12 ’80s Music Videos Too Outrageous for Today’s Airwaves
Here's a wild ride through 12 outrageous '80s music videos that shocked censors, scandalized parents, and would never make it past today's airwaves unscathed.
- Alyana Aguja
- 4 min read
The 1980s were a golden era of music video rebellion, where artists pushed boundaries with wild visuals, taboo themes, and unapologetic shock value. From leather-clad fantasies to religious firestorms and strip-club anthems, these 12 videos challenged norms in ways that would be swiftly censored today. This list dives into the boldest, most outrageous moments that defined the decade — and why they still raise eyebrows decades later.
1. Duran Duran – “Girls on Film” (1981)
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This one didn’t just flirt with controversy — it dove in headfirst. The uncensored version features mud wrestling, topless models, and all the softcore gloss of a fashion shoot gone rogue. MTV aired a heavily edited version, but even that barely passed the decency bar.
2. Frankie Goes to Hollywood – “Relax” (1983)
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Banned by the BBC for its overtly sexual lyrics, the video didn’t help its case. Set in a gay leather bar complete with leering priests and a tiger-wrestling Roman emperor, it was a full-on assault on polite society. It still climbed the charts, controversy be damned.
3. Madonna – “Like a Prayer” (1989)
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This one lit a firestorm, thanks to its mix of burning crosses, stigmata, and a steamy kiss with a Black saint. Pepsi pulled a multi-million dollar ad campaign over the backlash. However, unfazed Madonna turned the uproar into one of her biggest moments.
4. Billy Idol – “Cradle of Love” (1990)
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It barely made it into the decade, but the video’s theme screams ’80s excess. A sultry teen seduces a hapless businessman while stripping around his apartment, all while Idol growls from a picture frame. MTV had to crop out most of her body just to air it.
5. W.A.S.P. – “Animal (Fk Like a Beast)” (1984)
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Even the title makes radio programmers flinch. The video was as unhinged as the lyrics, with raw meat, blood, and stage antics that leaned more horror show than rock concert. Capitol Records refused to release it in the U.S. — and that’s saying something.
6. Prince – “Darling Nikki” (1984)
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Though never officially released as a music video, the song’s live concert footage stirred enough trouble to help launch the Parents Music Resource Center. Prince simulated masturbation on stage, and the song’s lyrics got Tipper Gore up in arms. It even led to the invention of the “Parental Advisory” sticker.
7. Mötley Crüe – “Girls, Girls, Girls” (1987)
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Shot in an actual strip club, this was barely a music video and more of a late-night cable fantasy. The band saunters through poles, glitter, and women on motorcycles. No wonder it needed a heavy scrub for mainstream airplay.
8. Cyndi Lauper – “She Bop” (1983)
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Catchy as it is, the video is loaded with euphemisms for masturbation, though you might miss it if you’re not paying attention. It’s got Lauper in a gas station for “self-service,” riding a mechanical bull, and even winking at censorship itself. Believe it or not, it made the PMRC’s “Filthy Fifteen.”
9. Dead or Alive – “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” (1984)
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Lead singer Pete Burns struts through gender norms in towering eye makeup, an eye patch, and a look that was glam, punk, and androgyny all in one. At the time, it was too much for many TV networks. Burns became an early icon of gender-fluid rebellion.
10. Twisted Sister – “We’re Not Gonna Take It” (1984)
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It’s slapstick anarchy from start to finish. Dee Snider and company lead a cartoonish revolt against parental and educational authority, complete with pratfalls, explosions, and militarized teen angst. In the Reagan era, this was practically a revolution.
11. Vanity 6 – “Nasty Girl” (1982)
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Prince produced it, and it shows. The video is basically a lingerie fashion show in motion, with a barely-there plot and a lot of body oil. It rarely aired outside late-night programming blocks, and even then, only in certain countries.
12. The Cure – “Lullaby” (1989)
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Robert Smith turns into a spider and devours himself — yes, really. The surreal, gothic horror of the video made it both hypnotic and deeply unsettling. Even today, it could give nightmares to the unprepared viewer.
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