‘Vous Avez Dit Bizarre’ N°79 – Vintage 80s Videos

1 . Fine Young Cannibals – She Drives Me Crazy

“She Drives Me Crazy” by Fine Young Cannibals is a quirky cocktail of falsetto vocals, crisp percussion, and iridescent hooks, delivered with a calculated swagger. Released in 1988 as the curtain-raiser for *The Raw & the Cooked,* the song carries a sense of artistic defiance, blending genres at a time when lines were more rigidly drawn.

What immediately grabs attention is the snare drum effect, more a weapon than an instrument, forged from studio experiments that feel equal parts brilliant and obsessive. It’s a move that leaves a lasting auditory fingerprint on pop history—one that Prince, with his Paisley Park studios, aptly enabled in spirit if not directly. Pair that with Roland Gift’s steadily climbing falsetto, which teeters between hypnotic and almost too poised, and you’ve got yourself a piece of music that politely but firmly demands attention.

It’s not all about the sound, though; context matters. The track dances on the fine edge between ’80s maximalism and the cooler, more genre-fluid terrain that defined much of early alt-pop. Sure, it topped charts and secured franchises on MTV thanks to a glossy video filled with French New Wave nods. But its real staying power lies in how it toys with dichotomies—heavy on groove yet light in delivery, mainstream yet undeniably strange. Media couldn’t resist it, from its hitchhike into *The Spy Who Dumped Me* to its ironic strut through high-energy aerobics segments. Quirky but functional, like an odd chair that’s somehow the comfiest one in the room.

Critics were awe and dagger in equal measure. Some hailed its innovation, with AllMusic vouching for its indelibility in ’80s music canon. Yet try too hard to define the song, and it ducks away, giggling into a fog of synth and jagged guitar breaks. It’s a moment frozen in time, but not quite boxable within it, and perhaps that’s why it refuses to grow old—or at least not loud about aging. A country strike by Dolly Parton later nodded affectionately at its elastic potential, reaffirming its place in pop memory as more than just a capped falsetto but a flexible mold for reinvention. What could have been a genre gimmick instead became an icon, or better yet, a cultural shrug that still manages to turn heads.

Featured on the 1988 album “The Raw & the Cooked”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Facebook

2 . Dead Or Alive – Something In My House

Dead or Alive’s 1987 hit “Something In My House” captures the essence of their signature Hi-NRG aesthetic, blending frenetic beats with gothic melodrama.

Penned by Pete Burns and bandmates Steve Coy, Tim Lever, and Mike Percy, the track drips with theatrical flair, showcasing lyrics steeped in eerie, horror-tinged imagery, offset by an uptempo rhythm that insists on movement.

The production, helmed by Stock Aitken Waterman—those ever-reliable architects of ‘80s pop excess—layers pulsing synth lines with Burns’ dramatic vocals, resulting in a track as macabre as it is irresistibly danceable.

The UK Singles Chart saw the single climb to an impressive number 12, while its performance in other territories, like Germany at number 28, hinted at its niche but loyal fanbase.

The accompanying music video, directed by Nick Willing, leans heavily into gothic visual tropes, rife with flickering candelabras and fog-filled sets, amplifying the song’s supernatural vibe.

Released in various formats, including collectible picture discs, its extended mixes, like the “Mortevicar Mix” and “Flamenco Mix,” cater to club enthusiasts who revel in Dead or Alive’s characteristic maximalism.

Though it didn’t reach the stratospheric popularity of their omnipresent earworm “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record),” the song remains a cult favorite for its ability to straddle camp, menace, and unrelenting energy.

The Dead or Alive Wiki offers further nuggets of trivia, with fans dissecting everything from lyrical subtext to global release strategies, a testament to the enduring curiosity surrounding the band’s theatricality.

Featured on the 1986 album “Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Facebook

3 . Madness – Embarrassment

“Embarrassment” by Madness is more than just a ska-pop hit; it’s an incisive snapshot of late 1970s Britain wrestling with cultural and personal conflicts.

Written by saxophonist Lee Thompson and keyboardist Mike Barson, the song chronicles Thompson’s sister Tracy’s experience after becoming pregnant with a mixed-race baby—a situation regarded with hostility and prejudice at the time.

It’s blunt, it’s personal, yet unmistakably universal in its critique of ingrained societal biases.

The track’s Motown-inspired swing and catchy horn section cleverly belie the weighty subject matter, creating an unsettling juxtaposition between sound and narrative.

Ever the provocateurs of the UK ska scene, Madness managed to chart this deeply personal story at No. 4 in December 1980, a testament to their ability to mix social commentary with pop instincts.

Frontman Suggs has emphasized its significance in disassociating the band from far-right politics, a movement that dogged early ska.

Tracy’s real-life story did take a turn—initial familial rejection eventually gave way to acceptance, though not without a few hard looks in the mirror for everyone involved.

As a statement piece, “Embarrassment” punches above its three-minute runtime, embodying both the small domestic battles and larger cultural reckonings of its era.

Featured on the 1980 album “Absolutely”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

4 . Milli Vanilli – Baby Don’t Forget My Number

“Baby Don’t Forget My Number” by Milli Vanilli is a late-’80s artifact soaked in glossy production and buoyant beats that practically beg for a spin on the roller rink floor.

The track, a standout from their debut album “Girl You Know It’s True,” shot to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in mid-1989, cementing the duo’s fleeting but dazzling chart dominance before their spectacular fall from grace.

Crafted by Frank Farian and co., the song embodies the slick, synthesized soundscapes of its era, with a hint of R&B influence and an earworm of a chorus that lingers long after the track ends.

What lures you in is the pulsating rhythm section, peppered with electronic flourishes and relentless energy, yet it’s impossible to separate the music from the scandal that unraveled their career.

The voices behind the mic—John Davis, Brad Howell, and Charles Shaw—remained hidden in the shadows while Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan fronted the act, an illusion that crumbled as the world’s patience for lip-syncers wore thin.

Still, the song’s irreverent charm and the vibrant visuals of its music video keep “Baby Don’t Forget My Number” alive in pop culture memory, a relic that reminds us of both the peak of Milli Vanilli’s fabricated glory and the perils of over-curated stardom.

Featured on the 1988 album “All Or Nothing”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Twitter

5 . Duran Duran – All She Wants Is

Duran Duran’s “All She Wants Is” stands as a bold experiment from their 1988 album *Big Thing,* blending propulsive house beats with an electronic vitality that hits somewhere between nightclub ambiance and art installation.

Co-produced by Jonathan Elias and Daniel Abraham, the track exudes a stripped-down energy that diverges from the band’s earlier, more polished glam aesthetic.

The accompanying video, directed by Dean Chamberlain, leans heavily into surrealism, with its layered effects and abstract imagery working as a visual counterpoint to the song’s relentless pulse.

Commercially successful, the single broke into the UK Top 10 and made a respectable showing on the US Billboard Hot 100, though its true legacy lies in its daring visual and sonic choices rather than its chart positions.

The band also leaned heavily on remixes for this track, a nod to the late-1980s obsession with extended dance edits, offering a 45 Mix variation aimed squarely at club-goers.

Performed during their “Big Live Thing” tour, the song became a moment in their setlist that showcased their willingness to adapt and explore emerging sounds, even at the risk of alienating purist fans.

While perhaps not as universally celebrated as their early hits, “All She Wants Is” reflects a period of artistic recalibration for Duran Duran, balancing commercial appeal with avant-garde tendencies.

If anything, it’s an unselfconscious embrace of late-’80s experimentation that feels both of its time and slightly ahead of it.

Featured on the 1988 album “Big Thing”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

6 . The Darling Buds – Hit The Ground

The Darling Buds’ “Hit The Ground” represents a moment of unfiltered indie-pop energy that typified late 1980s UK music, a scene awash with jangly guitar riffs and unapologetically catchy hooks.

Released as the leading track off their 1988 debut album “Pop Said…,” the song cracked the UK Singles Chart at number 49, a respectable entry for a fresh band navigating the crowded indie landscape.

Behind its fizzy exterior lies the production touch of Pat Collier, better known for shaping the sound of outfits like The House of Love and X-Ray Spex, lending the track a polished edge without sacrificing its raw-charm appeal.

Leaning on the “C86” ethos—think scuffed-up sweetness and irrepressible momentum—it planted The Darling Buds firmly alongside peers like The Primitives and Transvision Vamp.

Although the track never troubled end-of-decade retrospectives, it encapsulates the blissful immediacy of indie-pop at a time when britches were bigger, hair was higher, and the music was delightfully unfussy.

Featured on the 1988 album “Pop Said…”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Twitter

7 . Genesis – Land Of Confusion

“Land of Confusion” by Genesis stands out as a rare political foray for the usually apolitical band, putting global unrest and Cold War anxieties into a powerful pop anthem.

Its biting lyrics, penned by Mike Rutherford, reflect frustrations with societal disorder, while the pulsating rhythm and Phil Collins’ vocal delivery amplify the urgency.

The accompanying music video, animated with puppets from *Spitting Image*, is both absurd and provocative, featuring caricatures of political figures in scenarios that are as unsettling as they are comical.

Genesis, frequently mocked by *Spitting Image* itself, leaned into self-parody by appearing as exaggerated versions of themselves, making the visuals as self-aware as they are culturally scathing.

The song became a defining track of their commercial peak during the *Invisible Touch* era, blending catchy pop with serious commentary and earning the band one of their rare Grammy wins in 1987 for Best Concept Music Video.

Even decades later, the track resonates, with Disturbed’s darker 2006 cover climbing charts and reigniting discussions about its enduring relevance to political frustrations across generations.

“Land of Confusion” captures not just a moment in history but an ongoing conversation about power, control, and the resilience to push against both, publicly immortalized by one of the most memorable videos of its time.

Featured on the 1986 album “Invisible Touch“.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

8 . Paul Simon – The Boy In the Bubble

“Land of Confusion” by Genesis manages to encapsulate the cultural and political unease of the 1980s in four minutes, wrapped in synth-driven rock and biting satire.

The song, penned by Tony Banks, Phil Collins, and Mike Rutherford, steps out of Genesis’s typical lyrical realm to tackle themes of societal disorder and political malaise.

Its music video, a chaotic masterpiece, employs grotesque puppets from the British show *Spitting Image* to caricature global figures, offering a biting, sometimes absurd critique of Cold War-era anxieties.

Rather than preach, it balances its message with wry humor, including a Reagan puppet haplessly triggering nuclear Armageddon—a moment that skews more darkly comedic than overtly pessimistic.

Easy to play by Genesis standards, the song’s infectious melody helped it climb to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 14 in the UK, solidifying its place as a fan favorite on the “Invisible Touch” tour.

While the song’s Grammy-winning video is arguably more memorable than the track itself, the two together form a time capsule of ’80s pop culture cynicism and satire.

In a surprising twist, an unexpectedly heavy 2006 cover by the metal band Disturbed reintroduced “Land of Confusion” to a new audience, proving its themes of chaos and resilience remain evergreen.

Even now, the song resonates both as a critique of leadership and a call for collective accountability.

Featured on the 1986 album “Graceland“.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

9 . Visage – Fade To Grey

Visage’s “Fade to Grey” captures the eerie allure of the New Romantic movement with a synth-pop precision that defined an era.

The song opens with a pulsating electronic rhythm, stripping away warmth in favor of a clinical, otherworldly atmosphere.

Steve Strange’s detached English delivery contrasts hypnotically with Brigitte Arens’ French spoken-word interjections, a juxtaposition that gives the track both sophistication and intrigue.

Its major success across Europe, especially in Germany and Switzerland, highlights its seamless appeal to a generation embracing electronic textures over traditional rock structures.

The accompanying video, with its surreal visuals and bold fashions, underscored Visage’s commitment to aesthetics as much as sound, a hallmark of New Romantic ethos.

A product of collaboration with Midge Ure and Billy Currie, the dense production showcases synth layers that were groundbreaking but never overwhelming.

While time has relegated it to nostalgia compilations, its inclusion on lists of definitive ’80s tracks ensures its pulse in pop memory.

Stylistically, the song reflects a tension between isolation and modernity, resonating with the disconnection felt by its audience at the cusp of a technological transition.

“Fade to Grey” avoids bombast, instead wrapping its melancholy in a polished, icy cloak that remains as enigmatic as the faces staring back from Blitz nightclub mirrors.

Featured on the 1980 album “Visage”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

10 . The Boomtown Rats – Banana Republic

The Boomtown Rats’ “Banana Republic” serves as a pointed critique wrapped in reggae-infused rhythms, departing from the band’s earlier punk undertones.

With sharp lyrics co-written by Bob Geldof and Pete Briquette, the song takes aim at Ireland’s rigid sociopolitical structures of the time, channeling the frustration of a generation eager for change.

Produced by Tony Visconti, whose credits include iconic names like David Bowie and T. Rex, the track benefits from his clean production style, which balances the melody with its biting commentary.

Commercially, the single climbed to No. 3 in the UK and secured the top spot in Ireland, though the latter success came with controversy, as its criticism of Irish institutions led to temporary bans by certain broadcasters.

The accompanying music video, embraced by British programs like “Top of the Pops,” reinforced its presence as a staple in early ’80s pop culture.

The song’s release coincided with an era when Ireland’s musical landscape was shifting from traditional showbands to boundary-pushing acts like Thin Lizzy and U2, mirroring social modernization.

A recent BBC documentary contextualized the band’s legacy, framing “Banana Republic” as a cultural snapshot that challenged nostalgia for Ireland’s past while spotlighting the country’s growing dissatisfaction with its status quo.

Through a mix of humor and historical context, the program underscored The Boomtown Rats’ transition from Irish rebels to critics stationed abroad, walking the delicate line between artistic courage and cultural alienation.

Although some have questioned whether the film’s focus was partially promotional for the band’s newer ventures, its reflection on music’s interaction with societal change remains compelling.

“Banana Republic” thus stands as a layered piece—equally memorable for its stylistic departures, rhythmic accessibility, and the discord it sowed between artistic statement and national pride.

Featured on the 1980 album “Mondo Bongo”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

11 . Gary Moore – Over The Hills And Far Away

Gary Moore’s “Over the Hills and Far Away” is as much a tale of musical wanderlust as it is a showcase for 1980s production quirks.

The Celtic undercurrents run deep here, reminding listeners that Moore wasn’t just any fretboard wizard; he was one who carried his Irish heritage into the heart of hard rock.

From the moment the opening riff sweeps in—a mix of martial rhythm and pastoral melody—it’s clear this isn’t your typical stadium-sized rock anthem.

And yet, the choice to replace a live drummer with a drum machine throughout the album lends it a distinctively time-stamped sheen: part bold experiment, part questionable compromise.

Neil Carter’s atmospheric keyboard flourishes and Bob Daisley’s steady bassline provide a cinematic foundation, but it’s Moore’s blistering guitar soloing and emotive vocals that anchor the song.

Lyrically, it’s an ode to longing and escape, echoing both the adventure of setting out and the heartache of leaving behind.

The accompanying music video leans into the song’s narrative flair, turning betrayal and an elaborate prison break into a mini-epic.

It’s not just Moore’s track anymore, though; it found new life in Nightwish’s 2001 cover, shedding some of its ’80s gloss and re-dressing it in symphonic metal grandeur.

“Over the Hills and Far Away” sits comfortably at a crossroads—part folk homage, part lavish rock craftsmanship, and part vehicle for Moore’s affinity toward the dramatic.

Featured on the 1987 album “Wild Frontier”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

12 . Jona Lewie – Stop The Cavalry

Jona Lewie’s “Stop the Cavalry” is a peculiar gem that unexpectedly became the backbone of countless Christmas playlists, despite its anti-war roots.

The song paints a vivid, almost cinematic portrayal of a soldier caught in the trenches of World War I, balancing a bleak longing for peace with moments of reflective hope.

Its brass-heavy arrangement, crafted to evoke a bygone era, serves as a fitting backdrop for lyrics that shuttle between sharp political critique and personal yearning.

The infamous line, “I wish I was at home for Christmas,” was the accidental trigger for the song’s seasonal fame, coaxing the record label to underscore the yuletide undertone with tubular bells.

Yet, behind the festive façade lies an enduring commentary on the futility of conflict—a sentiment underscored by its historical references and timeless relatability.

Released in 1980, this track soared to number 3 on the UK charts, its melancholic yet buoyant charm straddling protest anthem and holiday favorite in equal measure.

Lewie, best remembered for this paradoxical hit, leveraged brass instrumentation reminiscent of traditional Salvation Army bands, though the recording itself employed seasoned studio musicians for precision.

This eclectic pairing of somber anti-war themes with an upbeat marching tune marks “Stop the Cavalry” as a song that exists in tension—both a celebration and critique of human resilience.

Featured on the 1980 album “Heart Skips Beat”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site