“Rock ‘n’ Roll Children” by Dio
Rock ‘n’ Roll has always been about rebellion and staying young. Never give in and never give up. In the 1980s, this spirit was maybe more prevalent than ever, as big hair and crazy outfits dominated the rebellious zeal of the MTV Generation. This was also the time when music videos became short films, led by Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”. At this intersection are the heavy metal band Dio and their 1985 hit “Rock ‘n’ Roll Children”. This tackles the spirit of staying rock ‘n’ roll forever and combines it with a very 80s music video.
Both the boy and the girl in this video wear chucks.
“Rock ‘n’ Roll Children” is from Dio’s 1985 LP, Sacred Heart. It peaked at number 26 on the UK Singles Chart in August, 1985 and the song remains their most successful release. The song shows how Dio combined their lyrics of rebellion and heavy metal sound with fantasy elements. The story is about a boy and a girl who are meant for each other but are at the same time hostile opposites. They have to make their way through the darkness to find each other in a new light. This is supposed to mirror the reality of our world and how people have a hard time finding each other when the darkness of our lives takes over.
Don’t look into the crystal ball!
The music video is so incredibly 80s. It starts with a cheesy scene that sets up its premise where two young teens argue about the guy “selling out” because he sold his guitar to buy a Bell Boys cap. They’re dressed in ripped shirts, jeans, jackets, chucks, and a lot of studded leather. They then hide in a magic shop from the sudden rain and a ruffian they ran into earlier. While there, they are transported into a mirror dimension inside the magician’s crystal ball and watched over by the magician himself, played by band frontman Ronnie James Dio. There lies a maze that contains all the terrors of “selling out” that the couple fears: domestication, real jobs, haircuts, and the suburbs. The two eventually escape and leave the shop. They embrace in the street as the boy throws away the cap, signaling he’ll never sell out and they will always be “rock ‘n’ roll children”. This video is such cheesy 80s camp and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible. It’s a perfect time capsule of rock in the 80s and perfect as is.
Remember kids, the least rock ‘n’ roll thing you can do is cut your hair.
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Rock out in a new pair of chucks.
