March 25, 2012

What I Loved in the 80's-Top 5 Favorite Music Videos




I consider myself lucky. I grew up in the era when MTV, believe it or not, played music videos! I used to sit in front of the TV for hours just watching, and I loved the MTV V-J’s they had including Martha Quinn. Here now are my favorite videos from that decade. I am not suggesting the songs are the greatest; this list is more about the videos. I am also not suggesting there aren't better videos out there; these are just my personal favorites.

#5. Say, Say, Say By Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson
Ok, this one is hard to watch today. You remember how Michael Jackson turned out. You remember what happened with the Paul McCartney/Michael Jackson relationship. You remember how awesome Linda McCartney was, and how said it is she died so young. You see Latoya...and enough said. However, if you push all that aside you're left with one entertaining video. They wrap the song around a storyline and it is fun to watch.


#4 Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper
Does any song scream 80's the way this one does? Cyndi Lauper had some good songs (Time After Time is a personal favorite) but this one will be her legacy. Why? Because the video is just so darn fun to watch! Even though I am not a girl I still like this. You can see the work she is putting into it, and that is what makes it fun to watch.


#3. You Might Thing By The Cars
It amazes me how a song about stalking someone could be a big hit. But hey, everyone loves "Every Breath She Takes" and that's even worse than this one (why would you play that at your wedding??)  Anyway, the memorable part of this was the amazing video. Using (then) state of the art special effects, the video has so many strange images that you can't help but be drawn into it. This is the kind of thing missing from MTV today.


#2. Jump by Van Halen
 Who needs flashy special effects and a storyline you need to pay attention to? Just show the band singing and dancing, that's all you need. I am not really a Van Halen fan, but this song and video always makes me feel good. It's such a simple song, and the video by all rights should boring, and yet somehow they both work.


#1. Beat it by Michael Jackson
Ok, let the jokes begin. Here is the fact; he was never convicted of anything. I know people will laugh and make fun, but in the 80's I loved listening to his music and NO ONE can take that away from me. Not saying he didn't get weird because he did, but his music is a part of my childhood forever. I am so tired of being embarrassed to say this, I loved his music, and this video, and I still enjoy watching it. The song would have been his biggest hit but Thriller was of course the chart topper. For those wondering why I didn't include that, it was a little long and scared me as a kid. Billie Jean is good on to, but this is the one I love.


Ah, 80’s music.I considered Karma Chameleon by Culture Club and Simply Irresistible by Robert Palmer. Land of Confusion by Genesis is generally considered one of the best videos of that decade, but it scared the crap out of me as a kid!
Finally, in honor of Whitney Houston who made amazing music, and that will always be her legacy:

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