Who Popped Into the Music Video? Quiz

Answer:

When MTV launched in August of 1981, it revolutionized the music industry by making music videos a huge way to reach fans. A popular video could turn someone unknown into a major artist. And adding a celebrity or guest to the video aided that endeavor. VH1, launched in 1985, jumped on the bandwagon by showcasing videos focusing more on adult contemporary music.

There were many pop songs on these channels that took advantage of using celebrities:
- "Call Me Al", released in 1986 by Paul Simon, became famous for its playful humor and starring role by Chevy Chase. Chase does most of the exaggerated lip syncing and acting while Simon stands besides him looking amused.
- The music video "Don't Worry, Be Happy" became a hit in 1988 thanks in part to the appearance of Robin Williams. He and Bobby McFerrin spent the video dancing, clowning around, and making silly faces.
- The video for "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" became one of MTV's signature videos in 1983 and helped make Cyndi Lauper a star. The video featured wrestler manager Lou Albano as Lauper's strict father. His comedic acting added to the video's fun spirit.

There were also rock music videos on these channels that featured varied celebrities:
- The music video for "Dancing In The Dark" became famous in 1984 when Bruce Springsteen pulled a young Courteney Cox from the audience to dance with him on stage. The video gave Cox one of her first major TV appearances before she starred on "Friends".
- The video for "Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake, in 1987, became iconic thanks to the appearance of model and actress Tawny Kitaen. Her memorable dance on, off, and around two sports cars helped make the video extremely recognizable.
- The video for "Walk This Way" in 1986 was groundbreaking because it brought the group Run-D.M.C. together with the original artist of the song, Aerosmith. In the video, Steven Tyler famously smashes through a wall separating the two groups and symbolizes the blending of rock and hip-hop.

The genre of R&B and soul also had many videos with guests and stars:
- Michael Jackson's video of the song "Bad", deeply rooted in R&B, was released in 1987. It featured a young Wesley Snipes as Jackson's rival gang leader. Directed by famous Martin Scorsese, the video (almost a short film) helped make this one of Jackson's most memorable early videos.
- The video for "Love Shack" by the B-52's became a big hit in 1989 with its party atmosphere and fun characters. One of the dancers featured in it was a little-known (at the time) RuPaul. This was years before becoming famous as the host of "RuPaul's Drag Race".
- The video for "Party All The Time" was released in 1985 and showed that Eddie Murphy was serious about music in addition to his acting and comedic work. Produced by Rick James, the catchy song became a big hit and it helped that James himself appeared while performing keyboards or singing alongside Murphy.