Proof That 80s Music Videos Really Weren’t That Awesome

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIcmIhOesaI

I’m old enough to have fond memories of MTV and even sometimes find myself thinking that music videos used to be pretty cool back in the day.

And then there’s this craptacle of a music video for Art Of Noise’s Moments In Love, which centers on creepy dudes in fetishwear, ice skating and a cute kid with a talking turtle that’s really freakin’ scary.

Yes – a freaky talking turtle.

After watching this, you can throw out your chillout mix CDs, because you’re going to be trying to get busy and the image of a freaky talking turtle is going to haunt your mind.

Moments In Love is vintage make-out music, a classic example of the Fairlight CMI in action and has aged pretty well. The video, not so much.

Check it out and let me know what you think!

via IKE66

26 thoughts on “Proof That 80s Music Videos Really Weren’t That Awesome”

  1. The music videos of the 1980's STILL are superior to the
    seizure inducing garbage we have these days where
    no shot in the video last longer than 1.5 seconds.

  5. hey lets not put down such great times and music video, you gotta understand this was low budget film production with super 16mm. or even 16mm, plus we are talking about the 80´s and lets not say the 70´s Soul Train jesus thats old and I say that people had a different view of Art and it was so raw, I remember this song perfectly it was my favorite still is and how much music has evolved you could actually hear that old saturated Tape analog feel to the sound very warm, now its crisp and very digital and now film is with all this digital production, most of the time its not even shot on location but in a green studio. Lets not say that to make special effects back then was so raw, and lots of in camera tricks. Now with a computer its done with just a simple mouse click.

  8. No problem with the talking turtle –that was the high point –it was the guy with the mask and the mustache that was really scary !!

  9. This song is timeless and in fact sets the bar for me. (that and Peter Gabriel and Thomas Dolby's respective works.)

    AoN did more with a Fairlight that maxed out at 8 seconds of 8-bit sampling, a couple of Prophet-5's and a Yamaha DX7 then most do today with limitless voices and unlimited sample time.

    And yes, MTV did used to have great (albiet cheezy) videos from 81-86. Go look up "Dirty Water" by the Payolas…

  11. creepy dudes in fetishwear
    ice skating
    and a kid with a talking turtle
    guys rocking out on synths

    I'm sorry, I only see reasons why this video is *awesome*.

    This has so much about it that is what I love about 80's music videos. Weird, disconnected scenes, a sense of manufactured, alien, decadence, and plenty of stuff that only makes sense if you've had a lot of cocaine. It's so perfectly 80's.

    <3

  13. I agree. Back in the day the music video medium was still in the experimental stages and so they took alot more risks.

  17. Ummm yeah this video was awesome… WTF are you talking about? Stuff like this makes me only appreciate the 80s even more…

  18. You can't do videos like this one anymore. PETA would immediately bash anyone attempting to sled a turtle in ice like a hot wheels.

  19. I thought the video was bizarre and cool. It seems like artists weren't afraid to take creative risks back then. Nowadays everything seems so derivitive.

  20. I wouldn't say that all 80's movies are awesome nor would I say they are all crap. This is a good art of noise song, but the video is wack. As far as the post punk, new wave, and synth pop sound of the 80's…i just can't get enough of that stuff! I love it! The sounds were so fresh and independent. Today's indy rock is crap. MTV is obsolete. Music video's are obsolete. They're for the masses of pop culture close minded sheeple who lack true imagination. I am so glad that internet is making music more competitive. Artists can bypass major record labels and promote their craft for free. God bless America!

  21. Heh, it's funny, I was just watching this yesterday.

    I think that the art of noise were definitely a band that wanted to push the envelope. (I've also heard that Trevor Horn is quite chemically indulgent, which seems to make sense.) The video to moments in love is interesting — they both relish in the "Eyes Wide Shut" melodrama of fetish, and they also make fun of it. It's a push and pull tension.

    Also, the image of the harpist playing past the strings is a pretty brilliant visual.

    The video is dated, yes, but I think that it is also well done, and in a way, timeless.

  23. You are WRONG on SO many different levels, I don’t even know where to begin! First of all this is a TIMELESS classic, Second of all, you will NEVER come across music, or videos like this post 9/11. Everyone is expected to conform to the “Hive-Mind”, & cookie cutter mentality. I suppose you think Lil Wayne, & Justin Bieber are masters at work LOL?

    Take me back to the day when music, & society weren’t almost completely taken over by people with big checkbooks, & very little creative juices. The same goes for the movie industry, they think the more CGI special effects, & naked chicks they throw in a movie the better it will be in some lame way. Art Of Noise were innovators, & way ahead of their time, it’s a shame you don’t see music\videos like them anymore:)

  24. great song really a masterpiece so is the well thought full of symbolic video.the boy with turtle is probaly the skater with white wig aswell
    v

  25. great song really a masterpiece so is the well thought full of symbolic video.the boy with turtle is probaly the skater with white wig

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