“Surfin’ Bird” could have been one of the most annoying and forgettable novelty tunes in the history of rock ‘n’ roll music. Instead, it became the No. 1 hit in Minnesota in early 1964, and made it to ...

Novelty songs have become just that: a novelty. Back in the ’50s and ’60s, music was full of weird tunes from one-off artists who occasionally found their way on the charts, such as Boris Pickett’s ...