80s Music Videos with Communist References?
April 27, 2014 4:45 PM Subscribe
I'm trying to compile a list of music videos from the 80s (early 90s is fine too) that reference communism, with, for example, use of hammer and sickle imagery, or the like. The more the direct the reference the better. Bonus points for synth-pop.
Sting, Russians
It's not strong on the imagery though; the message mostly comes through the lyrics.
posted by fuse theorem at 4:55 PM on April 27, 2014
It's not strong on the imagery though; the message mostly comes through the lyrics.
posted by fuse theorem at 4:55 PM on April 27, 2014
Best answer: Scorpions - Wind of Change, literally about the fall of the USSR
posted by beisny at 5:11 PM on April 27, 2014
posted by beisny at 5:11 PM on April 27, 2014
Best answer: Eddy Huntington- U.S.S.R.
WARNING! The song is an earworm, the video manic and inane. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
posted by mynameisluka at 5:12 PM on April 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
WARNING! The song is an earworm, the video manic and inane. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
posted by mynameisluka at 5:12 PM on April 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Nikita, by Elton John (although I've always wondered why the video is set in East Berlin, since the eponymous heroine is Russian).
posted by yellowcandy at 5:21 PM on April 27, 2014
posted by yellowcandy at 5:21 PM on April 27, 2014
Best answer: China Girl by David Bowie has some communist imagery (such as the title character running around with a red flag).
Please clarify if things like Sting's Russians, which fuse theorem mentioned above, are acceptable or not (in that while the song has references to communism and/or communists, the actual video doesn't really have any communist imagery, at least not explicit imagery).
posted by Flunkie at 5:24 PM on April 27, 2014
Please clarify if things like Sting's Russians, which fuse theorem mentioned above, are acceptable or not (in that while the song has references to communism and/or communists, the actual video doesn't really have any communist imagery, at least not explicit imagery).
posted by Flunkie at 5:24 PM on April 27, 2014
Best answer: "Bang" - Gorky Park. (The band was actually from the former USSR!)
posted by SisterHavana at 5:24 PM on April 27, 2014
posted by SisterHavana at 5:24 PM on April 27, 2014
Response by poster: Flunkie - I would prefer videos with communist imagery.
posted by matkline at 5:27 PM on April 27, 2014
posted by matkline at 5:27 PM on April 27, 2014
Best answer: Ronnie Talk to Russia — Sheree
Hammer and sickle at 0:59, 1:41, etc.
posted by John Cohen at 5:28 PM on April 27, 2014
Hammer and sickle at 0:59, 1:41, etc.
posted by John Cohen at 5:28 PM on April 27, 2014
Best answer: This is a sort of weird mash-up of fan-vid and actual video , but you might find it interesting - Cui Jian performing A Piece of Red Cloth, which was actually one of the big musical artifacts of the Tiananmen protests in 1989.
It's not my favorite recording or even my favorite older Cui Jian song, but he is so talented and such a good guy, in my opinion, and he really had some skin in the game at the time.
posted by Frowner at 5:30 PM on April 27, 2014
It's not my favorite recording or even my favorite older Cui Jian song, but he is so talented and such a good guy, in my opinion, and he really had some skin in the game at the time.
posted by Frowner at 5:30 PM on April 27, 2014
Not sure if a picture of a communist counts, but if so Billy Joel's We Didn't Start the Fire includes the iconic photo of the summary execution of Nguyễn Văn Lém.
posted by Flunkie at 5:56 PM on April 27, 2014
posted by Flunkie at 5:56 PM on April 27, 2014
Also not sure if this counts, but Say You, Say Me by Lionel Richie includes Soviet police and/or military.
posted by Flunkie at 6:13 PM on April 27, 2014
posted by Flunkie at 6:13 PM on April 27, 2014
I'm not 100% sure (due to the quality of the video), but I'm pretty sure that in David Lee Roth's cover of California Girls, during the part where he discusses northern girls, he's wearing a red star cap.
posted by Flunkie at 6:48 PM on April 27, 2014
posted by Flunkie at 6:48 PM on April 27, 2014
Best answer: C.C.C.P. - American Soviets
Now I need to find that old box of cassettes.
posted by humboldt32 at 7:28 PM on April 27, 2014
Now I need to find that old box of cassettes.
posted by humboldt32 at 7:28 PM on April 27, 2014
Cult of Personality by Living Colour features a shot of Stalin in uniform.
posted by Flunkie at 7:39 PM on April 27, 2014
posted by Flunkie at 7:39 PM on April 27, 2014
1995, but Sarah Brightman - "How Can Heaven Love Me".
posted by Coatlicue at 8:56 PM on April 27, 2014
posted by Coatlicue at 8:56 PM on April 27, 2014
"Crazy Train", by Ozzy Osbourne. The song makes reference to the Cold War and to "millions of people living as foes".
posted by alex1965 at 9:07 PM on April 27, 2014
posted by alex1965 at 9:07 PM on April 27, 2014
I'm amazed that nobody has posted "Right Here, Right Now," by Jesus Jones.
posted by Mr. Justice at 9:27 AM on April 28, 2014
posted by Mr. Justice at 9:27 AM on April 28, 2014
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Tom-B at 4:49 PM on April 27, 2014 [3 favorites]