On August 1st, we celebrated MTV’s thirty-ninth birthday and I’ve used that as an excuse to watch a lot of videos this week. How this differs from my normal day-to-day life is debatable! Look, when it comes to the golden age of MTV (which runs from “Video Killed the Radio Star” to the debut of “Wild Boys” in my book), Duran Duran are the ultimate icons. They arrived with the look, the style, and the music that fit the era perfectly. Few bands grasped the potential as quickly and nobody put together a stronger body of work in those early years.
It is pretty common to read about the success of ZZ Top on MTV as one of the more unexpected stories of the era. In terms of branding a band, they certainly nailed it. Sexy women and a hot rod with two beards and a Beard worked out well for them. But what about Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers? Southern rock with a dose of British pop played by some regular looking guys from Gainesville, FL was pretty alien compared to the New Romantic scene but Petty was undeniably cool on MTV whether you loved Duran Duran or Van Halen. So, in honor of MTV’s birthday, I humbly present Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers with my Velvet Rebel Video Vanguard Award for 2020.
Here are five of their best.
You Got Lucky
Look, most bands ripped off Mad Max for a video or two in the early 80s but Petty did it best. The garbage bag tent is full of wonders for these post-apocalypse warriors. I remember I was always excited to the see the Battlestar Galactica clip when they fired up the televisions. At the end, the band leaves the boombox behind on the side of the road and it is every bit as iconic as the rabbit that runs out on the highway when the ZZ Top hot rod rolls off into the sunset.
Don’t Come Around Here No More
If you hadn’t tried drugs before this video came out, it certainly challenged your perception of reality. The band’s sense of humor always found a way to shine through and this remains such a fun video to watch. They get bonus points for terrifying some overly righteous conservatives who thought the video promoted cannibalism!
Into the Great Wide Open
Faye Dunaway, Johnny Depp, Matt LeBlanc, Chynna Phillips, Terence Trent D’Arby, and Gabriele Anwar all appear in this video which is pretty incredible in itself! Videos that follow the story of the song are often awkward experiences but this one unfolds like a great short film.
Last Dance With Mary Jane
Say what you want about Petty but the guy had some pull in Hollywood. Kim Bassinger plays the lovely corpse bride in the this beautifully creepy tale. By 1993, New Wave and Hair Metal had yielded their place in popular culture to a wave of Seattle bands but Petty kept on being Petty. One of the last great videos on MTV!
Circus (Walls)
Some days are diamonds, some days are rocks.
Such a perfect opening line to one of the many classic Petty songs I forget about sometimes. Add Jennifer Anniston and Ed Burns to the list of stars to make appearances in Petty videos. The use of color is extraordinary in this clip as it echoes the rush of adrenaline felt watching Bollywood films. Much like the rest of his videography, Petty never pushes to be the “star” of the clip and the video never overpowers the song itself. Such is the style of a true Video Vanguard!
