Witness shoulder pads battling guitar riffs for dominance, while big hair rose toward the heavens as if aiming to kiss the stratosphere. It’s a high-voltage ride where sonic rebels claimed music videos as their personal playgrounds.
1. Tina Turner — “What’s Love Got to Do with It”
Filmed in 1984 in New York City, Tina Turner’s music video is full of blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameos, including Bruce Springsteen’s sister, Pamela Springsteen, and actress Vanessa Bell Calloway, who would later go on to star in Turner’s 1993 biopic, also entitled “What’s Love Got To Do with It.” The now-iconic track swept the 1985 Grammy Awards, with Turner winning Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
2. Pat Benatar
If Pat Benatar’s moves look familiar in her 1983 music video for “Love Is a Battlefield,” you’re not insane. The video was choreographed by Michael Peters, who also choreographed Michael Jackson’s music videos for “Thriller” and “Beat It.”
3. Eurythmics — “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)”
“We wanted our visual statements to be strong and powerful because we knew they’d be there forever,” Annie Lennox said of the “Sweet Dreams” music video, which skyrocketed her and Eurythmics bandmate Dave Stewart to MTV stardom. “I wore a suit in the video with my cropped hair. I was trying to be the opposite of the cliché of the female singer. I wanted to be as strong as a man, equal to Dave and perceived that way.”
4. Kate Bush — “Running Up That Hill”
As Kate Bush felt frustrated with how dance was used “quite trivially” in music videos — “It was being exploited: haphazard images, busy, lots of dances, without really the serious expression, and wonderful expression, that dance can give,” she said — she opted to create a “serious piece of dance” for her 1985 single, “Running Up That Hill.” The video ultimately reached 100 million views on YouTube in July 2022, thanks, in part, to the song’s usage in the fourth season of “Stranger Things.”
5. Stevie Nicks — “Edge of Seventeen”
While “Edge of Seventeen” may have peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, Nicks’ 1981 hit came in at 217 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
6. Bonnie Tyler — “Total Eclipse of the Heart (Turn Around)”
After decades of rumors claiming that Italian soccer star Gianfranco Zola appeared as a child in Bonnie Tyler’s music video for “Total Eclipse of the Heart (Turn Around),” the athlete set the record straight in 2012, clarifying that he had nothing to do with the work. But even without his appearance, the video still made its mark, surpassing one billion views on YouTube in September 2023.
7. Cyndi Lauper — “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”
Although “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” may be one of Cyndi Lauper’s most iconic hits, the music video cost just $35,000 to make.
8. Whitney Houston — “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)”
Filmed in New York City, Whitney Houston’s music video for “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” instantly became an MTV staple upon its release in May 1987. The video was ultimately remastered in 4K in 2009.
9. Blondie — “Heart of Glass”
“Heart of Glass” may be one of Blondie’s most iconic music videos, but frontwoman Debbie Harry originally had a much different vision for the song. “I wanted to dance around but they told us to remain static, while the cameras moved around. God only knows why,” she told The Guardian back in 2013. “Maybe we were too clumsy. I wore an asymmetrical dress designed by Steve Sprouse, made the boys’ T-shirts myself, and probably did my own hair. Everyone says I look iconic and in control, but I prefer our other videos.”
10. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts — “I Love Rock ‘n Roll”
While initially filmed in color, the final cut of Joan Jett & The Blackhearts’ now-iconic music video for “I Love Rock ‘n Roll” was in black and white, as the legendary front woman allegedly disliked the way her red jumpsuit looked on screen. Fortunately, Jett got a redo, releasing a different video for the song in 1993 to coincide with the release of “Wayne’s World 2.”
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