In an era when music video compilations were not as commonly recognized as albums, Jody Watley achieved success with her Video Classics Vol. 1. The collection was certified Gold, another major achievement as a solo artist.
Jody Watley was among the first black female artists to have a music video compilation achieve this level of success. The video featured short insights from Watley throughout discussing her inspirations, concepts and collaborations with the directors.
It demonstrated the strong demand for her visual artistry beyond the music. This underscored her impact as both music and visual trendsetter and style icon; proving her influence extended beyond radio hits. Her music videos highlighted her trendsetting fashion, free style movements. From “Real Love” to “Friends” ft Eric B & Rakim and “Looking For A New Love” she set trends that influenced a future generation of artists.The Gold certification validated her work as a visual innovator in the MTV Era, helping to pave the way for future artists to release similar projects. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we note that this cultural milestone, Jody Watley Video Classics Vol. 1 reinforced her status as a multi-dimensional artist with staying power beyond the charts.
During the late 80’s and early 90’s music videos were primarily seen on MTV, BET, VH-1 or Friday Night Videos on WTBS. The commercial success of Video Classics Volume 1, helped solidify music video compilations as a viable product, paving the way for future artists to release similar projects.
Did you / Do you have the collection on VHS / Laserdisc?!
