# MTV is 30 years old today. What was your favorite early MTV video? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 1, 2011, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mtv-is-30-years-old-today-what-was-your-favorite-early-mtv-video/591033 "2011-08-01T13:36:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Agnostic\_Pagan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@Agnostic\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agnostic_Pagan)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mtv-is-30-years-old-today-what-was-your-favorite-early-mtv-video/591033/61 "2011-08-02T07:35:27Z")
> [@Don\_Draper](#): > > I remember there was a bit of a stir when this video came out. It was a minor hit in, I think '82 (it was later re-released after “Sweet Dreams” became a massive, era-defining hit and did much better.) But at the moment in the video when Annie Lennox rips off the blond wig to reveal her cropped hair, a lot of people thought that she was a man! (Remember that before Lennox, a woman in a crew-cut was almost unthinkable.) I think I remember reading about that after the fact, part of learning just how ridiculous our country can be at times (most of the time?). I do remember a classmate of mine back in 8th grade when Sweet Dreams came out - she went completely punk and got a purple crewcut, Annie Lennox style, and remember how much flak she got for that also. > [@](#): > > On that track, here’s a video that got played very early on - [Like a Bad Girl Should](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCYnTK9GvZc) by the Cramps. In its’ very earliest days, MTV dis actually show some pretty risque stuff, but quickly toned it down to pretty much the standards of broadcast channels. Yeah, I remember being slightly peeved about that - wasn’t one of the main selling points of cable channels is that they did not have to abide by broadcast standards? That did not last long. [QUOTE=salinqmind] MEN WITHOUT HATS - The Safety Dance…I still LOVE it today. [/QUOTE] I still love them also, (Pop Goes the World is my personal favorite of theirs) but they pissed me off as a teenager. Every time they came to Seattle, they always seemed to play only 21 and older venues - which never made sense to me. I could understand why The Cramps might do so, but not Men Without Hats. I don’t know who their booking agent was, but someone was dropping the ball big time. ---
**Author:** ![JpnDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@JpnDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JpnDude)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mtv-is-30-years-old-today-what-was-your-favorite-early-mtv-video/591033/62 "2011-08-02T07:44:40Z")
My all-time favorite pop song, _ **The Reflex** _ by Duran Duran. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mtv-is-30-years-old-today-what-was-your-favorite-early-mtv-video/591033/63 "2011-08-02T07:49:38Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > It’s a [Pierrot](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierrot) costume. Wrong. Watch all three videos. Bowie has a dozen different costumes in that video, and the point I linked to, 2 minutes and 22 seconds in, he’s wearing something that looks like a still-suit from _Dune_. It has tubes all over it. > [@](#): > > (Also, neither here nor there but I’d forgotten how much of a headache it gives me to watch Kate Bush.) Your loss. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mtv-is-30-years-old-today-what-was-your-favorite-early-mtv-video/591033/64 "2011-08-02T08:08:21Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > Poison Arrow - by Berlin? ABC ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mtv-is-30-years-old-today-what-was-your-favorite-early-mtv-video/591033/65 "2011-08-02T08:14:05Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Wrong. Watch all three videos. Bowie has a dozen different costumes in that video, and the point I linked to, 2 minutes and 22 seconds in, he’s wearing something that looks like a still-suit from _Dune_. It has tubes all over it. > Your loss. Whatever, dude. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mtv-is-30-years-old-today-what-was-your-favorite-early-mtv-video/591033/66 "2011-08-02T10:13:02Z")
**Rio** Duran-Duran [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/e3W6yf6c-FA/maxresdefault.jpg "Duran Duran - Rio") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3W6yf6c-FA) ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mtv-is-30-years-old-today-what-was-your-favorite-early-mtv-video/591033/67 "2011-08-02T11:54:54Z")
R.E.M. - [Stand.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLaSXpqp__E) ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mtv-is-30-years-old-today-what-was-your-favorite-early-mtv-video/591033/68 "2011-08-02T12:49:27Z")
> [@dinahmoe](#): > > “On the Loose” by Saga. We did that as a drum solo in marching band my sophomore year of high school. Yeah, that’s it. Saga. Huh. A couple more: Tom Petty’s post-apocalyptic world view in _You Got Lucky_. _Africa_, by Toto. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mtv-is-30-years-old-today-what-was-your-favorite-early-mtv-video/591033/69 "2011-08-02T12:58:12Z")
One of the all-time greats, Cyndi Lauper’s [Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIb6AZdTr-A) When I hear this song, my head automatically tilts side to side at the part where she does it in the video. Now, this one is my favorite video ever made. Tom Petty’s [Don’t Come Around Here No More](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0JvF9vpqx8). If I were Tom, I’d never take that costume off. Alice cake FTW! ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mtv-is-30-years-old-today-what-was-your-favorite-early-mtv-video/591033/70 "2011-08-02T14:16:59Z")
Corey Hart, [Sunglasses at Night](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2LTL8KgKv8&ob=av2e) ---
**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:** [August 2, 2011, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mtv-is-30-years-old-today-what-was-your-favorite-early-mtv-video/591033/71 "2011-08-02T15:33:20Z")
> [@Don\_Draper](#): > > [Owner of a Lonely Heart](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELpmmeT69cE) - Yes Thanks for posting the long version of this video. I remember the first time I saw it .. it starts like any old performance video in some studio, and got all the way to the chorus, but then .. WTF? Band members turning into animals? The entire song starting over? Some dark movie-like thing set in a fascistic society? Very cool. Of course, soon they started playing the shortened/combined version which wasn’t nearly as cool. > [@NDP](#): > > I’m not going to name any videos but during the early years of MTV, the one rule I developed was that the best videos were often the ones that didn’t take themselves seriously. Weird Al! I love his stuff … _Ricky_, _I Lost On Jeopardy_, _Eat It_, _Fat_ … remember when he’d “take over” the network and call it AlTV? “Fish heads, fish heads, roly poly fish heads …” ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mtv-is-30-years-old-today-what-was-your-favorite-early-mtv-video/591033/72 "2011-08-02T15:55:21Z")
Michael Jackson’s _Billie Jean_ which was, iirc, the first video ever put in regular rotation by MTV which featured an African-American artist. On March, 2nd, 1983, nearly two _years_ after the network debuted. ---
**Author:** ![SeldomSeen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@SeldomSeen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeldomSeen)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mtv-is-30-years-old-today-what-was-your-favorite-early-mtv-video/591033/73 "2011-08-02T16:28:41Z")
I didn’t pay MTV much mind at first…until my girlfriend at the time told me about this really neat video she’d fallen in love with. It was Bonnie Tyler’s _[Total Eclipse of the Heart](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=840B27zYfOk)_. So, watching it with her, this was my introduction to the music video as a separate art format. I always kind of liked Bonnie Tyler, so it was a good choice for an intro. Interesting aside - I looked up some background info on Bonnie Tyler prior to writing this. I never knew, until now, that she was originally from Wales. Had always just assumed she was an American artist. Ignorance fought! SS ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mtv-is-30-years-old-today-what-was-your-favorite-early-mtv-video/591033/74 "2011-08-02T16:41:53Z")
> [@SeldomSeen](#): > > I didn’t pay MTV much mind at first…until my girlfriend at the time told me about this really neat video she’d fallen in love with. It was Bonnie Tyler’s _[Total Eclipse of the Heart](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=840B27zYfOk)_. So, watching it with her, this was my introduction to the music video as a separate art format. I always kind of liked Bonnie Tyler, so it was a good choice for an intro. > > Interesting aside - I looked up some background info on Bonnie Tyler prior to writing this. I never knew, until now, that she was originally from Wales. Had always just assumed she was an American artist. Ignorance fought! > SS You _have_ seen the [literal version](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj-x9ygQEGA) of this, right? If not, go there now! You won’t be disappointed 🙂 (sorry if this was posted before and I missed it–I didn’t read through every response). My favorite early video is The Eurythmics’ [Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeMFqkcPYcg). I’m straight, but to this day I have a mad girl-crush on Annie Lennox from that video, with her orange hair and her suit and her riding crop. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mtv-is-30-years-old-today-what-was-your-favorite-early-mtv-video/591033/75 "2011-08-02T17:17:00Z")
Yeah, if I could carry off that haircut like she did, I’d do it in a second! Same color and all. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mtv-is-30-years-old-today-what-was-your-favorite-early-mtv-video/591033/76 "2011-08-02T17:24:25Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > You _have_ seen the [literal version](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj-x9ygQEGA) of this, right? Holy crap, that was hilarious! ---
**Author:** ![SeldomSeen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@SeldomSeen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeldomSeen)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mtv-is-30-years-old-today-what-was-your-favorite-early-mtv-video/591033/77 "2011-08-02T19:22:14Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > You _have_ seen the [literal version](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj-x9ygQEGA) of this, right? If not, go there now! You won’t be disappointed 🙂 Like!!😛 ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mtv-is-30-years-old-today-what-was-your-favorite-early-mtv-video/591033/78 "2011-08-02T19:36:36Z")
What? MTV had videos? I only watched it to see Martha Quinn. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mtv-is-30-years-old-today-what-was-your-favorite-early-mtv-video/591033.md?page=3)