The Story Behind Ray Stevens’ Novelty Hits and How He Penned an Inspiring No. 1 Hit in 1970

Before there was Weird Al Yankovic, there was Ray Stevens. Though not entirely the same, these two have generated decades of laughter with their novelty and parody music. Ray Stevens is an interesting novelty act because not only was he hilarious, but he was an amazing singer and musician in his own right. Stevens’ career dates back to 1957, when he signed to Capitol Records at only 18. He was marketed as a country artist and released his debut single, “Silver Bracelet.” It generated positive reviews for the young artist. Ray Stevens was born as Harold Ray Ragsdale, and shortly before his first single release, his label changed his name.

Ray Stevens moved over to Mercury Records in 1961, and he penned his first novelty hit. “Jeremiah Peabody’s Polyunsaturated Quick-Dissolving Fast-Acting Pleasant-Tasting Green And Purple Pills” peaked at No. 35 on the Billboard Hot 100. Stevens found his niche, and thus began a string of novelty hits. In 1962, he released “Ahab The Arab,” which peaked at No. 5 on the Hot 100, and hit No. 2 on the Cash Box Top 100. He followed up with “Harry The Hairy Ape” in 1963, which peaked at No. 17 on the Hot 100. In 1969, Stevens penned a No. 8 hit with “Gitarzan,” a parody telling how Tarzan formed a band in the jungle with Jane and their pet monkey.

Ray Stevens Finds Success With and Without Novelty Songs

Occasionally, Ray Stevens would release straightforward, standard songs. He released “Mr. Businessman,” which peaked at No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968. In 1970, he hosted an NBC comedy/variety show called Andy Williams Presents Ray Stevens. During the summer of 1970, Stevens replaced Andy Williams’ regular series temporarily. It was during this time that Stevens wrote the song, “Everything Is Beautiful,” to serve as the show’s theme song. Additionally, he performed the song on the show that summer. The song hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the Billboard Easy Listening chart, and the Cash Box Top 100 chart. It also hit No. 1 in Australia and Canada. Stevens won a Grammy Award for the song as well, for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

Returning to his novelty career, Stevens penned a second No. 1 hit with “The Streak” in 1974. The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the UK Singles chart, and the US Cash Box Top 100. Additionally, the song hit No. 1 on three Canadian charts. It peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. The song was a hilarious take on the new trend that was taking place in the 1970s. Streaking in public became a craze, with every American side-eying anyone in a trench coat. Stevens brilliantly capitalized on this, capturing the timeline of when a streak occurs and how the news covers the incident.

Other notable novelty hits from Ray Stevens include “Sitting Up With The Dead,” “The Mississippi Squirrel Revival, “Surfin’ U.S.S.R,” and “It’s Me Again, Margaret.” These songs, paired with hilarious music videos, are among the greatest novelty songs you can imagine. Ray Steven’s truly became a master of his craft, filling fans with laughter for decades.