Billy Idol - Cradle Of Love

What this video is

Released in May 1990, 'Cradle of Love' arrived at a cultural inflection point: the MTV hard rock hegemony of the 1980s was beginning to yield to the emerging alternative and grunge movements that would dominate by 1991-1992. The video is a document of late-era MTV maximalism — high production values, strong narrative arc, cinematic lighting — executed by a director on the cusp of his Hollywood career. Billy Idol's…

Why it matters

A landmark of late-era MTV hard rock video production, 'Cradle of Love' represents the apex of the cinematic narrative music video form pioneered through the 1980s. Its chart performance — reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Album Rock Tracks chart — and its VMA wins cemented…

The director

David Fincher (born August 28, 1962) rose to prominence as one of the most technically precise directors in the music video era before transitioning to feature films. By 1990, he was among the most in-demand music video directors, having helmed clips for…