Some people are a little bit Country, and some people are a little bit Rock & Roll. But if you’re a ’90s kid with a taste for cartoons, it’s safe to say that you were all Ren & Stimpy. And why wouldn’t you be? The show was as grotesque as it was hilarious, and was an MTV property that somehow made its way onto Nickelodeon to the dismay of our parents. As offbeat and colorful as the show was (especially those gross closeups when they got sick), Ren & Stimpy has a legacy of straight-up bangers throughout the run of the show. We’re going to do our best to rank some of the rankest songs that Nickelodeon had to offer back in the day with what we think are the best songs from the series!
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
10 LOG
MTV Networks
Ren & Stimpy was no stranger to lampooning how ridiculous some advertisements were back in the day, and “Log” is a shining example of this kind of happy-go-lucky satire. In the commercial leading up the song, a child is asked what kind of toy he wants. He rejects the usual things like a bike or a video game, and then proudly proclaims that he wants Log! And what exactly is Log? It’s literally a log of wood with the catchiest jingle. The selling point is simple: “It’s Log, It’s Log, it’s big, it’s heavy, it’s wood. It’s Log, it’s log, It’s better than bad, it’s good!” It’s safe to say that if Log was a real toy in the real world, Blammo would have sold millions of them.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
9 Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy
If you’re an avid Ren & Stimpy fan, then you’re obviously familiar with the styling of Stinky Wizzleteats, who was a musical mainstay on the show. Stinky Wizzleteats teaches Ren and Stimpy how to be happy. But more importantly, he teaches your grandmother how to suck eggs. The music video for “Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy” involves the duo dancing along to the lyrics “Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy,” but there’s more to it than that. To Ren’s dismay, he has a “happy helmet” strapped to his head that’s actually making him miserable because he can’t be his usual angry self. As the song progresses, Ren is seen frantically smashing himself in the head with a hammer to try to deactivate and detach the contraption while Stimpy is bumbling around like the blithering idiot that we all know and love.
8 Don’t Whiz on the Electric Fence
Time for another toy jingle. In the case of “Don’t Whiz on the Electric Fence”, it’s more like a board game. The game itself somewhat resembles Operation, and the board itself is powered with real household electricity. The messaging is very clear: if you whiz on the electric fence, you’re going to get shocked! The song breaks it down quite simply with the lyric, “You can let it rain in the breakdown lane, while waving at ladies and gents, just don’t whiz on the electric fence.” This song makes one thing clear; it’s amazing that a show like Ren & Stimpy flew under the radar, and was aired in the same blocks as other, more kid-friendly Nicktoons. While it’s not exactly the most moral of songs, it still has a positive message, and has probably saved thousands of lives.
7 Muddy Mudskipper
Ren & Stimpy is well known for its use of meta humor, and part of this comes from the TV shows that the titular characters watched themselves. The Muddy Mudskipper Show is a shining example of why Ren considered the TV to be an idiot box that only polluted Stimpy’s mind. Muddy Mudskipper, the titular character, is said to be a wonderful guy who’s got segmented eyes. He flops and flaps around as Stimpy mimics his every move from the comfort of his living room, much to Ren’s dismay.
6 12 Days of Yaksmass
This song is simply a parody of “12 Days of Christmas”, but with all the gifts involving grotesque bodily functions. These gifts aren’t given to Ren and Stimpy by their “true love,” but rather their “Cousin Sven,” and the gifts are as follows: “twelve runners running, eleven watchers watching, ten leashes leaking, nine cups-a-corning, eight loaves-a-toasting, seven logs-a-logging, six yaks-a-shaving, five golden hairballs, four stapled socks, three used bandages, two jars of spit, and a nose goblin stuck to a chair.” Why anybody would want any of these gifts is still a mystery to this day, but Ren and Stimpy seem to be thrilled with all of these gifts, so it’s best to just let this one be.
5 Decorate Yourself
In keeping with the holiday spirit, “Decorate Yourself” has a positive message on how to be thrifty around the holidays. Why spend money on popcorn balls and candy canes when you could just simply decorate yourself. They even call back to “Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy” in this uplifting singalong, so it’s obviously worth mentioning “Decorate Yourself”.
4 I’m Gonna be a Monkey
“I’m Gonna be a Monkey” is probably the shortest song in the entire series, involving Stimpy in a monkey costume, and chanting “I’m gonna be a monkey!” over and over again while circus music is playing in the background and Ren is looking less than thrilled. Maybe some wouldn’t consider this one a song, but the short musical number paints the picture of the duo’s relationship in a very short amount of time, and it’s also very catchy!
3 Royal Canadian Kilted Yaksmen
“Royal Canadian Kilted Yaksmen” is all over the place, which is what makes it so great. Ren and Stimpy are dressed like Canadian Royal Mounted Police, wearing kilts, and singing to the tune of “Our Country Tis of Thee”. The lyrics are also worth a look: “Our country reeks of trees, our Yaks are really large, And they smell like rotting beef carcasses!” Sometimes the nonsensical just needs to be appreciated for what it is, and not be overanalyzed. Leave it to Stimpy to make no sense until Ren is red in the face.
2 Ren’s Pecs
When Ren gets pectoral implants, Stimpy is upset over how this changes his canine companion. Stimpy sadly sings Ren’s Pecs, a song that sounds more like an Elton John ballad than the usual Ren & Stimpy songs, which are typically more upbeat and catchy. Ren’s Pecs is a bittersweet ballad because Stimpy is happy for Ren, and he hopes that his new life with his new pecs will someday lead them back to each other where they can be happy together again. This is just the way that Ren & Stimpy showed sincerity through absurdity, and why “Ren’s Pecs” is truly a ballad for the ages.
1 Dog Pound Hop
And lastly, who could forget about “Dog Pound Hop”, or as most people know it, the Ren & Stimpy theme song. Clocking in at two and a half minutes, this instrumental sets the tone for the show. It’s a quirky bebop jam with a drum beat that shuffles, a bassline that goes for a long walk, and a blistering blues guitar solo on top of it all. We’re of course familiar with the condensed version of the song that’s used to introduce the show every week, but the full version is worth a listen. “Dog Pound Hop” immediately sets the tone and lets the viewer know that they’re about to have some fun.
It’s crazy to think that Ren & Stimpy’s legacy started more than 30 years ago, but the show, and its musical numbers have stood the test of time, and they’re here to stay.
