COVER STORY : A Not-So-Magnificent Seven Were Made for MTV

MTV may have killed some radio stars--at least not-so-pretty acts like Christopher Cross and Toto--but it also brought to life its fair share of Frankensteinian creations. The legacy of MTV’s first decade includes any number of acts that might have had hits but certainly never would have been superstars in a pre-video age. A sampling of seven virtually made-for-MTV acts--some charming, some unforgivable:

Duran Duran. Who who? How quickly we forget, but 10 years ago, with the help of Capitol Records’ foresight, this was the first young band to really exploit the possibilities of video. The foppish English quartet scored with a round of clips directed by Russell Mulcahy, including the infamous mud-wrestling-goes-chic “Girls on Film,” made available to TV in an edited version and clubs in an R-rated format; even in as overtly sexually pandering a video as this, our New Romantic poets managed to come off as unbearably pretentious poseurs, lots of sound and fury signifying fluffing. Beatlemania was the going comparison in the early ‘80s. Later in the decade, this year’s haircut went the way of last year’s model, and Capitol could barely give away copies of “Notorious.”

Stray Cats. The rockabilly revival was fun while it lasted--all 15 minutes or so. And while no one ever accused Carl Perkins of being photogenic, Brian Setzer’s blond pompadour was undeniably so, with a stand-up bass, a stand-up drummer and a nubile girl who was “Sexy + 17” adding extra visual pizazz. Commercially, they turned out to be seven or eight lives short of their fabled nine.

Culture Club. Before Madonna wore suits, Boy George helped pave the way with lipstick, rouge and a pleasant, non-threatening pan-sexuality, putting on the airwaves for everyone to see the sorts of semi-outrageous cross-dressing shenanigans that rock fans only used to be able to read about back in Bowie’s glitter days. Looking back now, it’s hard to remember: Was androgyny always this dull?

Madonna. Unlike most other MTV phenomena, Madonna got better and savvier at what she did as she went along, no small distinguishing factor. The sluttish, brown-haired, accessory-overloaded Tart we first saw (in “Borderline,” “Holiday” and “Like a Virgin”) wasn’t all that promising. But after the Tart came roles as the Screen Goddess (“Material Girl”), the Troubled Teen (“Papa Don’t Preach”), Little Latin Lupe Lu (“La Isla Bonita”), the Jaded Stripper With a Heart of Gold (“Open Your Heart”), Everydaughter (“Oh Father”) and the Afternoon Delight (“Justify Your Love”), among others . . . none of them, of course, completely un-Tart-like. The first and foremost conqueror of the video medium, she’s one of the master manipulators of all time, and, on the side, she’s written a few pretty good little pop songs too.

Paula Abdul, Janet Jackson. Hard to imagine these two hoofers having strings of radio hits on the strength of vocals alone. But who wants to listen to the radio when there are 10-minute mini-musicals (some singing, all dancing) on television--MGM meets MTV--like Jackson’s “Alright”? However, must these two take off the tap shoes and do ballads too? A mixed blessing.

Milli Vanilli. The lamp of truth killed the video star, i.e., the duo that put the dread back in dreadlocks. So, when it comes to looks and flash versus musical talent, the masses are willing to draw the line--but only after it’s pointed out to them with flashing neon headlines. It could happen again.