Ranking the Most Unhinged Merch We’ve Ever Bought (And Would Absolutely Buy Again)

Possibly one of the highlights of attending any show is getting your commemorative t-shirt.

Which, of course, you then wear around your town as proof that, yes, I did manage to get Eras Tour tickets, look at my t-shirt. And while concert merch provides the perfect subtle brag at your ticket purchasing abilities, many artists over the years have pushed the boundaries of what merch to sell beyond the basic tee, creating some very unusual products. We looked at some of the strangest merch out there, and some merch which left a lasting impression on the fans, and ranked these from most beloved, to most unhinged.

Taylor Swift Cardigan

Taking the average merch hoodie or top a step further but still remaining conventional with her choice of merch, Taylor Swift released cardigans for her 2020 album folklore, tying in with the aptly named title track, cardigan. These instantly became a hit product among the Swifties, leading to a variety of variations of the cardigan being produced for her subsequent albums and re-recordings. The demand for these cardigans proves the impact that they’ve had in establishing themselves as an iconic piece of memorable merch. Unhinged and unusual? No. Iconic and memorable? Absolutely.

Mitski Ramen Spoon

If you ever wanted to have music artist themed cutlery, Mitski has you covered! For the release of Mitski’s album Be the Cowboy, a variety of themed merch items were released including the “Feed the Cowboy” ramen spoon, so you can listen to her music and eat your ramen in style! To continue your Mitski collection there is a combination lock titled “Free the Cowboy” and the “Dream the Cowboy” pillowcase.

Green Day’s Coffee Brand

Continuing theme, there are a variety of artists who have released actual food and drink, so why not support your favourite rock band while drinking your morning coffee! Green Day have a coffee brand named Punk Bunny Coffee, they have a variety of types, in pods, ground and whole bean. These offer a product in themselves but are still closely associated with the band.

One Direction Toothbrush and Toothpaste

There is clothing merchandise out there, cutlery and coffee, but what about when you need to brush your teeth from all the music themed food? One Direction have you covered with a One Direction themed toothbrush and toothpaste! The toothbrush even plays Live While We’re Young, taking it to another level. One Direction are a band with some unusual merchandise beyond this, including a foldable scooter, which would have been a popular product among the band’s young fans, to ride around in style. When you ride home on your 1D scooter, using your One Direction umbrella you can go home and build your One Direction 3D puzzle or play One Direction monopoly. They had no shortage of merch as a band, allowing your whole house to be One Direction themed.

Radiohead FM Radio

Moving onto the more unusual of the merch products, for the Radiohead fans there is a merch product out there for you, a vintage computer shaped FM radio, which plays the songs of “OK Computer.” This clever marketing from Radiohead, who have been known for this throughout their career, is sadly no longer available much like most merch on this list.

Justin Timberlake Axe

Winning the top spot for possibly one of the strangest merch items out there is Justin Timberlake’s release of an Axe as merch. Yes, an Axe! This axe was sold as part of his merch line which accompanied his “Man of the Woods” album. This merch line had a pop-up event where this axe was sold, along with your classic t-shirts and clothing items.

Next time you are buying music merchandise just think instead of buying your classic commemorative t-shirt you might have the opportunity to purchase a ramen spoon, some toothpaste or even an axe!