# "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D
**"Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D** (also shortened to *In 3-D*) is the second studio album by the American musical parodist "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on February 28, 1984, on Scotti Bros. Records and produced by [Rick Derringer](https://www.edgepedia.org/rick-derringer).[1](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/17494-weird-al-yankovic-weird-al-yankovic-in-3-d.php) Its lead single, "Eat It," a parody of [Michael Jackson](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-jackson)'s "Beat It," made Yankovic a mainstream star, and Apple Music's retrospective notes describe the album as the very first high-profile piece of pop culture to lampoon Michael Jackson.[2](https://music.apple.com/us/album/in-3-d/250495308) • [3](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/2003/08/17/weird-al-confessions-of-a-parody-animal/99adc5c5-f290-4a68-ae36-247dcdfd5b9b/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | February 28, 1984, Scotti Bros. Records, LP[1](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/17494-weird-al-yankovic-weird-al-yankovic-in-3-d.php) |
| Length | 11 songs, 44 minutes[2](https://music.apple.com/us/album/in-3-d/250495308) |
| Producer | Rick Derringer[1](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/17494-weird-al-yankovic-weird-al-yankovic-in-3-d.php) |
| Genres | Musical parody, comedy rock, new wave, polka, pop rock[1](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/17494-weird-al-yankovic-weird-al-yankovic-in-3-d.php) |
| Breakout single | "Eat It," a parody of Michael Jackson's "Beat It" with a Rick Derringer guitar solo[2](https://music.apple.com/us/album/in-3-d/250495308) |
| Tracklist | Eat It, Midnight Star, The Brady Bunch, Buy Me a Condo, I Lost On Jeopardy, Polkas On 45, Mr. Popeil, King of Suede, That Boy Could Dance, Theme from Rocky XIII, Nature Trail to Hell[4](https://www.weirdal.com/catalog/weird-al-yankovic-in-3-d/) |
| Reception | Critic score 80 based on 3 reviews; user score 79 based on 239 ratings on Album of the Year[1](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/17494-weird-al-yankovic-weird-al-yankovic-in-3-d.php) |
## Background and recording
Yankovic signed with Scotti Bros. Records in 1982, a few months after the MTV network hit the airwaves, following airplay on [Dr. Demento](https://www.edgepedia.org/dr-demento)'s nationally syndicated comedy and novelty music radio show in the late 1970s.[5](https://www.grammy.com/news/weird-al-yankovic-interivew-behind-the-hits-2024-grammys/) • [6](https://www.weirdal.com/archives/faq/) His self-titled debut album appeared in 1983, and "Eat It" was cut during sessions for the second album, recorded at what was then the Scotti Bros.' studio facility.[7](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/Mix-Magazine/10s/Mix-2014-10-R.pdf) In a 2024 career-spanning interview, Yankovic recalled that "Eat It" was made on spec before he had a record deal in place for it: "I was a little freaked out because at the time I didn't have a record deal yet, and the whole thing was being done on spec."[5](https://www.grammy.com/news/weird-al-yankovic-interivew-behind-the-hits-2024-grammys/)
He also described his pacing across the early records: "By the second album ["Weird Al" Yankovic In 3-D] I slowed down, and by the third album [Dare To Be Stupid] I feel like I was a bit more seasoned."[5](https://www.grammy.com/news/weird-al-yankovic-interivew-behind-the-hits-2024-grammys/) At least one song was cut well before release: "That Boy Could Dance" was recorded on October 1, 1983, and first appeared on the In 3-D LP in February 1984.[8](https://www.weirdal.com/archives/miscellaneous/recording-dates/)
## Songs and parodies
**"Eat It."** The album's centerpiece rewrites Michael Jackson's "Beat It" as a song about overeating, with a Rick Derringer guitar solo that Apple Music's notes say nearly upstages [Eddie Van Halen](https://www.edgepedia.org/eddie-van-halen)'s original.[2](https://music.apple.com/us/album/in-3-d/250495308) Yankovic made a video for the song imitating Jackson's strut through a pool hall, and the parody transformed his public profile. As he later put it, "I'd been this anonymous drone my whole life and all of a sudden I was the 'Eat It' guy." The Washington Post's profile records that with the song's success "suddenly, Weird Al was pop's in-house comic."[3](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/2003/08/17/weird-al-confessions-of-a-parody-animal/99adc5c5-f290-4a68-ae36-247dcdfd5b9b/)
The album mixes parodies with original comedy songs, a balance Yankovic has kept throughout his career; about half the songs on his albums are originals he wrote entirely.[6](https://www.weirdal.com/archives/faq/) "The Brady Bunch" rips on [Men Without Hats](https://www.edgepedia.org/men-without-hats)' "Safety Dance" while poking fun at sitcom television and new-wave music. "Theme From Rocky XIII" takes on Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger," referencing the kinds of sandwiches available in finer East Coast kosher-style delicatessens. "I Lost On Jeopardy" is a send-up of [Greg Kihn](https://www.edgepedia.org/greg-kihn)'s "Jeopardy" featuring a cameo by game show narrator [Don Pardo](https://www.edgepedia.org/don-pardo).[2](https://music.apple.com/us/album/in-3-d/250495308) Original material includes "Midnight Star," "Buy Me a Condo," "Mr. Popeil," "King of Suede," and "That Boy Could Dance," along with the accordion-driven "Polkas On 45."[2](https://music.apple.com/us/album/in-3-d/250495308) • [4](https://www.weirdal.com/catalog/weird-al-yankovic-in-3-d/)
## The 3-D title
The album closes with "Nature Trail To Hell," a song about a fictional 3-D horror film, which ties the record's title to its content.[9](https://www.dohtem.com/al/in3-d.htm) On the cover, Yankovic bursts out of a wooden frame set before a sky, the album title appearing above in big, brightly colored type and "IN 3-D" printed below.[7](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/Mix-Magazine/10s/Mix-2014-10-R.pdf)
## Reception and legacy
On Album of the Year the album holds a critic score of 80 based on 3 reviews and a user score of 79 based on 239 ratings.[1](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/17494-weird-al-yankovic-weird-al-yankovic-in-3-d.php) Apple Music's editorial notes describe the record as "championed by junior high-school boys in 1984" and invoke the idea that "you're nobody until Weird Al Yankovic makes fun of you," a status most artists treat as an honor.[2](https://music.apple.com/us/album/in-3-d/250495308) • [6](https://www.weirdal.com/archives/faq/) The "Eat It" parody of Michael Jackson, alongside later send-ups of the Greg Kihn Band, Nirvana, Coolio, and [Pharrell Williams](https://www.edgepedia.org/pharrell-williams), is counted by the Recording Academy among the hits that made Yankovic a star over a 40-year career.[5](https://www.grammy.com/news/weird-al-yankovic-interivew-behind-the-hits-2024-grammys/)
## References
1. ["Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D, Album of The Year](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/17494-weird-al-yankovic-weird-al-yankovic-in-3-d.php)
2. [In 3-D, album notes, Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/album/in-3-d/250495308)
3. ['Weird Al': Confessions of A Parody Animal, The Washington Post (2003)](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/2003/08/17/weird-al-confessions-of-a-parody-animal/99adc5c5-f290-4a68-ae36-247dcdfd5b9b/)
4. ["WEIRD AL" YANKOVIC IN 3-D, official catalog, weirdal.com](https://www.weirdal.com/catalog/weird-al-yankovic-in-3-d/)
5. [Behind The Accordion With "Weird Al" Yankovic, Grammy.com (2024)](https://www.grammy.com/news/weird-al-yankovic-interivew-behind-the-hits-2024-grammys/)
6. [Frequently Asked Questions, weirdal.com](https://www.weirdal.com/archives/faq/)
7. [Mix Magazine, October 2014 (album cover image and recording notes)](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/Mix-Magazine/10s/Mix-2014-10-R.pdf)
8. [Recording Dates, weirdal.com](https://www.weirdal.com/archives/miscellaneous/recording-dates/)
9. ["Weird Al" Yankovic In 3-D, dohtem.com discography notes](https://www.dohtem.com/al/in3-d.htm)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musical works and recordings › Albums and recorded releases › Comedy and spoken-word recordings*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license