Best and worst videos from the '80s

Whether it was the big hair or the skinny ties, the '80s left an impression on anyone that had the opportunity to grow up during the decade. One thing that began in the 80s and continues today are music videos. When MTV debuted in 1981, they had a handful of videos they rotated on their programming. Some were ok, some, well, not so much. As record companies realized that MTV opened a huge opportunity to sell artists' records, the videos became more elaborate and more impressive.

Still, there were some that looked like they were just thrown together in a couple hours and the results were, if nothing else, funny to look back on for the next couple of generations of MTV fans.

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The following are the best and worst music videos from the '80s.

The Best Videos

1. Michael Jackson - "Thriller"

Not much you can say about this video other than MJ's "Thriller" is the benchmark for all creative videos since. This was the defining video of the '80s. A few decades later, flash mobs and wedding parties everywhere are still trying to recreate the moves of the undead in Michael's masterpiece.

2. A-ha - "Take on Me"

Black and white videos were a pretty big thing in the '80s. The Police made a classic video for "Every Breath You Take" in black and white. Don Henley did the same with his hit "Boys of Summer," and even parts of Bryan Adams' song "Summer of '69" were shot in a similar fashion. When the Norweigan band A-ha created their video for "Take on Me," they took black and white videos to another level by adding in comic-style animation.

3. Dire Straits - "Money for Nothing"

Dire Straits made sure that "Money for Nothing" made it by even including "I Want My MTV," into the lyrics of the song. While it may not seem like it now, this video was very groundbreaking at the time is debuted in 1986. This was one of the first videos to use

4. Peter Gabriel - "Sledgehammer"

Cartoons like "Davey and Goliath" got put to shame when Peter Gabriel introduced his video for the hit song "Sledgehammer." Loaded with stop-motion animation and claymation to win the best video at the 1987 MTV Music Awards. How can you go wrong with dancing raw chickens?

5. Genesis - "Land of Confusion"

If you're going to make a political statement in your video, please follow Genesis' lead and use muppets. While we weren't quite at the end of the Cold War Era, when this debuted, Genesis may have had more people take notice to their message against war than every politico talking head of the mid-'80s.

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The Worst Videos

1. The Romantics - 'Talking in Your Sleep"

There were very attractive girls in the video, all in their nightgowns and lingerie but one important detail that the producer left out, none of them were actually talking in their sleep.

2. Billy Squier - "Rock Me Tonite"

You know a video is extremely bad when at one point, the video was actually blamed as the source for the start of the decline of the performer's career. Squier was a rocker whose career was on the fast track to success with his first two albums. When the video debuted for "Rock Me Tonite," and the singer was shown throwing himself about on pastel satin sheets, it may have been too much for his fans to bear.

3. Starship - "We Built This City"

A few years back, VH1 Classic voted Starship's "We Built This City" as one of "The 50 Most Awesomely Bad Songs... Ever." VH1 didn't do themselves enough justice, as not only is the song terrible, but the video may be even more annoying, if that's even possible. Abraham Lincoln rising up to sing "We Built This City?" Seriously?

4. Journey - "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)"

Don't get us wrong, Journey's song "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" is a great tune but the video leaves something to the imagination, like instruments.There have been plenty of videos over the years where the bands have their instruments in the video but aren't really playing. Apparently Journey decided they'll just play their instruments like fans rocking out in the car. Listen, we've all been guilty of playing air guitar now and again, but air keyboard? That's just crossing the lines of good musical taste.

5. Laura Branigan - "Self Control"

This video borders somewhere between the bizarre and really creepy with an odd man in a mask following Branigan around. The creators of the video may have wanted to have more self control themselves and decided against making this video flop.

What '80s videos stick out the most in your mind, better or worse? Leave your comments below.

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