Earlier this week, I apparently upset Pete Wentz a little bit when I posted about his new MTV show, which upset his posse (my favorite comment: “ps. dan gibson = a bitch, perez hilton = amazing, pete wentz = my hero”). I certainly hope that he and I can get past this difficult stage in our relationship, so I’m going to assume his original “MTV doesn’t play videos, man” post was sincere, and that, as he mentioned in his blog, he really does want our help picking a “classic” video. So let’s give him all the help, hugs, and love that Idolator is known for.
Pete said:
Please suggest a video you want me to play for the vintage/classic video segment. Maybe you can run a poll on your site (which is way more popular than my blog, meelikey.com, i promise you ive seen the numbers). I promise to watch your selections carefully but I must warn you that I may do so under the influence of some Coconut Juice.
Since there hasn’t really been a channel showing only the videos I want to see since the demise of “The Box”, I thought it would be best to take nominations from our readership, with a poll to determine our official suggestion for Pete’s Big Music Show to follow later today.
First, my personal video preferences:
The Happy Mondays - Step On:
Really, how can you go wrong with the Happy Mondays (although my wife might disagree)?
Barnes & Barnes - Fish Heads:
This video was a big hit on Nickelodeon’s music video program when I was a kid, which qualifies it as a classic, maybe.
Los Fabulousos Cadillacs - Matador:
Oh, MTV Latino, you gave me so much, it’s all I can do to try to return the love.
Let the suggestions fly, and be sure to check in later for the poll.
a message from the most powerful man in music [meelikey]
Earlier: Do I Want My “F’N MTV” Hosted By Pete Wentz?
@The Notorious T: I remember that video being played on MTV2 about three times a day back when that station started.
[dekku.blogspot.com]
One of the illest videos ever made, totally forgotten. And I haven’t seen it in 20 years!
a little east coast boom-bap perhaps?
+ Watch video
Billy Joel’s “A Matter of Trust”?
How serious are you Pete? Serious enough to play the most overblown video ever made (excluding those involving Axl Rose)? Also, I love this video.
@Eugene Langley: my favorite song to do at karaoke… the only time being a fat, sweaty man has its performance benefits.
Bastards of young?
This would be my pick.
A classic.
dude’s pretty low-hanging fruit, but fact is his point beats the hell out of Idolator’s. Idolator pisses on MTV for not showing videos; Wentz says that’s true, I’d like to start an MTV show that shows videos; Idolator says that’s gonna suck cause you’re Pete Wentz; Wentz says but you haven’t even seen the show–what would you want to see? In this case, unfortunately, I’d say the astrigent of cold logic and good grace beats snark handily.
@HUGE_Hefner: FTW.
I’ll give Pete a xFirstbornx demo if he plays the Mondays on every show.
Also. I feel for any Mondays related domestic squabbling.
They just aren’t discussed anymore. Many. Many. Angry words.
November Rain. There’s nothing more classic than Slash in front of a big old church in the middle of nowhere.
OR. Paula Abdul. Anything by her.
Justify My Love. That’s a video that never saw the light of day on MTV, though.
@jaxxwastedlife: Agreed. That Perez Hilton comment makes me think that we might be dealing with a young crowd who might do even worse than my 129 on the Music Intelligence Quiz.
What say we give them come of the classics that are historically significant (e.g. 99 Luftballoons or anything with a white background and smoke machines, so that they understand what we used to settle for in terms of production values). Either that or:
Because, hey, toilets.
@phaballa: If you’re going to pick a Paula Abdul song, you have to go with “Rush, Rush” for its I-can’t-believe-this-osity. Keanu Reeves is a more obscure sidekick than a cartoon cat.
@janine: I just looked it up again! I never write LOL, but I’m honestly laughing out fucking loud at the intro. Watch the 1st 30 seconds! For me!
I wouldn’t mind seeing some of Tom Petty’s old vids again, especially “Into the Great Wide Open” and “Last Dance with Mary Jane.”
P.S. Dan, how about an olive branch on the Mondays? I love em too…..
MC 900 Ft. Jesus - If I Only Had A Brain
@slowburn: Do we have beef? I wasn’t aware (seriously).
@Dan Gibson: No darling. I was the one screaming about how you needed to put your newborn kid on your “best of” list instead of the Mondays….
…I stand by that assessment, but as it happened I recently pulled out my “Happy Mondays Greatest Hits” and it made me so, so happy….
@slowburn: Oh right. I had forgotten about that. 2008 has been a great baby year, and not terribly good for the Mondays, if that makes you feel better.
@blancoyo: If anything I’m not sure what the point of a show that’s going to show the same videos MTV shows in their admittedly limited existing video blocks. The dozen or so glimpses of the Duffy video that I see before flipping the channel aren’t quite enough? Plus, I don’t recall actually complaining about MTV and videos…MTV2 and VH1 Classic, maybe, but who hasn’t given up on MTV long, long ago?
Plus, the timing of his original post was totally dodgy. He was marketing the show with his fake complaints, let’s just be honest.
I just don’t buy that he went to MTV and pitched the show…maybe I’m wrong, though. It’s certainly happened before.
Bobby Brown - Humpin’ Around
It’s funky as shit, completely ridiculous, and it’s got that irony/cheese factor, since most of the people watching MTV now know Bobby as a professional sleazebag, and have little recollection of his rather dope musical career.
He should just play old VHS tapes of Lifetime playing basements.
@HUGE_Hefner: Hell yes.
I think I may be older than the rest of you… but I remember choosing babysitting gigs on whether or not the house had MTV… So this is about 1981 to 1983.
How about The Kinks Predictable video from Give the People What They Want. A nice self-deprecating Ray Davies narrative video.
Mr. Wentz could pick any of the Low-era Bowie vids for what can be done with very limited special effects and a high concept. ( My 14-ear-old is watching FUSE right now and the MGMT vid they’re playing definitely is informed by Ashes to Ashes.)
As Midwestern boys, they should play some Violent Femmes, early stuff. Is there a frat boy alive today that doesn’t know all the words to Add it Up? Or the live version of Dance, Motherfucker, Dance? (Which is actually a song written by the incomparable and incorrigable Voot Warnings). Oh, and some Promise Ring…
And what punk rock primer would be complete without playing the Clash video that everyone loved; Rock the Casbah.
As for my jams, gotta play Salt n Pepa’s Push It. Did Laid Back ever make a video for Don’t Ride the White Horse? They should have.
Anything by Ween — but Freedom of ‘76 most of all.
@phaballa: If they’re gonna do that, how about the original (uncensored) version of Duran Duran’s “Girls on Film”? Half-naked women wrestling seem quite tame compared to what they’re showing now!
i’ve always been partial to the unencumbered, low-budget weirdness of they might be giants’ “ana ng”, which also happens to be my favorite song by them.
+ Watch video
Props to Pete for that “Coconut Juice” joke. That made me spit my Clamato Juice all over my keyboard.
Now I’m hoping for a bear vs. shark video :( I don’t know why but after the post about the 500 greatest songs on that radio station’s playlist, I’m really missing them a lot. Also, that fish heads video shot good memories right into me.
below averagely written
How come people who put down the prose of others seem to feel the unconscious urge to go one step further in the process? It reminds me of the old internet adage: “your an idiot.”
I think this video never got its due respect, if only for the delightful guest appearances and ensuing silliness. RIP, Big Baby.
+ Watch video
Looks like the Pete Wentz fangirls are quite defensive - and apparently, dumber than dirt with that “Perez Hilton = Amazing” comment.
But, I digress. My video suggestion? I don’t have one, actually. Maybe “Video Killed The Radio Star”?
“Plant Man”. I don’t have YouTube access at work to track it down.
when they say Vintage, I want VINTAGE!
MJ’s “Bille Jean” maybe “Rapture” by Blondie…
Can’t get any better than “Take On Me” by A-Ha or “Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits (love the animated vids)
Fishheads, FTW. Though, if memory serves, I only ever saw that on Nickelodions video show and probably Night Flights. Don’t recall ever seeing it on MTV, so maybe now is the time to remedy that.
How bout a real group of punks, Pete…you celebrity-whoring dink!
Try something from Wire’s first coupla records without cribbing anything from it!
I miss the smooveness of “Cantaloop.”
Rock the Kasbah - The Clash
Lullaby - The Cure (creepy as hell - don’t fall asleep with this on)
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out - The Smiths
- oh, and some Sgt Peppers era Beatles to educate the kids might be a good idea.
Buddy Holly - Weezer; that is still one of my all-time favorite music videos. Though maybe that’s not vintage enough?
Opposites Attract - Paula Abdul; everyone needs a video with a dancing animated cat
any really early MTV videos would be awesome, and who could forget, Video Killed the Radio Star? A necessity, for sure.
“Sledgehammer” by Peter Gabriel
“7″ by Prince
“Self Destruction” - East Coast All Stars
“Me, Myself & I” by De La Soul
“Make It Real” by Madonna
Oh!
“Electric Relaxation” by A Tribe Called Quest
Okay I’m done.
‘Freak Of The Week’ by Marvelous 3
[uk]
‘Bruise Violet’ by Babes In Toyland
[uk]
And basically anything by The Clash…
OH Peter better put on bullet with butterfly wings- smashing pumpkins
Yehehe
and
something iron maiden, maybe can I play with madness?
otherwise I’m not watching. which doesn’t make sense if you think about it but anyways
@icedmaple:
omg fuck yess
black sabbath- paranoid
metallica- enter sandman
um
mc hammer- u cant touch this (^.^)
um idk if its vintage but I’ve never seen it aired and it would be totally awesome if you could play a my chemical romance video, like their early ones like vampires will never hurt you?
;]
no one can say no to london calling by the clash
and seeing as he’s already going to be playing novemeber rain, I hope (at one point) he plays sweet child o mine
for my mommy =]
p.s Lucy in the sky with diamonds ftw
“Thriller” By MJ…
My All Time Favorite…
FOB did an awesome remake of “Beat It” though… I must say…
XxXpinknoseXxX
Glycerine by Bush.
The Safety Dance by Men Without Hats.
Semi-Charmed Life by Third Eye Blind.
Push by Matchbox 20