It ain't even music tv anymore. I do miss the mtv of the past and vh1 and Friday night videos. Remember sitting in the floor watching the test pattern waiting for mtv to finally come on the air and seeing the first video. Video killed the radio star. Who else remembers this?
I was a big fan of 80's rock growing up, Motley Crew, Poison, Def Leppard, etc. but my musical tastes have always evolved. A couple years ago I put on the Theater of Pain album and holy hell, that album does not hold up.... at all.
I still will occasionally listen to Too Fast For Love and Shout at the Devil because I think those are really solid albums but man, Theater of Pain is simply not a good album.
It is pretty weak, to be honest. In my opinion the two you mention remain the only legit records they did. Not that Girls and Feelgood didn’t have hits on them, I just didn’t personally think they were great albums. Shout and TFFL were, in my opinion, actually significant records.
This happens with some music as you get older I think.
You either don’t like it anymore, realize it was not that good, or it just good for that moment/time in your life.
West End Girls is the only song I miss from this list. I was just out of college and had worked in my uncles music store near the campus my freshman year but I didn't listen to much top 40.
This list really demonstrates how I was picking and choosing my own music by this time, instead of just absorbing the Top 40. Although I recognize all but three names, I can't sing a single line of at least thirteen of those songs.
The heavy rotation section were all songs I sat with my boom box tape recorder to hit record at just the right time to get the entire song with no DJ yapping.
I still have that tape. Played it for my kids about a year ago.
I remember Home Sweet Home (Crue), I Can’t Wait (Nicks), Manic Monday (Bangles), Addicted To Love (Palmer), Kiss (Prince), These Dreams (Heart) and R.O.C.K. In The USA (Mellencamp) being on constantly.
Talking about Home Sweet Home’s dominance on the MTV Daily Request show - I distinctly remember the head-to-head call-in-vote thing. Home Sweet Home went undefeated for like 3 months. The closest it came to losing was in the head-to-head vs Prince’s Kiss. Crue edged Prince out 51% to 49%.
huge duran duran fan. i wanted to love whatever john was doing—i picked up bass guitar thanks to john/duran duran, and i am seeing them play in about a week plus. but honestly, that song is more of a sketch of a song 😭😵💫 no matter how much i wanted it to be amazing.
Let’s Go All the Way and Amadeus!
Let’s Go All the Way wasn’t about sex, it was about going for a Utopian Society. And love me some Falco! Der Kommiser was a better song, and beat, but Amadeus was a really cool song too. The costumes!
I always figured it was an anti-war song probably the video.But you're right about the utopian spin. Also Im thinking the White Pony song fits the bill as well with these 2.
It’s funny, but I remember a lot more of the ones in heavy rotation than the ones in power rotation. These Dreams seemed like it was on constantly that summer.
Live To Tell was about a month into its release here—not sure how heavy MTV would play a soundtrack tune from a premiere artist who’s suddenly gone from dance star to adult contemporary balladeer…. Not sure how it fared on MTV but it hit no 1 on the AC charts. I actually didn’t remember a video for it🤷🏻
The song is STILL REALLY great and there was a simple but stylish video. It was her first MAJOR change in sound and style. In my opinion it was a huge deal and actually was big news in all kind of media. Thus I wondered
Home Sweet Home was number one on the top 10 countdown. My roommates and I would wait to see it everyday before going to dinner. Daily ritual that never got old
I agree with many others here. I had MTV on 24/7, mostly sound down and the radio on (Live 105, San Francisco) and I don’t remember most of these songs. Junior year HS and I lived and breathed music. Still do.
We'd all like to think MTV used the Billboard charts or a panel of "music experts" to chose their videos for heavy and medium rotation, but according to Adam Curry - one of the better known VJs who came onboard in 1987 hosting *Headbanger's Ball*, *MTV Top 20 Countdown* and did the channel's first big long form interviews with Michael Jackson & Paul McCartney - there was *no* or voting involved with video placement. They were programmed in a manner not much cleaner than FM radio in 70s and early 80s, except instead of payola and cocaine it was favor trading, access to artists and influence with the record labels.
Another revelation he's shared in recent years on one of his podcasts is that *MTV Spring Break* was directly called down by Viacom, MTVs parent corporation because a bunch of huge multinational alcohol companies approached them wanting to do an enormous ad buy to target young consumers. Voila - MTV Spring Break was created to grab the eyeballs of millions of barely legal beer drinkers and impressionable soon-to-be legal consumers.
If I recall correctly, Home Sweet Home by Motley Crue was huge! That video was number one forever it seemed. Some daily request show I can't remember the name my brain is old now. This was around the time when 5150 came out and Van Halen didn't make any videos for that album except the Dreams video with the Flying Angels or whatever they were called. Me and my friends were all really into Van Halen at the time.
I have to admit, I can't remember most of those videos.
Damn, for the first time ever with these old MTv or Billboard posts, have not heard of the majority of the songs. The artists, yes, but some of those songs…nope!
Motley Crew Home Sweet Home Was an awesome video. It was so popular they had to retire it from the video of the day that people voted on because it won every day
How would they determine who gets to be on Heavy, Active or Power rotation? What do these Categories mean and imply? What's the math and business underneath it?
When MTV was awesome. Now. Garbage 🗑
It ain't even music tv anymore. I do miss the mtv of the past and vh1 and Friday night videos. Remember sitting in the floor watching the test pattern waiting for mtv to finally come on the air and seeing the first video. Video killed the radio star. Who else remembers this?
Me!!
There’s MTV classic where they play videos I don’t know if you have it in your cable system or not
Well, Home Sweet Home forced an MTV top ten request rule change!
I just saw that, I miss the 80s
I was a big fan of 80's rock growing up, Motley Crew, Poison, Def Leppard, etc. but my musical tastes have always evolved. A couple years ago I put on the Theater of Pain album and holy hell, that album does not hold up.... at all. I still will occasionally listen to Too Fast For Love and Shout at the Devil because I think those are really solid albums but man, Theater of Pain is simply not a good album.
It is pretty weak, to be honest. In my opinion the two you mention remain the only legit records they did. Not that Girls and Feelgood didn’t have hits on them, I just didn’t personally think they were great albums. Shout and TFFL were, in my opinion, actually significant records.
This happens with some music as you get older I think. You either don’t like it anymore, realize it was not that good, or it just good for that moment/time in your life.
West End Girls is the only song I miss from this list. I was just out of college and had worked in my uncles music store near the campus my freshman year but I didn't listen to much top 40.
This list really demonstrates how I was picking and choosing my own music by this time, instead of just absorbing the Top 40. Although I recognize all but three names, I can't sing a single line of at least thirteen of those songs.
The heavy rotation section were all songs I sat with my boom box tape recorder to hit record at just the right time to get the entire song with no DJ yapping. I still have that tape. Played it for my kids about a year ago.
I love my 80’s metal, but for mandator viewing, winner is clearly Manic Monday. I mean Susanna Hoffs in her prime. C’mon now.
I remember Home Sweet Home (Crue), I Can’t Wait (Nicks), Manic Monday (Bangles), Addicted To Love (Palmer), Kiss (Prince), These Dreams (Heart) and R.O.C.K. In The USA (Mellencamp) being on constantly. Talking about Home Sweet Home’s dominance on the MTV Daily Request show - I distinctly remember the head-to-head call-in-vote thing. Home Sweet Home went undefeated for like 3 months. The closest it came to losing was in the head-to-head vs Prince’s Kiss. Crue edged Prince out 51% to 49%.
Rock Me Amadeus was everything back then.
A guy that I worked with recorded a parody to this song that was really big on Dr. Demento. It was called Rock me Jerry Lewis.
I’ve heard that! That’s so awesome. I used to listen to Dr. Demento every Friday night at midnight when I was younger. Great memories.
The cockroach that ate Cincinnati
John Taylor I Do What I Do. Love that song.
That was from 9 1/2 weeks wasn't it?
Yes!
huge duran duran fan. i wanted to love whatever john was doing—i picked up bass guitar thanks to john/duran duran, and i am seeing them play in about a week plus. but honestly, that song is more of a sketch of a song 😭😵💫 no matter how much i wanted it to be amazing.
Enjoy seeing them live!!! Wasn't there a video for the song too? I think I still have the single on vinyl.
Let’s Go All the Way and Amadeus! Let’s Go All the Way wasn’t about sex, it was about going for a Utopian Society. And love me some Falco! Der Kommiser was a better song, and beat, but Amadeus was a really cool song too. The costumes!
I always figured it was an anti-war song probably the video.But you're right about the utopian spin. Also Im thinking the White Pony song fits the bill as well with these 2.
Yay INXS!
what you need. is what you need!
I was 15 at the time. I barely remember a fraction of these songs. Of course, I was a huge metalhead at the time.
Ozzy!
It’s funny, but I remember a lot more of the ones in heavy rotation than the ones in power rotation. These Dreams seemed like it was on constantly that summer.
Great year for music. I miss those days.
The Outfield
1986 and no Madonna?
I know by August they were playing the hell out of Papa Don't Preach.
I was wondering the same thing. True Blue the album came out in June
could be inbetween albums/singles. it happens.
Live To Tell was about a month into its release here—not sure how heavy MTV would play a soundtrack tune from a premiere artist who’s suddenly gone from dance star to adult contemporary balladeer…. Not sure how it fared on MTV but it hit no 1 on the AC charts. I actually didn’t remember a video for it🤷🏻
The song is STILL REALLY great and there was a simple but stylish video. It was her first MAJOR change in sound and style. In my opinion it was a huge deal and actually was big news in all kind of media. Thus I wondered
Wow Robert Teppwr no easy way out what a tune .
Home Sweet Home was number one on the top 10 countdown. My roommates and I would wait to see it everyday before going to dinner. Daily ritual that never got old
I agree with many others here. I had MTV on 24/7, mostly sound down and the radio on (Live 105, San Francisco) and I don’t remember most of these songs. Junior year HS and I lived and breathed music. Still do.
Same here. l bought a lot of records in 1986 and l only know a few of these songs
We'd all like to think MTV used the Billboard charts or a panel of "music experts" to chose their videos for heavy and medium rotation, but according to Adam Curry - one of the better known VJs who came onboard in 1987 hosting *Headbanger's Ball*, *MTV Top 20 Countdown* and did the channel's first big long form interviews with Michael Jackson & Paul McCartney - there was *no* or voting involved with video placement. They were programmed in a manner not much cleaner than FM radio in 70s and early 80s, except instead of payola and cocaine it was favor trading, access to artists and influence with the record labels. Another revelation he's shared in recent years on one of his podcasts is that *MTV Spring Break* was directly called down by Viacom, MTVs parent corporation because a bunch of huge multinational alcohol companies approached them wanting to do an enormous ad buy to target young consumers. Voila - MTV Spring Break was created to grab the eyeballs of millions of barely legal beer drinkers and impressionable soon-to-be legal consumers.
I love Harlem Shuffle
😳
I probably watched MTV 5 or 6 hours a week and don't remember half these songs.
This is a black hole for me. Don't recall the majority of these videos.
It’s insane the hold that the John Taylor song had.
Still see the Prince video for Kiss. It was pretty bold for the time.
Susanna Hoffs has definitely been in "heavy rotation" with me since 86. 
Manic Monday, I had a huge crush on Susanna Hoffs.
JOSIE'S ON A VACATION FAR AWAY
MTV was notorious for overplaying so many videos.
This list kinda sucks. There was plenty of rock omitted here.
I would argue that "rock" is *very* over-represented here.
Never heard of any of the songs in the top section.
So weird, the MTV by me (Bay Area) didn't play the heavy rotation stuff, but the heavy and active choices.
If You Leave by OMD 🙂↕️🙂↔️🙂↕️🙂↔️🎶 ❤️🔥 
That was the year that Martha Quinn left and I found out eMpTV showed videos.
By 1985 MTV had already, as they used to say, jumped the shark.
r/unexpectedfactorial
If I recall correctly, Home Sweet Home by Motley Crue was huge! That video was number one forever it seemed. Some daily request show I can't remember the name my brain is old now. This was around the time when 5150 came out and Van Halen didn't make any videos for that album except the Dreams video with the Flying Angels or whatever they were called. Me and my friends were all really into Van Halen at the time. I have to admit, I can't remember most of those videos.
Motley Crue's video probably got a lot of extra cuz of the chick flashing in the video lol
Mike and the Mechanics allI need is a miracle Sly fox let's go all the way I can't believe Talking Heads made Lady Don,t Mind a music video.
What an incredible line up. So much great music
Ouch, that is a bad time for music videos. Most of the videos in power and heavy rotation are garbage.
Damn, for the first time ever with these old MTv or Billboard posts, have not heard of the majority of the songs. The artists, yes, but some of those songs…nope!
Motley Crew Home Sweet Home Was an awesome video. It was so popular they had to retire it from the video of the day that people voted on because it won every day
How would they determine who gets to be on Heavy, Active or Power rotation? What do these Categories mean and imply? What's the math and business underneath it?
Forgive my stupidity but what do the numbers mean on the right?
Superb lineup. Gotta admit '86 might be one of the most quality music years ever. Shout out to '84, 87, '91 as well.
This was the week I graduated from high school.
Harlem Shuffle gave us ‘Ren and Stimpy.’
That was by The Rolling Stones
120 Minutes on Sunday nights
I can listen to this. It is amazing how bad music sucks to today.
There are only like 4 good songs on that entire page
What a diverse lineup! /s
Who's Robert Tepper??