JERMAINE JACKSON - (Closest Thing To) Perfect

What this video is

Released in 1985 as the theme song to the Columbia Pictures film 'Perfect,' this video sits at the intersection of three dominant mid-decade forces: the Hollywood-MTV promotional pipeline, the aerobics and physical fitness craze popularized by Jane Fonda's workout tapes, and the commercial peak of synth-driven R&B. The song peaked at #67 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #63 on the Hot Black Singles Chart. The video…

Why it matters

A textbook example of the 1985 Hollywood soundtrack promotional video format, bridging cinematic narrative and MTV performance aesthetics. Represents the apex of the fitness-culture crossover in mid-decade R&B video production, and demonstrates Bob Giraldi's studio-polished, choreography-anchored…

The director

Robert Nicholas Giraldi (b. January 17, 1939, Paterson, NJ) is an American filmmaker, commercial and music video director. He earned a BFA from Pratt Institute (1960) and founded Giraldi Productions in the early 1970s. Best known for directing Michael…