Sunday, July 31, 2011

Best Music Videos of the 1980s

In honor of MTV's 30th b-day (a fact eloquently and nostalgically observed by The Thirty-Something Bride), I am making a list of some of my favorite music videos of the 1980s. This is stressful for me, because I'm going purely off recollection. I'm not Googling lists of 80s videos in order to make sure I haven't forgotten anything.

That's where you come in. Please leave a comment telling me your favorites so we can compare notes. Come on everybody! Let's Wang Chung!

Okay, 10 videos in no particular order that first spring to mind:

"Jesse's Girl," Rick Springfield
"Smokin' in the Boys Room," Motley Crüe
"Rio," Duran Duran
"Girls Just Want to Have Fun," Cyndi Lauper
"Look What the Cat Dragged In," Poison
"Lucky Star," Madonna
"Papa Don't Preach,", Madonna
"Little Red Corvette," Prince
"Beat It," Michael Jackson
"Thriller," Michael Jackson

Please tell me all of the videos that I should have listed instead. Except for the following: "Take on Me," by A-ha, "Rosanna" by (?), and "Big Time" or "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel. I couldn't stand those.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

WOOHOOOOOOOO!!!!! Unicorn is doing herkies!!!! You had a few of my faves (Jessie's Girl, Lucky Star). There will be no Wang Chunging - christ I hate that "song".

Happy Birthday TSB! Here's some candles for the cake:) unicorn


You're the reason I sing this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbIEwIwYz-c

They say in heaven love comes first:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOGEyBeoBGM&ob=av3e

Shot through the heart:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrZHPOeOxQQ&ob=av2e

Clock strikes upon the hour:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eH3giaIzONA

People of the world unite:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAwaNWGLM0c

What is happening here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XxshEdcfAM

Let me feel your heartbeat:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=826PTEuHKhE

I'm in love, I'm in deep:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6R-LZ25Te0

Summer came and left without a warning:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9rT2hZwk2k

*this never gets old - HAHAHAHA*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ&ob=av2e

Ink said...

Also doing herkies! Some other ones I liked...

Bananarama, "Cruel Summer"
Billy Idol, "White Wedding"
INXS, "One Thing"
Adam Ant, "Strip"
Duran Duran, "The Reflex" (though "Rio" is my fave Dsquared vid)
Buggles, "Video Killed the Radio Star"
Band-Aid, "Do They Know It's Christmas"

Good Enough Woman said...

Unicorn! Ah! You Rick Astleyed me! Did we think he was hot? I can't remember. Those MOVES, man.

And I can't believe I forgot Miss Jackson. I spent an entire summer listening to "Control." "Nasty" was at the top of my list.

And Bon Jovi really should be on the list. I saw them in concert twice (with Cinderella, who I thought of putting on the list), and I had a Bon Jovi poster in my freshman dorm room, and I had Bon Jovi hair.

And before Avril Lavigne was singing in malls, there was Tiffany. And there was Debbie Gibson!

Def Leppard. Awesome. I think I would put "Rock of Ages" the top.

And now I'm also thinking about Joan Jett.

Thanks, Unicorn! Glad you're playing. (And I hated Wang Chung, too)

Good Enough Woman said...

Ink, Ah, yes! Cruel Summer is great! Which also has me thinking of the Bangles. And although I didn't like "White Wedding" all that much, it has a clear place in my psyche. I think I liked "Rock the Cradle" better. INXS--Yes, yes! Fine additions, Ink. Fine additions.

Oh, and I just thought of that song from "Valley Girl" that goes, "I know what boys like, I know what guys want."

Holy herkies! I just remembered MICKEY! Oh, Mickey, you're so fine!

Good Enough Woman said...

oh, Boy. I think my first lilst is inaccurate. Because what about these?

"Heart and Soul," T'Pau
"Head to Toe," Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam
that Whitesnake video featuring Tawny Kitaine

Anonymous said...

Mr Rickroll will always be hawt. He's eternal now.

I had Taylor Dayne, Air Supply, and Bryan Adams in line next. Then GunsNRoses, RunDMC, REO Speedwagon, Bangles, Paula Abdul. Do you remember Atlantic Starr (the song was Always)? In the 80s, I played alot of weddings... and went to a trillion receptions that played the freakin song. Also, Anita Baker's Sweet Love.

When I saw Lisa Lisa in your comment, I remembered The Jets too. I put down videos that I watched constantly (slightly more constantly than the other constants).

I had Bon Jovi hair too! His was better tho. I saw Tiffany in concert at a state fair... NKOTB OPENED FOR HER! The Please Don't Go Girl song went big after that.

I loooooove the 80s. You should see my ipod. Hair bands, MJ, Madonna, Whitney, Bryan Adams... it shows my age.
unicorn, who's not a spring chicken

The Thirty-Something Bride said...

INXS's "One Thing?" Oh yes. That is one of the top 10.

Madonna's "Borderline" opened up a whole new world of fashion for me.

All Prince all the time.

Janet Jackson, of course!

And Unicorn, if I was 30, I'd be happy as a clam. It's MTV's milestone. I hit that one over a decade ago. *sigh*

Anonymous said...

"Borderline"--indeed! How I wanted her hairstyle from that video...spraypainting rebel that she was.

And "Nasty" and "Control"--OMG, what a great album. Wanted to badly to be able to do that dance from Control (kneepads and all). Used to listen to that before going out in college.

No Paula Abdul, though. Not a fan of the dancing cartoon fox or whatever that thing was...

Anonymous said...

Wanted to be able to ...not "to badly to" (sigh).

Typing hands engaged but brain not, apparently.