Songs that were huge MTV "hits" in the 80's, but not on the pop charts (1 Viewer)

Ghost Rider · Jun 23, 2019

In this thread, we list songs that MTV played a ton in the 80's, yet weren't big hits on the pop charts.

First one that come to mind:

Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime
XTC - The Mayor of Simpleton
U2 - All I Want Is You

OrtonToOlsen · Jun 23, 2019

Most things by...

Split Enz

X

rockaction · Jun 23, 2019

OrtonToOlsen said:
Most things by...

Split Enz

X

Enuff Z'Nuff were jammed down the tailpipe of many a metalhead.

Dinsy Ejotuz · Jun 23, 2019

Well they blew the horns...

OrtonToOlsen · Jun 23, 2019

rockaction said:
Enuff Z'Nuff were jammed down the tailpipe of many a metalhead.

They deserved it.

Ghost Rider · Jun 23, 2019

Dinsy Ejotuz said:
Well they blew the horns...

Love me some The Call. I don't remember a video for it, but I Don't Wanna is a tremendous tune.

rockaction · Jun 23, 2019

OrtonToOlsen said:
They deserved it.

Hmmm... I didn't?

OrtonToOlsen · Jun 23, 2019

rockaction said:
Hmmm... I didn't?

Yes, yes you did.

Those of us non-metalheads were forced to watch crappy metal bands on MTV and the radio for a big part of the 80s

Charlie Steiner · Jun 23, 2019

Haircut 100--Love Plus One

rockaction · Jun 23, 2019

OrtonToOlsen said:
Yes, yes you did.

Those of us non-metalheads were forced to watch crappy metal bands on MTV and the radio for a big part of the 80s

Suckaz

Man of Constant Sorrow · Jun 23, 2019

Wall Of Voodoo - Mexican Radio

Binky The Doormat · Jun 23, 2019

Ebn Ozn - AEIOU Sometimes Y

ETA: kind of expected this on shuke's list

BobbyLayne · Jun 23, 2019

First ten years of 120 Minutes (1986-96, e.g., pre-Sum 41) were pretty solid. I didn’t watch any other MTV show during that time besides The Real World.

rockaction · Jun 23, 2019

We have a Sum 41 reference.

Duck.

wikkidpissah · Jun 23, 2019

Art of Noise - Close (To the Edit)

Prince - 1999

Dire Straits - Skateaway

Peter Gabriel - Shock the Monkey

shuke · Jun 23, 2019

Binky The Doormat said:
Ebn Ozn - AEIOU Sometimes Y

ETA: kind of expected this on shuke's list

Was just going to post this. Horrible horrible song.

Man of Constant Sorrow · Jun 23, 2019

Eddy Grant - Electric Avenue

We gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher
Oh we gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher

Man of Constant Sorrow · Jun 23, 2019

wikkidpissah said:
Peter Gabriel - Shock the Monkey

Fox the fox

Rat the rat

You can ape the ape

I know about that
There is one thing you must be sure of
I can't take any more
Darling, don't you monkey with the monkey, hey

Monkey, monkey, monkey

Sister Havana · Jun 23, 2019

Rockit - Herbie Hancock is a perfect example. The video was played all the time on MTV and won 5 MTV Music Video Awards. Yet it only got to #71 on the Billboard Hot 100. (In fairness, it did hit #1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club chart and #6 on the Hot Black Singles chart.)

OrtonToOlsen · Jun 23, 2019

Sister Havana said:
Rockit - Herbie Hancock is a perfect example. The video was played all the time on MTV and won 5 MTV Music Video Awards. Yet it only got to #71 on the Billboard Hot 100. (In fairness, it did hit #1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club chart and #6 on the Hot Black Singles chart.)

Yeah because of the robot puppets etc

OrtonToOlsen · Jun 23, 2019

shuke said:
Was just going to post this. Horrible horrible song.

It’s better than Eye on the Globe or whatever.

ProstheticRGK · Jun 23, 2019

wikkidpissah said:
Art of Noise - Close (To the Edit)

Prince - 1999

Dire Straits - Skateaway

Peter Gabriel - Shock the Monkey

I had forgotten about that Dire Straits video, that was a staple of the old MTV days. I like that song.

Encyclopedia Brown · Jun 23, 2019

Hot For Teacher and Right Now both stalled in the mid-fifties on the Billboard charts, but they were ubiquitous in the MTV rotation.

otb_lifer · Jun 23, 2019

JEFFERSONS, VEGAS!

Video

Pepsi Generation

Micheal J Fox can #### right off

before Aerosmith & Run ... and better

for the poseurs

Leroy Hoard · Jun 23, 2019

OrtonToOlsen said:
Yeah because of the robot puppets etc

Land of Confusion also had puppets, but it made it all the way to #4.

Ghost Rider · Jun 23, 2019

Stryper is a good band for this thread. They had five songs that were played to death in the later 80's:

Calling On You
Free
Honestly
Always There for You
I Believe in You

I think Honestly was the only one that broke the top 40 on the pop charts here in America. Free, meanwhile, was a monster MTV hit, dominating the Dial MTV (the top 10 of the most requested videos) for like a month or so.

wikkidpissah · Jun 23, 2019

otb_lifer said:
JEFFERSONS, VEGAS!

Video

Pepsi Generation

Micheal J Fox can #### right off

before Aerosmith & Run ... and better

for the poseurs

heavy rotation......

otb_lifer · Jun 23, 2019

wikkidpissah said:
heavy rotation......

... they were, imo :shrug:

zamboni · Jun 23, 2019

Man of Constant Sorrow said:
Eddy Grant - Electric Avenue

We gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher
Oh we gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher

Hit #2 on the US pop charts.

zamboni · Jun 23, 2019

Accept - Balls To The Wall was all over MTV but never hit the top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100:

rockaction · Jun 23, 2019

zamboni said:
Hit #2 on the US pop charts.

Song was ubiquitous.

zamboni · Jun 23, 2019

Neil Young - This Note’s For You

zamboni · Jun 23, 2019

Missing Persons - Mental Hopscotch

Herb · Jun 23, 2019

zamboni said:
Accept - Balls To The Wall was over MTV but never hit the top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100:

Also a nice mention for pride month/ weekend.

Herb · Jun 23, 2019

OrtonToOlsen said:
Yes, yes you did.

Those of us non-metalheads were forced to watch crappy metal bands on MTV and the radio for a big part of the 80s

FORCED, were ya? That musta been rough. I've never experienced being forced to watch television, I can imagine it would be unpleasant. I remember being one of the lucky kids that could switch the channel or :gasp: turn OFF the TV when something I didn't want to watch came on.

higgins · Jun 23, 2019

Saga - on the loose

-fish- · Jun 23, 2019

rockaction said:
Enuff Z'Nuff were jammed down the tailpipe of many a metalhead.

I saw them at the Neptune in Seattle a year ago. Exactly the same.

BobbyLayne · Jun 23, 2019

rockaction said:
We have a Sum 41 reference.

Duck.

Once they started hitting the 120 Minutes rotation I knew the run was over.

zamboni · Jun 23, 2019

Planet P Project - Why Me

Leroy Hoard · Jun 23, 2019

zamboni said:
Accept - Balls To The Wall was all over MTV but never hit the top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100:

For some reason never played a lot at traditional weddings.

rockaction · Jun 23, 2019

No New Tale To Tell - Love and Rockets

?

Man of Constant Sorrow · Jun 23, 2019

zamboni said:
Man of Constant Sorrow said:

Eddy Grant - Electric Avenue

We gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher
Oh we gonna rock down to Electric Avenue
And then we'll take it higher

Click to expand...

Hit #2 on the US pop charts.

Wow. I did not know.

It is a great song, so I'm glad to learn this.

Anarchy99 · Jun 23, 2019

I will refrain from adding anything for awhile, as I could easily take over the thread.

Hot Diggity Dog · Jun 23, 2019

zamboni said:
Accept - Balls To The Wall was all over MTV but never hit the top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100:

seems like this might have been a better song if they let ac/dc play with it a little.

Man of Constant Sorrow · Jun 23, 2019

Hot Diggity Dog said:
seems like this might have been a better song if they let ac/dc play with it a little.

I've got big walls
I've got big walls
And they're such big walls
Dirty big walls
And he's got big walls,
And she's got big walls,
But we've got the biggest walls of them all!

comfortably numb · Jun 23, 2019

Straight outta compton.

Maybe i wasn't into rap as much, but i remeber seeing it daily on TV but can't recall ever hearing it on the radio, NYC radio anyway.

Maybe im off on this?

Mister CIA · Jun 23, 2019

Anarchy99 said:
I will refrain from adding anything for awhile, as I could easily take over the thread.

Triple-dog dare you.

Mister CIA · Jun 23, 2019

Video Killed the Radio Star?

Man of Constant Sorrow · Jun 23, 2019

Mister CIA said:
Video Killed the Radio Star?

I had to watch

zamboni · Jun 24, 2019

Anarchy99 said:
I will refrain from adding anything for awhile, as I could easily take over the thread.

I'm pacing myself.

Songs that were huge MTV "hits" in the 80's, but not on the pop charts (1 Viewer)

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