Apparently, viewers of the Box, a British cable network, are blind when it comes to music videos, since they voted Lionel Richie’s ”Hello” (left) as the worst clip of all time. I’d be totally defending the riveting tale of Prof. Richie wooing a sight-impaired sculptress, but our friends at Stereogum have done one better, concocting a high-larious storyboard (scroll down). While the poll’s runner-up, ”Ebony and Ivory,” is pretty abysmal, it’s nowhere near as bad as Chaka Khan‘s ”I Feel for You,” or R. Kelly‘s ”Thoia Thong,” or Don Johnson’s ”Heartbeat,” or even Debbie Gibson‘s ”Electric Youth.”
What’s your pick for the worst video ever? Holla back!
I don’t remember the name of the song, but Philip Michael Thomas of “Miami Vice” fame (infamy?) had a video out in the 80′s that was the most God-Aweful thing I have ever seen in my entire life.
Hello is absolutely the worst video ever! But Eddie Murphy’s ‘Party All the Time’ has got to be a close second!
Worst video? anything with Vanilla Ice. Although if Kevin Federline makes a video, that will take the top spot.
Congrats to our British cousins for naming the worst video of all time. I was a Lionel Richie fan due to his work with the Commodores until that video came out. It along with Dancing on the Ceiling made me lose all respect for the man (along with getting beat up by his wife).
My vote goes to a more recent video I unfortunately got a glimps of while getting dressed for work (damn my roommate for being a channel flipper!!!) – it’s country song that actually has the lines “Honky tonk ba-donka donk” – no lie! It’s like Toby Keith and Tyra Banks sat down at the Ivey one weekend and decided to write a tune together. I honestly can’t say how bad the video is cause I was in such a state of shock – my ears and brain were feeling so completely violated – but it certainly confirms to me that country music can be so completely lame.
OMG, the Electric Youth video was so hilarious. When Debbie GIbson changed through the years towards the end. Classic.
This only makes me wish that they would DVD MTV’s 25 lamest videos hosted by Janeane Garafalo, Jon Stewart, Chris Kattan, and someone else who’s name escapes me. Does anyone remember that? The best thing ever on MTV.
VANILLA! CHILL OUT!
“Maneater” by Hall & Oates or maybe “Rico Suave” by Gerardo or “Illegal Alien” by Genesis.
Bad was the worst video, how can you take Michael Jackson prancing around trying to act tough seriously. And yes, I know Scorsese directed it, but it was a ridiculous idea that even he couldn’t save.
Paula Cole’s “I Don’t Want to Wait.” It’s a good thing the song became associated with Dawson’s Creek, because the video alone . . . gah. I actually shivered with embarassment.
This one is easy: ROCK ME TONITE by Billy Squier. That video single-handedly destroyed his career.
The other person who co-hosted the MTV “100 Lame” was Denis Leary. Absolutely hysterical.
I have to vote for Heartbeat. The lyrics are stupid, Don’s voice was passable, but, his ego and the story were unintentionally funny. He was a photojournalist in some Central/South American jungle. He avoided the rebels and romanced some sinorita. Somehow, Paul Schaefer was his film editor. Uggh
best worst video is ‘love is a battlefield.’
Pump up the Jam. I think they had a 20$ budget to do the whole thing.
For Chris who asked below about Philip Michael Thomas, the song was called “Just the Way I Planned it”, which featured an abundance of strobe lights, strangely made-up women, and PMT’s hairy chest. Ewww!
As for my vote, the worst video still has to be “Looks That Kill” by Motley Crue. Pul-leeze!