The Top 10 Music Videos of 1984 as Found on YouTube

1984 was the first year of the MTV Video Awards and these ten are all award show quality. The increases in quality and production values from 1983 are huge. Watch and enjoy.

"Infatuation" Rod Stewart
An earlier, prettier version of Rod Stewart shaking his ass while spying on the considerably less pretty ass of the woman in the apartment opposite. The reverb on the chorus makes me eighties-nostalgic and his hair is the reason hair was invented. But why did he use that funny motion to shake the can of fish food while he looked through the binoculars? Was that symbolism?
I didn't remember this one being in black and white so that was a nice surprise for my eyes. Did I mention how good looking ol' Rod was?

"Love is a Battlefield" Pat Benatar
This is the Queen of the Eighties at the height of her powers. A cautionary tale for runaway girls that holds up today, we learned by watching this video to beware the ambiguously gay muscle man on the subway escalator and to always take the bus. In the excitement of remembering the not-to-be-missed dance off at the end, I realize I'd forgotten all about the sub plot between the girl and her little brother back home. And as with all these early eighties videos, I would watch this one yearning for the day I would grow up and be able to dress like Ms Benatar. But by the time I grew up, alas, torn dresses paired with forty-five necklaces were passe.

"Eyes Without a Face" Billy Idol
Now the floating head of Billy Idol will treat us to a quiet storm slow jam. Now watching this as an adult I see the arm being wrapped to take some sort of injection and I realize this one must have an anti-drug message. Good for Billy's head.
Wow, I forgot how great this song and video were. Love the hands slapping the butts in time with the drum machine. Putting on leather fingerless gloves is a matter of some gravity. And the guitarist's hair deifies said gravity. Yes, I meant to type "deifies."