My Happy Place In A 3 Minute Video Clip From 1989
Saturday, April 16, 2022 at 12:01AM Ah, the MTV Video Music Awards 1989. The zenith of that awards show and the music we love. Motley Crue presented the award for "Best Metal Music Video."
Note 1989 was the first year for the category. Vince Neil looked so good back then!
The nominees for the first ever Best Metal Music Video: Aerosmith, Def Leppard, Guns n' Roses, Metallica.
Guns n' Roses won for their "Sweet Child O' Mine" video. Duff McKagan and Steven Adler showed up to accept the award. Happiness ensues!
The awards show also featured the final live performance of guitarist Steve Clark with Def Leppard. He died in early 1991. My beloved George Michael won the Video Vanguard Award.
Madonna presents George Michael his big award. The footage is so old, Madonna and her backup dancers are smoking on stage as part of a planned "bit" - I'm sure that wouldn't be allowed these days!
The thing about this particular awards show was that it was so fun... and memorable. Like, everyone was talking about the show at school the next day. We all taped it (for real, on VHS!) and watched it back again and again. I am not exaggerating when I say I still think back to this particular awards show pretty regularly. It was just that good. The next year was hard to beat, too. The 1990 VMAs featured Madonna doing the best live performance of "Vogue" ever - and Motley Crue did "Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)" and Aerosmith did "Love In An Elevator." Just freaking great stuff.
Here's Madonna at the 1989 VMAs with an equally awesome performance: