Classic Hit Songs That Have Creepy Videos.

Maybe it's the lead singer and writer Larry Blackmon's bright red codpiece. Maybe it's Levar Burton from Star Trek: The Next Generation starring as a detective obsessed with ending the party. Maybe it's Levar staring on somewhat benignly as his cop partner begin's to strip down to join said party. Maybe all these things add up to make Cameo's hit Word Up one of the creepiest video's ever.

Exile was comprised of a Spinal Tap-esque Jimmy Stokley on lead vocals, J.P. Pennington on guitar and vocals, Sonny Lemaire on bass and backing Vocals, Marlon Hargis and Buzz Cornelison on keyboards and backing vocals and Steve Goetzman on drums. Their names are so cool they could have been the names of the actors on a late 70's cop show. The creepy thing about this video is that Leaders Pennington and Stokely are totally into it while the rest of the band looks miserable, almost to the point where it seems like they are being drugged and held against their will. There was no reason to be sad though. Kiss You All Over became a number 1 cross over pop hit for this country band in 1978. Although Stokely left the band shortly after this and has since passed on, Exile is still active with 4 original members (Pennington, Lemaire, Hargis and Goetzman) and can be seen through 2014 in High Schools and Municipal Auditoriums throughout the deep south,

At first glance you might not like where this 1981 Soft Cell video seems to be going. It is set atop Mt. Olympus with David Ball dressed as a cricketeer leading a very young mulatto girl to Singer and Greek God Marc Almond. At second glance you may notice the guilty looking black man slave in the corner and a very apologetic mistress seated next to Almond with whom he seems very irritated with. Add one tank of hungry piranha and a cricket bat and you've got one short and creepy video with a lot going on.

Soft Cell were no strangers to controversial and creepy videos. Along with the No. 1 hit Tainted Love the album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret produced another creepy video for the song Sex Dwarf that was banned and confiscated by British police. Like everything else ever made, it is out there on the internet somewhere but I will warn you that it's not safe for work, children or most people in general.

I imagine the planning of this video went something like this:

Director: "O.K., we've got three minutes to fill. What should we do?"

Bob Welch: "Well, I was thinking a romantic restaurant scene."

Director: "Great! Let's fill up some time."

Bob: "Well I could look directly at the camera and sing the verses and chorus."

Director: "Great! We've still got a minute and a half to fill."

Bob: (Looking down) "Well I could light this cigar."

Director: "A minute fifteen."

Bob: "I could smoke the cigar a little."

Director: "One minute."

Bob: (Looking around) "I could make out with that chick over there for awhile."

Director: "Great! We've got a video."

Sentimental Lady was first recorded for the 1972 Fleetwood Mac album Bare Tree's when Bob Welch was still a member. It was written for his first wife Nancy. This Shorter, leaner, more radio friendly version appeared on Welch's album French Kiss and featured Christine Mcvies and Lindsey Buckingham. Sentimental lady hit the top 10 in November of 1977 and is one of Welch's most recognizable hits.

One shiny 'fro, a frumpy tux that quickly gets looser and 4 girls that look like they are fresh off the set of a Rick James video come together nicely in the video for Carl Carlton's 1982 hit She's a Bad Mama Jama. The girls are tall, slender and arranged on pedestals as Carl prances around showing them off proudly like sides of beef. It kind of gives the appearance that he is a 4 foot tall mini pimp. It all looks something like a solo performance by Randy Watson of Sexual Chocolate.

Into the Night by Benny Mardones is a classic love song that emotes passion and love. The only problem is that he was 34 at the time and the song is about a 16 year old girl. That alone probably wasn't such a big deal in 1980. This theme in songwriting was maybe a little more prevalent back then. The problem is the video. Scenes of Benny Peering into the youngsters bedroom window after her father turns him away at the door, of him singing passionately into a payphone and of him later jumping in through the window with a magic carpet to take her away into the night all add up to make this the grandaddy of creepy videos.