eightone81 — Best Music Video Ever

We’re doing a big one, celebrating Halloween and the big 30, it’s “Thriller” by the King of Pop. Often the de facto Number 1 on Best of All Time lists. Does it hold up? Let’s dig in. The final book in our Trouble: Girl Detective mystery series is out now! Order Trouble to the Last Drop on Kindle, Paperback, or Hardcover now!

If you’ve heard of “Night Moves” by Marilyn Martin, congratulations. This weird vampire music video from the 80s feels like one time forgot. Vampires are due for a comeback, aren’t they? The final book in our Trouble: Girl Detective mystery series is out now! Order Trouble to the Last Drop on Kindle, Paperback, or Hardcover now!

Nothing says spooky like gothic sets, absinthe, a giant severed hand prop, and Trent Reznor in a velvet trench coat. We’re talking “The Perfect Drug” by Nine Inch Nails. Boo! The final book in our Trouble: Girl Detective mystery series is out now! Order Trouble to the Last Drop on Kindle, Paperback, or Hardcover now!

Spooky Season on eightone81 continues with a weird video by a cool band: it’s “Push It” from Garbage. The guys talk about their love for these alt-rock legends, the weird lightbulb man, and how hot Shirley Manson is. We also cover the new Taylor Swift album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” and One Battle After Another . Hot takes incoming! The final book in our Trouble: Girl Detective mystery series is...

eightone81 returns for spooky season! We’re celebrating our favorite time of year by checking out some of the best horror and horror-adjacent music videos of the MTV era. To start off, we’re dancing in the candlelight with dead Kim Basinger. Awesome song and awesome video for “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The final book in our Trouble: Girl Detective mystery series i...

The King of Pop finally makes a bow on the pod. This might actually be the best music video ever. It’s “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson for our 25th episode. Pre-order the new Trouble book now on Kindle ! Out July 1st!

It’s the world’s most obvious Lewis Carroll reference, folks! JK, we’re doing the Alice in Wonderland-themed Mad Hatter party that is Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ “Don’t Come Around Here No More.” Pre-order the new Trouble book now on Kindle ! Out July 1st!

A song so catchy for a movie tie-in that it sort of makes us want to watch Mannequin . It’s “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” by Starship, featuring a guest appearance by Hollywood Montrose. (We also have an extended talk about Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning at about 38:05 into the pod, lol. Spoiler Warning!) Pre-order the new Trouble book now on Kindle ! Out July 1st!

This week on the pod, Bono lets The Edge take the mic for one of U2’s most original and experimental songs. It’s “Numb,” your favorite music video featuring belly dancers and feet.

Heroin chic is back in fashion as the bros discuss the sleazy masterpiece that is “Criminal” by Fiona Apple.

The Navy knew what they were doing letting this video be shot of a battleship full of seamen. It’s Cher’s “If I Could Turn Back Time,” and yes, you can see the tattoo on her ass cheek.

A music video so suggestive that MTV asked Laura Branigan to make some edits. We’re on an erotic journey with “Self Control.”

Every time it felt like this music video had peaked, it just kept taking it to the next level. A boys chorus where they all have glowing eyes! And then one of them starts flying! It’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler.

We’re taking the pod to a dark but ultimately reaffirming place this week, talking about the “Everybody Hurts” music video by R.E.M.

This week on the pod, we’re joined by special guest Morgan to discuss her music video pick: “Waterfalls” by TLC.

Double video pod! The guys are talking not one but two songs by the Boss off the Born in the U.S.A. album: “Dancing in the Dark,” and “I’m on Fire,” by Bruce Springsteen, with multiple interludes about Courtney Cox’s career, the Season 2 Severance finale, and other random side tracks.

This week on the pod, another lip-syncing classic from the 80s: it’s Paul Simon with an assist from Chevy Chase for “You Can Call Me Al.”

Is this the best music video ever? “Freedom! ’90” is certainly a contender. The guys go deep on David Fincher’s supermodel masterpiece for the George Michael classic. This movie was very important to our adolescent development.

We’re really delving into the class struggle on this one with Pulp’s “Common People.” Plus, a diversion about the new Anya Taylor-Joy/Miles Teller streaming movie The Gorge . Spoiler alert: it stinks.

This week on the pod, is Paula Abdul fucking that cartoon cat? James and Marco are taking a look at the slick choreography in “Opposites Attract.” Also, we get sidetracked talking the new Captain America movie, which was… quite poor.

This week on the pod, James and Marco are getting down with some classic Whitney Houston and the hit song from her second album, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” Remember when people used to dance unselfconsciously?

Marco and JT are joined by special guest Kayla to talk about a group we would never cover on our own. That’s right, we’re doing two songs by *NSync: “Bye Bye Bye” and “It’s Gonna Be Me.” Give it a listen, we ruined our YouTube algorithms for this.

We’re talking David Bowie and Trent Reznor on the pod this week with 1997’s “I’m Afraid of Americans.” A video that feels weirdly prescient about the future American malaise, and also features Bowie in a bizarre suit and Reznor in an unfortunate soul patch-y situation. Plus, the guys talk about their recent experience seeing Fastball, Gin Blossoms, and Collective Soul in concert.

This week on the pod, we travel all the way back to the end of 1981, when MTV was still new, to discuss The Human League’s pop hit “Don’t You Want Me.” An appropriately noir-ish video for a sinister song about a possessive ex. Same director as “Take On Me.” Impressive run, Steve Barron.

We’re staying in the 90s alt-rock scene this week to talk about “Everlong" by the Foo Fighters. What a strange, fun little trip into the dreamworld with Dave Grohl and company. The guys talk good lighting, giant hands, and why the Foo Fighters might be the best cover band of all time.