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