VH1 Classic All Time Top 10

[bono_212]

I don't know if anyone else has ever caught this show, but the whole season has been one headache for me as I try to understand the logic behind their choices of "Best Videos" for certain bands. The highlight up until this point had been the decision not to use "It's My Life" in the Bon Jovi episode. Instead, I was forced to watch ten live videos, which is apparently all 80s Bon Jovi was capable of doing.

Anyways. I figured out tonight that, being VH1 Classic, apparently there's a cut-off date for which videos they'll select, so, understanding that, I realize that the U2 videos could only come from Achtung Baby and before.

If anyone is going to watch this episode avert your eyes now.

I bring you, the apparent top ten U2 videos from the beginning until 1992:

10) Angel of Harlem....this is off to a great start, I didn't even know this video existed.

9) Mysterious Ways

8) Gloria - This was nice because I got to be reminded of just how BAD this video really is.

7) New Year's Day - I'd like to take a moment here to explain that the point of this show is not just to highlight videos, but to also pass along info and anecdotes about the band. They couldn't even do that right for U2, saying that the girls stood in for them in the video because U2 couldn't handle the cold. :\

6) I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

5) I Will Follow - Not even the real video. A live performance. But I found out that apparently Edge liked paint splattered pants. He wore them in this video and in the Gloria video

4) With or Without You

3) One - Used the bar version instead of the drag version...at least it wasn't the buffalo

2) Pride - The studio video instead of the Church video

1) Streets. At least they got something right


Anyways, I guess the point of this thread is to rant, and to also see what you all would pick for a top ten from this era. Honestly, if you were going to do a top ten of their whole career, I can only think of three videos from the 80s that are even worthy of inclusion.

I can't even come up with ten myself. My favorites are, in no order:
The Fly
One (drag)
Even Better Than the Real Thing
Streets
The Unforgettable Fire
All I Want is You
Still Haven't Found
In God's Country

 

[LemonMelon]

It was a horrible special in general, not just the list. It was a stronger compilation of drunk U2 interviews than anything else. Apparently, U2 fought the law and the law lost, but not really, but kinda. I dunno. Puke.

10) Angel of Harlem....this is off to a great start, I didn't even know this video existed.

We're too hardcore to watch such a beloved milestone in their career. Red Hill Mining Town, bitches.

Anyways, I guess the point of this thread is to rant, and to also see what you all would pick for a top ten from this era.

If this is the purpose of this thread, it's going to wind up blank; they have two, maybe three legitimately good videos from 1980-1989.

The REAL all-time top 10 best:

1. All I Want Is You
2. Streets
3. WITS
4. Stay
5. Even Better Than The Real Thing
6. Numb
7. Beautiful Day
8. Lemon
9. The Fly
10. If God Will Send His Angels

 

[The Sad Punk]

This sounds riveting. Why'd you have to spoil it for me?

 

[LemonMelon]

I didn't reveal everything; you still have no idea how Bono received his nickname (yes, it is a nickname).

But you probably still love the Angel of Harlem video.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

New Year's Day - I'd like to take a moment here to explain that the point of this show is not just to highlight videos, but to also pass along info and anecdotes about the band. They couldn't even do that right for U2, saying that the girls stood in for them in the video because U2 couldn't handle the cold. :\

but...they did?

oh, and for the video choices, strangely, those are the versions they usually play. i never knew there was a studio version of the i will follow video until the 80-90 vhs. the live one is all i've ever seen on vh1 and mtv. for pride, they usually play the studio one but i've seen the church one, just not as often. and for one, again, i usually see them play the bar version than the drag one.

i've always wondered what the hell concert iwf is from though because it's none of the boots i have downloaded. weird. plus it makes me giggle because it's still got the mtv typeface and they have it listed as U-2.

 

[Sicy]

8) Gloria - This was nice because I got to be reminded of just how BAD this video really is.

But is it as bad as A Celebration?

Red pants.

 

[blueeyedgirl]

Damn Sicy, you got there before me! Yes, red pants.....

 

[Galeongirl]

Damn I was hoping for A Celebration in here!


Was that IWF video this one per chance? The audio of this song was used as a live single in Holland, which made U2 pretty big here.
YouTube - I Will Follow

 

[trojanchick99]

Nope not that one. The one they showed the boys were spiffily dressed. Bono in a button down shirt, Edge in a freaking blazer, Adam in a vest and well Larry was wearing a black shirt (some things never change). It was adorable.

But yeah, I don't know why they used the One video they did. That one is boring compared to the band in drag.

 

[U2girl]

All time top ten - no order except Where the streets have no name wins.

Streets
WOWY
One
Stay
HMTMKMKM
Please
BD
Stuck (Europe/Bono gets kicked out of a van version)
OOTS
Crazy tonight

 

[bono_212]

but...they did?

oh, and for the video choices, strangely, those are the versions they usually play. i never knew there was a studio version of the i will follow video until the 80-90 vhs. the live one is all i've ever seen on vh1 and mtv. for pride, they usually play the studio one but i've seen the church one, just not as often. and for one, again, i usually see them play the bar version than the drag one.

i've always wondered what the hell concert iwf is from though because it's none of the boots i have downloaded. weird. plus it makes me giggle because it's still got the mtv typeface and they have it listed as U-2.

I was always told the reason was that it was too much of a liability to have the band on the horses, so they hired the girls because they were trained horseback riders. The other story I've always heard about the video was that the band WAS too cold, so they kept up a high supply of alcohol while they were filming.

I could tell from what they were saying that the studio video of pride was the more oft used, but I'd honestly never seen it before myself. The IWF video I had never seen before .

 

[LemonMelon]

Could someone please explain to me the virtues of the WOWY video, whatever they may be? All I see is pouting and bad choreography.

 

[juliaguliaxo94]

Could someone please explain to me the virtues of the WOWY video, whatever they may be? All I see is pouting and bad choreography.

I think I saw a boob in that video somewhere once.

 

[bonocomet]

Could someone please explain to me the virtues of the WOWY video, whatever they may be? All I see is pouting and bad choreography.

I kind of see it as the moment the camera fell in love with Bono (not vice versa however as that happened long before that).

Also I believe the video was a milestone technically right? I think the first time ever that slow motion technology was synched with real time singing. Maybe I'm remembering that wrong but I think so.


And I still don't know which live IWF video you mean... the only one I ever thought was an actual "video" (not just a live performance) was the one they played all the time on MTV.

this one

edit: Ah never mind I think I know which one it is...

 

[lauramullen]

I caught this one tv the other night. The BBC show was right after it.

 

[bonocomet]

i've always wondered what the hell concert iwf is from though because it's none of the boots i have downloaded. weird. plus it makes me giggle because it's still got the mtv typeface and they have it listed as U-2.

If it's the one I'm thinking that performance is from a country club in Reseda California 3-15-81. (Reseda Country Club)

 

[U2DMfan]

Any video list (from '91 and earlier) that didn't include EBTTRT in the top 10 can't be taken seriously. It's that simple.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

If it's the one I'm thinking that performance is from a country club in Reseda California 3-15-81. (Reseda Country Club)

ahh, i see. i found the live version of the video once on mtv.com or vh1.com, i forget which. let me see if i can find it again...oddly enough i don't think i ever found it on youtube, or at least i gave up since there's tons of live performances of it on there.

"I Will Follow" by U2 | Music Video | VH1.com

i like how it was supposedly uploaded in march 1990.

 

[bonocomet]

ahh, i see. i found the live version of the video once on mtv.com or vh1.com, i forget which. let me see if i can find it again...oddly enough i don't think i ever found it on youtube, or at least i gave up since there's tons of live performances of it on there.

"I Will Follow" by U2 | Music Video | VH1.com

i like how it was supposedly uploaded in march 1990.

Yeah that's the one I had in mind. Maybe it was on youtube years ago, because I think that's where I got it. At least the crowd is on their feet there. I still think the weirdest one is the one where everyone is sitting at tables, like a dinner theatre, just silently staring at them while they are up there trying to go nuts playing IWF.

YouTube - U2 on TV - I Will Follow - Sweden 2-9-81

 

[bono_212]

I think I saw a boob in that video somewhere once.

You did

 

[blueeyedgirl]

Not just any boob, but Mrs the Edge's boob....

 

[mad1]

With Or Without is not a great vid.....to me, I wouldnt have it in the top 5, Id have it at number 9. if need be to rearrange.

 

[redhotswami]

I was pissed that I watched this. Some of those videos listed were probably only on there because they liked the tracks, not the actual video. I also like how the promo for this episode included an audio of "beautiful day.", which was not on the list, obvi. I still stand by, Womanfish, which is brilliant on so many levels.

 

[theedgeu2]

Beautiful Day should have been included on this list. I sat and watched and was disappointed. I would have taken Gloria and replaced it with BD. Don't get me the wrong Gloria is a great song, but the video for it just plain sucks.

 

[juliaguliaxo94]

Beautiful Day should have been included on this list. I sat and watched and was disappointed. I would have taken Gloria and replaced it with BD. Don't get me the wrong Gloria is a great song, but the video for it just plain sucks.

VH1 Classic, for the most part, only shows and focuses on videos from the before, let's say, the mid '90s. This Top 10 Countdown only included videos from Boy to Achtung Baby, so BD was ineligible.

But I still agree with you. I wish they could have made a Top 10 Countdown that could have included any 10 videos they made from 1980 to 2009. It breaks the channel's tradition of playing only "classic" videos, but I think U2 deserves the exception.

 

[juliaguliaxo94]

Not just any boob, but Mrs the Edge's boob....

 

[Moser]

I watched it and was appalled by the absence of Discotheque. Now that video was class.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

I watched it and was appalled by the absence of Discotheque. Now that video was class.

They were only picking videos from Achtung Baby and before. Thanks for reading the first post in the thread.

 

[Moser]

They were only picking videos from Achtung Baby and before. Thanks for reading the first post in the thread.

I watched the full episode over a week ago and know they picked videos from Achtung Baby and before. I wasn't clear then or even clear now it was actually a set criteria, despite what the first post said.

I hope your sarcasm is treating you well--No, not really.

/sarcasm