VH1 Classic Presents: 80 Hours of the 80's

[pg13]

It seems like every channel has a marathon over the holiday weekend. VH1 Classic is no different. Instead of endless Law & Order: Criminal Intent episodes, however, VH1 Classic is totally reminding me of what it was like when MTV actually played music videos...with 80 Hours of videos from the 80's.

Actually, with commercials and original MTV VJ Mark Goodman reminding everyone EVERY TWO SONGS that he's aged as much, if not more, than the rest of us...it's more like 40 Hours of videos from the 80's...but that's still far more music television than anyone can expect nowadays...

One interesting thing they're doing is that they're doing these videos in artist alphabetical order... So, you get cool moments when in three videos they go from Dead Milkmen (Punk Rock Girl) to Dead Or Alive (You Spin Me Round Like A Record) to DeBarge (Rhythm of the Night). OR, a particular favorite of mine, they went from The Jacksons (Torture) to The Jam (That's Entertainment) to Rick James (Superfreak) to Janes Addiction (Mountain Song).

The other interesting thing is...they're not playing EVERY video they have in the vault for some of these bands...usually just one or two...but sometimes more...--so, what's got me addicted (and watching now...at 5:30am after a long night of post-Bumbershoot comedy partying) is trying to guess how many videos they will play of a particular artist. Then, if you want to go for bonus points, how about trying to guess which specific videos they'll pick (and which ones will be surprisingly left off...)


(And, yes, it is also fun to see which minor artists get remembered and which are totally forgotten...but that's proving harder to guess at...)

Anyone else caught in this particular vortex, or is it just me?

pg--Dude, they just played "Kayleigh" by Marillion...I'm NEVER going to go to bed if they keep this up...--seattle

PS--If anyone not watching feels like playing along...try guessing how many videos they played of each of these artists (and, if you want to try to guess what videos they played, I can answer those guesses, too...)

The Call
Cameo
Phil Collins
The Cult
Culture Club
The Cure
Def Leppard
The Gap Band
Genesis
Debbie Gibson
Icehouse
Billy Idol
INXS
Janet Jackson
Michael Jackson
Madonna
Paul McCartney

[mattmanser]

I've been hooked all weekend too, and am even taping it when I have to leave the house (damn you, lack of DVR!)

It's pretty great, but they really should have played more than 4 Hall & Oates videos.

[man124]

Damn, I wish i would have known about this earlier. And Speaking of Hall and Oats, did they play the video for Dreamtime? That is probably my favorite 80's video of all time, mainly for the people dressed in giant green violin costumes.

[sparkiepop]

I've been watching all weekend, too. I think it's kinda lame that they're going in alphabetical order, though. Wish is was just random. Loved "Oh Sheila" just now.

I always thought Pat Benetar sang "Harden My Heart."

[mattmanser]

did they play the video for Dreamtime?

No, unfortunately they ignored the solo work of Hall (as well as Oates).

I always thought Pat Benetar sang "Harden My Heart."

I'm very disappointed in you.

[isoS]

I've been watching all weekend, too.

Me too!

I always thought Pat Benetar sang "Harden My Heart."

Me too! (The end of that video is hilarious.)

Matt, if it makes you feel better, I don't think I've seen them play more than 4 videos for any artist. That seems to be the max.

[scamboogah]

I always thought Pat Benetar sang "Harden My Heart."

Don't ever make that mistake in Portland, Oregon. Quarterflash is like all they've got. I'm sure there's recent success stories from Rip City, but for 25 years, that song represented their entire contribution to popular culture...

[pg13]

I don't think I've seen them play more than 4 videos for any artist. That seems to be the max.

I think five is the max...

Micheal Jackson had five: Bad, Beat It, Billie Jean, Dirty Diana, The Way You Make Me Feel
Madonna had five: Borderline, Like a Prayer, Like a Virgin, Material Girl and Papa Don't Preach
Tom Petty had five: Don't Come Around Here No More, Free Fallin', I Won't Back Down, Refugee, Runnin' Down a Dream
Prince had five: 1999, Kiss, Little Red Corvette, Raspberry Beret, When Doves Cry

...but there are still some big letters yet to come...

pg--Wishes they would have played "Find Another Fool" by Quarterflash in addition to "Harden My Heart"...and more Roxy Music than just "More Than This"...and maybe even "Yankee Rose" by David Lee Roth.--seattle

PS--They played "What's He Got" by The Producers!!! Awesomeness!

[scamboogah]

It seemed like Genesis had about 7, but that may be because their videos are so fucking awful.

(Actually, I like Abacab, but the rest are shit sandwich)

[sparkiepop]

I fell asleep Friday night during Devo and woke up during The Eurythmics. Bummed I missed the Duran Duran block.

Loved the Fleetwood Mac and Falco blocks! I forgot how cool "Bastards of Young" by The Replacements was. Also nice to see "I Want Your (Hands On Me)" by Sinead O'Connor and how completely bored she was throughout the entire video.

I don't think this should ever end.

[pg13]

It seemed like Genesis had about 7, but that may be because their videos are so fucking awful.

(Actually, I like Abacab, but the rest are shit sandwich)

...and they didn't play Abacab!

Genesis had four: Misunderstanding, Invisible Touch, Land of Confusion, That's All

(You may have mixed in all the Phil Collins videos into your total there...)

pg--Agrees with Sparkiepop...about the coolness of "Bastards of Young" (and then they played "I'll Be You", which is one of the only "I guess we'll actually try" videos the 'Mats ever did) and about not wanting it to ever end.--seattle

PS--They played "On the Loose" by Saga, for heaven's sake.

PSS--I loved when they played "The Power & The Glory" by Saxon, when the singer asks the crowd "Can you feel the power?" it was while the camera had him in an underside full on crotch shot. That's what I loved about the 80's. Subtlety.

[Big Box Of Money]

I don't think this should ever end.

This is what VH1 Classic used to be - just 24 hours of old videos, there weren't even any commercial breaks(!) other than station bumpers. I'm not really sure what the point of the station is now, do we need another VH1 with a slightly different schedule? Maybe that's EXACTLY what this country needs.

[Jixby Phillips]

I wish I knew about this I feel so late to the party!

[mattmanser]

The end of (the Harden my Heart) video is hilarious.

Yes the end of "Harden my Heart" is hilarious and/or awesome! The bulldozer is great, then the torch makes it even awesomer.

This is what VH1 Classic used to be - just 24 hours of old videos, there weren't even any commercial breaks(!) other than station bumpers. I'm not really sure what the point of the station is now, do we need another VH1 with a slightly different schedule? Maybe that's EXACTLY what this country needs.

It's not really like VH1, since all their programming is at least music-related. And considering how much time I've wasted this weekend watching videos, it's probably good they don't show videos constantly.

Shouldn't Sheila E have been in the E's, not the S's?

[smartbunny]

No one does videos anymore with a 20-second freeze-frame at the end. Someone should do that. I'm talking to YOU, Coldplay!

[scamboogah]

One Simple Minds video?

The guy boned Patsy Kensit and Chrissy Hynde, for christ sake. His DNA's all over the 80s...

[isoS]

...and they didn't play Abacab!

Genesis had four: Misunderstanding, Invisible Touch, Land of Confusion, That's All

(You may have mixed in all the Phil Collins videos into your total there.

They also threw Mike + The Mechanics' "All I Need Is a Miracle" into the Genesis stew (Charles Durning!).

[smartbunny]

Let's guess who W will be...

Winger
Warrant
Wall of Voodoo (Mexican Radio!)

They'd better play some X for X!

[isoS]

I'm waite-ing for John Waite. (I ain't missing that at all.)

[smartbunny]

Just wake me up before you go-go.