April 09, 2010

Video Killed the Radio Star...But What Killed Good Videos?

I can clearly remember MTV's early years. I loved my MTV. I would sit with my dad and watch Madonna, Dire Straits, ZZ Top, and Cyndie Lauper tell stories through their songs. MTV in the 80s was awesome. MTV now is not. I know they still do Music Video Awards on MTV, but do they actually show them anymore? I swear all they have now are reality TV shows. Even if they do show them, music videos today are nothing like music videos of the past; they barely ever tell a story anymore.

When I was in high school, I had a weird pastime. I loved music, and loved lying on our living room couch with the headphones on listening to the radio. While listening, in my head, I would make up my own ice skating routines, dance routines, and music videos to whatever song happened to be playing. I always kind of wondered if I brought my skating routine ideas to coaches if they would actually work, or if they would be physically impossible to do.

I still do this from time to time...ok, I do it a lot. And this week, students at the college I work at are making their own music videos for Student Senate's annual MVA's (Music Video Awards). There have been some really, really fantastic ones in years past. The faculty and staff are even getting involved this year and are making their own; I am on the planning committee for it.

This has caused me to again hear songs and build music videos in my head. I have created music videos for most of the departments on campus that will never get made...but they're entertaining to me.

In honor of music videos of the past, I am sharing with you my All Time Favorite music video from my childhood. If I were a judge at the college MVA's and someone recreated this, they would get an automatic WIN from me...it is that good...

1 comment:

sam said...

Yes!! Best video ever. I loved this one back in the day, too.