Top 20 Decade Defining Music Videos of the 1980s

#20: Physical (1981)Olivia Newton-John

Were fairly confident that Physical by Olivia Newton-John probably wouldve been a hit without its iconic accompanying video. However, were also sure that it probably wouldnt have been AS big a success, if you know what we mean? Theres little in the way of subtlety here with regard to the prurient content contained within the video clip for Physical. Performers from both genders get equal time in the spotlight, with Olivia Newton-John and her cast of athletically inclined extras looking great on camera. This is despite the British-Australian singer actually confessing to Womans Day magazine back in the day about how she, at least initially, didnt make the connection!

#19: Simply Irresistible (1988)

Robert Palmer

It didnt matter that Robert Palmers ninth LP, Heavy Nova, was released near the tail end of the 1980s. The video clip for Simply Irresistible still managed to generate one of the most iconic musical images of the decade. Palmers early career was actually more indebted to psych, prog and jazz fusion acts, but there was no separating the singer from the legacy of this music video once it hit MTV. Palmers backup dancers are, to use an admittedly over-utilized word, iconic, primarily due to their homogenous appearance. Theyre beautiful, sure, but also very much indicative of that style over substance mantra that dictated many creative decisions during this period.

#18: White Wedding Pt. 1 (1982)Billy Idol

This former frontman for punk rockers Generation X became a certified solo star during the 1980s, thanks primarily to evocative video clips shot for songs like White Wedding. Music videos during the early age of MTV often played things very literal when it came to adapting the songs in question. The gothic style present within the wedding scene here is striking and arresting, with a lot of kinetic motion. This formula proved fruitful for Idol, and the singer would continue in this fashion with other, decade-defining videos for future songs like Rebel Yell and Eyes Without a Face.

#17: Welcome to the Jungle (1987)Guns N Roses

Its a tale as old as time, but the video for Welcome to the Jungle by Guns N Roses does a great job at presenting that wide-eyed innocent meets the big city vibe. The imagery of Axl Rose stepping off the bus and onto a rock n roll stage was one that helped introduce G n R to the masses back in 87. It also highlights just how much of an incendiary band they were during this time. The cuts to Guns N Roses furious stage presence pretty much tells us all we need, really - this was a band that talked the talk, but also walked the walk.

#16: Need You Tonight (1987)INXS

Its sad to think about what might have been with regards to Australias INXS. The late Michael Hutchences impossibly good looks helped launch his band to the stratosphere in the aftermath of video clips like Need You Tonight. Detractors might have otherwise derided INXS for riding these shallow coattails to successthat is if the band didnt also have the musical chops to back it up. Thankfully, they did, and Need You Tonight helped propel its accompanying album, Kick into the Billboard 200 chart with a bullet. Hutchence may be gone, but his legacy and work alongside INXS will never be forgotten.

#15: Dont Come Around Here No More (1985)Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Theres no forgetting this musical and visual collaboration between Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Dave Stewart of Eurythmics. Dont Come Around Here No More presents a darkly whimsical and wonderful adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, complete with Petty as The Mad Hatter. Theres even a bit of black comedic controversy to the clip, since it ends with Louise Foleys Alice being transformed into cake and consumed by Petty and his motley crew. Time has been quite kind to this video, however, since director Jeff Stein and crew clearly showed off all of their wonderful imagination.

#14: Land of Confusion (1986)Genesis

Youd easily be forgiven for not being aware of Spitting Image, the satirical puppet program that was popular in the U.K. during the 1980s. This does nothing to hamper the enjoyment we still receive out of watching this video clip for Genesis Land of Confusion, so many years later. Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford had puppet likenesses of themselves constructed by the creators of Spitting Image for this video, and the end results were fantastic. The political satire of the show was still in play, to boot, with Land of Confusion lampooning Reagan-era fears of mutually assured destruction and nuclear war.

#13: Straight Outta Compton (1989)N.W.A

Its important to realize that not every video block-hour of programming on MTV was composed of hair metal, Michael Jackson or British synth-pop. Hip-hop was, slowly but surely, gaining a foothold with the commercial masses. This was aided by the breakthrough collaboration between Run-DMC and Aerosmith, while N.W.A. inhabited the grittier and more realistic side of the spectrum. Straight Outta Compton spoke to a younger generation that was about to come of age during the nineties, and this had a huge resulting impact. Rap and hip-hop were about to take over the world very soon, and N.W.A. had a huge part to play within that narrative.

#12: Once in a Lifetime (1981)

Talking Heads

The MTV generation was treated to the Talking Heads own, very unique brand of weirdness with this video clip for Once in a Lifetime. Toni Basil, herself of Mickey fame, helped choreograph the video, although Basil told Uncut Magazine in 2007 how the Talking Heads David Byrne pretty much did his own thing during his dance sequences. This decision ultimately worked in the bands favor, since Byrnes herky-jerky motions and mugging for the camera effectively made Once in a Lifetime something of a calling card for the Talking Heads and the 1980s.

#11: Like a Prayer (1989)Madonna

Its difficult for those who werent there to understand the absolute stranglehold Madonna had over the pop culture zeitgeist of the 1980s. The Material Girl was everywhere, and she definitely earned every bit of those accolades laid at her feet during this very creative time. Like a Prayer was yet another step for Madonnas visual and conceptual evolution, a video clip that played around with religious iconography, racism and sexuality in a controversial manner. Reactions were indeed swift after the release of Like a Prayer, with just as many defending the bold video clip as deriding it as sinful or obscene. Today, however? We just have one word to describe this one: classic.

#10: Faith (1987)George Michael

George Michael flies solo here - although he almost made the cut with Wham! and dance-pop anthem, "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go." But, we've put our faith in "Faith" and all its leather jacketed, shiny shoed glory. In this video, Michael's unforgettable get-up is often copied, but never bettered. As the smartly edited close-ups suggest, it's the expertly accessorised details that do it... A single earring, some knockout shades, and jeans that are ripped in all the right places... He's a jukebox superstar!

#9: (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!) (1986)Beastie Boys

An all-out anthem ever since it was released, the video for "Fight For Your Right" is a literal reflection of the song's lyrics, and that's what makes it awesome. In the short film, the Beastie Boys bring their anarchic 'A game' to an otherwise event-free gathering... Transcending the tedium into cream pie-infused chaos. The trio regularly break the fourth wall, making accomplices of us all! 'Do you like parties??', because with this video, it's almost impossible not to try this at home.

#8: Hungry Like the Wolf (1983)Duran Duran

One of the earliest '80s videos to really stand out, "Hungry Like the Wolf" was also one of the first music videos to receive heavy rotation on MTV. It massively contributed to the rise of Duran Duran in general, and received particular praise for its cinematic quality. Shot in Sri Lanka, the narrative follows lead singer Simon Le Bon, as he pursues a tiger-like woman through the jungle. There're iconic images aplenty in this one, but we best remember his emergence out of a lagoon... It's all very "Apocalypse Now."

#7: Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1983)Cyndi Lauper

Arguably the anthem of the '80s, the video accompaniment to "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" is exactly that - very fun! It's packed full of classic '80s-style computer effects, it's got probably the most colorful cast ever assembled, and it boasts possibly the widest variety of sunshades ever worn. It became Cyndi Lauper's signature tune, and that dress became her signature look. And, what makes this video even more impressive is its relatively low cost... Most actors volunteered, and a lot of equipment was loaned out free of charge. No wonder everyone's smiling!

#6: Like a Virgin (1984)Madonna

The "Like a Virgin" video is Madonna at her most provocative. Set predominantly along the canals of Venice, images of the singer suggestively dancing on the city's famous gondolas are matched to another, alternative scene, where it's all white sheets and wedding dresses. Playing on the ideas of purity and sexual desire, there's even room for a real-life lion in this video(!), as the bestial power-play of sex is plainly alluded to as well... The film's empowering, it was eyebrow-raising, it'll always be iconic.

#5: Walk This Way (1986)Run-DMC feat. Steven Tyler & Joe Perry

Next, a video of two halves, and a hip hop hybrid trailblazer. NYC rap outfit Run-D.M.C. team up with stadium rock legends, Aerosmith, for what is widely considered one of the records of the decade. In the short film, a simple narrative shows both bands performing in studios next to each other, with Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler especially annoyed by this. So Tyler trashes the partition wall... And before we know it, we have an unexpected double-act on our hands. Unexpected, and undeniably brilliant!

#4: Money For Nothing (1985)Dire Straits

One of the first computer animated features ever made (especially in terms of music), Dire Straits' "Money For Nothing" almost didn't make it onto MTV at all. Lead singer Mark Knopfler was unenthusiastic about music videos in general, believing that they detracted attention away from the performance itself... But video director Steve Barron eventually brought Knopfler round, and the film picked up 'Video of the Year' at the third MTV VMAs in 1986! It looks almost primitive now, but it was trailblazing then!

#3: Take On Me (1984)a-ha

Another Steve Barron beauty, the legendary music video director is also the creative force behind our third place finisher. This iconic A-ha clip is actually the second video shot for "Take On Me", and, besides the aforementioned Dire Straits win, it dominated the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards. The film follows an unsuspecting comic book reader, as she becomes a literal part of the pages that she's reading. It's pencil-sketch animation meets live action film... And it all looks remarkably effortless!

#2: Sledgehammer (1986)Peter Gabriel

It has been labelled as the most played music video in MTV history, and the channel itself ranks "Sledgehammer" as the fourth greatest music video ever made. The praise heaped onto our runner-up was unprecedented! With claymation, pixilation and stop motion techniques all provided by the people who would go on to create "Wallace and Gromit," it's an unbridled celebration of all things animation. A picture of the progress that was being made at the time, the video for "Sledgehammer" really hit on something good.

#1 Never Gonna Give You Up! (1987)

Rick Astley

Rick rolled!

#1: Thriller (1982)Michael Jackson

Our winner is way more than the average music video. With a running time of over thirteen minutes, there's probably nothing to match "Thriller" in all of history, let alone just the '80s. The Michael Jackson anthem merged filmmaking with music like nothing else before it, and is often described as the most influential example of its format. Efforts were even made for it to be considered for an Oscar nomination, that's how much it transcends its contemporaries. We might've listed Jackson's "Beat It" on this list, but this record beats that - and everything else!

Which music video to you, best encapsulates this decade? Let us know in the comments!