Key to the formula that has allowed South Park to continue hitting all the right comedic notes for so long are the perfectly pitched original songs that appear throughout the series. Nothing is off-limits in the parody pieces of Matt Stone and Trey Parker, whose accomplished offerings have borne Oscar-nominated numbers and a Tony Award-winning musical.
Though the songs can sometimes seem juvenile, this isn't child's play - these maestros are bursting with musical talent and have a keen sense for the ridiculous, creating sound parodies with their thigh-slapping, toe-tapping anthems. It's tricky to choose favorites from the extensive catalog of original songs, but there are some musical numbers that cross genres and boundaries and are rife with references to familiar musical tropes. From pop phenomena to Christian rock, the brilliant bangers by Parker and Stone deliver clever lyrics and smart satires of the genres they deride.
10 "The Yelper Special"
Season 19, Episode 4 (2015)
This toe-tapping tune appears in Season 19's "You're Not Yelping," an episode about the unjustified entitlement of the Yelper community. With the title of 'Yelp Reviewer' abused throughout the town of South Park by demanding patrons, the only way to neutralize self-aggrandizing reviewers is to make sure each one of them feels like they are extra special.
The result is the song "The Yelper Special," a crude yet hilarious take on what demanding customers can expect from kitchen and wait staff, and the creative additional ingredients that are added to the meals of pushy patrons. Living somewhere between the music of The Jungle Book and the grotty sentiments of scatological satire, the song is a catchy jingle with a nod to old vaudeville comedy numbers.
9 "Put It Down"
Season 21, Episode 2 (2017)
With a growing fear of a North Korean military attack against the US, and the President making things worse with frequent mocking tweets, Tweek creates the song "Put It Down" to de-escalate a potentially devastating situation.
The song is a triumphant choral extravaganza, a tongue-in-cheek reference to empowering fundraiser ensemble ballads that aim to garner support for a cause. Featuring a rapid-fire rap verse by Eric Cartman, a sign language interpreter, and spoken word pledges, this cause-driven charity anthem is the "We Are the World" of the 21st century, dedicated to anyone who should find themselves in the top job at the White House.
8 "San Diego"
Season 16, Episode 5 (2012)
Sitting at the oft-overlooked musical intersection between Johnny Cash, the catchy The Benny Hill theme song, The Coasters' "Yakety Yak" and tourism advertisements, is: "San Diego." Appearing at the end of Season 16's "Butterball" for little reason other than to satisfy an earlier warning from Kyle, who cautions that Stan might lose his way and "end up naked and jackin' it in San Diego."
With little narrative necessity, and in no way furthering the story, "San Diego" exists purely for laughs. It also happens to be a red-hot banger. A live version of the song was performed by Parker and Stone with guest stars PRIMUS and Ween at their 25th Anniversary show, a must-watch for long-time fans of the franchise.
7 Faith +1
Season 7, Episode 9 (2003)
Replacing the words "baby" and "darling" in popular songs with the word Jesus, Eric Cartman discovers the algorithm for creating popular Christian rock music. The resulting mash-up of fairly sexualized and romanticized lyrics with Christian content is a perfectly preached parody.
With hits such as "I Wasn't Born Again Yesterday," "A Night With the Lord," "Touch Me Jesus," and "I Found Jesus (With Someone Else)," the blasphemous bops of Faith +1 will take listeners to church.
6 "Stop Bullying"
Season 16, Episode 5 (2012)
Season 16's "Butterballs" addresses the way that bullying happens at every age and stage of life, and can come from unexpected sources – antagonists in the workplace, in the home, or religious institutions can act as oppressive forces akin to a schoolyard bully.
"Stop Bullying" jumps on the trend of the single-shot video style that was popular in the mid-2000s. Featuring a poppy beat and lyrics that bully bullying itself, the song perfectly parodies anti-bullying rhetoric (and comes from a show full of bullies). The conversation veers easily into bullying the bullies, and draws attention to the way anti-bullying discourse can end up chasing its own tail.
5 "Not My Waterpark"
Season 13, Episode 14 (2009)
Inspired by the racist hatred he experiences at Pi Pi's Splashtown water park, Cartman's somber threnody "Not My Waterpark" is a ballad of bigotry. Delivering a heartfelt lamentation about groups of people with different ethnicities to his own, Cartman derides the presence of minorities at his water park, despite the fact that they do not affect his time or enjoyment of the park in any real way.
The episode and the song play on the pointlessness of racism, and present the vile views fans have come to expect of Eric Cartman, who so often stands for everything that is wrong with the world. Delivered with the seriousness of a heart attack, "Not My Waterpark" holds an earnest mirror up to the nonsensical nature of racist values. The song is a patriotic power ballad gone horribly wrong, with musical parallels to Elton John's misguided "Indian Sunset."
4 "Up There"
'South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut' (1999)
A sorrowful ballad delivered by Satan on the topic of missing out on the lighter side of life. The song appeared in the 1999 film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut. "Blame Canada" from the same film was nominated for Best Original Song at the 72nd Academy Awards, but it is "Up There" which has stuck the strongest chord with fans.
This 11 o'clock number is a moving ballad, starring the cloven-hooved lord of the underworld singing about blue skies, blooming flowers, and burping babies – all things he misses out on by virtue of filling the unfortunate but necessary role of master of darkness. Philosophical lyrics to rival Louis Armstrong's "What A Wonderful World" and a backing choir of tortured souls cap off this hilarious and unexpectedly wholesome moment in the South Park canon.
3 "Push (Feelin' Good on a Wednesday)"
Season 18, Episode 3 (2014)
Appearing in the season 18 episode "The Cissy," this incredible pop piece is sung by Randy Marsh, who lives a secret double life as Lorde, ya ya ya. Randy's lyrics tend to be inspired by the fact that he is Lorde, and the experiences he has in the bathroom. He loops the lyrics with catchy riffs and autotunes them to high heaven, creating iconic dance-pop classics recognizable as creations of the New Zealand singer.
The song was recorded by Sia, and has been praised by fans as a genuinely catchy number. The parody is so on-point that it is difficult to discern South Park's Randy Lorde from the legitimate Lorde. This number will likely stay in the heads of listeners for longer than one might care to admit, and be warned that Wednesdays may never go by unacknowledged again.
2 "Fingerbang"
Season 4, Episode 8 (2000)
Believing he has been given a sign from God, Cartman began the boy band Fingerbang. Inspired by the likes of NSYNC and The Backstreet Boys, their titular anthem draws beautifully on these musical muses, with classic lyrics "and girl, you know you're the only girl for me girl, girl you're the girl of my fantasies".
The lyrics and stylistic bravura of Fingerbang will resonate strongly with fans of the late 90s boy band pop craze, and will likely have listeners blasting the song more than once through the week. Despite the boys' clear lack of musicianship, the number is still a total vibe – as Cartman said, "not having any musical talent didn't stop any of the other boy bands."
1 "Let's Fighting Love"
Season 8, Episode 1 (2004)
From the fan-favorite season 8 episode "Good Times With Weapons," "Let's Fighting Love" is the ass-kicking anime parody song by Parker and Stone's band, DVDA.
Performed live at the South Park 25th anniversary concert and holding a place in the hearts of fans, the song acts as a go-between when the boys transition from the South Park animation style to an anime-inspired motif. Among the predominantly Japanese lyrics which boast the singer's psychical attributes, some choice phrases are delivered in English, such as the sage advice to "protect my balls."