Category Archives: music video

Music Video of The Day: Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey (1981, directed by ????)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

Don’t Stop Believin’ is now probably destined to be forever associated with The Sopranos but the song itself had established itself as a classic long before it was used in the finale of HBO’s famous show about the New Jersey mafia.

In fact, the song means so much to Journey’s Steve Perry that he was hesitant to give HBO permission to use the song until it was explained to him exactly how the song was going to be used and he was assured that it wouldn’t be played over any type of violence.  Other than the members of the cast and the production crew, Steve Perry was one of the few people to know, in advance, how The Sopranos was going to end.

While Perry has said that the majority of the lyrics were inspired by his own early struggles to find success in the music industry, keyboardist Jonathan Cain says that the name was inspired by something that his father told him when Cain was thinking about leaving Hollywood and returning to Chicago.  Cain’s father told him, ‘No, son. Stay the course. We have a vision. It’s gonna happen. Don’t stop believin’.”

As for the video, it was filmed in Houston and features Journey performing the song as a part of their Escape tour.  With the exception of the infamous video for Separate Ways, Journey was known for keeping things simple and straight-forward when it came to their music videos.  This one is no exception.

Music Video Of The Day: Christmas At Ground Zero by Weird Al Yankovic (1986, directed by Weird Al Yankovic)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

“The sad part is, I can’t really play the song live anymore because too many people misunderstand the connotations of Ground Zero. It’s not a reference to 9/11, obviously. It was written in 1986 when ‘ground zero’ just meant the epicenter of a nuclear attack.”

— Weird Al Yankovic

Try to force Weird Al to do a Christmas album and this is what you’re going to get.

In 1986, Weird Al’s record label insisted that he record something for the holiday season.  In response, Yankovic came up with Christmas At Ground Zero, a Phil Spector-style production about Christmas in the aftermath of a nuclear attack.  It wasn’t really what the record company had expected and, at first, they refused to release it.  Yankovic responded by creating his own music video for the song.  This video was not only his first stab at directing but it also proved to be popular enough to convince the record company to change their position on the song.

Though the majority of this video is made up of stock footage, the live action scenes of Weird Al and the carolers performing surrounded by rubble were filmed in The Bronx.  No nuclear explosions were needed to get the bombed-out feel.  Instead, they just filmed in New York in the 80s.

Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Music Video Of The Day: Christmas in Hollis by Run-DMC (1987, directed by Michael Holman)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

Christmas in Hollis is one of the most famous Christmas rap songs, though it nearly didn’t happen.  When Bill Adler first approached Run-DMC and asked them to contribute to the holiday compilation album, A Very Special Christmas, the band turned him down.  It wasn’t until Adler suggested the title Christmas in Hollis that the band changed their mind.

All of the proceeds of A Very Special Christmas went to support the Special Olympics.  (Other contributors included Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Eurythmics, U2, and Pertenders.)  Christmas In Hollis was the only original composition to appear on the album and it has gone on to become a holiday mainstay.

Hollis, of course, refers to the neighborhood of Hollis, Queens, where the members of Run-DMC grew up.

This video was named the “Best Video of 1987” by Rolling Stone Magazine.

Enjoy and Merry Christmas Eve!

Music Video of the Day: It’s Not Christmas Till Somebody Cries by Carly Rae Jepsen (2020, dir by Josh Forbes)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Usually, I’m the one who cries on Christmas.  This is the month that I allow myself to get sentimental and everything.  Seeing my presents.  Getting my presents.  Unwrapping my presents.  Trying my presents on.  Showing my presents off.  Seriously, it touches my heart every time.

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses (1981)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

This is apparently not the official video for The Waitress’s Christmas Wrapping.  Instead, it’s a video that someone else put together using other clips of the band.  I haven’t been able to find an official version so there might not be one.  Or, at the very least, if there is one, it does not appear to be on YouTube.  (If I’m wrong, let me know.)

Anyway, I like the song and tis the season.  Interestingly enough, it’s often missed that the song is more about the chaos of the season than the joy of it.

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: Hourglass by Squeeze (1987, directed by Adrian Edmondson)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

“Lyrically it doesn’t mean much but we had some fun writing it.”

— Chris Difford on Hourglass

In the 80s, Squeeze was one of the most popular bands in the UK but they often struggled to find the same success in the U.S.  Some of that was because, much like Madness, Squeeze wrote songs that were undeniably British.  Their relatively few U.S. hits were also the relatively few Squeeze songs not to feature any obviously British references in the lyrics.

Hourglass, for instance, was largely a nonsense song that had a strong hook and an unforgettable melody.  What does “Take it to the bridge, throw it overboard, see if it can swim” refer to?  No one knows and it doesn’t matter.  Along with being insanely catch, Hourglass also had a memorable music video.  The video was popular on MTV and, in the 80s, that usually led to success on the U.S. Charts.  Hourglass became on the few Squeeze songs to break into the U.S. Top 40.

The video features the band performing amongst a series of optical illusions.  The video was directed by Adrian Edmondson while the Salvador Dali-inspired concept for the video was credited to Squeeze’s keyboardist Jools Holland.  Holland would later go on to host Later …. with Jools Holland on BBC Two and has become a British cultural icon.

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: Here’s To The Night by Ringo Starr (2020, directed by ????)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

Though it may not be a Christmas song, this song from Ringo Starr feels appropriate for the season.  Ringo sings for peace and hope in this song and he’s brought along an impressive supporting cast to help him make his case.  Among those featured in the song and the video: Paul McCartney & Joe Walsh, Corinne Bailey Rae, Eric Burton, Sheryl Crow, FINNEAS, Dave Grohl, Ben Harper, Lenny Kravitz, Jenny Lewis, Steve Lukather, Chris Stapleton, and Yola.

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: What Have I Done To Deserve This? by Pet Shop Boys and Dusty Springfield (1987, directed by Eric Watson)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

“Someone who’s in this relationship that they know they shouldn’t be in. It’s this dysfunctional relationship, and they don’t have the strength to get out. And ‘what have I, what have I, what have I done to deserve this?’ – there’s a real sense that they shouldn’t be there, but they’re basically a slave to this obsessive love. It’s one of the few songs of mine that is about that but doesn’t turn itself around and go, ‘I’m leaving here, screw you, go make someone else miserable.’ Usually I don’t just leave it at ‘what have I done to deserve this,’ but it felt right for the group, so that’s what it was.”

— Allee Willis, co-writer of What Have I Done To Deserve This?

Though this song may be out a toxic relationship, I always think of it as being about the showgirl taking off her glasses before going out to dance on stage.  That’s the power of a good music video.

This video was directed by Eric Watson, who spent most of his music video career working with Pet Shop Boys, though he also did videos for Samantha Fox, Rod Stewart, and Debbie Harry.

Enjoy!