3 Songs You Learned From Staying up Way Too Late Watching Mtv

These songs feel like staying up past your bedtime, pushing back against the rules with the help of some edgy rockers or promiscuous pop stars. These MTV songs were educational, to say the least. Their accompanying videos helped catapult these songs to popularity, and they still resound in pop culture today.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1983, MTV Aired the Most Influential Music Video of All Time With a 14-Minute Runtime and an Unprecedented Budget]

“Losing My Religion” — R.E.M.

R.E.M.’s signature song, “Losing My Religion”, got heavy rotation on MTV’s 120 Minutes. This late-night broadcast showcased the best and brightest of alternative rock, including this mammoth hit. The song itself was enticing enough, but the accompanying music video was as memorable as it gets. No wonder it did so well on MTV.

With religious iconography and a sense of isolation, the video perfectly captures the song’s lyrics. “That’s me in the corner / That’s me in the spotlight, losing my religion / Trying to keep up with you / And I don’t know if I can do it / Oh no, I’ve said too much / I haven’t said enough,” the lyrics read, providing a roadmap for this video. Seldom has a song been so perfectly paired with a visual.

“Sledgehammer” — Peter Gabriel

Few music videos have been as oddball as Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer”. This MTV staple dominated both daytime and late-night broadcasts. However, watching it after the sun goes down might have been a bit fever-dream-inducing.

The visuals feature a stop-motion style with endless creativity. It capitalized on the era’s visual fever. At this time, you couldn’t just create a great song; the visual had to be superb too. Gabriel delivered on all fronts. Many people know this song as much for its wacky video as for its melody or infectious chorus.

“Seven” — Sunny Day Real Estate

This 1990s song also played frequently on 120 Minutes. The mix of black-and-white band footage with animated oddball imagery made for a memorable video. The 1990s MTV era certainly got a kick out of it.

“Sew it on / Face the fool / The tide breaks, a wave of fear / And brave songs disappear,” the heady lyrics read. A song this existential needed a visual as playful and striking as this one to mellow it out a bit. Many kids during this era likely remember staying up way too late and discovering this track through its accompanying music video.

(Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)