This week’s music video ranks high on my personal list of great 80s songs. Hailing from the English rock band Yes, “Owner of a Lonely Heart” was easily their biggest and most recognizable hit that topped the charts in 1983. The melancholy lyrics of isolation and loneliness always struck a strong chord with those offbeat audiences who felt out of place in Reagan-era America. And Yes accompanied their hit song with a stylish and slightly bizarre music video that MTV put into heavy rotation.
The massive success of “Owner of a Lonely Heart” may give the impression that Yes was a one-hit wonder. But during the 70s, they were one of the more successful progressive rock bands, with several hit records to their name. But they hit a lull in the early 80s, then reformed in 1983 with the addition of guitarist Trevor Rabin. The new guitarist urged his bandmates to record his more pop-oriented written tune, hoping the song would be their comeback hit. Rabin’s instincts proved correct, and Yes joined the many rock bands in the 80s that leaned into a more synth, pop rock sound.
Yes recruited celebrated graphic artist Storm Thorgerson, who designed the brilliant album cover for Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon,” to direct the music video. The stylized clip starts with the band jamming to the song as they transform into various animals. The footage then cuts to actor Danny Webb playing a lonely everyman in a black & white version of London, where fascist, Orwellian police haul him away. After being beaten and haunted by strange visions of the animals, Webb manages to escape to the top of a skyscraper, where the members of Yes surround him. It’s a moody piece reminiscent of the influential Apple Macintosh commercial that Ridley Scott would direct in 1984, also with Orwellian overtones.
“Owner of a Lonely Heart” appeared on the band’s 1983 LP release “90125.” Sadly, this would be Yes’s last substantial commercial hit. And if you’re a fan of the song, do yourself a favor and dive into their impressive 70s music catalog.
Check out the video below and let me know your thoughts in the comment section.