A still from the music video for “Desperate But Not Serious” by Adam Ant
In lieu of a Friday Video Pick, today we’re getting follical. Or shall we say follicle? Yes, it’s a celebration of ’80s hair, executed by counting down the top five 1980s music video hairdos of all time. Let’s start with a disclaimer: TODAY’S EXERCISE IS PURELY FOR FUN. We know we’re being totally subjective.
We’ll start with our Honorable Mention: The Video Vixen from “Desperate But Not Serious” by Adam Ant. Ladies, if you’re headed to an ’80s party and have mid-length hair, this is the look for you (see above and below):
Stills from the video for Adam Ant’s “Desperate But Not Serious”
Adam Ant’s leading ladies are often blonde and full of playful energy, hamming it up along with the rock star in comedic scenes. Not this mysterious redhead. She lurks in the shadows and emerges with a halo of teased fronds at every opportune moment. Why it works: Because with statement hair like this, who needs dialogue? Go on girls, be the talk of the party without saying a word!
5. George Michael
A still from the video for “Careless Whisper” by Wham!
George, you were the envy of many with your perfectly-coiffed head of hair. The way it added volume to your already-gorgeous face. The way it rippled in the breeze, all the while staying in place. The way it complemented your tanned skin, especially when accentuated with highlights. In the image above, a still from the video for Wham!’s “Careless Whisper,” we’re reminded that even in the most regretful of moments, it helps to look your best.
Side note: George and his hairline still look amazing today!
4. Billy Idol and Steve Stevens
Billy Idol and Steve Stevens
As a child I was a bit preoccupied with Billy Idol and Steve Stevens (sorry, Mom–I was watching MTV at the neighbors’). What gal could resist a head of spiky lemon-blonde hair juxtaposed with the striking dark strands of a lead guitarist wearing black heeled boots? In fact, go through Billy Idol’s videos, and there’s always that key shot during the instrumental break–a shot of Idol and his talented guitarist side by side strumming. Add the fact that both still have the identical ‘dos today, and I just couldn’t pick between the two for this honor. Yep–it’s a tie for #4.
When Idol’s hair was shorter, as in the top still above (from the video for “Flesh for Fantasy”), so was Stevens’. When Idol’s hair was longer (as in the bottom stills from the video for “Don’t Need a Gun”), so was Stevens’. Yes, I was very taken with the darkly handsome looks of Stevens. I guess some remnants of my fancy were burned into my brain, because I grew up and married a lanky guy with spiky dark hair. Now if only I could get him to wear the eyeliner…
3. David Coverdale
A still from the video for “Here I Go Again” by Whitesnake
Nobody perfected the art of back-lit big hair like Whitesnake’s David Coverdale. The image above makes it clear that no top 5 hairstyle list could exist without the flowing glory that is Coverdale’s ‘do.
David Coverdale and Tawny Kitaen
If it were respectable to have two ties in a top 5 list, I would’ve given this honor to both Coverdale and his actress girlfriend at the time (later briefly his wife), Tawny Kitaen. Her locks were front and center in many a Whitesnake video. In the still to the left, which we’ll call “Hair Without a Face,” Kitaen and Coverdale embrace at the end of the video for “Is This Love?” It may or may not be love, but it’s definitely hair. And lots of it.
Any man whose locks manage to upstage the modelesque ’80s ‘do of his girlfriend deserves a spot on our list. On a side note, Coverdale was the vocalist for Deep Purple prior to Whitesnake, and he later went on to collaborate with Jimmy Page. Yep, he’s got the goods to back up the hair.
2. Dale Bozzio
Stills from the video for “Give” by Missing Persons
There’s almost too much going on here to know where to start. Did Missing Persons’ Dale Bozzio claim the #2 spot on our list because of the vivid two-toned color, as shown in the stills above for the video for “Give”? Perhaps it was the triangular volume that did the trick. Or the way segments of her hair were freestanding in perfectly-sculpted locks? All of the above, plus the way each video featured an equally-impressive hairstyle that was truly different from the last. Let’s face it: Bozzio is an ’80s fashion icon.
1. Mike Score
A Flock of Seagulls’ Mike Score
For the #1 spot on our “Top 5 ’80s Music Video Hairstyles” list, how could we not choose a man who was a hairstylist prior to his music video days? A Flock of Seagulls’ Mike Score wowed fans with his sculptural ‘do, which at times had the appearance of a lawnmower effect, as if the middle of a long, spiky cut had been flattened. At other times, as in the video for Space Age Love Song, Score’s head was a more dramatic work of art, as length made the sides higher and the middle dip much more prominent.
In high school when the rest of the kids were moving on to ’90s grunge, I was listening to A Flock of Seagulls, making friends with the poster dealer at the record show, who would write me when new Flock merchandise arrived. Which is how I got my hands on the picture above, an image from a promotional booklet from the band’s 1983 Tour of the Americas. For me, being a Flock fan was a way of life. Mike Score, you set the bar so high no one could top you!
Thanks for tuning in today. Have a hair-raising Friday!
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