When MTV Actually Played Music
The 1980s weren’t just about shoulder pads and Rubik’s Cubes—they were when music videos ruled the world. MTV wasn’t background noise, it was the main event. From zombies moonwalking to pop stars swinging on chandeliers, videos became just as important as the songs. Let’s rewind the tape and relive the most iconic music videos of the ‘80s—the ones that had us glued to the TV and begging for “just one more replay.”
And there is no better place to start then with...
Thriller (Michael Jackson)
Michael Jackson didn’t just release a music video—he dropped a 14-minute horror blockbuster. Thriller had werewolves, zombies, and the most famous dance routine ever. The red leather jacket became Halloween costume royalty, and Vincent Price’s creepy voiceover sealed the deal. Forget just music videos—this was pop culture history.
Michael Jackson - Thriller (Official 4K Video), Michael Jackson
Like a Virgin (Madonna)
Madonna sailing through Venice in a wedding dress? Iconic. Like a Virgin was provocative, playful, and pure ‘80s attitude. With lions, canals, and Madonna’s signature smirk, the video made clear she wasn’t just another pop star—she was rewriting the rules.
Madonna - Like A Virgin (Official Video), Madonna
Take On Me (A-ha)
This was the video that made everyone say: “Wait, how did they do that?!” Take On Me mixed live-action romance with rotoscoped comic book animation, and the result was jaw-dropping. A-ha didn’t just release a song—they gave MTV a piece of art that fans still geek out over.
a-ha - Take On Me (Official Video) [4K], a-ha
Sweet Child O’ Mine (Guns N’ Roses)
No pyrotechnics, no wild sets—just a band jamming in a warehouse. Sweet Child O’ Mine felt raw and real, and that’s what made it legendary. Slash’s top hat, Axl’s snake-like dancing, and that timeless riff turned this stripped-down video into a hard rock time capsule.
Material Girl (Madonna)
Before anyone called her the Material Girl, Madonna made sure we saw it in neon. Channeling Marilyn Monroe’s Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend: the pink gown, glittering diamonds, and cheeky attitude made this one unforgettable. It wasn’t just homage—it was Madonna announcing she was pop royalty. Long live the Queen of Pop.
Madonna - Material Girl (Official Video) [HD], Madonna
Hungry Like the Wolf (Duran Duran)
This wasn’t just a video—it was an adventure movie with a killer soundtrack. Filmed in Sri Lanka, Hungry Like the Wolf had jungle chases, mysterious women, and exotic locations that made MTV feel like the silver screen. Duran Duran weren’t just a band; they were stylish explorers.
Duran Duran - Hungry like the Wolf (Official Music Video), Duran Duran
You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) (Dead or Alive)
Pete Burns didn’t just sing—he spun into orbit. You Spin Me Round was wild makeup, eye patches, and flamboyant chaos, with a camera that wouldn’t stop circling. It wasn’t polished—it was glorious, eccentric, and impossible to forget.
Dead Or Alive - You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) (Official Video), Deadoralivetv
Every Breath You Take (The Police)
Moody black-and-white, Sting’s piercing stare, and a haunting vibe—Every Breath You Take looked elegant, but it was also creepier than fans first realized. People thought it was a love song; nope, it was basically a stalker anthem. MTV played it nonstop anyway, and it became one of the most recognizable videos ever.
The Police - Every Breath You Take (Official Music Video), The Police
Walk This Way (Run-DMC & Aerosmith)
Few videos captured a cultural shift like this. Walk This Way had Run-DMC literally busting through a wall to jam with Aerosmith, and it changed music forever. Hip-hop and rock shook hands, and MTV was never the same again.
RUN DMC - Walk This Way (Official HD Video) ft. Aerosmith, RUN DMC
Girls Just Want to Have Fun (Cyndi Lauper)
If joy could be bottled, it would look like this video. Cyndi, in outrageous clothes, dancing through the streets with her mom (played by her real mom!), made Girls Just Want to Have Fun a colorful, feel-good anthem. It wasn’t just fun—it was feminist, funky, and fabulous.
Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Want To Have Fun (Official Video), Cyndi Lauper
Sledgehammer (Peter Gabriel)
This video looked like someone threw every animation trick into a blender—and it worked. Claymation, dancing fruit, stop-motion chaos—Sledgehammer was a visual feast. It wasn’t just groundbreaking, it was award-hoarding, sweeping the MTV VMAs like no other.
Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer (HD version), Peter Gabriel
Beat It (Michael Jackson)
Who else could turn a gang fight into a dance battle? Beat It had leather jackets, finger snaps, and Eddie Van Halen ripping a solo. Michael Jackson looked tough, but still smooth enough to glide across the streets. It was part West Side Story, part pure pop magic.
Michael Jackson - Beat It (Official 4K Video), Michael Jackson
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) (Eurythmics)
A woman in a suit stroking a cow in a boardroom? Yep—that’s Annie Lennox. Sweet Dreams was surreal, stylish, and completely hypnotic. With Lennox’s androgynous look and a synth beat that defined the decade, it was the video that proved weird could be iconic.
Here I Go Again (Whitesnake)
Forget the car—okay, don’t forget the car. Tawny Kitaen’s cartop gymnastics in Here I Go Again became instantly legendary. Add in David Coverdale’s rock-star swagger, and suddenly this power ballad had the most unforgettable visuals of the glam-metal era.
Whitesnake - Here I Go Again '87 (Official Music Video), RHINO
Addicted to Love (Robert Palmer)
This was cool minimalism at its finest. Robert Palmer, deadpan and suave, backed by a “band” of models in identical dresses, made Addicted to Love a slick, stylish MTV staple. It was so good, Palmer just kept reusing the concept—and nobody complained.
Robert Palmer - Addicted To Love (Official Music Video), Robert Palmer
Karma Chameleon (Culture Club)
Boy George didn’t just wear outfits—he created entire color explosions. Karma Chameleon turned a riverboat into a flamboyant parade, mixing camp and charm. George’s charisma made every frame pop, and the video was as bold as the song’s chorus.
Culture Club - Karma Chameleon (Official Music Video), Culture Club
We’re Not Gonna Take It (Twisted Sister)
This was rebellion cranked to 11—with a laugh track. We’re Not Gonna Take It had slapstick gags, outrageous costumes, and a strict dad who couldn’t win. It was basically a cartoon with guitars, and it made Twisted Sister the face of gleeful teenage revolt.
Twisted Sister - We're Not Gonna Take It (Official Music Video), Twisted Sister
Love Is a Battlefield (Pat Benatar)
Pat Benatar didn’t just sing—she starred in her own music-video soap opera. Running away from home, falling into a shady dance club, and leading a synchronized uprising, Love Is a Battlefield was both a power ballad and a mini-drama.
Pat Benatar - Love Is A Battlefield (Official Music Video), Benatar Giraldo
Jump (Van Halen)
Green screen? Check. David Lee Roth doing high kicks? Double check. Jump wasn’t about effects—it was about pure rock-star energy. Roth clowning around, Eddie shredding, and the band looking like they were having the time of their lives—it was impossible not to smile.
Van Halen - Jump (Official Music Video) [HD], Van Halen
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (Wham!)
Neon shorts, “Choose Life” shirts, and George Michael beaming like the sun—this was happiness bottled in video form. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go was goofy, bright, and endlessly danceable. If MTV had a dictionary, this would be the definition of pop joy.
Wham! - Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (Official Video), Wham!
Don’t You Want Me (The Human League)
Shot like a film set within a film, Don’t You Want Me gave fans behind-the-scenes drama with a cinematic twist. With new wave cool and a touch of soap opera, it made The Human League’s biggest hit feel even more dramatic.
The Human League - Don't You Want Me (Official Music Video), The Human League
In the Air Tonight (Phil Collins)
Moody lighting, a stool, and Phil Collins staring into your soul—that’s all it took. In the Air Tonight was proof that less can be more, especially when paired with that bone-rattling drum break. It’s one of the most hypnotic videos of the decade.
Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight (Live) [1080p], Stoned Tripper
Owner of a Lonely Heart (Yes)
Weird transformations, snakes, soldiers—Owner of a Lonely Heart was a fever dream set to prog-pop. Sure, it was bizarre, but it matched Yes’s experimental vibe perfectly. MTV loved it because it was the kind of video you couldn’t look away from, even if you didn’t understand it.
YES - Owner of a Lonely Heart (Official Music Video), yesofficial
Rock Me Amadeus (Falco)
Falco made classical music MTV-ready with powdered wigs, lavish costumes, and swagger. Rock Me Amadeus was ridiculous, campy, and impossible not to love. It was half history lesson, half glam-rock fantasy—and all attitude.
Falco - Rock Me Amadeus (Official Video), Falco
Dancing in the Dark (Bruce Springsteen)
Bruce Springsteen pulled a young fan out of the crowd to dance—and launched Courtney Cox’s career. Dancing in the Dark was simple, sweet, and captured Bruce’s everyman charm. Sometimes all you need is a spotlight and a little spontaneity.
Bruce Springsteen - Dancing In the Dark (Official Video), Bruce Springsteen
She Drives Me Crazy (Fine Young Cannibals)
This one was quirky perfection. Offbeat camera angles, jerky edits, and Roland Gift’s piercing falsetto made She Drives Me Crazy stand out. It was stylish without trying too hard—and that made it classic MTV material.
Fine Young Cannibals - She Drives Me Crazy (Official Video), London Records
Fight for Your Right (Beastie Boys)
Chaos. Food fights. Beer spraying everywhere. Fight for Your Right was basically a teen house party filmed for MTV, and it made the Beasties instant icons. Juvenile? Absolutely. Legendary? Without a doubt.
Beastie Boys - (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party) (Official Music Video), Beastie Boys
I Want to Break Free (Queen)
Freddie Mercury vacuuming in drag was one of the boldest and funniest visuals of the decade. I Want to Break Free poked fun at soap operas while showing Queen’s playful side. Some people didn’t get the joke, but the video is pure camp perfection.
Carl Lender, Wikimedia Commons
With or Without You (U2)
Bono, shadows, and an intense stare—that’s all it took for With or Without You to make U2 look like serious rock icons. Dark, moody, and brooding, it was the moment they shifted from post-punk to arena-filling legends.
U2 - With Or Without You (Official Music Video), U2
Money for Nothing (Dire Straits)
Remember those blocky, neon-colored computer graphics? Money for Nothing gave us MTV’s first brush with CGI animation, and it was clunky but revolutionary. Pair that with Sting’s “I want my MTV” hook, and you had a video that defined the channel’s early years.
Dire Straits - Money For Nothing (Official Music Video), Dire Straits
When Doves Cry (Prince)
Prince didn’t need a budget—he had mystique and charisma. When Doves Cry gave us shirtless bathtub scenes, purple backdrops, and that hypnotic stare. It was artsy, sexy, and oh-so-Prince. MTV couldn’t look away, and neither could anyone else.
Prince and the Revolution - When Doves Cry (Official Music Video), Prince
Time After Time (Cyndi Lauper)
This wasn’t just a video, it was a tearjerker in four minutes. Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time told the story of love, loss, and heartbreak, with Lauper’s expressive face carrying every emotion. It showed that videos didn’t have to be wild—they could tug at your heartstrings, too.
Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time (Official HD Video), Cyndi Lauper
Physical (Olivia Newton-John)
Leotards. Sweatbands. Over-the-top gym scenes. Physical turned the fitness craze into a campy, tongue-in-cheek classic. Olivia Newton-John somehow made workout parody both sexy and hilarious—and MTV couldn’t get enough of it.
Olivia Newton-John - Physical (Official Music Video), Olivia Newton
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