96/100 Video - "New Year's Day" - U2 (1983)

While in junior high I tuned into ASN's Atlantic Canada's Choice on Saturday evenings lying down two feet away from the TV.

I recall watching the video for "New Year's Day" in a trance, captivated by this new group riding on horses and playing in an open field, in the middle of winter. 

This is the song that introduced Ireland's U2 to most of us in North America. 

The early U2 sound exuded fire and soul: the Edge's signature 'chugga-chugga' guitar and Bono's passionate vocals are alive and well here. 

Bono convinces us when delivering the chilling "I will be with you again" and "I will begin again" lyrics. 

I would find out later that the lyrics were about persecuted leader of the Polish Solidarity movement, Lech Walesa.

After all these years, "New Year's Day" remains an uplifting song, an anthem of freedom and renewal.

That piano riff that weaves in and out is pure magic.

The video was filmed in December 1982 in Sälen, Sweden, also known for its alpine ski resorts.

Happy New Year!

97/100 Video - "Jump" - Van Halen (1984)

While the video for Van Halen's classic hit song "Jump" is a straightforward rock performance, it looked ground-breaking at the time.

But it's the natural chemistry and random stage moves of the entire band that lift this video to the top of the class.

The ever colourful David Lee Roth and guitar legend Eddie Van Halen were born to be in front of the camera. 

We may remember Roth first and foremost as a showman, but he was a pretty good damn singer, too

. 

And then there's Eddie and his guitar. Pure magic. This clip also reminds us he was equally adept at playing the synthesizer. 

98/100 Video - "She" - Clan of Xymox (2020)

One of the original darkwave bands from the 80s, Dutch artist Clan of Xymox released "She" in 2020, a throwback to their goth roots. 

The synths are strong and hypnotic, and they work seamlessly with the lush guitars to create an ominous yet appealing melody. 

At first glance, this video appears gloomy. A girl dancing alone, post-apocalyptic, in what appears to be an old warehouse on the sketchy side of town. 

I find this clip unintentionally captures the zeitgeist of 2020. Like the girl in the video, we learned to dance with the darkness. Connected while apart. Dare I even suggest, we embraced it. And the good news in the end. She woke up from her dream with her tunes, and health, still intact.

This video also reminds me of the sheer fun we had in exploring abandoned buildings as kids. While underage and too young to sneak into the clubs of downtown Halifax, we broke into an abandoned convent instead. On the top floor we found some sort a sitting circle and what appeared to be a recent séance. Cool and creepy stuff.

For a sample of the band's earlier works, check out "A Day" from 1985.

99/100 Video - "Let’s Dance" – David Bowie (1983)

It would be sacrilegious to make a top 100 countdown without at least one Bowie tune.

"Let’s Dance" by David Bowie debuted in Canada in 1983. The clip was filmed in the Australian outback.

The first time I watched this video I recall asking the room, "who is this cool new artist playing guitar in the corner of some dive bar?"

"That's David Bowie", my dad said. "He was big in the 70s. A good musician but kind of a weirdo".

I shouldn't have been surprised with my father's response, given his preference for 'meat-and-potatoes' rock and roll i.e. Eagles, Gordon Lightfoot, Bob Seger.

But I quite liked this introduction to Bowie, along with the follow up singles and videos for "Modern Love" and "China Girl".

I would later learn that this musician not only had a prolific discography, but he would be cited as a major influence for dozens of new wave groups, many I went on to love. 

IMHO, Bowie's greatest legacy isn't the quality and quantity of music he created, but rather how he made it cool (and acceptable) to be different. 

100/100 Video - "My Girl" - Chilliwack (1981)

 

One Sunday morning, fall 1981. 

I would have sat directly in front of the living room TV and watched Switchback, a new variety program for kids and teens featuring celebrity interviews, cartoons, comedy and puppets. I was 12.

Hosted by Stan the Man on CBC, he would also introduce two or three music videos during the hour-long show. 

"My Girl" by Chilliwack, a veteran group from Vancouver, British Columbia, played on the TV.

And it was awesome! 

This music video may not be among the most creative of its time, but it was my first, thus automatically claiming a spot in the top 100 purely for nostalgia. 

There is one particular iconic scene that is forever etched in my mind. It's when the three band members snap their fingers over a burning garbage barrel, while the lead singer chants: "Gone, gone, gone, she been gone so long, She been gone, gone, gone so long." 

Well, the girl in the video was indeed gone. Gone far away from the vocalist who was longing for her. Gone via limousine. Then gone by a charter airplane, likely headed towards the brighter lights of Toronto.

As for the song itself, the vocal harmonies are outstanding. "My Girl" peaked at #3 in Canada. 

What was the first music video you remember watching?