Charlie Sexton - Beat's So Lonely

What this video is

Released in 1985 at the height of MTV's transformative grip on popular music, 'Beat's So Lonely' represents the network's power to manufacture teen idols through heavy video rotation. Charlie Sexton, just 16 at recording, was aggressively positioned as a hybrid of David Bowie's glam sensibility and Billy Idol's punk-adjacent swagger — a strategy made explicit by the choice of Keith Forsey, Billy Idol's longtime…

Why it matters

A definitive artifact of mid-80s MTV-era AOR/new wave crossover promotion. The track and video exemplify the formula of the period: drum-machine propulsion, glossy Bowie-inflected rock production by a hitmaking pop producer (Forsey), and a fast-cut performance video designed for MTV rotation.…

The director

Award-winning director, cinematographer, and photographer born in Manhattan. Began career as an advertising photographer on Madison Avenue before relocating to Los Angeles, where he shot album covers for artists including Linda Ronstadt, Aerosmith, and the…