Recently, Kurt Andersen looked back at MTV’s Golden Age with Craig Marks, author of I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution.
We asked for your favorite videos from that late, lamented pre-Jersey Shore era.
The clear front-runner seemed to be Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer,” with its intricate stop-action animation by the Quay Brothers.
Another favorite was A-ha’s “Take On Me.” “I didn’t even care about the song,” wrote Rebecca from New York. “The video sold it.”
Willfree from Montana wrote, “I grew up on the very mild sexiness of network television.” But when The Eurythmics released the video for “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” “the image of Annie Lennox in suit and tie, black gloves, and short orange hair was ever after my iconic MTV. I loved a thousand other videos but ‘Sweet Dreams’ was always special.”
At The World, we believe strongly that human-centered journalism is at the heart of an informed public and a strong democracy. We see democracy and journalism as two sides of the same coin. If you care about one, it is imperative to care about the other.
Every day, our nonprofit newsroom seeks to inform and empower listeners and hold the powerful accountable. Neither would be possible without the support of listeners like you. If you believe in our work, will you give today? We need your help now more than ever!