How the HELL Did this Musical Genius NOT Have EVEN 1 MEASLY HIT? | Professor of Rock

[@ProfessorofRock]

Poll; What is your pick for the most HAUNTING song of the 70s and 80s?

[@peterd.9978]

Thriller! (The Vincent Price part)

[@TerrickTerran]

Halloween (the movie) theme. Still gives me chills.

[@rogerdeahl9629]

Thriller. Still Loving You -- Scorpions

[@teazzer44]

Trick or Treat/Fastway

[@Lam_3-22-23]

Will always be DOA- Bloodrock Welcome to My Nightmare - Alice Cooper

[@jolab1810]

In 1986, I was a senior in high school in Orange County. KISS FM had a contest in which the winning high school would receive a private concert performance by Oingo Boingo. To win we had to send in postcards. The school with the most postcards would win. Our teachers allowed us to spend class time filling out postcards. We filled out postcards until our hands cramped. LOL In the end, we won and they played for us at the Anaheim Convention Center. They were awesome!

[@keithguidry2841]

My wife and I also graduated in 86! It was a great year.

[@BluDynamo]

FANTASTIC!!!! 🤘

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Love it!

[@sadisticahoundsblood9931]

Wow when I think of a radio station promoting Oingo Boingo, I think of KROQ. I graduated in 89.

[@flavellinator]

@@sadisticahoundsblood9931 Me too...KIIS FM was all about Top 40 music

[@atlasshrugged6435]

Oingo Boingo came on the radio in the car yesterday and my 12 year old daughter thought it was the coolest band name she’d ever heard. I told her a few stories about the band, and Danny Elfman, but this tops everything I said. Perfect timing Professor! Thanks as always 🤘🎸

[@ProfessorofRock]

That's amazing!

[@robertcuratolo5339]

😞 I don't see this story very cool after hearing who died. I deleted my comment because I was ashamed. I put the comment just minutes before who died. We should hear the whole video before commenting because you may have to delete right away.😞

[@atlasshrugged6435]

@@robertcuratolo5339I didn’t watch the video because I wanted to watch it with my daughter to get the full experience. What did I miss? Who died?

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

That’s so cool!

[@robertcuratolo5339]

@@atlasshrugged6435 😐 I suggest you watch the video. I thought it was some kind of bad drug thing gone bad so I put out a comment before knowing what really happened. 😞 Once I found out what really went down I quickly deleted my comment. Never again will I comment before seeing the entire video. So very sad 😞

[@jakeoncall]

Oh boy! So many memories! I lived in Venice, California in the early seventies as a starving musician and would often see Danny Elfman around, at places like the the Post Office or the grocery store. He was a real denizen of Venice. At the time, I was working as a singing waiter at The Great American Food and Beverage Company in Santa Monica, when one night The Mystic Nights of the Oingo Boingo invaded us dressed in full street theatre gear banging on percussion instruments singing "Hipsters on Parade". They paraded through the restaurant to the delight and amazement of the patrons. What a riot! Later on, I was in a classic rock band and we got booked to play at the Lawyers and Artists Ball at the Biltmore Hotel in L.A. What a surprise it was when we discovered that we were the opening act for Oingo Boingo! Thanks for taking me back down memory lane, Professor!

[@cheesesteak22]

Venice in the 70s, I'm jealous. I took a look at an "apartment" there in 2002....I wasn't paying $800 for an 8x10 room. Anyway, now Elfman lives in the hills off of Topanga Canyon (I picked up some audio materials for Good Will Hunting while working for an audio post-production company). 👍

[@DC8091]

Elfman needs a biopic!!! That being said, Oingo Boingo in Back To School is one of the best placed band performances ever!!

[@ProfessorofRock]

I agree. Love it.

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

He SHOULD! He is so talented.

[@TooTallForPony]

I know someone who could score that film....

[@erolcims6664]

PCU and Parliment Funkadelic!

[@wpgme85]

I did a deep dive on Oingo Boingo about 8 years ago and feel deeply, madly in passion with their music. They’re amazing and totally slept on. Gratitude is one of my all time top 5 songs.

[@Allronix]

"Gratitude" is definitely a fave. I have it on a playlist for a couple of nastier manipulating characters. "Just Another Day" is alos on playlists for some heroes who are at the breaking point.

[@jaegerjae]

I love Elfman's "The Little Things." Catchy groove and relatable lyrics, lol.

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

I’m so glad you did.

[@JudyGurl]

Stay. Weird Science. Only a Lad. Just Another Day. Dead Mans Party. These are all hits in my book. And Danny Elfman has a unique, incredible voice.

[@pastateconstablesoffice]

Agreed - Weird Science was in frequent rotation along with the movie and I believe a version of the Movie Trailer - and Dead Man's Party had a fantastic Bass line ...

[@AntwhaleNearfar]

“Little Girls” “Private Life” “Grey Matter” “Wild Sex”

[@mikeyb6859]

"Nasty Habits" and "Insects" were always my favorites.

[@Tripoutski]

You finally did Boingo! They were a staple in my high school days and even played at our school TWICE (once opened by "The Bangs," I am sure that you know their story - God love Miles Copeland)! Elfman is a freak of nature. As bands capitalize on "remasters" to gain from re-releases, Elfman says Boingo will never do it. "There is nothing wrong with the originals."

[@slbarbieri1725]

Actually, Rubellan HAS reissued almost every Oingo Boingo album. They're all on colored vinyl too.

[@Tripoutski]

@@slbarbieri1725 Ah, then we get into the differences between re-master, re-issued, and re-released. I wish we could post links here, but that is a no-go. However, it is an easy Google search. In the end, re-mastered is the act of attempting to improve the sounds of the master recording, which Danny has no interest in. Re-issued and re-released are different and I have a feeling that Danny would cash those checks all day long!

[@LazerWolf619]

OK, this is crazy. This morning I’m in my work truck and I’m thinking to myself ‘When is the professor going to do a video on Oingo Boingo/Danny Elfman?’ I get home, look at KZbin and hear it is. Htf did I not see the alert?? Thank you, Professor! Just in time for Halloween 🎃

[@Susie_Floozie]

I was a major Oingo Boingo fan from the moment I saw a poster for their debut album ONLY A LAD in Atlanta's Wax 'n' Facts in 1981. The art caught my eye--every detail fascinated me. I bought the LP then and there, and the music wove the same spell on me and wouldn't let go. It's SO gratifying to see them get some true appreciation!

[@OceanbornAngel]

Danny Elfman even composed the most recognizable Superhero theme for Batman, it still endures to this day. Not bad for a guy with no formal music training huh?

[@TerrickTerran]

As well as the Simpsons theme.

[@ProfessorofRock]

No kidding!

[@ProfessorofRock]

Legendary!

[@Huscar80]

@@TerrickTerran - Yep! I was gonna say the same thing.

[@coreym162]

The insanity of how he almost lost the melody he had for it. That would have altered history.

[@TheRicoRick]

I love Oingo Boingo. I discovered them in the 80's in High School. They are still a daily listen. One song or another always makes me feel warm and fuzzy. Maybe it's a nostalgia thing maybe the music is just that good. Thanks for profiling them. Alot of people still don't know that Danny Elfman the great composer was the lead man to a great 80's band.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Good call!

[@TheSlowoldman]

To those of us who grew up in the 80's Boingo and Elfman had plenty of hits.... Billboard be damned. Ironically my favorite Boingo song is the least "Boingo" song they released.... We Close Our Eyes... I LOVE THAT SONG.

[@TooTallForPony]

By far the most emotional and moving Boingo song ever!

[@iwanttheoneicanthave11578]

Ditto

[@Coultergeist]

Professor, you’re a legend for spotlighting Oingo Boingo, one of the most underrated bands of all time. I was at each of those Halloween shows at Irvine Meadows and Universal Amphitheater. So good!

[@jonrosenblum8371]

Thanks so much for doing this video! I think it was 1983 or 1984 when I first heard of Oingo Boingo. Living in Alabama, we didn't hear that type of music very often. Fortunately, for me, my older brother visited some cousins in California and attended one of Oingo Boingo's Halloween concerts. Later, my brother sent me and my younger brother a cassette tape of "Only A Lad" and said we should check out "Little Girls". I was immediately hooked and afterwards bought every album that came out. They had so many amazing songs and I never understood why they were not more popular on the radio. Anyway, I also bought Danny Elfman's "Music For a Darkened Theater Volume 1" and he was one of the reasons I decided to study music. He is truly a musical genius. But also lyrically, they were very thought-provoking, like the song "Out of Control". I still listen to Oingo Boingo regularly; my kids know who Oingo Boingo is and some of their music, so I feel like I have done my part to keep "Boingo Alive".

[@MahaliaMD73]

Roll Tide!

[@CheeseWyrm]

We Bongoids in Australia missed out on hearing Oingo Boingo on our radios after "Little Girls" was released. Because it was deemed inappropriate - we didn't hear them again until the Weird Science movie & Deadman's Party album. I didn't miss out however - as I imported their albums :)

[@flavellinator]

Agree 1000%! Boingo was massive in SoCal, selling out Irvine Meadows for multiple shows at Halloween... it was THE event to attend, more than Knott's Scary Farm...

[@ProfessorofRock]

Awesome!

[@MisterCross]

The Halloween Shows were the best!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Sounds amazing!

[@johnmatson7234]

Yeap... saw both Halloween shows at Irvine Meadows in 95? Just after they released Boingo. The moon was full. What a show (both of them). To this date, Oingo Boingo is the best live performance I have ever seen because of those shows.

[@recklessfable8292]

Perfect subject for the month of October!

[@ProfessorofRock]

Yep!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Indeed!

[@coyotejake9164]

Thank you so much for doing Oingo Boingo! They are one of my favorite musical acts of all time - and my kids love them too. It's such a tradition for me to play them in October, that my daughters insist Hallowe'en hasn't begun until I play Dead Man's Party, and that it hasn't ended until I play We Close Our Eyes.

[@sandijohnson2216]

Omg so glad Danny Elfman is being highlighted today! I tell people about him all the time -especially during Tim Burton movies. I had no idea he was on The Gong Show! I watched that show when I was little all the time. 😁♥️♥️

[@ProfessorofRock]

Cool!

[@cheesesteak22]

btw...I WISH they would bring that show back. (gong show 😉)

[@concernedonlooker]

Confessions of a serial follower (highlights). I first heard Oingo Boingo thanks to John Hughes' movie "Wierd Science" and fell in love. They were my first musical crush, beginning in middleschool and carrying onward to this day. I spent my high school years on Halloween nights camped out in the seats of Irvine Meadows Amphatheatre listening to them alongside thousands of other dressed in goth, something that was a new style then. Became a member of their Secret Society in those years, but also found out that the high school I was attending was where they first met each other! While attending a JC, I was walking from class to the Student Union and passed a band that was playing to an empty field. While passing the drummer I glanced over and saw it was Johnny "Vatos" Hernandez stricking up the beat less than 5 feet away! I was stunned and staggered to find my footing as I grasped the wall of a flower bed and sat down, all the while Johnny watching me and letting out an uproarious laugh. I then noticed that playing the bass was non other than Avila! The guitarist I did not know. When they finished their set, Johnny looked at me, laughed, and said, "So, you recognize us." After a bit of an exchange, I found out that they were playing in a side band with the guitarist teacher of the college. A few years later, I found myself in Northern California where they were playing a warm up show for their Farewell Performance the following week. They had upwards of 13 people on stage performing when I witnessed Danny's musical ear for detail when he, mid performance, while I could not tell that anything was wrong, pointed to a single mic on stage, gave the motion to turn it up, and didn't skip a beat! That would be my final Halloween with the band, however, I've made it a habit, every year subsequently, to have the farewell performance playing in the background of All Hallow's Eve, the only appropriate music to have on that night.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks for sharing!

[@Code.Name.V]

Speaking of the Ferryman, Happy Birthday to Chris DeBurgh!

[@ProfessorofRock]

I second that!

[@martinkasper197]

Still searching for the Woman in Red...🤣

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Don’t pay him!

[@Willie_McBride]

@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Till he gets you to the other side

[@bubbabubberson2702]

Don't even fix a price

[@carymoshman1180]

I got into them from Back to School as well. My favorite band to this day.

[@sariahut1]

A good friend of mine introduced me to Boingo when I was in high school and they’ve been one of my favorite bands ever since. I have so many great memories attached to their music. I like to play music for my students (I work in a high school) and will always offer a treat for the student who can identify who is singing when I play Oingo Boingo and what movie they have heard him in. I’m always impressed when they can get it right. It doesn’t happen often though. Dead Man’s Party is my least favorite of their hits. They’ve got such a great catalog of music. They’re one of the most unique bands of an era of amazingly unique bands. Thank you for finally talking about them!

[@stevehaas6307]

A song I always loved by Oingo Boingo is the song that plays during the closing credits of "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" that starts just as Jeff Spicoli says "Awesome! Totally Awesome! Alright, Hamilton!" and then the "what happened to the characters" montage rolls. The song is "Goodbye, Goodbye" and has one of my favorite breakdowns ever in the middle of the song where Danny Elfman sings a riff so fast it would make Busta Rhymes say "DAMN!"

[@kristasuttles3185]

I grew up in Southern California in the 80’s. Oingo Boingo changed my life. I was fortunate enough to see them multiple times live. Absolutely the best live band. My friends and I actually screamed long enough to get them to play an encore of our favorite song. It’s one of the best memories of my life!

[@Fakeaorta]

I don't think people outside of SoCal realize how popular and important Boingo was for us compared to other regions of the US. KROQ was playing them all the time since 'Only A Lad'. And Yes! Saw them 4 times and they are in my top 3 of live bands I ever saw.

[@kingkelevra4545]

When I was a kid, I was a huge fan of Nightmare before Christmas. My dad showed me “Dead Man’s Party” and told me it was Jack Skellington singing. Blew my mind away and was a fan of Oingo Boingo ever since!

[@bobniehaus5053]

I started listening to oingo because of a friend who was crazy about the LA music scene. He of course eventually moved there and opened a record store. Elfman is de man!!!

[@peterd.9978]

Dead Man's Party is a great album. Lots of good songs on it. Great episode breaking down the song, Professor! 👍🏼

[@ProfessorofRock]

Indeed!

[@RealBkay45]

I got into Oingo Boingo in high school. They still maintained an "underground" status where I grew up in the Midwest. I actually turned a lot of classmates onto Oingo Boingo. I still love them as well as Danny Elfman's genius scores. Gray Matter and Private Life were a couple of my favorite songs.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Great comment. Love those songs too!

[@BluDynamo]

One of my very favorite bands and Danny has been one of my favorite artists since the 1980's, when I was a teenager. I am not a huge fan of movie orchestration, but his creations are absolutely stellar! If Danny made it then I have to listen! This is one of the most talented artists of the modern era and his influence is massive. Dead Man's Party is one of my all-time favorite songs. Ironically, I live in Salt Lake City and had never even heard the story of the tragedy at the Shiloh until today. Amazing to think that this song was written just down the road! Epic! Thanks Adam, for once again providing riveting background information, that I had never heard before, and for being so freakin' great at it!!! 🤘

[@taivo55]

I first encountered Elfman when I was blown away as "Batman" began to roll in the theater where I was on opening night. WOW

[@cmm170526]

Thank you Professor! This was both educational and entertaining.

[@MikeMiller-bl2fp]

Thank you for covering one of my favorite bands ever. I was fortunate to see them a number of times some at Irvine Meadows. My brother was at their farewell concert. They were both incredibly unique and talented. There has never been a band quite like them, and they do not fit into one musical category. If they ever reform to play again, I will be there.

[@DukesMusic84]

The synth bass on Dead Man🔥. Gotta love these crazy big bands from the 80s, thumbs up for the horn section

[@oommdtube]

This channel just hit it out the ballpark recognizing Oingo .. In my life they wrote most of my # 1 hits in high school and beyond

[@sdbttru5150]

My birthday happens to be on Halloween and as a gift to myself, I used to go every year to see them in either Irvine Meadows or at Universal. They have been and always will be my favourite band ever.

[@SeanMCannon]

Gonna see Danny Elfman in about 2 weeks in Mountain View. Can’t wait!

[@NordicDan]

My kids LOVE (coincidentally) a lot of the movies that Danny Elfman worked on, along with The Simpsons. I'm ashamed to admit that I've yet to introduce them to Oingo Boingo. Looks like that's about to change this weekend when we take a trip out of town! Great video today!

[@hjermsted22]

It's been fun watching Gen Z discover Oingo Boingo via social media. From what I can determine, their minds are being blown. How could they not be? Boingo sounds nothing like the programmed pop music on the charts today. Boingo music has parts... and the parts change! LOL. Boingo did not stand out from the pack so easily during their time together. '80s music -- having evolved from psychedelia, disco, and punk rock -- was alive, vibrant, and branched very quickly in numerous directions. Boingo often got lost in all of that and still gets lost in it to this day by lazy rock journalists and by the designers of internet algorithms. This is unfair. Elfman and Boingo were exploring musical influences that ran much further back than the '70s and '60s. In fact, many of Elfman's influences predated electric instruments entirely and can be traced back to the big band music of the '30s and '40s. He then applied that sensibility to ska. What a combination it turned out to be! Thus, the more one digs into Elfman's musical history and influences, the more one is rewarded.

[@akkasha7]

Thanks for featuring Oingo Boingo & Danny Elfman. They've been long time favs of mine. The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of my all time fav movies. Funnily enough, I stumbled on The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo after watching your video on The Tubes though an odd connection of Kenny Ortega. Ortega is best known for directing the High School Musical & Descendants franchises for Disney. According to Wikipedia, Ortega was hired in1975 by The Tubes to direct and choreograph their shows. But even earlier, he choreographed The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo. Ortega choregraphed for many 80s videos & movies. (Gotta think he's probably how The Tubes ended up in Xanadu which was the first time I ever saw them!) Love the threads of music & the people involved!

[@emiliopastrana7705]

Danny Elfman and Oingo Boingo were already awarded by you, Professor of Rock. What an extraordinary review for an extraordinary band. The legacy they left has a unique value, and I feel that it is appreciated only by a knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and passionate public about good music. Definitely, Danny Elfman and Oingo Boingo embrace these concepts and more. The time and dedication that you gave to this review deserves to be appreciated and valued too. Nobody talks about Oingo Boingo, and perhaps it is due to its special particularity, that requires more time to be appreciated by the masses. Thank you very much, Professor of Rock, for your dedication and time for this video.

[@Joevirus]

I was the resident Dj for 24 years at the biggest Goth and industrial club in Dallas Texas called The Church. I played so many Oingo Boingo songs over the years on those nights. Dead man’s party was definitely one of the biggest Halloween anthems at the club and also, this is Halloween from nightmare before Christmas. An honorable mention goes out to Ministry’s Everyday is Halloween and The Misfits cover of Monster Mash. Great episode!! Happy Halloween!!

[@troyscoggins3233]

I love Oingo Boingo! 'We close our eyes' is a great song! And just like you said, Danny Elfman isn't a household name, but he should be! Thanks Professor! Happy Halloween to you too! 🎃

[@ruthzamarripa6058]

I had come to hate this song by the mid 90’s because it was so over played. But as I got older, I learned to appreciate it. Thanks for the video and back story!

[@dj99surf]

Excellent vid Professor. My friend introduced me to Oingo Boingo after she visited SoCal 1982. I got only a lad and was immediately hooked by the first brass intro of little girls. Ive seen them numerous times in the 80s and 90s. Closest i got was touching John Avilla's hand .

[@SkitterComic]

Love Oingo Boingo. I have since I discovered them in the mid 80's. One of my all-time favorite bands.

[@diamondunicorn1983]

Thanks for covering this awesomely cool band from my childhood. Only song I didn't hear you mention was (Nothing to) Fear....I saw it on a new wave dance show out of LA. Back in 83 and fell in love with the Boingers.

[@joev1611]

Visited Patagonia Fall Festival, AZ on Saturday. ...typical sleepy craft fair with old army oompah band. After the band finished, whoever was DJ'ing put on Man's Party and cranked the sound! Wow, old folks started to dance!!!! What a juxtaposition of that scene and music!

[@jamesleenelson]

Thank goodness for alternative rock radio back in the day because that’s how I became aware of Oingo Boingo, and I’ve been in love with them ever since and my son and I went and saw their final concert in Utah when they came through-their actual final concert was in LA but it was the final concert run,and it was the best❗️It’s still in my top five best concerts ever, every note that was played was done live with somebody on stage. There was like 20 people on stage at some points, and then Danny Elfman of course has gone into movie soundtrack fame along with Steve Bartek his guitar player-I think Steve still does the orchestration arranging and guitar work, of course

[@solotraveler3]

Thanks for this. I've been a fan since the Rodney On the ROQ played them in '80. I saw every Halloween show and a dozen others. Truly an amazing band headed by an amazing, unique talent.

[@RichCannaday]

Great episode!!! I saw Oingo Boingo 8 times in concert including their farewell tour!

[@keiths29]

Most famous band without a hit? Absolutely. I still remember watching Stay on MTV (back when they still showed videos). I couldn't believe they were playing an Oingo Boingo video (which did look like they were made for around $50). Still, good times.

[@jenslodholm3071]

Definitely one of my top 2 bands in the 80's, and the first concert I ever went to! Musical genius!

[@shannonauberry8130]

I've been waiting for this one. No one talks about dead man's party. Thank you soooo much for this one.❤❤❤

[@MyName-pl7zn]

Never knew the story behind Danny Elfman and Oingo Boingo, talk about the underdog never listening to the naysayers and making it big. Love their very original songs and music. Fantastic episode professor!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

For real! It’s time for Danny to get his credit!

[@MyName-pl7zn]

@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 I didn't know much about his career until this episode, very impressive man

[@thegillman777]

I've LONG championed Oingo Boingo as one of the great bands of the 80's that no one seems to know. I was a huge fan in the 80's, and still am today. I've introduced so many people to their music over the decades...they're just so damned good! Anyone who hasn't picked up the remasters from Rubellan should jump on them while they're still available (they'll be going out of print soon).

[@mahatmarandy5977]

This was really good, thank you for doing it. Been a huge fan since 1986, saw them in concert, have all the albums, love them. Really appreciated what you did here, but I think I probably would have preferred not to know the mass murder/suicide story. Upsetting. Still, love: what you did here. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but I always was told that Danny didn’t drop out of high school per se. He was hit by a car and spent most of his senior year in a hospital recovering. he decided to use some of the insurance settlement to go visit Rick, who was living in Paris at the time, and that’s how he came to be wandering around West Africa, playing fiddle and exchange for car rides, and meals. In one interview somewhere along the lines, I remember him saying that introspect he’s amazed he wasn’t murdered. He had absolutely no idea how dangerous that particular area in Africa was at the time, But nobody was ever even rude to him while he was there. He said it had a very pivotal effect on his music. I apologize, I’m rambling. Anyway, thank you very much for doing this.

[@bjahmon]

Richard Elfman's movie The FORBIDDEN ZONE is my all-time favorite movie. Danny Elfman plays the Devil -singing Minnie the Moocher.

[@umgwanakikbuti]

Don't forget the fabulous use of "The Bus Conductor" in one of my favorite Halloween choices, "Dead of Night."

[@elizabethp2395]

Love how you broke down all the references, Professor! I got the silver thing (back in the day) but did not know about most of the others.

[@scubadiva666]

Zappa only charted once EVER with "Valley Girl," and only because it was a novelty song featuring his daughter Moon. He was a true and prolific musical genius whose talent spanned genres. Most haunting had to be "Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty-formerly of Stealer's Wheel-the sax solo at the beginning was the definition of haunting!

[@jillwklausen]

That song came on the radio in the laundromat yesterday! 😂

[@g0stkid8_3]

That was dope hearing my old friends band in this video! A Thorn For Every Heart is who did the cover of Dead Man’s Party. I didn’t realize it was put in the credits of Nightmare Before Christmas 🤯 I was already planning to cover their version for my KZbin channel. This video has made me want to do it even more. I grew up listening to Oingo Boingo and watched all the movies he scored. Never knew until today that Danny Elfman was in Oingo Boingo.

[@aVerveQuest]

Oingo Boingo was one of my favorite bands growing up and I never understood why they didn't get wider acclaim. Grey Matter, No One Lives Forever, Just Another Day, Insanity, Can't See (Useless), Only a Lad, Dead Man's Party....... An all-time great collection of songs.

[@hbofbyu1]

My top 5 Oingo Boingo songs 1. Home Again 2. We Close Our Eyes 3. Dead Man's Party 4 Remember my Name 5 On the Outside

[@boywonderrr71]

My brother Bill & his best friend Brad were 4 yrs older than me. Brad's cuz left him Oingo Boingo Nothing to Fear and let me listen to it in his hi-fi stereo with Bose headphones. It was memorizing! The raw power, crazy topics-Insects, Grey Matter, Nothing to Fear, Running on a Treadmill after you...

[@ubermac85]

“Only a Lad” is my favorite OB song. “Little Girls” is the most disturbing 😂.

[@markjones6511]

Great video! I have been a fan of the weird and wonder music of Oingo Boingo from the first time I heard Only a Lad. They put on great live shows. I got to see them once at Magic Mountain and once at the Greek. I don’t know if it came up in other comments, I apologize if you already received. Beside appearing in many soundtracks Danny Elfman put out an album in 1984. Released on MCA, titled So-Lo. I still remember the excitement while looking through the MusicPlus circular as a kid and seeing it listed in new releases. It’s very much in the style of Oingo Boingo.

[@Vanayr]

Absolutely amazing. I got this on CD in 86 when my dad had gone to Japan and came back with a diskman as a gift for me. Back then Tower on Sunset had a single end cap for CD’s. Always glad this one came into my hands. My kids came to know Danny through his film work, but they all have Oingo Boingo somewhere in their playlists.

[@Ann-MargaretManyak]

I grew up in Huntington Beach and never missed a Halloween concert at Pacific Amph. or Irvine Meadows. Still love their music after all these years!

[@hockeyboydavis]

One of my all time fav bands!! Been hooked ever since I first heard Only A Lad in the early 80’s! Elfman is a musical genius IMHO.

[@davidllamas1570]

I have so been waiting for story on Oingo Boingo! Thanks Adam!! 💪🎸🎺📯🎹🎶

[@tophermartinthecomic]

Another great episode! Oingo Boingo was definitely big in the alternative music scene. Sad that this music is not more widely known in the mainstream, but thankful that Danny Elfman's orchestrations for TV and Film have carried him to the next level. I think of some of their music as similar to obscure B-52's music before the Cosmic Thing album.

[@chandica]

Finally, *fin*ally, FINALLY!!!! Oingo Boingo! One of those bands I was introduced to when my friend put his headphones over my ears and said, "Check this out." Little did he know Danny and the gang would become the soundtrack to the rest of my high school years, into university and still today. "Out of Control" alone has a deeply special place in my heart. For all the zaniness and silliness of other songs, this one is so deeply compassionate and empathetic. Words can't sum up its impact on me.

[@deez4free]

Spent countless hours listening to Oingo Boingo, B52s, X and the Dead Kennedys in jr high and high school. Thank you for this video and recognizing their significance to our generation and the music field.

[@dougwalker4944]

I was introduced to Oingo Boingo in the early 90s , by a man who, couple years later, killed his family and himself. 30yrs later.. Tims vision + Dannys music... absolutely GOLD! ...maybe only for a certain crowd..🙏

[@HaloTheRogue]

Growing up in SoCal, I went to many a Oingo Boingo Halloween concert -- including the last one. One of the best part of growing up in this days was the music, and Oingo Boingo was a huge part of it.

[@nicholas920us]

I didn't see "Back to School" until it was the afternoon movie on Comedy Central in the 90s... I saw the scene with Oingo Boingo... got "Dead Man's Party" at a local used music store... when I saw that Danny Elfman was in the liner notes my mind flashed back to all of my favorite movies amd shows scored by him, I was an instant fan. "No One Lives Forever" is one of my favorites.

[@rogertemple7193]

The Legend of Wooley Swamp by the Charlie Daniels Band and Old Man Down the Road by John Fogerty were a couple of haunting songs at least for me they were thanks again Professor.🎶🎤🎸🎸🎹🥁🎶

[@rogertemple7193]

I remember Oingo Boingo from the 80's radio and on MTV a lot they were a really good American new wave styled band. Danny Elfman later became a composer for films and television shows. the hotel where the woman and her children jumping from the roof was the topic of paranormal investigations on several tv shows at the hotel supposedly haunted by them another great episode and great to hear about Danny Elfman and Oingo Boingo again and more from the 80's yesterday was my 60th birthday and the 70's and 80's were apart of those years growing up have a great week and Thank You Professorof Rock.🎶🎤🎸🎸🎹🥁🎶

[@kristinekarlson113]

I had all of Oingo Boingo’s LPs and saw them in concert twice with my friends in Berkeley. They were phenomenal in concert and remain probably the best band I’ve ever seen live. My favorite songs were Stay, Dead Man’s Party and Just Another Day.

[@Smedleydog1]

Dead Man's Party was one of the best written songs ever. The construction of it is phenomenal. Didn't know much about Elfman until Beetlejuice the movie. My wife said that the movie score was written by Danny Elfman and had to explain to me that he was from Oingo Boingo. As for a haunting song from the 70s and 80s, Riders On The Storm by The Doors would be my pick. From the rain and thunder, Ray Manzarek's piano and Keieger's tremolo guitar, it is dark, mesmerizing, hauntig and soothing all at the same time.

[@mattyswan1]

Love this ep! By the way I caught your radio show on Saturday morning - nice job - Mr. Kasem would be proud!

[@GOTAisMe]

First time I ever heard Oingo Boingo was in the closing credits of Fast Times at Ridgemont High. The song was Goodbye, Goodbye and it was the perfect ending for a perfect movie. 5 years later as a freshman in college a junior from LA let me listen to the rest of Oingo Boingo. Wow! I was blown away. What's funny is that he considered Dead Mans Party and all non-MCA Boingo to be 'not the real Oingo Boingo'. I loved it all until the end.

[@kevincampbell9526]

An early version of the band appeared in and scored the cult film "Forbidden Zone", directed by Richard Elfman.

[@johnpjones182]

Love that unsane movie!!

[@LandyVlad_Rides]

STAY was apparently the 171th most played song of 1986 here in Australia, but I recall it being on frequent rotation so surely it was higher. Anyway great song!

[@TooTallForPony]

Oingo Boingo Former Members still play shows and tour regularly! They're playing near LA this Halloween and the day after. Danny Elfman is playing the Hollywood Bowl the day after. I'm flying across the country for these shows as my personal pilgrimage to Boingo Mecca.

[@jillwklausen]

My city, Redondo Beach! Welcome. Hope you like us here!

[@MahaliaMD73]

I’ve been listening to Dead Man’s Party again for the past couple of months. My 11 year old daughter heard me playing it and asked me about it. Now she loves Oingo Boingo!

[@boywonderrr71]

All Boingo's albums are amazing! Nothing to Fear, Only a Lad, & Deadmans Party and all the others.

[@ndbaker74]

I definitely found Oingo Boingo later then you did, my favorite album was Boingo in 1994... with songs like Insanity, War Again, and Change that album is still relevant today!

[@JeffreyJibson]

This is an awesome album. I don't think there is any song on it I don't like. There is no mistaking that Insanity is the same composer as Tim Burton's Batman.

[@darrenmatthews1667]

I was put onto this by a friend in high school in the 80's and it is actually my favorite band of all time. I took my wife to be to an oingo boingo concert for our first date. Elfman would put so many classic references in songs, it was fun to pick out what was being referenced in the lines. Don't forget two of my favorites: No One Lives Forever and Who Do You Want To Be?

[@DR0CK69]

I went to all of those Halloween shows at Universal every year they played, when they broke up it was heartbreaking but I still love listening to those songs! The Boingo Alive Album is amazing!!

[@bradpeltier5624]

Seeing him on Nov. 3rd…can’t wait

[@hoisin75]

Great work as ever. I LOVED the final 'Boingo' album released 1994 as it broke free of the 80s production and blended Elfman the new wave artists with Elfman the orchestral composer. Some of his best work. Check it out if you haven't before.

[@David35687]

Agreed, the 94 album is amazing. 🎉

[@hoisin75]

@@David35687 you know it man! Who’d have thunk we’d be talking about it like this 30 years later

[@CheeseWyrm]

At High School here in Australia in the early 80s, my best mate & I were (& still are!) super-fans of OIngoBoingo ...and yet no-one else here had heard of them. They weren't on the radio, but we bought their albums & belted out their music. Great times! Deadman's Party was peak OB in my opinion (despite classic earlier songs too), and their biggest hit in Australia was off that album: 'Stay', which reached #30 on our charts. *I can't believe Adam didn't mention this song* It's their biggest hit from that album .... and ever! (Maybe not in US?) The lyrics also seemed linked to that that terrible tragedy that Adam discussed ...

[@beenaplumber8379]

I compose for theater, and Danny Elfman is my idol. Sometimes he helps me get unstuck if I think of how he might approach a certain passage. I don't try to emulate him, only his eccentric yet coherent take on theory - Know it, then know when to part ways with standard practices. My roots are in blues-rock, so I need that kind of inspiration.

[@hjermsted22]

I've loved Oingo Boingo since late 1982. After catching up on what the band put out before then, Good For Your Soul was the first of many Boingo albums with their release dates circled on my calendar. Professor, you sound like a true Boingoloid so surely you know that Dead Man's Party is the band's fifth studio album (the contractually obligated "solo record" called 'Danny Elfman: Solo' is the not so cleverly disguised fourth Oingo Boingo record).

[@flavellinator]

We Close Our Eyes- coolest accordion song.... Grey Matter- coolest xylophone song... Boingo thought way outside the box. Want a Halloween song that oozes the holiday vibe? Listen to "Skin."

[@ProfessorofRock]

You're a true fan Flave!

[@blackthorn1965]

Born and raised in long beach they were the definitive Southern California band, And I completely agree with you on We Close our Eyes and Grey Matter. The bands final album BOINGO you can hear Elfman combine his movie scoring with Oingo Boingo’s music particularly in the song titled Insanity. Love this band.

[@seanofpeace]

I can't tell you how many times I saw Oingo Boing at Irvine Meadows. Great days!

[@ProfessorofRock]

Very cool!

[@amyspickard6270]

I first saw Oingo Bingo on American Bandstand and just fell in love with their quirkiness . Fav songs by them are Just Another Day and Deadman's Party.

[@fishmoo]

Oh, man! My all time favorite band ever!! Thank you Prof!!

[@Whisper_292]

The guy is a genius. Since Jim Steinman died, he's my favorite contemporary composer. My personall fave is the opening theme from Men in Black.

[@bobdavis4848]

Hi Whisper, since you're a big Jim Steinman fan, check out his work with The Sisters Of Mercy.

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

That’s true.

[@Whisper_292]

@@bobdavis4848 I will. I know one or two of their songs already, so I bet I'll love them.