The 1980s were a time of long hair, synth, spandex and of course, musicians placing emphasis on music videos.
Michael Jackson’s offerings were like short films, A-Ha experimented with animation and Whitesnake gave us the crush of the decade — model Tawny Kitaen dancing on two Jaguars.
As Whitesnake’s iconic “Here I Go Again” video turns 29, here are our favorite music videos when MTV actually played them.
“Hear I Go Again” by Whitesnake
Was there anyone on earth who didn’t want to hop into one of those two Jagaurs and drive off with Tawny Kitaen?
Whitesnake easily created one of the greatest ’80s videos — arguably one of the best ever — with their hit “Here I Go Again.”
The video features actress Tawny Kitaen posing and dancing on the hoods of two Jaguars XJs. She was also trying to seduce lead singer David Coverdale as he drove one of the cars.
Her seduction clearly worked as Kitaen is Coverdale’s wife. She would also appear in other Whitesnake videos in the decade like “Is This Love” and “Still of the Night.”
“Thriller” by Michael Jackson
Dancing zombies, werewolves, the voice of Vincent Price, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video had it all.
However what stood out the most was Jackson’s all-red outfit, topped off with a shiny crimson jacket.
Oh, all those zippers.
The jacket was perfect for enjoying popcorn while your girlfriend was terrified by a horror movie and leading a group of zombies in an elaborate dance number in the middle of the street.
Following the video, many Jackson fans went out and bought their own Jackets that they could dance the night away in.
“Take On Me” by A-Ha
A-Ha’s “Take On Me” music video was a game-changer with it’s pencil-sketch animation that altered between live action and black and white drawings.
The video was like watching an artist’s sketchbook come to life right before your eyes, while a song played that immediately gets stuck in your head.
“Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley
It’s hard to forget Rick Astley’s dance moves in the “Never Gonna Give You Up” video. The singer took Dad dancing to mainstream in 1987.
Astley’s moves were awkward, epic and memorable all at the same time. They showed he was truly never going to give up the person he loves.
After watching Astley moved side-to-side and shake his feet, it’s hard to believe this dance craze didn’t explode like the “Macarena.”
“We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister
The music video for “We’re Not Gonna Take It” had a memorable beginning with a father yelling at his son and asking him what he wanted to do with his life. The song boldly exclaimed “I wanna rock” before propelling his father out the window with a guitar riff and transforming into lead singer Dee Snider.
Snider’s hair was a beast of it’s own in the 80s. Many hair metal bands grew their hair out, but Snider’s blonde locks were first class.
Snider ran around in the video screaming Twisted Sister’s anthem of rebellion at parents, kids and a live audience while his hair whipped all over the place.
“Wake Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” by Wham!
Yes, George Michael was once in a band.
Wham!’s “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” is an annoyingly catchy song highlighted by a video that also started a fashion craze.
George Michael danced around wearing a Katharine Hamnett t-shirt design the read “CHOOSE LIFE” along with cut-off gloves. The band encouraged their fans to “Go-go buy” the shirt at the end of the video and sure enough they did.
The only other memorable video associated with this song was the scene in Zoolander where his model friends cover themselves in gasoline and choose to light up a cigarette.
“Whip It” by Devo
One can only imagine what people were thinking when Devo’s “Whip It” video came out in 1980.
The band looked like they crawled out of a Lego container and work red block-like hats on top of their head as lead singer Matt Mothersbaugh walked around striking things with a black whip.
Devo’s red hats became a staple of the group and they’re called energy domes. The hats look like pyramids and quickly became a hot item for their fan base.
Did we miss your favorite one? Let us know at @NYDNGossip #Cool80svids.
