Comments on: Remember when music television actually played music videos?

Remember when music television actually played music videos?

zarq — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 08:58:14 -0800

It has been nearly a decade since VH1 cancelled "Pop Up Video," but at noon ET today the show returns with 60 new episodes. Their first video: Britney Spears' Til the World Ends. The program's new incarnation will also allow viewers to DIY their own "pop up" videos and share them on Facebook and Twitter."

New show open. Wired: interview with the show's fact checkers. (Previously) For Mobile: Pop Up Video to Go (new videos) They have a loop of classics from the old show on their website, but many others are available on YouTube: (Quality varies) * Ace of Base: Beautiful Life * Alanis Morissette: You Learn * Billy Idol: Cradle of Love * Counting Crows: Mr. Jones * Def Leppard: Armageddon It * Dexy's Midnight Runners: Come On Eileen * Goo Goo Dolls: Iris * Grateful Dead: Touch of Gray * Jewel: Who Will Save Your Soul * Judas Priest: Breaking the Law * Lisa Loeb: I Do * Madonna: Vogue * Meatloaf: I'd do Anything for Love * Men At Work: Land Down Under * Metallica: The Memory Remains * Milli Vanilli: Girl You Know it's True * Motley Crue: Dr. Feelgood * Pat Benetar: Shadows of the Night * Prince: 1999 * Prince: Kiss * Prince: Raspberry Beret * Prince: When Doves Cry * REM: Everybody Hurts * REM: Losing My Religion * The Rembrandts: I'll be There for You * Rick Astley: Never Gonna Give You Up * Quiet Riot: Cum on Feel the Noise * Ray Parker, Jr.: Ghostbusters (Original Theme Song) * Sheryl Crow - A Change Would Do You Good * Talking Heads: Burning Down the House * Toni Basil: Mickey * Van Halen: Hot for Teacher * Van Halen: Right Now * Weezer: Keep Fishin'

By: SpiffyRob

SpiffyRob — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:04:19 -0800

Awesome post! I'll be digging through the old ones for a while. Between the social tie-ins and the fact that I've been completely unaware of any music videos for years, I worry this won't be as enjoyable as the original, but I'm thrilled it's coming back nonetheless. Related: Beavis and Butthead to return as well.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:04:29 -0800

Pop-Up News would be kind of amusing, I think.

By: GavinR

GavinR — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:06:51 -0800

I don't know why they cancelled this show in the first place. Glad to see it come back.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:12:04 -0800

Oh god, they showed Pop Up Video in huge monolithic chunks back before VH1 switched to an all-talking heads-based programing model. How else were bored pre-teens supposed to soak up dangerous amounts of 80s pop?

By: lilac girl

lilac girl — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:12:21 -0800

I attribute my love of pop-culture trivia to countless afternoons full of Pop-Up Video in elementary school.

By: lilac girl

lilac girl — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:12:48 -0800

...And thus I prove The Whelk's point.

By: Bridymurphy

Bridymurphy — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:12:57 -0800

Yay! one less slot of reality tv!

By: drezdn

drezdn — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:13:57 -0800

If my zits come back, it'll be like I'm living in the 90s again.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:14:43 -0800

Basically, between Pop Up Video and MST3K, you had a good chance of becoming an unstoppable Juggernaut during trivia night.

By: Melismata

Melismata — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:14:48 -0800

As a teen in the 80s, I never, ever got into music videos. Until Pop-Up Video came along.

By: PhoBWanKenobi

PhoBWanKenobi — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:15:19 -0800

Man, so good. Pop-up video scratches the same itch that my later obsessive wikipedia surfing does.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:17:14 -0800

Also I'd like to thank zarq for reminding me how much I hated Jewel.

By: Strange Interlude

Strange Interlude — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:17:57 -0800

before VH1 switched to an all-talking heads-based programing model. Is David Byrne okay with them doing this?

By: zarq

zarq — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:20:56 -0800

*bows to The Whelk*

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:20:58 -0800

THIS AINT NO GREEN SCREEN! THIS AINT NO CHAT SHOW! oh god just the first three notes of the Iris song is enough to trigger musical PTSD NO I DON'T WANT TO HANG OUT AT THE WA WA

By: Captain Cardanthian!

Captain Cardanthian! — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:22:46 -0800

I remember catching an episode of the Highlander tv show done in the pop up video style way back when. It was some flashback episode with pop ups like "Bad Hitler impersonator in 3... 2..." and so forth. Anybody else remember this?

By: Stynxno

Stynxno — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:32:26 -0800

WOOHOO! I am excited.

By: Danila

Danila — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:45:23 -0800

"An extra was kicked off the set for talking about poop" "The same person farted in front of Britney" "Oops...I did it again" Yes, welcome back Pop-Up Video!!

By: penduluum

penduluum — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:46:34 -0800

Basically, between Pop Up Video and MST3K, you had a good chance of becoming an unstoppable Juggernaut during trivia night. Oh my God, that's what it is, isn't it. That's ... that's me. I feel like I've just had a breakthrough.

By: eyeballkid

eyeballkid — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:53:28 -0800

If there was one thing that VH1 has done since its inception that could be considered somewhere in the range, albeit distantly, of good, Pop Up Video would be that thing. If there were two things, the other would be Bands Reunited. I'm setting the DVR right now.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:53:53 -0800

what about behind the music huh huh huh?

By: yerfatma

yerfatma — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:54:31 -0800

reminding me how much I hated Jewel When did you stop hating Jewel, Senator?

By: stormpooper

stormpooper — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:55:54 -0800

Britney Spears--'Til her career ends. Bleh

By: ODiV

ODiV — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:59:00 -0800

I couldn't watch this show because of the damn "pop" sound effect ruining the music. Seemed interesting otherwise though.

By: marginaliana

marginaliana — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:59:51 -0800

I had a Pop Up Video fan page back when Geocities was a hot thing. I remember copying the images of the little icons off the VH1 website and using my paint program to painstakingly edit out the background color so that I could put them up for other ~~nerdy teenagers~~ fans to use on their own sites. (Oh, god, the memories. So glad I don't have cable anymore, or I'd have to go home and feast on VH1.)

By: Faint of Butt

Faint of Butt — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:04:25 -0800

Yes. Pop-Up Video is one of the greatest things ever to happen to television and pop music. I still get a chuckle just remembering their version of Sheryl Crow's "All I Wanna Do." "This ain't no disco... this ain't no country club either... this is L.A." *pop* This is not L.A. *pop* This is Clarksville, Tennessee. *pop* Crow shot the video here while on tour in nearby Nashville. *pop* [Photo of the Monkees] There are no trains to Clarksville.

By: two or three cars parked under the stars

two or three cars parked under the stars — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:06:27 -0800

Whatever. I spent years longing for this show to come back while VH1 was too busy matchmaking for D-list celebrities and reminiscing about things that happened five minutes ago to ever be bothered. Then when I finally looked up a pop-up video on Youtube about a year ago, I was struck by how unnecessary the show had started to feel. The flow of trivia felt weak and slow compared to what I had become accustomed to googling or wikipediaing up on my own. There is now essentially no chance at all of me sitting around and watching this - those days are gone. And I hate VH1 a little bit for letting it come to this.

By: two or three cars parked under the stars

two or three cars parked under the stars — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:07:54 -0800

Great post, though!

By: zarq

zarq — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:09:07 -0800

two or three cars parked under the stars: "Great post, though!" Ha! Thanks. :) I do wonder how this show is going to fare, in an age where a ton of trivia is already instantly available to us.

By: chavenet

chavenet — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:25:56 -0800

I do wonder how this show is going to fare, in an age where a ton of trivia is already instantly available to us. Never underestimate the power of the terminally lazy to attract TV producers.

By: Chrysostom

Chrysostom — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:26:59 -0800

Additional link: NYT story.

By: NorthernLite

NorthernLite — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:35:12 -0800

I learned something new already today - I don't remember ever knowing that "losing my religion" was a Southernism for losing my temper. So much for my own little agnostic anthem. How else were bored pre-teens supposed to soak up dangerous amounts of 80s pop? How else were bored 20 & early-30-somethings supposed to do the same. Oh, the best music vids were such little 3-minute masterpieces. Now off to watch Vogue and Mickey. Yes, I said it.

By: roll truck roll

roll truck roll — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:45:30 -0800

Does anyone else remember VH1 occasionally playing Behind the Music episodes with pop-ups? Google only gives me this.

By: but no cigar

but no cigar — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:47:21 -0800

I swoon! This is a great post. Thanks!

By: filthy light thief

filthy light thief — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:51:24 -0800

Fan-made video: The Cure - Friday I'm in Love, with video from the anime series Kare Kano.

By: filthy light thief

filthy light thief — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:54:08 -0800

zarq: I do wonder how this show is going to fare, in an age where a ton of trivia is already instantly available to us. Answer: Faint of Butt: Yes. Pop-Up Video is one of the greatest things ever to happen to television and pop music. I still get a chuckle just remembering their version of Sheryl Crow's "All I Wanna Do." Pop-up video was more than fun facts, it was a whole amusing treatment of videos, not taking them too seriously, mocking the really cheesy scenes (like in Meatloaf's video). Plus, more music video programming on TV is always nice.

By: Metroid Baby

Metroid Baby — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 11:05:43 -0800

I keep trying to think of something intelligent to say in response to this news, but my brain's just playing "Never Gonna Give You Up" on repeat, punctuated with little bloop! bloop! pop-up sounds. I'm... okay with that.

By: mannequito

mannequito — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 11:11:33 -0800

Its not on the list, but I think it was on an episode of Pop Up that I learned how Jamiroquai's Virtual Insanity video was created, which was not only full of awesomeness, it also turned out to be a great magic mushroom simulator.

By: aclevername

aclevername — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 11:49:59 -0800

Oh man. I totally Have Last Train to Clarksville stuck in my head now. Ugh.

By: asciident

asciident — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 15:44:24 -0800

I watched the Pop Up video for Britney's 'Till the World Ends. It felt like TMZ was overlaying YouTube. I have some nostalgia for the old days when Pop Up was first aired, so I think I'll just leave it at that instead of trying to watch the reincarnation.

By: hippybear

hippybear — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:00:42 -0800

Wow, that's awesome. I think I'll set my DVR and see if it's something I care about seeing beyond the first few episodes. I used to love this show. Thanks for the post!

By: zarq

zarq — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 19:14:53 -0800

New pop up videos were posted today, from the first episode. These are links to VH1's website, and the videos may not be available internationally: * Chris Brown: Run It * Coldplay: Viva la Vida * Lauryn Hill: Ex-Factor * Pink: Get The Party Started