Ian Hunter - All of the Good Ones Are Taken

What this video is

Released in 1983 at the height of early MTV's cultural dominance, this video represents the adaptation of a British rock veteran — Ian Hunter, former frontman of Mott the Hoople — to the American music video format. Hunter had relocated to New York City, and the album was recorded at Wizard Sound in New York State during winter 1982/83, released on CBS Inc. The song's jangly, melodic hard-rock sound stood apart…

Why it matters

Represents a critically important transitional moment in AOR and hard rock's relationship with the emerging music video medium. Hunter — a Mott the Hoople alumnus with glam-rock roots — successfully translated his sardonic, literate songwriting into visual comedy, demonstrating how rock artists of…

The director

Martin Kahan was an American music video director and producer active primarily in the 1980s–1990s. His known credits span rock and country genres, including Ricky Skaggs: Country Boy (1985) and John Michael Montgomery: Sold (1995), indicating a career…