Music Video Tropes (70s & 80s edition)

[evesdream]

My loving spouse and I were discussing visual tropes that videos from the 70s and 80s are famous for. Here are a few we came up with.

The Saxophone Guy: We usually picture him in dramatic silhouette against an evening sky, one knee bent.

Interesting factoid about the preponderance of the sax guy on just about every "easy listening" album from the 80s. The band that's credited with starting the trend were from the UK - the bellwether for the ubiquitous sax solo comes from this song:
Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty
And the man who launched a thousand sax solos was paid about 60 bucks for it.


Honourable mentions

Careless Whispers (why is George Micheal hiding behind a piece of rope in this video?)

Spandau Ballet - True (sax guy seen in profile [sax guy is always viewed in profile], white piano in background for no reason)

 

[Killswitch]

What the hells a visual trope? What are you talking about?

Sax players?

 

[evesdream]

The Colours Red Black & White (or the New Romantics/David Bowie effect)

corollaries:

Piano Keys

Red Roses & Red Lipstick

Chess Boards
Billie Jean
One Night In Bangkok


Honourable mention:
Addicted to Love - Robert Plamer

 

[Killswitch]

Great now we have corollaries of visual tropes.

 

[evesdream]

Fog and Mist

A Flock of Seagulls (bonus trope: mirrors)
see also every Kate Bush video.

 

[evesdream]

Great now we have corollaries of visual tropes.

Bonus tropes too, plus honourable mentions.

 

[Killswitch]

Bonus tropes too, plus honourable mentions.

lol....Well color me confused.

 

[phrodeau]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZPSrewXYtU

 

[Balladeer08]

Great now we have corollaries of visual tropes.

May I recommend the dictionary app?

Expanding your vocabulary may expand your intellectual horizons.

"Visual tropes" isn't that hard to understand, and corollaries can be had on any subject.

I can visualize your mind shattering when encountering the programming basic of multi-dimensional arrays.

You can do it, you just have to put in the effort.

 

[girlsmiley]

Subscribes.

Eve has the best music threads.

 

[Killswitch]

May I recommend the dictionary app?

Expanding your vocabulary may expand your intellectual horizons.

"Visual tropes" isn't that hard to understand, and corollaries can be had on any subject.

I can visualize your mind shattering when encountering the programming basic of multi-dimensional arrays.

You can do it, you just have to put in the effort.

I did put in effort. I asked what it means.

 

[Not Normal]

The sax is all but gone from pop music. It's kinda sad.

 

[RjThoughts]

How about pure silliness?

I Wanna Be A Lifeguard

Metal Head

 

[evesdream]

Trying To Fit The Entire Band Into One Frame

Hall & Oates
Hall & Oates are good for this one - at one point there are like 5 guys crammed into the shot.

I Can't Go For That (bonus: piano keys, fog & mist, sax player in profile!)

 

[evesdream]

Dream Sequences
Total Eclipse of the Heart
(bonus: fog & mist, child choirs)

 

[evesdream]

Subscribes.

Eve has the best music threads.

I'm looking for the density of cliches, not really picking them for the quality of the songs.

The sax is all but gone from pop music. It's kinda sad.

A lot of session men shaking their heads in dive bars across the world come 1992.

How about pure silliness?

I Wanna Be A Lifeguard

Metal Head

Devo for the win.

 

[RjThoughts]

I'm looking for the density of cliches, not really picking them for the quality of the songs.



A lot of session men shaking their heads in dive bars across the world come 1992.



Devo for the win.

Not Devo, but Blotto.

 

[evesdream]

Okay LAST one, even though I can tell everyone's really into this.

Sexy Woman (librarian) Wearing Glasses
Toto: Africa



Solo Singer Straddling a Chair.
I apologize: Anita Baker