The Title Of The Song Isn't In The Lyrics

Young Turks by Rod Stewart

Released in October of 1981, this song reached #5 on the US charts and was the first music video shown on MTV to feature breakdancing.

The song is about a young couple that runs away so they can be together and the trials that they go through. In the video, Patty is played by Elizabeth Daily....

...that's her on the right from the movie Valley Girl. She was also in Pee Wee's Big Adventure and she has recently been the voice of Tommy Pickles on the tv show, Rugrats. She even had a recording career herself but lets get back to Rod's song.

The video was filmed in downtown Los Angeles and they must have hired every out of work dancer in town for the video. Several times the dancers interact with the couple and either try to draw them away or push them forward into the story.

The song was the first single from Rod's Tonight I'm Yours album and it took his music in a new wave direction with keyboards and a drum machine. But the song was Rod's introduction to a new fan base and a string of hits would soon follow.

For now, please enjoy....

This Doesn't Seem Very Friendly

Jessie's Girl by Rick Springfield

Released in February of 1981, this was Rick's only #1 hit and it took 19 weeks to reach the #1 spot and was in the #1 spot the week that MTV premiered.

Rick was a TV soap star, appearing on General Hospital as Dr. Noah Drake (I never saw the show, I hear he was dreamy) and this was from his 4th album. His timing was perfect. What could work better than a TV ready guy on an all music television channel? Well, if you watch the video, you'll wonder how any of this happened.

The video starts with "Jessie" engaging in some graffiti and he's there with his girl. And now he's littering...he's a catch. But we get to see Rick and his band rocking out on the song (hey, go easy on the star-filters). And now Rick is walking up to Jessie and his girl.....and they just walk on by like he doesn't even exist. Seems like they're not as good of friends as it seems. Here's Rick smashing lots of bathroom mirrors (that's a lot of bad luck: 4 x 7 = 28 years). And now we get to see what a guitar solo looks like when its done by someone that isn't a lead guitar player (trust me, those aren't the notes for that solo). And then, finally, we get to see Jessie and his girl (along with the dog from Rick's album cover) sitting in the audience watching Rick perform this song.

Rick's not a very good friend but then neither is Jessie or his girl. I predict this relationship has zero chance of success.

Please enjoy.

Who Hasn't Heard This Song?

Don't Stop Believin' by Journey

Released in June of 1981, this song is probably one of the most recognizable songs from the 1980's. It reached #9 on the US charts and sold over 1 million copies when it was first released. Pretty impressive but consider its sold over 7 million digital downloads, making it the most downloaded song from the 1980's.

The video was a live performance from the band's Escape tour filmed in Houston, Texas. The advantage of the live performance is the opportunity to hear lead singer Steve Perry's vocal range. He sounds better live than on the record!

Please enjoy.

Well, That's Quite A Debut Video

One by Metallica

Released in January of 1989, this was the third single from their fourth album....but it was their first video. And what a way to start. The song is about a soldier that has been injured during a battle and now has no arms, no legs, and has lost his hearing and sight. With no way to communicate with the outside world, he is trapped forever inside is body. He is One. At over 7 and a half minutes, that's quite a song. And should be reason enough to avoid all wars.

After the band was finished recording the song, someone pointed out to them the similarity between the theme of the song and that of the book and film Johnny, Get Your Gun (the book was written in 1939, the film was made in 1971). In the book and film, the main character has been severely injured during a World War I battle and has no arms, no legs and has lost his hearing and sight (see the similarities?) but while in a hospital, he discovers that he can communicate with the outside world by using the Morse code, spelling out SOS to his doctors and later asking them to kill him. It's a bit dark, I'd wait until a happier time before a viewing.

The video was filmed in Long Beach (coincidentally on the day before the very first Metallica concert I ever attended) and features the band jamming along to the song intercut with scenes from the film Johnny, Get Your Gun. In the years since the video was filmed, the band has purchased the rights to the film so they wouldn't have to pay for the rights to include the images in the video (a smart idea). The live performance of the song usually includes plenty of pyro and explosions and is among the most played live songs by the band typically being one of the last songs of the performance each night.

Please enjoy.

And Just Like That, Fashion Changed

Lucky Star by Madonna

Released in September of 1983, this fourth single off her debut album reached #4 on the US charts and was a great pop song with a great dance beat but it was the video that changed everything in fashion. Madonna appears in the video wearing a fishnet shirt and multiple bracelets, crucifix necklaces and leggings under a skirt. Her hair was bleached and tussled and nearly every girl at my school looked like this before the end of the month.

When the song was released, I was just over a month away from turning 15 years old so puberty was controlling my entire world and this moment in 80's pop culture was an extremely defining event. Suddenly half the girls at my school looked like rock stars and were no longer "icky". It was eye opening....and a bit confusing. But a big thank you to Madonna for this.

The video is so simple as a way to sell the artist. Madonna is featured against a white backdrop with two backup dancers. That's it. Nothing here but the song and her contribution to the fashion world she was about to command. Over-Accessorizing an outfit became the new style....and lets be honest, it was 80's cool.

Just a bit of fun trivia: one of the backup dancers is Madonna's brother, Christoper (he was paid $200 to be in the video).

Please enjoy.......

Scottish Rock Stars Have Glass Jaws

In A Big Country by Big Country

Released in May of 1983, this third single from their debut album reached #17 on the US charts with plenty of help from the extensive airplay of this video on MTV.......but why?

The band performance shots are fine enough but what's up with the bad story line? The band is hunting for some treasure (there it is with the band logo on it) but some girl steals it and sets fire to a barn.....which attracts the bands attention (isn't she trying to keep them from finding the treasure she stole from them?). So she runs out of the burning barn and knocks out the lead singer with a single punch and takes out the other three guys like they're bowling pins. When they wake up, she's dropped a map that leads them to.......apparently, nothing. We see them attempting to scuba dive but they're not looking for treasure, just swimming around. Then the mysterious girl lights another fire (some one call the arson squad) and when the lead singer she punched out repels to her rescue, she runs up and hugs him. This girl has a very passive/aggressive relationship with the band. While all that's going on another band member finds the treasure hidden among the seaweed.

I'm very confused but the song is great and MTV was still very new so we would watch anything. Speaking of which.....watch the video now. It's crap-tasticly bad. And what's with the band writing a song with their own name in it?

Please enjoy.....

The Second Version Of This Song Is The Best Version

Take On Me by A-Ha

Released in 1984........and again in 1985, this song reached #1 in ten countries but not as originally recorded. In fact....I'm going to post the original version of this song so you can hear why it wasn't a hit when it was first released.

Now, after that version escaped (because, seriously, it couldn't have been intentionally released), the record company, specifically their American label, Warner Bros., wanted the song re-recorded with a new producer. Who ever insisted on that is the smartest person in the music industry. The new producer was able to see how powerful the synth lick was and featured it as the center of the song. The rest is 80's pop history.....

Well, you also have to include the instantly recognizable music video. Nearly the entire video is presented in a cartoon form by use of a technique called Rotoscoping, each frame of the video is redrawn by hand. It took sixteen weeks to produce the video. As a bit of fun trivia, the girl in the video was the lead singer's real life girlfriend at the time (I have no idea if she's still his girlfriend or not, for all I know she's married to him right now). Also, it would be criminal of me to not mention the singer, Morten Harket, and his incredible vocal range. He sings this song over two and a half octaves. Trust me, that's not an easy task but he appears to have more than enough talent. (BTW, he still sings this song and hits every note like he's not even trying, he's truly skilled)

The record company released the video to MTV and to dance clubs a month before the single was available for sale so when it was finally released, the song shot up the charts immediately. Again, who ever thought up that plan was a genius. And we thank them for that.

Please enjoy....