A THREAD ABOUT 1988'S BIGGEST MUSIC VIDEOS

In 1988, I watched the year-end MTV countdown and videotaped the whole shebang. Some years back, I stumbled on the VHS tapes and realized they were pop-culture gold. So I started writing up each clip (even each commercial break).

And then I got busy--living life, writing books (some of them about MTV)--so the pace of the countdown slowed. But since current events mean that you and I are both spending a lot of time inside, this seemed like an excellent time to revisit the countdown!

I'm going to roll out one clip a day for a while, and obviously this will solve all of the world's problems.

#100 ON THE MTV 1988 COUNTDOWN

Keith Richards, "Take It So Hard"

"Video cliché alert #2: although the band is outside, somehow there is a ceiling fan."

http://rulefortytwo.com/2008/05/08/1988-countdown-100-keith-richards-take-it-so-hard/

Keith Richards at #100:

#99 ON THE MTV 1988 COUNTDOWN

Crowded House, "Better Be Home Soon"

"The propsmaster appears to have cut a deal with a local furniture warehouse, or maybe the stage is being set up for a production of Chair: The Australian Tribal Furniture-Love Musical."

http://rulefortytwo.com/2008/05/13/1988-countdown-99-crowded-house-better-be-home-soon/

1988 COMMERCIAL BREAK #1

Michelob Dry, The January Man, Conductor batteries, and an MTV promo for "tomorrow's stars today": Escape Club, Edie Brickell, Information Society, Living Colour, Siouxsie and the Banshees, White Lion.

http://rulefortytwo.com/2008/05/15/1988-countdown-commercial-break-1/

#98 ON THE 1988 MTV COUNTDOWN

Vixen, "Edge of a Broken Heart"

"Stiletto boots decorated with silver chains, a dramatically swelling synthesizer, scarves tied to the microphone stand, lots of makeup and hairspray–this must be a hair-metal band!"

http://rulefortytwo.com/2008/05/20/1988-countdown-98-vixen-edge-of-a-broken-heart/

Vixen at #98 on the countdown:

#97 ON THE 1988 MTV COUNTDOWN

Rick Astley, "Together Forever"

"As she walks away, Astley expresses himself the way he knows best, by soulfully running his hand through his hair."

http://rulefortytwo.com/2008/05/22/1988-countdown-97-rick-astley-together-forever/

Rick Astley at #97 on the countdown:

1988 COMMERCIAL BREAK #2

Ads for MTV's Big Bang '89 telecast, Coca-Cola (featuring Earth Wind and Fire!), Talk Radio (the movie), and a Silver Eagle compilation of Michael Jackson's Motown hits. Plus an MTV bumper.

http://rulefortytwo.com/2008/05/27/1988-countdown-commercial-break-2/

The unbelievably trippy Coke ad starring EWF, as seen on the 1988 MTV countdown:

"Quick cuts of a snowstorm, silver space aliens, dancing black girls, and then out of nowhere, Earth, Wind and Fire materialize on a quasi-extraterrestrial set that looks like it’s been stuck on the backlot since the original Star Trek went off the air in 1969."

(NB the specific Coke product being advertised is actually Coca-Cola Classic, which was the return of old-formula Coke after New Coke flopped)

#96 ON THE 1988 MTV COUNTDOWN

Glenn Frey, "True Love"

"'It serves as a metaphor for what I’m sort of setting out to do this year.' Save the planet? Stockpile a lifetime supply of mousse? Eat Don Henley’s liver?"

http://rulefortytwo.com/2008/05/29/1988-countdown-96-glenn-frey-true-love/

Glenn Frey at #96 on the countdown:

#95 ON THE 1988 MTV COUNTDOWN

Bangles, "In Your Room"

"The video has lots of opening doors, because doors lead to rooms, and lots of spirals, because they’re a cheap visual effect. It opens, daringly enough, with spirals superimposed on opening doors."

http://rulefortytwo.com/2008/06/03/1988-countdown-95-the-bangles-in-your-room/

The Bangles at #95 on the countdown:

A BONUS VIDEO ON THE 1988 MTV VIDEO COUNTDOWN

Def Leppard, "Armageddon It"

"Kevin Seal explains that the top-100 countdown will, in fact, have more than 100 songs in it."

http://rulefortytwo.com/2008/06/05/1988-countdown-def-leppard-armageddon-it/

Def Leppard, with a clip unranked on the countdown but nevertheless played during it:

1988 COMMERCIAL BREAK #3

Ads for "Michael Jackson Sunday" (featuring the premiere of "Leave Me Alone"), Rain Man, and the Time-Life "Mysteries of the Unknown" series of books.

http://rulefortytwo.com/2008/06/10/1988-countdown-commercial-break-3/

"The 'Leave Me Alone' video was clearly meant to be an ironic skewering of Jackson’s own image, letting us know he was in on the joke. But it has a hyper-defensive tone that starts with the title, and instead managed to cement the notion that something just wasn’t right."

Michael Jackson's "Leave Me Alone," as featured in Moonwalker:

#94 ON THE 1988 MTV COUNTDOWN

Michael Jackson, "Another Part of Me"

"He struts back and forth across the stage, and periodically bobs his head or swivels his hips or throws a few limbs around. He’s a magnetic enough performer that he gets away with it."

http://rulefortytwo.com/2008/06/12/1988-countdown-94-michael-jackson-another-part-of-me/

MIchael Jackson at #94 on the countdown:

A better video for the same song, featuring a quick glimpse of @SherylCrow in a big red wig at 1:21:

#93 ON THE 1988 MTV COUNTDOWN

Cher, "I Found Someone"

"Cher, in the same chainmail outfit, struts down a traintrack. Her guitarist walks beside her, rocking out as he plays the solo. Wow, this is the most excellent video ever."

http://rulefortytwo.com/2008/06/17/1988-countdown-93-cher-i-found-someone/

Cher at #93 on the countdown:

#92 ON THE 1988 MTV COUNTDOWN

Pet Shop Boys, "Always on My Mind"

"A man adjusts his bad toupee; a ventriloquist’s dummy raises its eyebrows. Chris raises his own eyebrows and cracks a smile! An actual Chris Lowe facial expression!"

http://rulefortytwo.com/2008/06/19/1988-countdown-92-pet-shop-boys-always-on-my-mind/

The Pet Shop Boys at #92 on the countdown:

1988 COMMERCIAL BREAK #4

Ads for MTV (marionettes), The January Man, Bud Bowl I, the Formula 45 compilation LP, MTV (haircut).

"Formula 45 was also available under the title 1st and 10, with a picture of OJ Simpson on the cover."

http://rulefortytwo.com/2008/06/24/1988-countdown-commercial-break-4/

The Bud Bowl I commercial as seen on the MTV countdown (yes, with Roman numerals, they were already getting ready for sequels), plus footage of the actual Bud Bowl itself:

#91 ON THE 1988 MTV COUNTDOWN

Eric Carmen, "Hungry Eyes"

"Carmen looks across the industrial zone and sees his fantasy girl, who has wrapped herself around an aging guy with sunglasses and a mustache, who is either her pimp or Stan Lee."

http://rulefortytwo.com/2008/07/01/1988-countdown-91-eric-carmen-hungry-eyes/

Eric Carmen at #91 on the countdown:

#90 ON THE 1988 MTV COUNTDOWN

Natalie Cole, "Pink Cadillac"

"The girls look like they came straight from Pat Benatar’s 'Love Is a Battlefield' video, seeking political asylum as refugees from a hairspray-intensive war zone."

http://rulefortytwo.com/2008/07/08/1988-countdown-90-natalie-cole-pink-cadillac/

Natalie Cole at #90 on the countdown:

#89 ON THE 1988 MTV COUNTDOWN

The Traveling Wilburys, "Handle With Care"

"It’s nice of the band to include Keltner in the video, but it points to a huge missed opportunity: shouldn’t they have recruited Ringo Starr to be a Wilbury?"

http://rulefortytwo.com/2008/07/10/1988-countdown-89-the-traveling-wilburys-handle-with-care/

The Traveling Wilburys at #89 on the countdown:

1988 COMMERCIAL BREAK #5

Ads for MTV ("People really win on MTV"), Coca-Cola Classic, The January Man, Gillette, and MTV again (a "Ten-Second Film").

“Whoop-de-doo and la-di-da!”

http://rulefortytwo.com/2008/07/15/1988-countdown-commercial-break-5/

The "People Really Win on MTV" promo, as seen on the 1988 countdown:

#88 ON THE 1988 MTV COUNTDOWN

Michael Bolton, "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay"

"So, the video. I am sure you will be surprised to learn that Bolton spends most of it, yes, sitting on the dock of a bay."

http://rulefortytwo.com/2008/07/17/1988-countdown-88-michael-bolton-sittin-on-the-dock-of-the-bay/

Michael Bolton at #88 on the countdown:

And you might also be interested in the article I wrote for the NY Times years later about "Dock of the Bay" (the Otis Redding original, mostly, although Bolton was kind enough to give me a quote). https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/23/arts/music/otis-redding-sittin-on-dock-bay-anniversary.html