“Sweet Child O’ Mine” shows Guns N’ Roses in all of its Appetite for Destruction glory. The grainy, black and white footage gives the video an instantly classic feel. It showcases the band exactly as we expect them: Axl with his bandana, Slash obscured by his hat and shades, and copious amounts of booze in the background.
Though the song’s lyrics cover familiar territory, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” is much more than your typical 80s power ballad. It’s uneasy, uncertain, and makes no promises of a happily ever after. Axl’s voice twists and turns around Slash’s driving riffs, hitting notes most 80s rockers could never touch.
Though Slash himself reportedly hated the song, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” was his finest moment with the group. His second-half guitar solo is so great, so defiant, that he leaves no doubt that the song can only belong to Guns N’ Roses. No wonder it became the their biggest commercial success.
I dare you to watch this video and not laugh once. Seriously, I dare you:
There is just so much over-the-top goodness in Journey’s “Faithfully.” The plot (if you can call it that) is almost an exact video replication of the lyrics. And if that weren’t enough, there’s also an uber-dramatic live performance – complete with ridiculous poses and cheap pyrotechnics – plus a mustache controversy. It doesn't get much better than that.
But wait. There's also Steve Perry's voice – the only good thing Journey ever had to offer. No matter how terrible the lyrics got (and, yes, they did get worse than "Faithfully"), Perry always delivered with one of rock's most powerful and underrated voices. Without Perry, Journey would never have reached the level of success they did and "Faithfully" would have been relegated to the bargain bin.
Today, Journey is enjoying renaissance of sorts, particularly with the renewed popularity of “Don’t Stop Believin,’” a song that shows up in as many sporting events as Queen does. Steve Perry has long since left the band, but they continue touring on with a new vocalist, bringing back all the 80s cheese you either loved or wish you could forget.
“Dancing in the Dark” was the first single from Born in the U.S.A., the 1984 album that turned Bruce Springsteen from a rock star into a pop culture phenomenon.
At its basis, “Dancing in the Dark” sounded like a more upbeat version of The Police’s “Every Breath You Take.”It was simple, catchy, and had a prominent synthesizer hook.Dance remixes were even made of the song.It was, in every way, a departure from Springsteen’s previous efforts.
Though the song risked alienating Springsteen’s core fan base, the video itself did not.Directed by Brian DePalma (Scarface, Carrie), “Dancing in the Dark” showed Springsteen in his element – on stage with the legendary E Street Band. The performance, for the most part, seems natural and engaging – until the famous ending where Springsteen pulls up a then-unknown Courteney Cox on stage to dance.(Cox, of course, was not just any member of the concert audience that evening, as Springsteen’s complete inability to act reminds us).
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Today, “Dancing in the Dark” remains Springsteen’s most commercially popular song, becoming a Top 10 hit in North America, Europe, and Australia and New Zealand.Though Springsteen’s dance moves and sideburns may seem a bit dated these days, we can only imagine what would have happened had the original concept become the official “Dancing in the Dark” video:
“Silver Springs” is one of those great songs that almost got lost to rock history. Written by Stevie Nicks, it was originally recorded for Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 album Rumours, but instead became the B-side to the “Go Your Own Way” single. As vinyl turned into cassettes and compact discs, “Silver Springs” was increasingly difficult to find.
All that changed in 1997 when Fleetwood Mac reunited its most popular lineup for The Dance. Though the album predominately featured the group’s greatest hits, it also provided a showcase for “Silver Springs.” The song reportedly detailed the end of Nicks’ relationship with Fleetwood Mac singer and guitarist Lindsey Buckingham – in many ways, the counterpoint to Buckingham’s “Go Your Own Way.”
The 1997 recording of “Silver Springs” left no doubt that Buckingham was the subject of the song. As the song builds to its ending crescendo, Nicks turns toward Buckingham and sings: “I’ll follow you down ‘til the sound of my voice will haunt you/Was I just a fool?/You’ll never get away from the sound of the woman that loved you.” Though her delivery is both angry and vulnerable, it also seems to provide closure to the Nicks-Buckingham saga – especially since it was reportedly excluded from Rumours at Buckingham’s request.
With The Dance performance, “Silver Springs” finally got its turn in the spotlight, introducing a new generation to Fleetwood Mac and helping the album sell over five million copies.
Though Christine McVie has since left Fleetwood Mac since The Dance reunion, the group’s remaining members are reportedly working on a new album and plan to tour next year.
Britney Spears was never known for her singing voice.Yet, of all the female pop artists of the late 1990s, she knew how to pick the best songs and craft an image that appealed to the largest possible audience.
“…Baby One More Time,” Spears’ debut video, had something for everyone.There were dance routines for young girls to copy with their friends, schoolgirl outfits for men to ogle at, and a hook that even the biggest music snobs secretly liked.It was penned and produced by Max Martin, the Swedish mastermind responsible for many pop hits in the past two decades.
“…Baby One More Time” was, predictability, not without controversy – especially since Spears was 17 when the song and video were released.Some criticized the song’s lyrics for being too suggestive, while others made similar criticisms of the video.
It’s also not surprising to learn that it was Spears herself who wanted the changes that made the video so controversial.Director Nigel Dick had original selected a jeans and T-shirt wardrobe, but Spears pushed for the Catholic schoolgirl outfits.Even then, Spears felt the outfits were too “dorky” and decided to tie her shirt, exposing the midriff that would launch a thousand morality debates in the United States.
Today, it’s rather amusing to think of all the fuss people made about “…Baby One More Time.” Indeed, Spears’ career has been marked by greater controversies, including several infamous MTV Video Music Award Performances.Yet despite all of the controversies and personal issues Spears has battled lately, there’s no denying the influence of “…Baby One More Time.”It paved the way for the success of numerous female pop artists in the 1990s and remains one of the biggest-selling singles of the past 15 years.
Eddie Murphy was one of the earliest success stories from Saturday Night Live. Before he even reached his mid-20s, Murphy had become one of America’s most popular comedians and movie stars – achieving international fame with Beverly Hills Cop, one of the top-grossing films of the 1980s.
It’s not surprising, given all these early successes, that Murphy tried his hand at music.Certainly far less successful actors have.But that didn’t mean it was a good idea:
Whoever thought this song was a good idea must’ve been in a haze from, well, partying all the time.The video features a very blonde, very 80s Rick James, who co-wrote and co-produced the song – but even his normal antics can’t save the video from being such a bore fest.Watching Murphy sing is in a studio for four minutes feels like an eternity.He has absolutely no appeal or charisma as a singer. There isn’t even a good beat to salvage the song, just mindless repetition.
Despite all of these factors, “Party All The Time” became a big hit, peaking at number 2 on the U.S. charts.Murphy’s singing career has, of course, been long forgotten – and today, he’s known more for his work in Shrek and The Nutty Professor movies.
Want more of the worst videos from the 80s?Check out our throwbacks on David Bowie and Mick Jagger’s “Dancing in the Street,” Lionel Richie’s “Hello,” and, of course, Phil Collins’ “Sussudio.”
