# Videos that nearly ruin the song **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 28, 2017, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/videos-that-nearly-ruin-the-song/802914 "2017-11-28T01:25:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/videos-that-nearly-ruin-the-song/802914/1 "2017-11-28T01:25:54Z")
Peter Schilling’s “Major Tom (Coming Home)” is one of my favorite songs, I still get goose bumps during the chorus. I love the quirky techno beat and the isolated guitar bursts. The overall story line always got me. I haven’t thought about it in ages but it is briefly heard in “Atomic Blonde” so I sought out the video. Now I’m not into videos at all, but this one sucked big time. Really amateurish and Schilling’s bad lip synchs are devoid of any emotion. Reminds me of the SNL “Sprockets” bit about the German techno guy, “Now vee dance…” Much of it is shot in a junk yard, featuring stacks of old cars and some geezers sitting around. It just does not compliment the song, nor is it “artsy”. There are some elements that follow the story, quick cuts of rockets and some weightless floating (Where was that part filmed, anyway? The large round spacecraft, not the KC-135 scene). One inspired moment - right after the lyrics “…No reply”, a scene from inside a junk car with the door open and the “Door Ajar” warning light flashing red. And who was the babe? The only other good scene, perhaps, she is talking into a NASA microphone and blowing kisses to the Heavens. But then the camera zooms out and we see a topless Schilling pressing clothes on an ironing board. Reminds me of Nena of “99 Balloons” fame but that’s just wishful thinking. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/videos-that-nearly-ruin-the-song/802914/2 "2017-11-28T01:49:12Z")
The first video on any such list should be [Rock Me Tonite](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZvl2aqIyNg) by Billy Squire. It’s a generic 80’s rock song so there wasn’t a lot to be ruined, but the video is so blindingly terrible that it still qualifies. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/videos-that-nearly-ruin-the-song/802914/3 "2017-11-28T01:54:06Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > The first video on any such list should be [Rock Me Tonite](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZvl2aqIyNg) by Billy Squire. It’s a generic 80’s rock song so there wasn’t a lot to be ruined, but the video is so blindingly terrible that it still qualifies. OP says “nearly” ruined the song. 🙂 First song I thought of, too. ---
**Author:** ![magnusblitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@magnusblitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magnusblitz)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/videos-that-nearly-ruin-the-song/802914/4 "2017-11-28T02:03:35Z")
Journey’s “Separate Ways” video is pretty hilariously lame. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/videos-that-nearly-ruin-the-song/802914/5 "2017-11-28T02:30:56Z")
Iron Maiden’s Run To The Hills was to me a serious song. Then I saw the video. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/videos-that-nearly-ruin-the-song/802914/6 "2017-11-28T02:49:35Z")
“Allentown” by Billy Joel was a good song about unemployment in the Rust Belt. But the video would have worked better for a Village People song. Lots of sweaty muscle men doing gay choreography. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/videos-that-nearly-ruin-the-song/802914/7 "2017-11-28T03:44:16Z")
the petshop boys Home and Dry video… the sweet little song was about a guy missing his SO whos on a business trip … The video was a bunch of rats running up and down a railroad track that was supposed to represent the "rat race " fans weren’t happy… Same thing with the In London video the video was supposd to be artistic but was about a guy in a superhero suit bumming for money in a park … ---
**Author:** ![Anglachel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Anglachel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anglachel)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/videos-that-nearly-ruin-the-song/802914/8 "2017-11-28T04:03:05Z")
Everlong by the Foo Fighters. Great song, very serious and subtle. Most ridiculous video ever. Some kind of hillbilly based comedy. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/videos-that-nearly-ruin-the-song/802914/9 "2017-11-28T04:23:50Z")
‘Wicked Game’ by Chris Isaak. Such a lovely haunting song, and it’s ruined by a coy, soft-porn ‘lookit me I’m topless, tee hee’ bimbo on a beach. It’s spoiled forever, might as well have had an artsy black and white montage of dogs taking shits. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/videos-that-nearly-ruin-the-song/802914/10 "2017-11-28T04:26:57Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > ‘Wicked Game’ by Chris Isaak. Such a lovely haunting song, and it’s ruined by a coy, soft-porn ‘lookit me I’m topless, tee hee’ bimbo on a beach. It’s spoiled forever, might as well have had an artsy black and white montage of dogs taking shits. Wait, what? The Herb Ritts video? That’s beautiful! ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/videos-that-nearly-ruin-the-song/802914/11 "2017-11-28T04:50:15Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > The first video on any such list should be [Rock Me Tonite](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZvl2aqIyNg) by Billy Squire. It’s a generic 80’s rock song so there wasn’t a lot to be ruined, but the video is so blindingly terrible that it still qualifies. Oh, hell, that song ruined his CAREER. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/videos-that-nearly-ruin-the-song/802914/12 "2017-11-28T04:56:45Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Oh, hell, that song ruined his CAREER. :rolleyes: That was what I was going to post, as well! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/videos-that-nearly-ruin-the-song/802914/13 "2017-11-28T05:05:00Z")
Not the first time I’ve posted [Lakeside’s Fantastic Voyage](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHvdu88WX6c) video. The lightbulb ship. The almost pirate costumes. The SAND!! It was the very early '80s, but still! The video is so terrible it can’t even make it to the end of the song. It does have one up on Major Tom in that at least it isn’t meant to be taken seriously. ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/videos-that-nearly-ruin-the-song/802914/14 "2017-11-28T13:05:06Z")
My vote is for [The Verve’s Bitter Sweet Symphony](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lyu1KKwC74). I saw the video a few times, hated the video and refused to even consider the quality of the song. Some time later, I heard the song on the radio and kind of liked it. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@Troy\_McClure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/videos-that-nearly-ruin-the-song/802914/15 "2017-11-28T13:36:05Z")
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark: Night Cafe The music is very nice, if bittersweet. The video is just nasty. [https://youtu.be/KPKzOAYu7qs](https://youtu.be/KPKzOAYu7qs) ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/videos-that-nearly-ruin-the-song/802914/16 "2017-11-28T13:57:04Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > The first video on any such list should be [Rock Me Tonite](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZvl2aqIyNg) by Billy Squire. It’s a generic 80’s rock song so there wasn’t a lot to be ruined, but the video is so blindingly terrible that it still qualifies. Yeah, any time you’ve got a video primarily composed of a middle-aged white guy doing the goofy, bouncy “80’s dance,” it’s going to be a spectacular train wreck. Also see: Rod Stewart - [Some Guys Have All the Luck](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY2WIFGQttE) [David Bowie & Mick Jagger - Dancing In The Street](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G4jnaznUoQ) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/videos-that-nearly-ruin-the-song/802914/17 "2017-11-28T14:01:25Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Yeah, any time you’ve got a video primarily composed of a **middle-aged white guy doing the goofy, bouncy "80’s dance,**" it’s going to be a spectacular train wreck. Also see: > > Rod Stewart - [Some Guys Have All the Luck](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY2WIFGQttE) > [David Bowie & Mick Jagger - Dancing In The Street](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G4jnaznUoQ) How about if he’s the straightest part of the video?(stolen from comments) Spoilered for 80s style NSFWness [_I’m Still Standing_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHwVBirqD2s)-Elton John ---
**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:** [November 28, 2017, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/videos-that-nearly-ruin-the-song/802914/18 "2017-11-28T14:06:41Z")
> [@Troy\_McClure](#): > > Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark: Night Cafe > > The music is very nice, if bittersweet. The video is just nasty. > > [https://youtu.be/KPKzOAYu7qs](https://youtu.be/KPKzOAYu7qs) WTF!? The creator of that needs some serious therapy. Hell, I need a little after watching it. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/videos-that-nearly-ruin-the-song/802914/19 "2017-11-28T14:19:42Z")
“We’ve been had” by the Walkmen is a lovely, fresh-sounding song, but seems they ran out of budget when it came time to make the [video](https://youtu.be/eoBGqLt96Pg). ---
**Author:** ![CheshireKat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheshirekat/32/1207_2.png) [@CheshireKat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheshireKat)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/videos-that-nearly-ruin-the-song/802914/20 "2017-11-28T14:22:44Z")
Escape Club’s \*Wild Wild West \*- a fun, upbeat tune from the late 80s but the official video is bizarre and distracting. Who on earth thought [**THIS**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ES3iNPcPL8) was a good idea? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/videos-that-nearly-ruin-the-song/802914.md?page=2)