts and Case Studies of Film Music Humor.” Journal of Popular Music Studies, vol. 14, no. 2, Aug. 2006, pp. 91–193. Wiley Online Library, https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.libproxy.library.unt.edu/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1533-1598.2002.tb00039.x.
Moriarty, Julia. “That Funny Feeling: The Tragic Stylings of Bo Burnham’s Inside.” Comedy Studies, vol. 15, no. 1, Apr. 2024, pp. 36–47. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.libproxy.library.unt.edu/10.1080/2040610X.2023.2279796.
Viñuela, Eduardo. “‘What’s So Funny?’: Videomemes and the Circulation of Contemporary Music in Social Media.” Contemporary Music Review, vol. 41, no. 4, Aug. 2022, pp. 445–58. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.libproxy.library.unt.edu/10.1080/07494467.2022.2087393.