Before the days of MTV, music videos weren’t nearly as prevalent as they are now. While the 1990s helped to turn the music video into a necessary part of a musician’s catalog, in the decades prior, few bands produced them.
Back then, they were known simply as “promo videos”. And here below, we wanted to dive into three such offerings from British Invasion rock groups. Indeed, these are three British Invasion bands with addictive music videos that still give me goosebumps.
Videos by American Songwriter
“Start Me Up” by The Rolling Stones from ‘Tattoo You’ (1981)
Mick Jagger’s dancing is legendary. But that’s not because it’s perfect or classically trained. It’s because it’s very much him. Indeed, when Jagger dances, he seems more like a confused rooster looking for an ear of corn than he does some expert ballet or jazz performer. And that’s what is so much fun about the whole experience. Jagger’s dancing is mesmerizing, and it’s on full display in the promo music video for the 1981 rock song, “Start Me Up”. Yes, watch Jagger preen like a peacock.
“Strawberry Fields Forever” by The Beatles (Single, 1967)
When The Beatles first landed in the United States, they wrote simple bubblegum rock songs. But after a few years, their minds and their music started to expand. Enter: the psychedelic 1967 rock tune, “Strawberry Fields Forever”. But the former Mop Tops didn’t stop at just recording an excellent, albeit strange song. No, they created an equally strange and psychedelic music video. It’s an important Fab Four artifact and one that, in some ways at least, shows their true colors.
“You Better You Bet” by The Who from ‘Face Dances’ (1981)
The Who was known as one of the most rambunctious live bands going. And if you needed an example of that, just dive into the group’s music video for their 1981 song, “You Better You Bet”. Not only is the group supremely catchy in the tune, but the music video shows how they mesh and complement one another on stage. There can be a lot of mystery when it comes to a successful rock band. But this video from The Who pulls back the curtain at least a bit.
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