eightone81 — Best Music Video Ever

Benjamin Light and Marco Sparks
  • 5.0 (8)
  • MUSIC COMMENTARY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to eightone81, a podcast about the best music videos ever. Benjamin Light (aka James Taylor) and Marco Sparks explore the signature music videos from the launch of MTV to 9/11, looking back at an art form that no longer holds the sway it once did. We’ll talk about the artists, the music, the videos, the culture, and how things have changed since the heyday of the medium.

  1. 10/31/2025

    030 | No one’s gonna save you from the beast about to strike — “Thriller” by Michael Jackson

    We’re doing a big one, celebrating Halloween and the big 30, it’s “Thriller” by the King of Pop. Often the de facto Number 1 on Best of All Time lists. Does it hold up? Let’s dig in. The final book in our Trouble: Girl Detective mystery series is out now! Order Trouble to the Last Drop on Kindle, Paperback, or Hardcover now!

    53 min

  2. 10/25/2025

    029 | Is it the love of danger, or the danger of the love? — “Night Moves” by Marilyn Martin

    If you’ve heard of “Night Moves” by Marilyn Martin, congratulations. This weird vampire music video from the 80s feels like one time forgot. Vampires are due for a comeback, aren’t they? The final book in our Trouble: Girl Detective mystery series is out now! Order Trouble to the Last Drop on Kindle, Paperback, or Hardcover now!

    38 min

  3. 10/15/2025

    028 | Without you, everything just falls apart — “The Perfect Drug” by Nine Inch Nails

    Nothing says spooky like gothic sets, absinthe, a giant severed hand prop, and Trent Reznor in a velvet trench coat. We’re talking “The Perfect Drug” by Nine Inch Nails. Boo! The final book in our Trouble: Girl Detective mystery series is out now! Order Trouble to the Last Drop on Kindle, Paperback, or Hardcover now!

    33 min

  4. 10/08/2025

    027 | Make the beats go harder — “Push It” by Garbage

    Spooky Season on eightone81 continues with a weird video by a cool band: it’s “Push It” from Garbage. The guys talk about their love for these alt-rock legends, the weird lightbulb man, and how hot Shirley Manson is. We also cover the new Taylor Swift album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” and One Battle After Another. Hot takes incoming! The final book in our Trouble: Girl Detective mystery series is out now! Order Trouble to the Last Drop on Kindle, Paperback, or Hardcover now!

    1h 5m

  5. 10/01/2025

    026 | I was too cold to cry when I woke up alone — “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

    eightone81 returns for spooky season! We’re celebrating our favorite time of year by checking out some of the best horror and horror-adjacent music videos of the MTV era. To start off, we’re dancing in the candlelight with dead Kim Basinger. Awesome song and awesome video for “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The final book in our Trouble: Girl Detective mystery series is out now! Order Trouble to the Last Drop on Kindle, Paperback, or Hardcover now!

    39 min

  6. 06/13/2025

    025 | Don’t go around breakin’ young girls’ hearts — “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson

    The King of Pop finally makes a bow on the pod. This might actually be the best music video ever. It’s “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson for our 25th episode. Pre-order the new Trouble book now on Kindle! Out July 1st!

    48 min

  7. 06/04/2025

    024 | Please, admit it’s over — “Don’t Come Around Here No More” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

    It’s the world’s most obvious Lewis Carroll reference, folks! JK, we’re doing the Alice in Wonderland-themed Mad Hatter party that is Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ “Don’t Come Around Here No More.” Pre-order the new Trouble book now on Kindle! Out July 1st!

    43 min

  8. 05/28/2025

    023 | Let ’em say we’re crazy — “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” by Starship

    A song so catchy for a movie tie-in that it sort of makes us want to watch Mannequin. It’s “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” by Starship, featuring a guest appearance by Hollywood Montrose. (We also have an extended talk about Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning at about 38:05 into the pod, lol. Spoiler Warning!) Pre-order the new Trouble book now on Kindle! Out July 1st!

    59 min
See All (30)

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Welcome to eightone81, a podcast about the best music videos ever. Benjamin Light (aka James Taylor) and Marco Sparks explore the signature music videos from the launch of MTV to 9/11, looking back at an art form that no longer holds the sway it once did. We’ll talk about the artists, the music, the videos, the culture, and how things have changed since the heyday of the medium.

Information