The early days of MTV were a dangerous time. The artists shot videos in just a few hours on a shoestring budget, little knowing that they were creating indelible images that would mark them forever.
A great video like Duran Duran’s “Rio” could lift a group to the sky and make them cool forever, but then there was the case of Billy Squier’s “Rock Me Tonite.” Directed by choreographer Kenny Ortega, the video shows Squier prancing around a pastel-colored bedroom in a pink tank top.
Billy Squier was able to make peace with the painful subject
“When I saw the video, my jaw dropped,” Squier said. “It was diabolical. I looked at it and thought, “What the hell is that?” The whole thing is painfully embarrassing and has alienated young fans across the country. It practically ruined his career and was a very sore subject for several years.
But now he’s finally come to terms with it. “The wounds have healed and the scars are no longer so deep because my life has developed in a good way. I left the music business when I was over 40 years old. I don’t have to work anymore. Look who’s smiling now! This video is a bad part of a good life.”
This text is part of the ROLLING STONE ranking “The 50 Worst Decisions in Music History”.