MTV launched in 1981, forever changing how music was delivered to the masses. Round-the-clock music television meant that artists and bands had a new platform with which to share their music, helping fill the gaps that radio airplay and record sales had left behind.
Most of the time, popular songs beget popular music videos. If people liked listening to the song, there was a good chance they would sit through a four-minute visual representation of it. But sometimes a music video propelled a song to even greater fame and ubiquity. Not for the song, but for the video.
Videos by American Songwriter
Here are five examples of iconic pop and rock hits from the 1980s that became even more popular and timeless solely because of their music videos.
“Money For Nothing” by Dire Straits
Dire Straits topped the Billboard Hot 100 with their song “Money For Nothing”. And while frontman Mark Knopfler wasn’t keen on the idea of making a music video for it, the end result—which featured pioneering 3D computer animation—became a cultural entity in its own right.
“Maniac” by Michael Sembello
The music video for “Maniac” by Michael Sembello was somewhat of a Hail Mary attempt by Paramount Pictures to drum up success for Flashdance. “Maniac” was on the film soundtrack, and a corresponding music video showing clips of the lead actor dancing made the song—and the movie—a smash success of the early 80s.
“Thriller” by Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson’s sixth album, Thriller, was a definitive success. Nearly every single from the album went on to become a hit. The title track was the last single released, and its 14-minute music video turned it into a phenomenon. The “Thriller” dance dominated the dance floor decades before TikTok would make viral dances a trend.
“Addicted To Love” by Robert Palmer
The 1986 rock track, “Addicted To Love”, topped the charts and became Robert Palmer’s signature song following its January release. The music video became a cultural talking point in and of itself, thanks to Palmer’s backing band of pale-faced, stoic models. (Shout-out to our girl, Shania Twain, who recreated this music video with swapped gender roles for “Man! I Feel Like A Woman”.)
“Don’t Come Around Here No More” by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Based on chart performance alone, “Don’t Come Around Here No More” isn’t Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ biggest hit. It’s a great one, certainly, but it only peaked at No. 13 on the Hot 100. The Alice in Wonderland-themed 1980s music video, however, has kept this particular track relevant in the rock ‘n’ roll zeitgeist ever since its 1985 release.
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