Alongside best-selling albums, the 1980s saw many artists and their record labels start to produce video versions of their music. Sometimes that was a collection of music videos produced for promotional use or TV shows. That branched into live concerts, documentaries, and many other formats.
It was the latter half of the 1980s before this gathered pace in terms of sales for home use. By then many homes had VCRs to play tapes on. People had gotten used to renting videos, usually big movies, but there was a strong move toward buying copies for their home collections.
One of the real drivers for this was children's content; it was an easy way to keep, them entertained at home for short periods. That was followed by music videos, a sector which kept growing bigger and bigger. If we look at the top ten music video albums of the 1980s, as compiled by bestsellingalbums.org, we can see some trends, developments, and surprises laid out in that list.
Top ten video albums of the 1980s
10 - Bruce Springsteen - Video Anthology / 1978–88
The boss was on top form with a huge list of great songs he’d released being collated together for this anthology. 18 music videos with some great live performances included. It starts with "Rosalita" live in Phoenix, Arizona in 1978 and runs through to an acoustic "Born To Run" from 1988. It’s an impressive slice of Bruce Springsteen’s music for the period.
9 - Kidsongs - A Day at Old MacDonald's Farm
Who would have thought a top music of the 1980s list would include the words Old MacDonald’s Farm in there? Is anyone else thinking e-i-e-i-o right now? - It can’t just be me. Kidsongs is a music franchise with a wide range of releases across many formats. This was one of their early releases and most popular. It shows how the use of video releases for homes opened up a whole new market for all ages.
8 - Metallica - Cliff 'Em All
This video gives an insight into early Metallica. It’s largely a tribute to bassist Cliff Burton who died in a bus accident on tour in 1986. The video looks back at Burton’s time with Metallica through a series of clips, concert segments, music videos, and more. That includes a few fan bootleg shots. It’s an interesting approach and works well. There’s plenty of great music from the band featured there too.
7 - Pink Floyd - Pink Floyd: Live At Pompeii
Here’s a classic that originally toured cinemas in the 1970s. It’s a live performance from the band in 1972 before The Dark Side Of The Moon was released. The set list for Pompeii didn't include any tracks from that album, but the film, when released, did have some exclusives for it. Interviews with the band and some studio material, of them recording the album. It’s atmospheric in terms of the historic venue, but with no audience, it’s all about the music.
6 - Wee Sing - Wee Sing Together
A short mention of another children's favorite musical collection. Wee Sing was a series of songbooks aimed at children. This was one of many VHS and other formats the material appeared in.
5 - Elvis Presley - ‘68 Comeback Special
This home-use video version of Elvis Presley's comeback show from 1968 was a big seller. The show marked his return to live performances after a seven-year absence. Presley had focussed heavily on making films in that period. Originally broadcast on NBC in December 1968, it was recorded in June of that year at their TV studios in Burbank, California. The show had a hugely positive response and made Presley decide to return to touring and stage performances.
4 - Elvis Presley - Aloha from Hawaii
A second Presley feature in this top ten. It dates back to the previous decade in terms of content but was released on VHS in 1984. This was a huge live show originally broadcast around the world. It went out live to Asia and Oceania in January 1973, with a slight delay in timing for European audiences. In the US it had to wait until April to make space for Super Bowl VII and his Elvis On Tour movie in the cinemas at that time. Even the king had to wait for the big game! When it did screen there it became NBC's highest-rated show of the year.
3 - New Kids On The Block - Hangin' Tough
New Kids On The Block managed to maximize the use of video, TV, and the media to help gain even more exposure and promote their records. That clearly, paid off with this high-selling video release. It is more of a documentary musical film than a live concert. The video covers their story so far using music videos and some live performances. Add in some interviews of the group and fans and you have a top-selling and award-winning combination, not to mention a Grammy nomination.
2 - Michael Jackson - Moonwalker
A slightly oddball video. But we have come to realize that the world of Michael Jackson was by no means straightforward. The video has a series of short segments about Jackson, interspersed with music videos. The songs are largely taken from his 1987 Bad album. It sold plenty, largely driven by his popularity at the time and the music content. Don’t go looking for a purpose, narrative, or connecting theme for it all, it’s not there.
1 - New Kids On The Block - Hangin' Tough - Live
After that Hangin’ Tough documentary with videos at number three here’s the New Kids On The Block back in top place. This video release is in addition to the previous one mentioned here. To support their second studio album the band had their Hangin’ Tough tour.
This video catches them on stage during the tour at LA’s Mayan Theater. The group performed all their top songs at the time in front of a frenzied crowd. Their double appearance on this top ten at such a high level for the same album, Hangin’ Tough, shows just how huge they were at the time and their success in working that PR.