Unforgettable videos from the 'Teenage Kicks' era
November 21, 2014
The following list is by no means what I consider to be the "best" music videos. You really can't deny the artistry, say, of Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer," or the earth-shattering impact that A-Ha's "Take on Me" had on me and my 11-year-old friends, but none of those made this list. The following are the videos that, for whatever reason, stuck in my head so deeply, I could storyboard them for you from memory.
Squeeze - Black Coffee in Bed (1982) / Split Enz - One Step Ahead (1981)
"Black Coffee in Bed" was in heavy rotation in the early days of Mtv. I was eight, and everything about this song and its video represented a grown-up world that seemed so far away at the time, yet so intriguing. Also, I was convinced that Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze and Neil Finn of Split Enz were the same person, and I was in love with them both. Here began this young Mexican girl's love of white guys with floppy New Wave hair.
The Go-Gos - Our Lips are Sealed (1981)
I wanted to be a Go-Go. End of story. This video made me want to move to California, dance in fountains, and inspired countless hours of singing in front of the mirror with a hairbrush.
Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party (1985) / OMD - So In Love (1985)
These days, you can't walk into a Target store without seeing a Day of the Dead skull on a T-shirt. But in the '80s, these videos were the first time I saw elements of my culture incorporated into popular culture. It left a mark, and further validated, for me, that this music was awesome.
New Order - True Faith (1987) / Love & Rockets - No New Tale to Tell (1987)
Because people in funny costumes are awesome.
R.E.M. - Everybody Hurts (1992)
At the time R.E.M. filmed this video, they were my favorite band. And it just so happened that they chose my hometown of San Antonio, Texas, to shoot this video. Though I wasn't able to get a glimpse of the band in the mayhem, I'll forever recognize that very familiar sliver of Interstate 10 where it was shot.