WhatвЂ™s more, the music videos werenвЂ™t quite there yet either: By most estimates, MTV only had somewhere between 100 and 200 videos in their library at the time, and had to lean disproportionately on certain artists with more clips available (like REO Speedwagon and Rod Stewart) simply to fill 24 hours of programming.ДЄnd the quality of those videos? WellвЂ¦ it wasnвЂ™t the highest plane the art form would reach. When MTV first launched on Aug 1, 1981, it wasnвЂ™t available in most major markets - the staff held their launch party in Fort Lee, NJ, because no one could get the channel in Manhattan - and the operation was still fairly ramshackle, with a particularly technical difficulty-plagued first 24 hours. He turned Elmo & PatsyвЂ™s вЂњGrandma Got Run Over by a ReindeerвЂќ into a perennial holiday favorite, and he also made Barnes & BarnesвЂ™s вЂњFish Heads,вЂќ the SNL-popularized video of which was directed by and starred a young Bill Paxton, a massive hit.Of course, it didnвЂ™t happen overnight. вЂњWeird AlвЂќ Yankovic wasnвЂ™t DementoвЂ™s only discovery since he took to the airwaves in 1970. Jett instead contributed a previously unreleased recording of the Rocky Horror theme, вЂњ Science Fiction/Double Feature.вЂќ Other demented highlights on Covered in Punk include William ShatnerвЂ™s cheeky take on the CrampsвЂ™ вЂњ Garbageman,вЂќ the late Adam West doing вЂњ The Thing,вЂќ B-52вЂ™s mouthpiece Fred SchneiderвЂ™s вЂњ Fluffy,вЂќ and Space Ghost sidekick BrakвЂ™s utterly hilarious interpretation of Suicidal TendenciesвЂ™ anti-authority anthem вЂњ Institutionalized.вЂќ (Incidentally, Demento, who has a masterвЂ™s degree in folklore and ethnomusicology, is a punk-rock fan he even played the Sex Pistols on his show back in the day.) вЂњAnd I put it on, and though it was crudely recorded, probably with one of those little cassette machines with a self-contained microphone, the balance was right, you could understand his words, the words were funny, and he played the accordion - which by itself was new and unusual at that time, for somebody young to play the accordion, and not a polka, not вЂLady of SpainвЂ™ or anything like that.вЂќДЇor Covered in Punk, along with YankovicвЂ™s surprisingly faithful version of вЂњBeat on the Brat,вЂќ Caifero and Demento enlisted Japanese pop-punk trio Shonen Knife to cover one of AlвЂ™s most popular parodies, вЂњ Eat It.вЂќ But another genius idea - for Joan Jett to remake AlвЂ™s вЂњI Love Rocky RoadвЂќ - was shot down by her management. вЂњI used to get, like, 25 to 30 tapes every week, and one of the cassettes that came in was this one from вЂAlfred Yankovic: Lynwood, California,вЂ™вЂќ he recalls. Visiting Yahoo Entertainment with Covered in Punk producer and Ramones associate John Cafiero, Demento (real name: Barry Hansen) says, вЂњNobody could have predictedвЂќ the young YankovicвЂ™s massive success - but he recalls being impressed the first time he heard AlвЂ™s music. Demento, IвЂ™d probably have a real job now.вЂќ

Yankovic - who went on to win four Grammys, sell 12 million albums, and most recently break the internet with вЂњ The Hamilton PolkaвЂќ - has even been quoted as saying, вЂњIf there hadnвЂ™t been a Dr. DementoвЂ™s new Covered in Punk compilation, it was a full-circle moment for both comedy legends: The year that вЂњBeat on the BratвЂќ came out, 1976, is the same year that the good doctor first played anything by the teenager then known as just вЂњAlfred Yankovic.вЂќДЄnd the rest was history.

When вЂњWeird AlвЂќ Yankovic agreed to record the RamonesвЂ™ вЂњBeat on the BratвЂќ for radio pioneer Dr.

Fish heads music video