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friendfeed#1 Songs With Bad Videos
Sunday, December 7th, 2008
by Jeff
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These days music videos are hard to come by on television. MTV is 99% reality shows, and 1% music. Have they removed the words “Music Television” from their logo yet?
Luckily though someone invented You Tube where you can not only see videos of some kid hitting his dad in the crotch with a wiffle ball, but you can also see just about every music video known to mankind. Even the really bad ones are here. After spending some time watching a ton of videos it occurred to me that some of the worst music videos were actually charted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Hard to believe in some cases.
So I present to you, my top 5 bad music videos of songs that hit #1 on the chart.
#5 Vanilla Ice – Ice Ice Baby
Back in 1990 no one thought a white guy could rap. After Vanilla Ice arrived, things didn’t change.
What’s bad? This video consists of Vanilla Ice jumping around in front of a green screen. Cutting edge stuff.
#4 Nelson – Love and Affection
Yes that’s right Nelson. I get that rock bands in the 80’s and early 90’s looked like girls, but wow!
What’s bad? “Dude” #1 is reading “Vague” since Vogue knows better than allowing their magazine to be featured in this piece of work. “Dude” #2 tries to get him to play the song instead of reading the magazine and “dude #1″ shows “dude” #2 the cover asking him to “check her out.” “Dude” #2 replies “Ok, then this one’s for her.” I’ve seen better acting and storylines at elementary school plays.
You’ll have to watch this video here. Someone doesn’t want this embedded. Probably a good decision on their part.
#3 REO Speedwagon – Can’t Fight This Feeling
Full disclosure here. I like REO Speedwagon, owned the 45 of this song, and have their greatest hits on my iPhone.
What’s bad? Taking the lyrics to a song and portraying them on screen literally is just cheesy. If you’re a band shooting a video and the director proposes showing a guy wearing a hat with someone running around in circles in it to represent your lyrics “running round in circles in my head,” you probably should trade up.
#2 Olivia Newton John – Physical
This is the video that shows like the Today Show will use to promote their upcoming segment on weight loss.
What’s bad? The portrayal of overweight men in the video is very politically incorrect these days, but even in 1981 it was kinda wrong. I know they’re actors who specifically take roles written for overweight guys, but you just know that if this video was released today someone would protest. By the way, did people really work out barefoot in 1981? Stock up on the Tinactin!
Nelson’s people got their hands on this video too and won’t allow embedding. Watch it here.
#1 Starship – We Built This City
Yep. This was a number one song. In 1984 I thought it was awesome. Twenty-five years later I listen to it and laugh at what Jefferson Airplane had become. It’s crap like this that made Grace Slick leave the group.
What’s bad? The short answer? It makes no !*#$%^& sense! It’s like the band was still tripping from the 60’s. They’re at the Lincoln Memorial and suddenly the statue of Lincoln stands up and sings? They’re in Vegas and dice fall off a sign and roll down the street as everyone runs for their lives? At least the song doesn’t make much sense either.
