The opening to A-ha’s “The Sun Always Shines on T.V.” (1985) shows the conclusion to the famous video of their previous hit, “Take On Me”.

1980s videos could be quite grim. There often seemed to be an undercurrent of violence and danger. I don’t just mean “Beat It” or “Thriller”—think of “When the Rain Begins to Fall”, for example, or “The Wild Boys”. A naturally melancholic kid, I watched it all with a sense of confused discomfort: a feeling this menace might be waiting in the shadows for me. Funny I realize this all now that I’m getting older.