# Great song but terrible music video **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 13, 2020, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-song-but-terrible-music-video/851703 "2020-04-13T16:20:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-song-but-terrible-music-video/851703/41 "2020-04-14T02:53:14Z")
> [@you\_with\_the\_face](#): > > I don’t understand how an artist’s clothes detract from his/her music. Songs are an auditory medium.You don’t have to watch videos to enjoy music. > > If you’re saying it’s hard to enjoy a video when you are put off by the artist’s appearance, I get that. But I read your statement as being about Prince’s talent in general. I expressed myself poorly. I apologize. I have absolutely no problem with Princes appearance (I never even noticed his horsey face :p) but that belly shirt he was wearing… However, now that you and Monstro and Wooky have pointed out where Im going wrong Ill try to ignore appearance and enjoy an artists talent. I always have loved Prince. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-song-but-terrible-music-video/851703/42 "2020-04-14T02:56:38Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > I nominate [“Don’t Look Any Further”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CH3rx8LhrQo) by Dennis Edwards featuring Sideah Garrett. That video is so bad it’s awesome. And so is [I’ll be Good](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NSBc213gV8) by Rene and Angela. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-song-but-terrible-music-video/851703/43 "2020-04-14T03:11:56Z")
I love Lizzo & everything she does, and I love the song “[Water Me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49I6JrUnSQg)” but I don’t get the video. A bunch of people doing different things with water. The end. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-song-but-terrible-music-video/851703/44 "2020-04-14T03:24:15Z")
https://www.youtube.com/embed/ov7riaL5Fbw?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=PLvCc-sEvPHfOBIFd7Eva0il7DDHzvj17h Pet Shop Boys Paninero…a great cllub song but the vid has a strange vibe. Neil Tennant looks like a young Anthony Bourdain. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-song-but-terrible-music-video/851703/45 "2020-04-14T06:38:32Z")
> [@vonespy](#): > > I have to wonder if the visual cheapness of Rush videos isn’t somehow related to the reclusive nature of Peart. He was pretty famous for wanting to avoid the limelight, preferring instead to spend his free time on tour driving his BMW motorcycle or auto to various landmarks. Pretty sure I passed Neil on a dirt road, heading the other way. I had a bad leg injury and was heading home as fast as I could, or I would have stopped and said hello. I gave a half-hearted wave and motored on. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-song-but-terrible-music-video/851703/46 "2020-04-14T07:02:43Z")
[quote=“madsircool, post:2, topic:851703”] The decent song but embarrassing video by Billy Squier that ruined his career. [/QUOTE] This is commonly accepted, but I really wonder if that was the cause. He’s put out several albums since that horrible video, has anyone here given them a listen? If the video truly ruined him, then those albums should contain catchy songs with great guitar riffs. His talent should remain. I listened to some of his later stuff several years back on YouTube and decided there was a real reason why his star fell. He wouldn’t be the first nor last to lose the thread. ---
**Author:** ![LLCoolL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/llcooll/32/3596_2.png) [@LLCoolL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LLCoolL)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-song-but-terrible-music-video/851703/47 "2020-04-14T10:01:56Z")
> [@Sefton](#): > > [True Faith](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfI1S0PKJR8) by New Order I was fascinated by that video back in the 80s. Looking back on it now … yeah, I don’t know what I was thinking. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-song-but-terrible-music-video/851703/48 "2020-04-14T12:00:04Z")
ZZ Top is one of my favorite bands of all time, but their videos don’t serve them well. ["Gimme All Your Loving"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae829mFAGGE)could make for a great video, but didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-song-but-terrible-music-video/851703/49 "2020-04-14T12:02:10Z")
> [@LLCoolL](#): > > I was fascinated by that video back in the 80s. > > Looking back on it now … yeah, I don’t know what I was thinking. Best not to think about it too much at all. It is quirky certainly but clearly an arty dance piece perfectly in keeping with previous New Order videos. I’m no fan of dance in general and I’d take it over myriad mass-ensemble over-choreographed monstrosities of the mid-80’s. (yes Mr. Jackson I’m looking at you). ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-song-but-terrible-music-video/851703/50 "2020-04-14T12:16:16Z")
> [@LLCoolL](#): > > I was fascinated by that video back in the 80s. > > Looking back on it now … yeah, I don’t know what I was thinking. > [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > Best not to think about it too much at all. It is quirky certainly but clearly an arty dance piece perfectly in keeping with previous New Order videos. > I’m no fan of dance in general and I’d take it over myriad mass-ensemble over-choreographed monstrosities of the mid-80’s. (yes Mr. Jackson I’m looking at you). I think its a very good and creative video. The fact that it is still interesting 35 years later tells me that it achieved its purpose as a work of art. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-song-but-terrible-music-video/851703/51 "2020-04-14T12:42:24Z")
[99 Red Balloons](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6gp9i110U0) by Nena, when it came out circa 1983, seemed like the first of… well, something. A specific type of German-fueled New Wave with a message, girl power that was a tonic for the disappointment that was the Go-Gos and the Bangles. The German-language video was kind of nice. The American, English-language video chopped up the original footage, made it look even more super-cheap, and did such a disservice to the song that, as far as I know, she never had another hit in the States. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-song-but-terrible-music-video/851703/52 "2020-04-14T12:43:46Z")
Dexy’s Midnight Runners had a hit with [Come on Eileen](https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3g8gky). The video always made me want to take a shower afterward. Like as if smellevison was a thing, it would clear the room. ---
**Author:** ![vonespy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vonespy/32/6204_2.png) [@vonespy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vonespy)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-song-but-terrible-music-video/851703/53 "2020-04-14T12:47:19Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Pretty sure I passed Neil on a dirt road, heading the other way. I had a bad leg injury and was heading home as fast as I could, or I would have stopped and said hello. I gave a half-hearted wave and motored on. I would have loved to meet Neil. He wrote in his books (interesting tour journals mostly) about how uncomfortable he was with fans trying to catch him to talk to him. Neil may have talked to you, depending on his mood. Or he may have sent his security guy (who always traveled with him) to ask you politely to leave Neil alone. I’m not sure that he ever enjoyed touring and hanging out with fans. It was something he endured for the band and Alex and Geddy. He enjoyed playing and recording but never got used to the limelight. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-song-but-terrible-music-video/851703/54 "2020-04-14T13:03:19Z")
I’ve never enjoyed the video to ["The Distance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_HoMkkRHv8) by Cake. Love the song, though. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-song-but-terrible-music-video/851703/55 "2020-04-14T15:51:44Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > I think its a very good and creative video. The fact that it is still interesting 35 years later tells me that it achieved its purpose as a work of art. The same choreographer, Philippe Decouflé, also did [Fine Young Cannibals’ “She Drives Me Crazy”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtvmTu4zAMg). That’s marginally less eccentric and works better. Imagine being a dancer in his troupe. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-song-but-terrible-music-video/851703/56 "2020-04-14T15:57:29Z")
[Eruption/You Really Got Me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X6e7uctAww) Top five for one-two punch songs but…is this the best they can do? Their “Pretty Woman” video is also…mehhh ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-song-but-terrible-music-video/851703/57 "2020-04-14T19:43:04Z")
So many of these videos might be dated but I don’t think most of them are bad. I won’t argue that Pat Benetar’s “Shadows of the Night” belongs on anyone’s top ten list but it isn’t bad. Nena’s 99 Red Balloons? Yeah, that’s bad. “Come on Eileen” isn’t all that great either. And notice how they don’t have a drummer by the end of the video? Supposedly he either quit or was fired because the lead singer was a douche. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-song-but-terrible-music-video/851703/58 "2020-04-14T19:53:41Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > So many of these videos might be dated but I don’t think most of them are bad. I won’t argue that Pat Benetar’s “Shadows of the Night” belongs on anyone’s top ten list but it isn’t bad. Nena’s 99 Red Balloons? Yeah, that’s bad. “Come on Eileen” isn’t all that great either. And notice how they don’t have a drummer by the end of the video? Supposedly he either quit or was fired because the lead singer was a douche. Kevin Rowland. This is a bad song and a bad video. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/r54fZikFOu8/hqdefault.jpg "Kevin Rowland - Concrete and Clay") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r54fZikFOu8) ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Jocko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncle_jocko/32/2932_2.png) [@Uncle\_Jocko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Jocko)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2020, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-song-but-terrible-music-video/851703/59 "2020-04-14T22:48:12Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Same answer as before, and before that. _[Shadows of the Night](https://youtu.be/ZInRE-KryGA)_ by Pat Benatar. Nazis, air combat, the usual Benatar stuff. 😉 And a young Bill Paxton! As a Nazi! Judge Reinhold was in that video, too. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2020, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-song-but-terrible-music-video/851703/60 "2020-04-15T02:11:36Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > [Eruption/You Really Got Me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X6e7uctAww) > > Top five for one-two punch songs but…is this the best they can do? > > Their “Pretty Woman” video is also…mehhh It pre-dated MTV; what were you expecting? “Pretty Woman” was banned by MTV because of the whole gender-switching thing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-song-but-terrible-music-video/851703.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-song-but-terrible-music-video/851703.md?page=4)