Best music videos of the 80s: Help us
To honor MTV's 25th anniversary, we've begun compiling a list of the best music videos of the 80s. And as always: We want your help and participation.
Sure, some are obvious picks: Michael Jackson's "Thriller," a-Ha's "Take On Me," and just about anything by Madonna. But try thinking outside the box. Think of maybe the best video from your favorite artist. Maybe the best video from Talking Heads? (I'm thinking "Once In A Lifetime") or favorite video from ZZ Top, Van Halen, Phil Collins, Frankie Goes To Hollywood. And don't forget the hair bands and rap bands. And ask yourself questions like, "Is "Every Breath You Take" really a good video?" And if you had to pick only a couple U2 or Madonna videos, which ones would it be?
Drop us a comment with as many picks as you want and we'll compile a list to debut later this week. And don't forget VH1 Classic is replaying the first 24 hours of MTV beginning midnight on Monday.
Relive the music, movies and culture of the greatest decade ever with Times online editor Steve Spears. A teen during the decade, Steve is obsessed with everything from Duran Duran to Journey, John Hughes to John Cusack, and parachute pants to Reaganomics.
E-mail Steve Spears:
Sledgehammer by Peter Gabriel: It was groundbreaking for its time.
Don't Answer Me by the Alan Parsons Project: Great comic strip animation, and highly underrated.
Radio Ga-Ga by Queen: Great use of the silent film Metropolis.
All I Need Is A Miracle by Mike+the Mechanics: A really funny video with a storyline.
With Or Without You by U2: The imagery fit Bono's delivery of the lyrics perfectly.
Posted by: Bassnote | July 30, 2006 at 10:41 AM
i would have to pick (not in any particular order);
def komissar (spelling?) from after the fire.. it was one of the first videos on mtv, and got LOTS of play.. when i hear this song, all i think about is mtv..
99 luftballons - nena.. yeah, she had hairy armpits and stuff.. but she had this foreign hotness to a kid in southern california..
madonna - live to tell.. seeing her dressed prim and proper.. wowzers..
if i had to pick one u2 video - sunday bloody sunday.. it made a believer out of me..
Posted by: sergio_101 | July 30, 2006 at 10:47 AM
Peter Gabriel is pretty much the front runner of cool '80s music videos in my mind, with "Sledgehammer", "Big Time", and "Shock the Monkey", just to name a few.
Other interesting/cool videos off the top of my head:
- They Might Be Giants - Ana Ng
- The Cars - You Might Think
- Herbie Hancock - Rockit
- Talking Heads - Blind
- Thomas Dolby - Hyperactive!
- Lindsey Buckingham - Go Insane
- New Order - True Faith
- Dire Straits - Money For Nothing
- ZZ Top - TV Dinners
- The Replacements - Bastards of Young
Posted by: David | July 30, 2006 at 11:04 AM
Bassnote -- "Don't Answer Me" is a great suggestion. I didn't have that one on my list yet.
Right now, the list is at 60-plus videos.
Posted by: Steve Spears | July 30, 2006 at 12:03 PM
Two here: Golden Earing: "When the Bullet Hits the Bone" ... Help I'm slippin' into the twilight zone ...
and ...
Herbie Hancock: "Rockit," ... and I quote the all-knowing Wikipedia here:
"Recorded live in the studio, "Rockit" was perhaps the first popular single to feature scratching and other DJ techniques—courtesy of Grand Mixer DXT—as a musical instrument outside of a hip hop music context. Many later turntablists have cited "Rockit" as revelatory, inspiring their interest in the craft.
"The single was a major radio hit in the United Kingdom and an underground hit in the United States. The humorous music video, directed by duo Godley & Creme and featuring robots moving in time to the music (e.g a scene where it looks like a robot is masturbating in a bed), was among the earliest videos of to feature African Americans on MTV and garnered five MTV Video Music Awards in 1984, including Best Concept Video, Best Special Effects, and Most Experimental Video It is featured on the game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and is on its soundtrack box-set"
so, there's that ...
Posted by: chase | July 30, 2006 at 01:06 PM
Van Halen - "Hot for Teacher". (Giggity giggity giggity!)
David Lee Roth - "Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody" (say what you like about the performer and the song, this is a very funny video)
Pat Benatar - "Love is a Battlefield" (first video with a story line, I think)
U2 - "Where the Streets Have No Name" (impromptu concert in downtown L.A.)
'Weird Al' Yankovic - "Fat" (hilarious parody of Michael Jackson's ridiculous "Bad". I still say Weird Al deserves his own podcast)
Twisted Sister - "We're no Gonna Take It" ("I carried an M-16 and you carry that...that...GUITAR!!!")
Posted by: Damian P. | July 30, 2006 at 01:31 PM
I would consider:
- Herbie Hancock - RockIt
- Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer
- Simple Minds - All the Things She Said
- The Police - Every Breath You Take (Yes, it is!)
- The Police - Synchronicity II
- The Police - Wrapped Around Your Finger (Hey, I'm a fan!)
- Tears for Fears - Head Over Heels
- Yes - Owner of a Lonely Heart
- Art of Noise - Close to the Edit (with props to Paranoimia and M-M-Max Headroom)
- Duran Duran - Hungry Like the Wolf
- Dire Straits - Money For Nothing
Posted by: Greg Williams | July 30, 2006 at 01:36 PM
Definitely include the ZZ Top videos with the three Texas hotties taking over every situation they find themselves in ("Gimme All Your Lovin'," "Legs," "Sharp Dressed Man"). And I'd vote for "Cry" by Godley & Creme, with all the morphing, lip-synching faces.
Posted by: David P | July 30, 2006 at 01:37 PM
Also, Living Colour's "Cult of Personality"
Posted by: Greg Williams | July 30, 2006 at 01:39 PM
I really dug Dire Straits' "Walk of Life" video, with all of the sports bloopers. Before we had ESPN, seeing those clips was a big deal.
Other personal favorites:
Genesis - Land of Confusion
Paul Simon - You Can Call Me Al
Beastie Boys - Fight For Your Right
Dire Straits - Money For Nothing
Posted by: Max | July 30, 2006 at 03:33 PM
OK, I've added all those. I hadn't thought of Paul Simon's video as that great, but I always enjoyed it.
If anyone has any suggestions that you feel MUST be in the Top 10, don't be shy about those either. And if there's anyone who thinks they have a better candidate than Thriller for the top spot, now is the time so say so.
Posted by: Steve Spears | July 30, 2006 at 04:18 PM
Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse Of The Heart
Mylene Farmer - Tristana
Mylene Farmer - Libertine
Tears For Fears - Head Over Heels
Queen - Breakthru
John Parr - Man In Motion
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Posted by: Igor Vorobej (Ukraine) | July 30, 2006 at 04:28 PM
Leave It by Yes: Simple, but very cool.
And She Was by Talking Heads: another cool animated video
I Can't Drive 55 by Sammy Hagar: Just silly, but fun.
Nothing Bad Ever Happens by Oingo Boingo: Another great silly video.
Don't Lose My Number by Phil Collins: Great spoofs of movies and music videos
Posted by: Bassnote | July 30, 2006 at 05:10 PM
Sledgehammer and Money For Nothing have got to be in the Top 10. No question.
Posted by: David | July 30, 2006 at 05:40 PM
How about Def Leppard's rocket? That's the one with all those TVs that seem to follow the song. It kinda helps explain the lerics.
Michael
Posted by: Michael | July 30, 2006 at 06:04 PM
Oh for the love of Pete ... what's up with the Money for Nothing requests? god, that song and video sucked. It got all this praise for being so clever and being a parody of MTV, but really? it sucked.
yeah, Cry is a good one, nice call there.
--chase
Posted by: chase | July 30, 2006 at 06:58 PM
"what's up with the Money for Nothing requests? god, that song and video sucked. It got all this praise for being so clever and being a parody of MTV, but really? it sucked."
Care to elaborate on this well-thought-out position? Granted, the video hasn't aged as well as most others here, and the song can never regain the relevance it had when "I want my MTV" was an actual slogan.
But perhaps, then, it could be one of the best videos based not on content or visuals, but on its importance as part of the '80s music video idiom (the "music vidiom," if you will).
Posted by: David | July 30, 2006 at 10:56 PM
Addicted to Love - Robert Palmer. What kid didn't sit at home fixated on the women? I don't know...maybe it was just me.
Posted by: Mike | July 30, 2006 at 11:38 PM
Sensoria: Cabaret Voltaire
Don't Come Around Here No More:Tom Petty
Posted by: PJ | July 31, 2006 at 02:23 AM
Madonna-Like A Prayer. My own personal fave is Lucky Star, but I think in terms of videos 1989 was when her videos started to become artistic. Express Yourself and Cherish are right up there too, but I think the controversy pushes Prayer to the first spot for her.
U2-Ditto the videos mentioned here, but also All I Want Is You.
A few videos, maybe not the best, but ones I always think of when dreaming about those days when videos were still played:
Til Tuesday-Voices Carry
Cyndi Lauper-Time After Time
Elton John-I'm Still Standing (thanks to that & Duran Duran I wanted to spend as much time as possible running around on the beach in paint)
Bangles-Walk Like An Egyptian
Talking Heads-Once In A Lifetime
Genesis-Land Of Confusion
Posted by: Mee | July 31, 2006 at 03:47 AM
Land of Confusion is a great one...
two that got me...
Wildest Dreams - Moody Blues
Touch of Gray - Grateful Dead
Somehow, I knew those two songs and videos would still be touching me 20+ years later.
Posted by: Grandllama | July 31, 2006 at 07:04 AM
I have to agree with PJ, Don't Come Around Here No More by Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers was a great video. You Got Lucky was another great video by Petty.
Posted by: Bassnote | July 31, 2006 at 10:04 AM
I agree with Grandllama: "Touch of Grey" is a great video. I also like Bon Jovi's "Bad Medicine", featuring Sam Kinison (R.I.P.).
We Canadians are actually going to have a hard time relating to the MTV podcast, because we were one of the *last* countries on earth to get it. MuchMusic debuted in 1984, and the CRTC (our FCC) would not allow a Canadian MTV until digital channels came along a few years back.
Posted by: Damian P. | July 31, 2006 at 12:02 PM
Whip It by Devo
"Oh That Alan!"
Posted by: Brad | July 31, 2006 at 12:29 PM
I know "Thriller" has already more or less been handed its slot in the Top 10, but I submit that "Billie Jean" was the MUCH greater video. The song had a huge impact in 3 ways...
1) Jacko's Music Career- Remember this came out after the lame-o "The Girl is Mine" duet with Paul McCartney. I worked in a record store back then, and we had a ton of copies of "Thriller" that weren't moving. That changed quickly when "Billie Jean" came out, and the rest is sales history. The song itself was heads above what he had done to that date.
2) Videos in General - The stark, vivid production of the song and video set a new standard.
3) Pop culture - Face it, there were rare sights of people of color on MTV before early 1983. Famously, CBS Records President Walter Yetnikoff threatened to yank all CBS records videos off MTV unless they played it. There was no way they could deny this video.
for more see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billie_Jean
IMHO, the "Thriller" video will always be a cheesy, overbudget, overproduced sideshow compared to "Billie Jean". I'd put "Beat it" ahead of "Thriller" as well.
Posted by: LockBull | July 31, 2006 at 12:41 PM
well, off the top of my head...
Depeche Mode - Never Let Me Down Again
Duran Duran - Save A Prayer
Visage - Fade To Grey
Ultravox - Hymn
Joy Division - Atmosphere
The Cure - Just Like Heaven
Erasure - Ship Of Fools
0> I enjoy mostly stuff where atmosphere of the song + the video kind of melts... this is the case with all the selected ones.
Posted by: Dennis | July 31, 2006 at 01:10 PM
it was a bad video but i loved quarterflash's 'harden my heart'
Posted by: squirll | July 31, 2006 at 04:47 PM
How could we have overlooked "It's the End of the World As We Know it (and I feel fine) by R.E.M?
Posted by: LockBull | July 31, 2006 at 08:59 PM
Cyndi Lauper: Time After Time
- I was little, but I couldn't wait to own gloves so that I could peel them off using my teeth like she did on the train...
Posted by: donnablvd | August 01, 2006 at 06:43 AM
Weird Al: Eat It, Fat, ALTV in general (we can't forget that. MTV letting Al do his own little 4 hour sessions)
Dire Straights: Money For nothing
Posted by: Bryan | August 01, 2006 at 10:07 AM
Here's a couple that I'm curious to see if anybody remembers. These hold a special place in my MTV-heart despite the fact that the groups either disappeared or went nowhere:
The Silencers - band from Pittsburg; had a 3-song video montage of "Peter Gunn Theme/Remote Control/Illegal"
Hilley Michaels - "Calling All Girls" and "Shake It And Dance"; very cool rotoscoped action on "Calling..." and a fun song too; the copy on Youtube sucks
Both of these predated MTV by at least a year. Another favorite of mine from that era was a timelapse video for violinist Jean-Luc Ponty entitled "Individual Choice" done by Director Louis Schwartzberg. I don't know if this ever played on MTV but it was a staple on TBS's "Night Flight". There's a copy of it on YouTube but the video is hideous....guess I'm going to have to start converting all my old VHS tapes over to DVD and post them online.
Posted by: Maestro Dave | August 01, 2006 at 12:48 PM
Hilley Michaels' "Calling All Girls" is indeed a great one, and was one of the videos featured on Day 1 of MTV.
Posted by: Spears | August 01, 2006 at 01:14 PM
Probably too late, but two more that came to mind were Simply Red's "Holding Back the Years" and "Something About You" by Level 42.
Also, "Our House" by Madness was funny...to me at least being 14 and all...
Posted by: Greg Williams | August 01, 2006 at 03:15 PM
"Limbo" by Bryan Ferry
"Building a Bridge to Your Heart" by Wax UK
"Fat" by Weird AL. Love it! "Yo. Ding Dong. Ding Dong. Yo."
Has nobody mentioned "Take on Me" by a-ha?
Posted by: Brad | August 01, 2006 at 07:56 PM
how about:
Neil Young- This Notes For You, the best statement about selling out.
Tom Petty- Last Dance For Mary Jane, Kim Bassinger is hot dead or alive.
Sam Kinnison-Wild Thing, having Jessica Hahn(jim baker's love intrest) in the video was a perfect
touch for a ex-preacher
Posted by: daryl boaeuf | August 02, 2006 at 06:14 PM
buh-buh-buh Bad To the Bone By George Thorogood...Who knows Didley in pool?
and one that was real funny...Stevie Ray Vaughan's Coldshot music video...
Posted by: James B | May 16, 2007 at 06:28 AM
My favorite videos are:
Ultravox - Passing Strangers
Godley & Creme - Wedding Bells
INXS - To Look At You
David Bowie - Ashes To Ashes
Duran Duran - Is There Something I Should Know
The Cars - Panorama
Alexander O'Neal - A Broken Heart Can Mend
The Time - Ice Cream Castles
Prince - Automatic
Boomtown Rats - Never In A Million Years
Posted by: Damar Fulmore | July 15, 2007 at 03:43 PM