Sweet Dreams are Made of This – Music Video Addict

My name is Laura and I am a music video addict.

 

I remember that wonderful summer of 1981 well.

 

I stayed a few weeks in Pennsylvania with my Dad, even though Mom-ster hated when I stayed there with his family. She especially hated it when I walked down the driveway to visit “Auntie” in her mobile home. 

I loved spending time with Auntie – she was funny and we would sit and watch game shows or her stories on TV. That day I visited her, Auntie let me watch TV while she went to take a bath and get dressed so we could go shopping. I never used a remote control for a TV before then, so it was fun for me, a kid only nine years old. 

Flipping through the channels, I settled on a talk show, and that’s when I saw the commercial that would soon change my life forever. 

 

“MTV – You’ll never look at music the same way again!”

 

A new cable channel, with nothing but music videos! This was truly revolutionary and I was ready to join the MTV army.

August 1 was only days away. When Auntie came back into the living room, I asked her if I could come over and watch MTV when it came on later that week. She agreed and said I could watch it during commercial breaks from her stories.

I was hooked from the first time I watched MTV. Cool video stories made to accompany music – what a genius new way to look at and appreciate music! 

 

Yes, it is true, MTV played all music, all the time – it truly was Music Television.

 

No reality shows like The Real World or Road Rules, just hours of music and programs about music. 

My all-time favorite MTV music show was 120 Minutes which aired on Sunday nights, with PostModern, Alternative Nation, Unplugged, and Headbangers Ball rounding out the top five.

Growing up in a home with no cable access, just antenna TV, made it difficult for me to get my MTV fix.

Unlike today, there was no YouTube to watch music videos. Because of my lack of access to cable, my older brother got tons of free babysitting from me, just so I could watch MTV and use his new VHS player to watch music documentaries like Duran Duran Sing Blue Silver.

 

Music was and still is my life; music videos have shaped me as a writer and an artist.

 

Ever notice how if you’re denied something as a child, like sugary fun cereals, that when you’re older you are drawn to them like moths to the flame? That is how I am with music videos.

With that being said, this is why all of my mixtape playlist posts have been YouTube playlists instead of playlists on Spotify. There’s just something more rewarding about watching a video to go with the music. Even those songs that didn’t have a video released, sometimes fans make videos, which expands the video genre even more and places it into the hands of the fans.

The following video playlist features some of my favorite New Wave videos from the heyday of MTV with groundbreaking videos from Duran Duran, fun videos from artists like Cyndi Lauper, Culture Club, The B-52’s, and ABC, and videos from iconic artists like David Bowie, Billy Idol, Peter Gabriel, Depeche Mode, Eurythmics, and Talking Heads.

What is your favorite music video from the early to mid 80’s?

 


  1. Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) – Eurythmics
  2. Rio – Duran Duran
  3. People Are People – Depeche Mode
  4. Rebel Yell – Billy Idol
  5. West End Girls – Pet Shop Boys
  6. Burning Down The House – Talking Heads
  7. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper
  8. Goody Two Shoes – Adam Ant
  9. Our House – Madness
  10. Rock Me Amadeus – Falco
  11. Weird Science – Oingo Boingo
  12. Doctor! Doctor! – Thompson Twins
  13. The Sun Always Shines One TV – a-ha
  14. Paranoimia – The Art of Noise with Max Headroom
  15. You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) – Dead or Alive
  16. The Reflex – Duran Duran
  17. Modern Love – David Bowie
  18. Wake Me Up Before You Go Go – Wham!
  19. Missionary Man – Eurythmics
  20. Dancing With Myself – Billy Idol
  21. It’s A Sin – Pet Shop Boys
  22. Send Me An Angel – Real Life
  23. Strip – Adam Ant
  24. 99 Luftballons – Nena
  25. Don’t You Want Me – The Human League
  26. Do You Really Want To Hurt Me? – Culture Club
  27. Rapture – Blondie
  28. Whip It – Devo
  29. Time After Time – Cyndi Lauper
  30. Don’t You (Forget About Me) – Simple Minds
  31. Let’s Dance – David Bowie
  32. Just Can’t Get Enough – Depeche Mode
  33. Shock The Monkey – Peter Gabriel
  34. The Edge of Heaven – Wham!
  35. Take On Me – a-ha
  36. Turning Japanese – The Vapors
  37. Never Say Never – Romeo Void
  38. I Know What Boys Like – The Waitresses
  39. Love Plus One – Haircut 100
  40. Rip It Up – Orange Juice
  41. Obsession – Animotion
  42. Everything Counts – Depeche Mode
  43. China Girl – David Bowie
  44. I’ll Tumble 4 Ya – Culture Club
  45. New Moon On Monday – Duran Duran
  46. Relax – Frankie Goes to Hollywood
  47. Puttin’ on the Ritz – Taco
  48. I Ran – A Flock of Seagulls
  49. Something About You – Level 42
  50. Rock Lobster – The B-52’s
  51. Tainted Love – Soft Cell
  52. Pop Muzik – M
  53. Save A Prayer – Duran Duran
  54. Words – Missing Persons
  55. The Metro – Berlin
  56. Voices Carry – ‘Til Tuesday
  57. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic – The Police
  58. Everybody Wants To Rule The World – Tears for Fears
  59. Wot – Captain Sensible
  60. The Look Of Love – ABC