We Do It For the Lulz: 5 Acts That Will Make You Laugh

Music and laughter go hand in hand, and a great many musicians in the world have made their way by making millions cackle with glee the world over. From slapstick to sarcasm, check out these five musical acts that are sure to make you giggle.

Weird Al

Easily one of the most famous comedic musicians of all time, Weird Al Yankovic has made his living through hilarious parodies of mostly Top 40 pop hits, like Michael Jackson's “Beat It” (“Just Eat It”) and Chamillionaire and Krayzie Bone's “Ridin” (“White and Nerdy”). Drawing from quintessential American and Jewish humor, Weird Al has toured worldwide and is one of the most successful musicians of the twenty-first century.

The Gothsicles

From poking fun at gothic industrial culture and clubbing to epically hilarious tunes about video games, The Gothsicles – the brainchild of Chicago's Brian Graupner – will make anyone giggle, especially those entrenched in the rich culture of video games or are goth scene participants and contributors. The Gothsicles are touring to support its latest release, “I Feel Sicle,” and will be touring in Europe throughout autumn 2017.

Nice Peter

The highly creative – and hugely hilarious – progenitor of Epic Rap Battles of History, Nice Peter has contributed a wealth of material to the comedic music range. Although he's come under fire a time or two for some insensitivity in his material, the pop artist has responded to his critics with grace – and improvement. Famous for his “photo songs,” on YouTube, where he strings a series of images together and improvs lyrics based on the images, Nice Peter plays live regularly and continues to record music and videos. 

The Lonely Island

Anyone who's ever heard “Threw It On the Ground” or “Motherlover” has heard The Lonely Island, a comic trio comprised of actors Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone. They've worked with some of the biggest names in pop and hip hop, including Justin Timberlake and T-Pain. With a large body of work consisting of gloriously inappropriate humor, The Lonely Island's latest album, “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping,” was released in 2016. They've been featured regularly on Saturday Night Live, and have dipped their toes into filmmaking as well. 

Tom Lehrer

The definition of dark humor applied to music, Tom Lehrer's catchy and yet gruesomely morbid tunes are more than adequate to elicit a creepy Uncle Fester cackle from even the most straitlaced of folks. One of his most famous ditties, “Poisoning Pigeons in the Park,” has become a standby of those who love darkly sarcastic humor. Now in his late eighties, Lehrer has since retired – but his discography is still well worth the listen.