When MTV launched in August 1981, few understood how it would revolutionize the music industry. By 1982, music videos had come to define artists as much as their studio recordings. Video directors grew more ambitious as some clips resembled mini-movies and continued the trend of new technology changing the course of rock history.
Videos by American Songwriter
The role of MTV can’t be understated, and the accompanying music videos for these songs went a long way to turn the network into a cultural juggernaut.
“White Wedding” by Billy Idol
After his punk band, Generation X, broke up, Billy Idol emerged with a blend of new wave and hard rock on his debut solo album. He teamed up with ace guitarist Steve Stevens, whose iconic riffs have defined Idol’s best-known releases. Stevens’s intro arpeggios on “White Wedding” set the tone for the singer’s lip-sneering classic. It also set the stage for Idol’s blockbuster follow-up, Rebel Yell. And the visual of goth nuptials alongside Idol’s spiked blonde hair, gloved fist, and punk-Elvis snarl made “White Wedding” an MTV hit.
“Jack & Diane” by John Mellencamp
In 1982, John Mellencamp performed as John Cougar, but regardless of the name change, this little ditty remains his biggest hit. Mellencamp’s small-town romance anthem not only influenced future roots-minded artists, but it also showed that one didn’t need an outlandish video to find success. However, the studio track didn’t take shape until a glam rock legend got hold of it. Guitarist Mick Ronson helped arrange the song, contributing baby-rattle percussion and the stadium-size gang vocal: “Let it rock, let it roll.”
“Rock The Casbah” by The Clash
Punk’s first wave was over nearly as soon as it started. But The Clash survived and continued to evolve musically. The group infused its sound with reggae influences and also pushed punk toward its more commercially viable post-punk and new wave future. “Rock The Casbah” became the band’s only U.S. Top-10 single and influenced a generation of anti-establishment bands with punk attitudes, pop instincts, strong visuals, and lefty politics.
“Hungry Like The Wolf” by Duran Duran
“Hungry Like The Wolf” and its big-budget video made Duran Duran superstars. The cinematic clip was an early staple on MTV. It also helped pioneer what became the most essential way to promote records over the next two decades. After the chart-topping success of “Hungry Like The Wolf”, Duran Duran posters plastered the walls of countless teenagers obsessed with Simon Le Bon’s face. The exotic production, which was filmed in Sri Lanka, earned Duran Duran the first GRAMMY for Best Music Video.
Photo by Ross Marino/Getty Images
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.