It's a well-known truth that you haven't made it musically until your song has been parodied on YouTube.
That's all thanks to a U.S. Supreme Court copyright law case ruling that paved the way for future musical comedians and Internet stars alike. The ruling, Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc., established that commercial parodies can qualify as fair use. It passed March 7, 1994.
Now, exactly 20 years later, Weird Al Yankovic has sold more than 12 million albums, late night comedy shows are airing celebrity-packed musical spoofs five nights a week and YouTube parodies rack up thousands of views daily. And judging by the Internet's love for satirical content, parody songs aren't fizzling out anytime soon. So we're here to help.
Here are a few useful tips for penning your very own parody song, as told through some of the genre's greatest hits.
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