<P> `` The Elements '' is a song by musical humorist and lecturer Tom Lehrer , which recites the names of all the chemical elements known at the time of writing , up to number 102 , nobelium . It was written in 1959 and can be found on his albums Tom Lehrer in Concert , More of Tom Lehrer and An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer . The song is sung to the tune of the Major - General 's Song from The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan . </P>
<P> `` The Elements '' is a song by musical humorist and lecturer Tom Lehrer , which recites the names of all the chemical elements known at the time of writing , up to number 102 , nobelium . It was written in 1959 and can be found on his albums Tom Lehrer in Concert , More of Tom Lehrer and An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer . The song is sung to the tune of the Major - General 's Song from The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan . </P>
when did tom lehrer write the elements song
when did tom lehrer write the elements song
1959
1959