Ever since the dawn of MTV and Friday Night Videos, the music video has significantly impacted musical tastes and pop culture. It might not be as extreme as when the Buggles declared that "Video Killed the Radio Star", but there is no arguing that the music video certainly could make or break a song's popularity. So this regular Flashback Video feature will serve to remember some of the music videos from the great '80s decade that made an impact on me in one way or another.
This issue we will cover "Centerfield" by John Forgerty. This was the title track from John Fogerty's first solo album after a nine-year hiatus released in March of 1985. His first couple of solo albums after leaving Creedence Clearwater Revival were not successful and then he refused to record for many years during a battle with his record company. But then "Centerfield" was released and was relatively a huge success getting Fogerty back on pop radio though the song surprisingly only peaked at #44 on the Billboard Hot 100. Being a big baseball fan myself, I always remember enjoying the music video.
The music video for "Centerfield" begins with a quick succession of baseball cards featuring some of the game's greats before it shifts to black and white archive footage from baseball games from years past. Here is the music video for "Centerfield" by John Forgerty...
Even though the song did not experience huge chart success, it has gone on to become a fixture at all baseball stadiums. The song is likely played at almost every game in some capacity even 30+ years after its initial release. Even just the hand claps in the opening of the song are often played on a loop so that the fans can clap along. Anytime I hear the song or see the video, it makes me think of baseball and brings a smile to my face. So that's a pretty awesome legacy for this '80s classic.
Hope you enjoyed another trip back to the '80s thanks to Flashback Video!