By Mark Pukalo
Something exciting was happening late in the summer of 1981.
My college career was about to begin at UConn and I had traveled with my family to visit relatives in Ohio. I don’t remember if we didn’t have cable back in Canterbury yet or the channel just wasn’t on our service. But downstairs at uncle Joe and aunt Irene’s house in Solon, I got my first glimpse of MTV. My world changed.
I already loved music, of course, but videos made some songs come to life even more. The first one I viewed was Prince’s Little Red Corvette and many of those early videos are still some of the best ever.
The golden era of MTV probably lasted only about a decade, maybe 15 years. But it was an amazing time where creativity was very high in the industry. Soon, movie directors were working on videos. Some performers made it an art form and raised the bar. Many will list MaDonna and Michael Jackson as the leaders in the field, but how many great videos did Mike's sister Janet produce?
Remember Nina Blackwood, J.J. Jackson, Martha Quinn, Alan Hunter and Mark Goodman? Those were your first MTV VJs. Later, you had "Downtown" Julie Brown, Serena Altshul, Adam Curry, Daisy Fuentes, Bill Bellamy, Carson Daly, Karen "Duff" Duffy and many others.
Unfortunately, when the 90s began MTV decided to slowly reduce videos and produce reality shows like “The Real World” and “Road Rules.” While those first shows were fun, it spawned many bad ones and many of us did not watch the channel anymore.
The network is still there, with videos on MTV Live, but it will never match it’s first decade again. VH1 can never be better than it was when the music channel launched in 1985. I watched a lot of Live Aid that summer on VH1. It was a place to go when a bad reality show was on MTV.
There will always be the memories, though. With the 40-year anniversary of MTV’s first show on August 1, I have tried to rank the best videos of all time. It is not an easy task, but my criteria is fun, outrageous ideas, promoting the song, lip-synching ability and production. The “having fun with it” part may be the most important.
I unveiled the top 50 every 48 hours during the first 100 days of the Biden Administration. Now that it is over. hopefully we can continue to return to a normal life.
It’s not a perfect list. It was impossible to see every video I could. Perhaps country and rap will not be represented enough. But I have shown you most of the best.
Here’s a look at some of the other videos that were considered for the top 50:
Honorable Mention: Bohemian Rhapsody and I Want to Break Free - Queen; I Can't Take It - Cheap Trick; Twisting by the Pool and Money for Nothing - Dire Straits; When Doves Cry and Little Red Corvette - Prince; Centerfold and Love Stinks - J Geils Band; I Got You - Split Enz, Boys of Summer - Don Henley; Jump - Van Halen; We’re Not Gonna Take It - Twisted Sister; Labrador - Aimee Mann; Rock the Casbah - The Clash; All I Wanna Do - Sheryl Crow; Cars - Gary Numan; Ship of Fools - World Party; What I Am - Edie Brickell & New Bohemians; Linger and Zombie - The Cranberries; Smooth - Santana with Rob Thomas; Supernova - Liz Phair; The Warrior - Patty Smyth; Karma Chamelion - Culture Club; Everlong - Foo Fighters; November Rain - Guns & Roses, Umbrella - Rhianna; Every Little Thing She Does is Magic - Police; Walk Like an Egyptian - The Bangles; Sabotage - Beastie Boys; I'm Still Standing - Elton John; Round Here - Counting Crows; When I Think of You and Escapade - Janet Jackson; Vogue, Like a Prayer and Express Yourself - MaDonna; Another Brick in the Wall - Pink Floyd; Oops, I Did it Again - Britney Spears; Friday, I'm in Love - The Cure; Unashamed Desire - Missy Higgins; Legs - ZZ Top; Rio - Duran Duran; I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For and Where the Streets Have No Name - U2; Don't Come Around Here No More - Tom Petty; Mexican Radio - Wall of Voodoo; Come on Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Runners; Mr. Brightside - The Killers; Never Gonna Give You Up - Rick Astley; Safety Dance - Men Without Hats; You Can Call Me Al - Paul Simon; Simple Kind of Life - No Doubt; Missing You - John Waite; Maneater - Hall & Oates; Vacation - The Go Gos; The Bird and Jungle Love - Morris Day & the Time; Amish Paradise and Like a Surgeon - Weird Al Yankovic; Walk This Way - Run DMC; Buddy Holly - Weezer; Around the World - Daft Punk; Jeremy - Pearl Jam; Smooth Criminal and Billie Jean - Michael Jackson; Single Ladies and Girls - Beyonce; Humble - Kendrick Lamar; Firework - Katy Perry; Poker Face and Bad Romance - Lady Gaga; Gangstas Paradise - Coolio; Blinding Lights - The Weeknd; Happy - Pharrell Williams; Oh Sherrie - Steve Perry; South Side - Moby; Virtual Insanity - Jamiroquai; Subdivisions - Rush; Mickey - Toni Basil; Down Under - Men at Work; Hold Me Now - Thompson Twins; Bad Blood - Taylor Swift with Kendrick Lamar; Get This Party Started - Pink; (She's) Sexy and 17 - The Stray Cats; Shake it Off - Taylor Swift; I Gotta Feeling - The Black-Eyed Peas; Whip It - Devo; Stay - Lisa Loeb; Losing My Religion and Everybody Hurts - R,E.M.; Radioactive - Imagine Dragons; Cannonball - The Breeders; Ready to Go - Republica; Every Day I Write the Book - Elvis Costello; Rockit - Herbie Hancock; We are the World - USA for Africa; Cruel to be Kind - Nick Lowe; Brass in Pocket - The Pretenders; Turning Japanese - The Vapours; Private Eyes - Hall and Oates; No Myth - Michael Penn: Not Ready to Make Nice - Dixie Chicks; Under the Milky Way - The Church; Water - Blue King Brown; Stayin' Alive - The Bee Gees
TOP 50
50. Video Killed the Radio Star - The Buggles: This one has to start the countdown because at 12:01 a.m. on August 1, 1981, it was the first video shown on MTV. The song had already been around for a while after going to No. 1 in England in 1979. Why was it picked to go first? “It made an aspirational statement,” MTV co-founder Bob Pittman said. “We didn’t expect to be competitive with radio, but it was certainly a sea-change kind of video.” I’ll be honest, when I first heard the song I thought it was “Benny Hill” killed the radio star.
49. Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ Top: You wouldn’t have thought a group like ZZ Top would be good at these things, but the Texas rockers had fun with several videos - especially Gimme All Your Lovin', Legs, Velcro Fly and this one, which won an MTV Award for Best Direction.
48. Goody Two Shoes - Adam Ant: The Englishman burst on the scene while leading the Ants in 1980 and later as a solo artist when he took this catchy tune to No. 1 in the UK and No. 7 in the US. Adam has fun with this video as he dances and tries to woo a pretty reporter.
47. Torn - Natalie Imbruglia: Natalie probably put me in a trance with her eyes and made me place her in the top 50, but it is still a great song and the former Australian soap opera star definitely acts torn up about her relationship in the video.
46. Mama Said Knock You Out - LL Cool J: James Todd Smith is best known for his work on NCIS Los Angeles and other acting roles these days, but he won a Grammy for best rap performance and an MTV best rap video award (1991) for this tune. This video truly makes the song better.
45. Ironic - Alanis Morrisette: Alanis showed her acting chops in “Dogma” when she played God, and she has plenty of personality to pull off the one-woman show in this video. The song is well written and cheeky: “It’s meeting the man of my dreams. .. And then meeting his beautiful wife."
44. Learn to Fly - Foo Fighters: Dave Grohl and the boys have done well with their videos, getting seven at least nominated for MTV Awards, including this silly one - with a cameo from Jack Black - in which the band parodies the Airplane movies and lands it well. It also won a Grammy for Best Short Form Music Video (2000).
43. Rapture - Blondie: The rap lyrics in the tune are a bit ridiculous, but the irrepressible Debbie Harry makes the video work with her style as she struts down the street singing. The song was ranked 15th for the year 1981 by Billboard Magazine.
42. Hey Ya! - Outkast: The video is based on the Beatles’ first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, but with an American hip hop group debuting in London. It won MTV Video of the Year in 2004, with Andre 3000 playing all eight members of the band. I’m changing my name to Mark 1500.
41. Lose Yourself - Eminem: Never much of a Marshall Mathers III fan, but this song certainly rocks. The video - which he directed and includes some scenes from his movie “8 Mile” - was nominated for MTV’s highest award in 2003.
40. Sledgehammer - Peter Gabriel: The landmark video, which uses stop-action animation, won nine MTV awards in 1987 and was ranked fourth best all time by the network. Reportedly, Gabriel laid under a sheet glass for 16 hours to film it.
39. Hot for Teacher - Van Halen: Waldo, whose voice is done by the late Phil Hartman, meets his new teacher in the mildly inappropriate video from the 1984 album. Two models, including a former Miss Canada runnerup, are used in the crazy skit by Eddie, David and the boys.
38. I Melt With You - Modern English: It’s just a performance video, but the imagery in the dark, smoky room creates a perfect atmosphere for one of the videos I saw the first week I watched MTV. The song, about a couple making love as atomic bombs drop around them, is often mentioned as one of the top one-hit wonders of all time and is one of my all-time favorites.
37. Always Something There to Remind Me - Naked Eyes: The British synthpop band recorded a new version of Burt Bacharach/Hal David song - written in the early 1960s and immortalized by Dionne Warwick later in the decade - in 1983 and it made it all the way to No. 8 on the U.S. Billboard chart. The video has wonderful imagery as lead singer Pete Byrne discovers his, now famous, lost love is getting married.
36. Girls Just Want to Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper: Lauper bounces through the streets of New York in this memorable video with cameos from Dan Aykroyd and wrestler captain Lou Albano, who plays Cyndi’s father in this one and appeared in more of her film efforts. Lorne Michaels helped Lauper with expensive new digital editing equipment for the video as well.
35. The Pleasure Principle - Janet Jackson: The first of two songs by JJ on the list (none from Justin Timberlake by the way). In this one she arrives at a loft alone and practices her amazing dancing routines. The video won an MTV award for Best Choreography in 1988.
34. Goodbye to You - Patty Smyth & Scandal: This was the first time most music fans saw the future wife of John McEnroe, along with her powerful voice, and the video is a perfect compliment to the fun pop/rock/dance classic. The tune only made it to No. 65 on the U.S. charts, but has become way more popular since.
33. You Get What You Give - New Radicals: The video was shot in the Staten Island Mall and shows teenagers taking control with the look of a flash mob, letting dogs out of cages and putting businessmen in them. The group reunited after more than two decades last month to perform the tune at Joe Biden’s Inauguration, because the President said it was his family’s “rallying theme song.”
32. Criminal - Fiona Apple: She's been a bad, bad girl. It’s sexy, freaky, intense and the New York City native beautifully lip-syncs one of the best-written songs of the 1990s. It won MTV’s Best Cinematography Award in 1998.
31. (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (to Party) - Beastie Boys: Never been a huge fan of the New York City hip-hop group, but this is a hilarious video with two brothers throwing a party and hoping “no bad people show up.” MTV picked it as the 66th best video of all time in 1999.
30. Papa Don’t Preach - Madonna: Madonna Louise Ciccone has at least a half dozen videos that deserved consideration, but this is the first of two that stood out due to the story, that short haircut, her dancing and an appearance by Danny Aiello as her dad. And folks, she’s keeping her baby.
29. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana: The first track on the group’s second album “Nevermind” became its calling card and won two MTV awards (best alternative, best new group). The video is based on a school concert gone wild, much like the Ramones’ film “Rock ‘n’ Roll High School.”
28. Call it Off - Tegan and Sara: One of my first friends when I moved to Florida suggested I check out the Canadian twin duo’s music and this was one of their songs that I added to itunes. Poor Tegan gets tied up with telephone wire by Sara in the simple video for this well-written, cheeky breakup tune. “Maybe I woulda been something you’d be good at.”
27. Beat It - Michael Jackson: The video reportedly cost $150,000 to make and was shot on the streets of LA with street gangs doing a choreographed dance routine. The short film won several awards and the late Eddie Van Halen’s guitar solo makes the song a classic.
26. Cryin’ - Aerosmith: A 16-year-old Alicia Silverstone stars - the first of three appearances in the band’s videos - as she rebels against her cheating boyfriend, ending the story with one finger. It was the most requested video on MTV in 1993.
25. Love is a Battlefield - Pat Benatar: This 1983 video was the first to use dialogue, but is highlighted by the rebellious choreographed dance from Benatar and friends. The irrepressible Benatar, who has been snubbed by the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame so far, was also the first female to have a video play on MTV (You Better Run, second overall on Aug. 1, 1981).
24. Uptown Girl - Billy Joel: Billy reportedly wrote the top-five hit about his girlfriend at the time Elle Macpherson, but it was eventually inspired by his future wife Christie Brinkley as well. Joel is a downtown mechanic in the video as uptown Brinkley struts in for help on her fancy car.
23. Fell in Love with a Girl - The White Stripes: The unique video from the creative and talented Jack White in his breakthrough band - along with former wife Meg - was done with Lego animation while the son of director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) is shown building as the rocking song begins. It was nominated for video of the year by MTV in 2002 and won for breakthrough video, best visual effects and best editing. The song was also featured in the movie “Silver Linings Playbook” as part of the dance routine by Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence.
22. You Belong With Me - Taylor Swift: Taylor plays both the bad girl and the nice girl next door in this sweet video about a high school love drama. It won Best Female Video at the 2009 MTV Awards. No offense Beyonce, but the award was well deserved despite a disgusting protest by mentally unstable Kanye West.
21. Once in a Lifetime - Talking Heads: Lead singer David Byrne’s lyrics (Brian Eno co-wrote) and singing were said to be inspired by preachers’ sermons and the video displays religious rituals as Byrne moves in a crazy fashion. “Same as it ever was!” The video was choreographed by Toni Basil, known for her hit song “Mickey.”
20. Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinead O’Connor: Say what you will about her infamous appearance on SNL in 1992 (in the end, she was kinda right, wasn’t she?), but this is undoubtedly one of the greatest vocal performances in the history of music. The Irishwoman makes this song written by Prince soar and the video aptly focuses on her singing while winning MTV's top honor in 1990.
19. She Blinded Me With Science - Thomas Dolby: The Englishman reportedly came up with the idea and outline for the 1982 video before actually writing the song’s lyrics, as he checks himself into the “Home for Deranged Scientists.” It’s wacky, but it works, with Dolby being examined by a mad scientist and getting seduced by secretary Miss Sakamoto. Good Heavens.
18. Dancing in the Dark - Bruce Springsteen: Brian De Palma (Scarface) directed this video that was shot in Saint Paul, Minn. in 1984 and later won an MTV award for Best Stage Performance. The Boss picks a fan in the crowd to dance with at the end of the video and it was a young actress named Courteney Cox (Friends). I have a great memory looking down at the whole crowd dancing to this song at the Fairgrounds during an encore of Bruce’s show here in 2009.
17. I Make the Dough, You Get the Glory - Kathleen Edwards: The talented Canadian plays pickup hockey with former Whaler Paul Coffey, former Springfield Falcons coach Marty McSorley (ok, maybe they did more than described) and Blue Rodeo lead singer Jim Cuddy while CBC announcer Dave Hodge also appears in this cheeky video. Edwards, who recently released a new album after an eight-year absence, owns a coffee shop called “Quitters” outside Ottawa. Hoping to get an omelette and coffee there some day.
16. Dancing With Myself - Billy Idol: The early MTV video is apparently based on the post-apocalyptic movie “Omega Man” with Billy performing around a bunch of dancing mutants. The song, a staple at all UConn dance parties in the early 80s, reportedly was inspired after Idol and bassist Tony James saw people dancing in front of mirrors instead of with each other in Japan when on tour with their band Generation X in the late 70s.
15. Rhythm Nation - Janet Jackson: The powerful 1989 song about racial harmony that reached No. 2 on the billboard chart was the backdrop for a Grammy-winning long form video and two MTV awards (choreography, dance). “With music by our side, to break the color lines. Let’s work together to improve our way of life. Join voices in protest, to social injustice. A generation full of courage come forth with me.”
14. Smuggler’s Blues - Glenn Frey: The late Frey plays a pilot/smuggler in this short film that inspired an episode of “Miami Vice,” in which the former Eagle guest stars. The tune was written by Frey and friend Jack Tempchin, making it all the way to No. 12 on the Billboard chart and winning an MTV Award for Best Concept Video in 1985. Frey's wife at the time, Janie, is his smuggling accomplice in the video.
13. Addicted to Love - Robert Palmer: Palmer’s iconic band of glossy models or human mannequins (Julie Pankhurst, Patty Kelly, Mak Gilchrist, Julia Bolino and Kathy Davies) appear in the first of four videos by the late Englishman. Palmer’s only No. 1 hit was nominated for MTV Video of the Year in 1986 and he won for Best Male Video.
12. Rush, Rush - Paula Abdul: The video is based on the classic movie “Rebel Without a Cause” with the great Keanu Reeves playing the part of James Dean. The beautiful love song was the former Laker Girl's fifth of six straight No. 1 songs and got nominated for Best Female Video by MTV in 1991.
11. Borderline - MaDonna: MaDonna Louise Ciccone plays a pretty street girl who is dating a Latino man during the mid 80s before being discovered and wooed by a British photographer. At the time, interracial relationships were rare on screen and MaDonna was lauded for the effort while being nominated for Best New Artist at the MTV Awards in 1984. The top-10 tune is my favorite by the former Queen of Pop.
10. I Lost on Jeopardy - Weird Al Yankovic: The Californian always hits the mark with his videos and I enjoyed this parody of Greg Kihn’s hit “Jeopardy”the most, barely beating out some classics like Eat it, Amish Paradise, Like a Surgeon and Smells like Nirvana among others. Weird Al is a “complete loser” on Jeopardy and does not even get any Rice a Roni - the San Francisco treat - but is later driven away to safety by Kihn and bride.
9. California Girls - David Lee Roth: The Van Halen lead singer covered the famous Beach Boys song on his 1985 solo album “Crazy From the Heat” and had a whole lot of fun as a Tour Guide with bikini-clad beauties in the video. The song went to No. 3 on the billboard chart - the same as it topped out for the Beach Boys two decades earlier - and has Carl Wilson and Christopher Cross adding backing vocals.
8. Love Shack - The B-52s: Rolling Stone magazine named this fun tune the best single of 1989 and it also won an MTV Award for Best Group Video. Adam Bernstein, who directed many episodes of “Breaking Bad,” was the director on the video that makes you instantly sing along, The song brings back memories of Wellfleet, Mass. where me and long-time friend Ty Roby would change the words whenever we drove by the “Clam Shack.”
7. Freedom 90 - George Michael: Michael, who passed away in 2016, wrote the top-10 hit about becoming a new man after leaving Wham! and the pressures of the music business but chose not to appear in the high-rotation video directed by David Fincher. Models Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Tatjiana Patitz, Christy Turlington, John Pearson and Cindy Crawford lip-synched the words to the catchy number. It was the second single on his outstanding 1990 album “Listen Without Prejudice Vol 1,” and was nominated for five MTV Awards.
6. Voices Carry - 'Til Tuesday: The great Aimee Mann, who wrote the 1985 song as the lead singer of the group, said she didn’t perform it at concerts for a while because she thought parts were “kinda dumb,” but recently said it became “weirdly appropriate.” In one of the best moments of all time in music video history, Mann stands and belts out the lyrics in defiance of her abusive boyfriend at a formal theater. It also opens with one of the best lyrics of all time: “In the dark I’d like to read his mind, but I’m frightened of the things I might find.”
5. Kiss - Prince: The exquisitely-written song by the Purple Yoda was No. 1 for two weeks on the Billboard chart in 1986 and won a Grammy for Best R & B performance, but his effort in this video somehow did not earn an MTV Award nomination. Monique Mannen is the veiled dancer and Wendy Melvoin of the Revolution plays guitar as Prince sings “You don’t have to be rich to be my girl, you don’t have to be cool to rule my world, ain’t no particular sign I’m more compatible with, I just want your extra time and your. …. kiss.”
4. Thriller - Michael Jackson: The Library of Congress describes it as the “most famous music video of all time” and it was the first of its kind to be inducted into the National Film Registry. John Landis directed the epic 13-plus minute video with undead dancers and Ola Ray playing MJ’s girlfriend. It is a mini movie and, like any of the final four, it could have been No. 1. It was that close.
3. All of the Good Ones are Taken - Ian Hunter: The former lead singer of the English band Mott the Hoople produced a tremendous album in 1981 called “Short Back ‘n Sides,” and this was the title track of his next record in 1983 with "the Big Man" Clarence Clemons on tenor sax. I believe I first saw this video, which was nominated for Best Direction at the MTV Awards, on the old NBC show Friday Night Videos and it has been my favorite ever since for its humor and storyline. The single made it to No. 25 on the Billboard chart.
2. Take on Me - A-ha: The Norwegian synth-pop band took this second version of the song to No. 1 in 1985 - largely on the back of the innovative second video directed by Steve Barron that won six MTV Awards. The video uses pencil-sketch animation as Bunty Bailey dives into the comic-book world and her boyfriend at the time - Morten Harket, the group’s lead singer - then tries to join her back in the real world.
1. You Might Think - The Cars: The song won the first MTV Video of the Year award in 1984, beating out Michael Jackson’s Thriller among others, and reached No. 7 on the Billboard chart. It was one of the first to use computer graphics as songwriter and singer Ric Ocasek goes in full pursuit of beautiful model Susan Gallagher. No doubt the best scene is when Ric pushes Susan’s prom date out of the picture. It’s humorous, sells the song and is well lip-synched. R.I.P. Ric and Benjamin Orr.
