Music is becoming more and more of a visual as well as audial entertainment format giving videgorgaohers more work than ever before. With an industry so saturated, we sometimes have to look back in order to find the freshest sources of inspiration. Here is a short list of Wishu’s picks from the 1980s and 1990s.   

Cibbo Mato’s Sugar Water

Directed by the legendary Michel Gondry, this music video makes intelligent use of split-screen as it follows the two female band members along a parallel yet backwards trajectory. It is a joy and a puzzle for the eye accompanied by the other worldly tone of Cibbo Mato’s fantastically odd sound.

Loredana Berté’s J’Adore Venise

Berté’s video is a great example of back to basics. The 80s Italian pop star walks down a corridor in a denim skirt, white tank top accompanied by huge hair. A great reminder that videos don’t need a million special effects in order to be effective but that a grainy finish and great outfit might be enough.

Sade’s When Am I Going To Make A Living

Another refreshing source of inspiration that could, if applied, truly stand out among modern-day music videos which often use heavily lighted studios, Sade’s video follows the British star as she walks through 1980s London and enjoys lunch in a cheap café with friends. The everyday non-chalenent style of the video feels cinematic and relevant to the song’s theme. 

Erykah Badu’s Other side of the Game

Filmed in one long shot, Other Side of the Game follows Badu and then boyfriend André 3000 around their apartment as the viewer is provided with an intimate, relatable and everyday perspective of a relationship.