81/100 Video - "La Isla Bonita" - Madonna (1987)

 

The song is pure escapism. 

The video is about her dress.

Madonna does the flamenco and longs for the island breezes of San Pedro in this tasty and timeless slice of Latin and pop fusion. 

That smooth Spanish guitar never fails to deliver an 'isla bonita': a day dream to a tropical utopia for an 18-year-old living in the suburbs who'd traveled as far as P.E.I.  

82/100 Video - "Galvanize" - The Chemical Brothers (1997)

 

The video for "Galvanize" by The Chemical Brothers takes us back to our teen years.

The comical chase reminds me of The Warriors film where gang members run throughout the night, escaping rival gangs. This is the young teen version.

The second half reminds us of sneaking into bars underage. 

In this case, the two boys are not just passive attendees, they end up participating in some sort of a breakdance battle. An epic video.

83/100 Video - "The New Pollution" - Beck (1996)

As a rock star, Beck is predictably unpredictable. 

"The New Pollution" is the epitome of random weirdness, but in a good way.

In the earlier clips, the dancers display a myriad of American clichés while Beck's dance moves are stiff. 

But by the the end of the video, Beck finds his groove and busts some serious moves including the splits.

About halfway through the clip there is a reference to synth legends Kraftwerk. 

 

84/100 Video - "The Ghost In You" - The Psychedelic Furs (1984)

Although British band The Psychedelic Furs is best known for the title track on the Pretty In Pink soundtrack, I've always preferred the shimmering synths and the sheer beauty of the pseudo ballad "The Ghost In You".

This song and video master the 'sad verse, happy chorus' classic alternative formula.

I love the sharp colour contrasts in the video between the more subtle verses and the slightly happier chorus. 

During each verse, the black and white clips show a reflective Richard Butler singing in front of his backstage mirror.

The melancholy is offset in each joyous chorus as the frame changes to an altered reality, as vibrant colourful bubbles move about the screen.

You may recall the track was featured in the romantic comedy 50 First Dates starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore.

The chorus's cerebral lyrics "Inside you the time moves and she don't fade, the ghost in you, she don't fade" reduce the sappiness of what ultimately is an old school new wave love song...and what a lovely song it is. 

85/100 Video - "Planet Claire" – The B52s (1979)

From the opening alien synth notes of "Planet Claire", The B52s remind us on this early single that they are gifts from another galaxy. 

What's extraordinary about this song is that it takes almost two minutes until the first vocals appear: that is unless you count Kate Pierson's lip sync of the intro synth line.

Meanwhile, vocalist Fred Schneider plays a mean cowb...I mean walkie-talkie?!

The eccentric gals and guys of this unique band have always taken fun seriously with silly lyrics, antics and outfits.

It still blows my that two important alternative artists emerged from the college town of Athens, Georgia (population: approx. 125,000).