The Oncoming Hope

Bruce Springsteen - Dancing In the Dark

Why yes, that IS a young Courteney Cox, on screen even before such masterpieces as He-Man: Masters of the Universe. An appearance she ably satirizes on Cougar Town (the Springsteen appearance that is, not the He-Man. I'm sure she'd rather forget He-Man ever happened. Though I personally am so glad it did).

This one's SO well-known that I didn't really want to include it, but call it a concession to the 4th of July. No hotdogs or fireworks for me, but I did listen to a good few hours of Bruce Springsteen, in a bout of what I'd describe as "realist patriotism".

Paula Abdul - Rush, Rush

This video couldn't be more early 90's if it tried. And why is Keanu Reeves rubbing a milk bottle all over his face? I think you just need to watch it. If I sat through it, so can you.

Tori Amos - A Sorta Fairytale

Tori plays a leg. Adrien Brody plays an arm. This video must have cost an arm and a leg! (ha ha ha ha ha, I'm laughing even if you aren't).

But seriously. It's a very sad little love story, made all the more tragic by Adrien Brody's big soulful eyes (of cousre, it's his fault, being racist against crooked toes. Or something. God knows). And then they 69, which magically leads to more limbs. And then love makes them whole. Repeat after me, OR SOMETHING!!

Kate Bush - Cloudbusting

Yes folks, there WAS a time when Donald Sutherland's career was very much in a lull. Oh the dreaded 1980's. At least he found work playing a vaguely pedophilic (pixiephilic) scientist who helps Kate Bush bust clouds. (Apparently Sutherland is playing radical scientist William Reich while Kate Bush plays his son. Go look it up. I did, and I STILL find him pedophilic. Seriously, his wikipedia page is INSANE).

Bangles - Going Down to Liverpool

Yes folks, there WAS a time when Leonard Nimoy's career was very much in a lull. Oh the dreaded 1980's. At least he found work chauffeuring a bunch of serial harmonizers!

Right, this is one of my favorite Bangles videos, but the video has almost no redeeming qualities whatsoever, apart from Susanna Hoffs giving bedroom eyes to EVERYONE IN THE CAR. Leonard Nimoy is justly frustrated. Sexually frustrated? Is that what's happening here? Also, they're dressed kind of insane. I know it's the early 80's, but the girls did find a sexy 80's rock look in the videos that followed (if you don't believe me, watch Hazy Shade of Winter).

And now for my personal favorite of these videos:

Roy Orbison - I Drove All Night

In which Jason Priestley cannot take his mind off of a very sexy young Jennifer Connelly (and who could blame him, she seems to be in her underwear for most of the video). This is that wonderful post-Labyrinth, pre-Requiem Jennifer Connelly, when she still had curves and baby-fat and looked absolutely gorgeous. (She's still beautiful, of course, but now she's sort of normal Hollywood skinny beautiful).

I think I still prefer the Cyndi Lauper version of this song, but Orbison's voice is lush as always. (And if you want something dreadful, listen to Celine Dion's screechy version of this song).