A look back at the most iconic and influential music videos in the ’80s.
1.
The Kinks – “The Lonesome Crowd” (1983)The Kink frontman is a notoriously bad person.
His band was responsible for the murder of his girlfriend and he’s been known to commit bizarre acts, such as setting his car on fire, smashing a man’s skull with a baseball bat and stealing a woman’s car.
His best known video, “The Kinky Party,” was directed by the late Brian Eno and features the likes of Sting, David Bowie and the Beastie Boys.
2.
The Killers – “All My Friends Are Dead” (1985)”I just want to go on record that I don’t believe in murder.
I think we are more like a band of misfits than a band that is trying to be a band.”
But there was a time when this was just a statement.
In 1985, the Killers released their debut LP, All My Friends are Dead, a follow-up to their 1986 smash hit album I Wanna Be Your Dog.
The band’s frontman Damon Albarn said in an interview that the album had been inspired by “people trying to figure out how to live their lives on a certain kind of terms, and it’s not always good, and I wanted to take a stab at that.
And so it’s been very difficult.”
3.
The Zombies – “I Wanna Kill You” (1986)The Zombies were the first punk band to reach the Billboard Top Ten.
The group’s leader Dave Navarro and drummer Michael Bierut both have criminal histories, but Navarro has a reputation as a genuinely nice guy.
He was also a popular stand-up comedian.
Navarro, a black man, was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 1996 for murdering a police officer in 1992.
4.
The Doors – “In My Mind” (1988)The Doors had a reputation for making weird videos that would make even the most hardened movie buff want to run to their local theater to see them perform live.
But they were also known for making a big splash when they released their first album, In My Mind.
The music video for “In The Mood For Love” was one of the first viral videos and instantly became a classic of the 90s.
5.
The Beatles – “A Day In The Life” (1969)John Lennon was a lifelong fan of music, and he recorded “A View From The Bridge” for his album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
The song, which features his signature vocals, is one of his most popular songs.
It was also the first song by an African-American artist to go gold on the Billboard Hot 100.
6.
The Ramones – “It Ain’t Easy Being Young” (1970)The Ramones were one of hip-hop’s most successful bands, making records that sold more than 30 million albums worldwide.
But it was also their most controversial.
In the early ’70s, the band recorded a number of controversial songs that some considered racist.
The most famous one was “Black Jesus.”
7.
The Rolling Stones – “Strawberry Fields Forever” (1971)When the Rolling Stones were a band, they were known for their live shows, but their sound was more experimental.
Their “I Don’t Want To Live Forever” video, which featured the band on stage, was seen as a statement about how the music industry had changed.
8.
The Who – “Like A Rolling Stone” (1975)The Who’s “I Want To Leave You” single is widely regarded as one of rock’s greatest songs.
But the band was also known as a politically charged band with some of the most controversial lyrics in rock history.
The original version of the song was written in 1969 and featured the group’s members, John Bonham, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.
It became a hit with audiences.
9.
The Smashing Pumpkins – “Mama Said Knock You Out” (1981)”Mama said, ‘Mama, don’t let this baby get away from me.’
Mama said, `No, don’ t get away.’
She was saying, `You gotta be the mother of this baby, you gotta be on top of this.’
That’s what she said.
And I heard that in the moment.”
The Smaming Pumpkins were a black punk band that formed in 1976 and released their self-titled debut album in 1981.
They made waves when they began performing live in 1981, as their song “Like a Rolling Stone,” about their experiences in the 1980s, became a national hit.
10.
The Stooges – “My Generation” (1994)”My generation’s just the best.”
A quote by the legendary British band The Stoogs.
The title of the band’s fourth studio album, My Generation, was taken from the film My Generation. The album
