in the decade that saw the creation of
MTV these were the records that really
made the most of the newfangled music
video format welcome to watchmojo.com
and today we’ll be counting down our
picks for the top ten decade defining
music videos of the 1980s for this list
we’ve ranked the most popular most
iconic music videos and those that best
represent the 1980s in general there are
no criteria limitations in terms of
genre although only one video per act is
allowed this is part of a series of
video spanning the decades from the
1980s and beyond
number 10 faith George Michael I guess
it would be nice George Michael flies
solo to kick things off although he
almost made the cut with Wham and the
dance-pop anthem wake me up before you
go go go but we put our faith in faith
and all it’s leather jacket and shiny
shoe glory cuz I gotta have faith in
this video Michaels unforgettable getup
is often copied but never bettered as
the smartly edited close-up suggests
it’s the expertly accessorized details
that do it a single earring some
knockout shades and jeans that are
ripped in all the right places
he’s a jukebox superstar
number nine you gotta fight for your
right to party Beastie Boys an all-out
anthem ever since it was released the
video for fight for your right is a
literal reflection of the song’s lyrics
and that’s what makes it awesome you
gotta fight fire right
in the short film the Beastie Boys bring
their anarchic a game to an otherwise
event free gathering transcending the
tedium into cream pie infused chaos
the trio regularly break the fourth wall
making accomplices of us all
do you like parties because with this
video it’s almost impossible not to try
this at home
number eight hungry like the wolf Duran
Duran one of the earliest 80s videos to
really stand out hungry like the wolf
was also one of the first music videos
to receive heavy rotation on MTV
yeah
it’s massively contributed to the rise
of Duran Duran in general and received
particular praise for its cinematic
quality shot in Sri Lanka the narrative
follows lead singer Simon Lebon as he
pursues a tiger like woman through the
jungle
there are iconic images of plenty in
this one but we best remember his
emergence out of a lagoon
it’s all very Apocalypse Now
Oh
number seven girls just want to have fun
Cyndi Lauper arguably the anthem of the
1980s the video accompaniment to girls
just want to have fun is exactly that
very fun
it’s packed with a full of classic 80s
style computer effects it’s God probably
the most colorful cast ever assembled
and it boasts possibly the wildest
variety of sun shades ever worn
it became Cyndi Lauper’s signature tune
and that dress became her signature look
and what makes this video even more
impressive is its relatively low cost
most actors volunteered and a lot of
equipment was loaned out free of charge
no wonder everyone’s smiling
number six like a virgin Madonna
the like a virgin’ video is Madonna at
her most provocative said predominantly
along the canals of Venice images of the
singer suggestively dancing on the
city’s famous gondolas are matched to
another alternative scene where it’s all
white sheets and wedding dresses playing
on the ideas of purity and sexual desire
there’s even room for a real-life lion
in the video as the best you’ll
power-play of sex is plainly alluded to
as well
the film’s empowering it was
eyebrow-raising
it’ll always be iconic number 5
Walk This Way Run DMC featuring Steven
Tyler and Joe Perry
next a video of two halves and a hip-hop
hybrid pioneers
New York City rap outfit Run DMC teamed
up with stadium rock legends Aerosmith
for what is widely considered one of the
records of the decades in the short film
a simple narrative shows both bands
performing in studios next to each other
with Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler
is specially annoyed by this
so Tyler trashes the partition wall and
before we know it we have an unexpected
double act on our hands
it would be a good
unexpected and undeniably brilliant
number four money for nothing
dire straits yo-yos that’s the way you
do it
play the keytar new TV one of the first
computer animated features ever made
especially in terms of music
dire straits money for nothing almost
didn’t make it onto MTV at all
cuz in kitchen
lead singer Mark Knopfler was
unenthusiastic about music videos in
general believing that they’d attracted
attention away from the performance
itself but video director Steve Barron
eventually brought knopfler around
and the film picked up video of the year
at the third MTV VMAs in 1986 it looks
almost primitive now but it was
pioneering then
number three take on me aha
another Steve Barron beauty the
legendary music video director is also
the creative force behind our third
place finisher
Oh
this iconic aha clip is actually the
second video shot for take on me and
besides the after mentioned dire straits
win it dominated the 1986 MTV Video
Music Awards
the film follows an unsuspecting comic
book reader as she becomes a literal
part of the pages that she’s reading its
pencil sketch animation meets
live-action film and it all looks
remarkably effortless
you
number two sledgehammer Peter Gabriel it
has been labeled as the most played
music video in MTV history and the
channel itself ranked sledgehammer as
the fourth greatest music video ever
made the praise heaped up onto our
runner-up was unprecedented with
claymation pixelation and stop-motion
techniques all provided by the people
who would go on to create wallace and
gromit
it’s an unbridled celebration of all
things animation
just a picture of progress I was being
made at the time the video for
sledgehammer really hits on something
good
before we unveil our top pick here are a
few honorable mentions I want to break
free
I say leave it with it good
number one never gonna give you up rick
astley
rickrolled I wasn’t that scared number
one thriller Michael Jackson it seems to
me our winner is way more than the
average music video with a running time
of over 13 minutes there’s probably
nothing to match thriller in all of
history let alone just the 80s the
Michael Jackson anthem merged filmmaking
with music like nothing else before it
and is often described as the most
influential example of its format a
midnight hour is close at hand creatures
crawl in search of blood efforts were
even made for it to be considered for an
Oscar nomination that’s how much it
transcends its contemporaries we might
have listed Jackson’s beat it in today’s
top 10 but this record beats that and
everything else
so do you agree with our list what’s
your favorite music video from the 1980s
for more toe-tapping top tens published
daily be sure to subscribe to
watchmojo.com
MTV these were the records that really
made the most of the newfangled music
video format welcome to watchmojo.com
and today we’ll be counting down our
picks for the top ten decade defining
music videos of the 1980s for this list
we’ve ranked the most popular most
iconic music videos and those that best
represent the 1980s in general there are
no criteria limitations in terms of
genre although only one video per act is
allowed this is part of a series of
video spanning the decades from the
1980s and beyond
number 10 faith George Michael I guess
it would be nice George Michael flies
solo to kick things off although he
almost made the cut with Wham and the
dance-pop anthem wake me up before you
go go go but we put our faith in faith
and all it’s leather jacket and shiny
shoe glory cuz I gotta have faith in
this video Michaels unforgettable getup
is often copied but never bettered as
the smartly edited close-up suggests
it’s the expertly accessorized details
that do it a single earring some
knockout shades and jeans that are
ripped in all the right places
he’s a jukebox superstar
number nine you gotta fight for your
right to party Beastie Boys an all-out
anthem ever since it was released the
video for fight for your right is a
literal reflection of the song’s lyrics
and that’s what makes it awesome you
gotta fight fire right
in the short film the Beastie Boys bring
their anarchic a game to an otherwise
event free gathering transcending the
tedium into cream pie infused chaos
the trio regularly break the fourth wall
making accomplices of us all
do you like parties because with this
video it’s almost impossible not to try
this at home
number eight hungry like the wolf Duran
Duran one of the earliest 80s videos to
really stand out hungry like the wolf
was also one of the first music videos
to receive heavy rotation on MTV
yeah
it’s massively contributed to the rise
of Duran Duran in general and received
particular praise for its cinematic
quality shot in Sri Lanka the narrative
follows lead singer Simon Lebon as he
pursues a tiger like woman through the
jungle
there are iconic images of plenty in
this one but we best remember his
emergence out of a lagoon
it’s all very Apocalypse Now
Oh
number seven girls just want to have fun
Cyndi Lauper arguably the anthem of the
1980s the video accompaniment to girls
just want to have fun is exactly that
very fun
it’s packed with a full of classic 80s
style computer effects it’s God probably
the most colorful cast ever assembled
and it boasts possibly the wildest
variety of sun shades ever worn
it became Cyndi Lauper’s signature tune
and that dress became her signature look
and what makes this video even more
impressive is its relatively low cost
most actors volunteered and a lot of
equipment was loaned out free of charge
no wonder everyone’s smiling
number six like a virgin Madonna
the like a virgin’ video is Madonna at
her most provocative said predominantly
along the canals of Venice images of the
singer suggestively dancing on the
city’s famous gondolas are matched to
another alternative scene where it’s all
white sheets and wedding dresses playing
on the ideas of purity and sexual desire
there’s even room for a real-life lion
in the video as the best you’ll
power-play of sex is plainly alluded to
as well
the film’s empowering it was
eyebrow-raising
it’ll always be iconic number 5
Walk This Way Run DMC featuring Steven
Tyler and Joe Perry
next a video of two halves and a hip-hop
hybrid pioneers
New York City rap outfit Run DMC teamed
up with stadium rock legends Aerosmith
for what is widely considered one of the
records of the decades in the short film
a simple narrative shows both bands
performing in studios next to each other
with Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler
is specially annoyed by this
so Tyler trashes the partition wall and
before we know it we have an unexpected
double act on our hands
it would be a good
unexpected and undeniably brilliant
number four money for nothing
dire straits yo-yos that’s the way you
do it
play the keytar new TV one of the first
computer animated features ever made
especially in terms of music
dire straits money for nothing almost
didn’t make it onto MTV at all
cuz in kitchen
lead singer Mark Knopfler was
unenthusiastic about music videos in
general believing that they’d attracted
attention away from the performance
itself but video director Steve Barron
eventually brought knopfler around
and the film picked up video of the year
at the third MTV VMAs in 1986 it looks
almost primitive now but it was
pioneering then
number three take on me aha
another Steve Barron beauty the
legendary music video director is also
the creative force behind our third
place finisher
Oh
this iconic aha clip is actually the
second video shot for take on me and
besides the after mentioned dire straits
win it dominated the 1986 MTV Video
Music Awards
the film follows an unsuspecting comic
book reader as she becomes a literal
part of the pages that she’s reading its
pencil sketch animation meets
live-action film and it all looks
remarkably effortless
you
number two sledgehammer Peter Gabriel it
has been labeled as the most played
music video in MTV history and the
channel itself ranked sledgehammer as
the fourth greatest music video ever
made the praise heaped up onto our
runner-up was unprecedented with
claymation pixelation and stop-motion
techniques all provided by the people
who would go on to create wallace and
gromit
it’s an unbridled celebration of all
things animation
just a picture of progress I was being
made at the time the video for
sledgehammer really hits on something
good
before we unveil our top pick here are a
few honorable mentions I want to break
free
I say leave it with it good
number one never gonna give you up rick
astley
rickrolled I wasn’t that scared number
one thriller Michael Jackson it seems to
me our winner is way more than the
average music video with a running time
of over 13 minutes there’s probably
nothing to match thriller in all of
history let alone just the 80s the
Michael Jackson anthem merged filmmaking
with music like nothing else before it
and is often described as the most
influential example of its format a
midnight hour is close at hand creatures
crawl in search of blood efforts were
even made for it to be considered for an
Oscar nomination that’s how much it
transcends its contemporaries we might
have listed Jackson’s beat it in today’s
top 10 but this record beats that and
everything else
so do you agree with our list what’s
your favorite music video from the 1980s
for more toe-tapping top tens published
daily be sure to subscribe to
watchmojo.com
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