We don't even care
"1979" is a song by Alternative Rock band The Smashing Pumpkins, from their 1995 album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. It was released as a single on January 23, 1996, by Virgin Records.
The music video for the song follows a group of teenagers living in the suburbs, interwoven with shots of frontman Billy Corgan singing in the back of a car. The teens drive recklessly, throw a massive party, and vandalize a convenience store.
The video for "Perfect" from the band's following album, Adore, is a sequel to this video.
Watch the video here
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Tropedown 1979:
- Asian Store-Owner: James Iha, who returns in the "Perfect" video to press a button to signal the cops after one of the teens in the convenience store scene here returns to shoplift in James' face.
- Bumper Sticker: The teens' car has a parody of the "honor student" bumper sticker, reading "Proud parents of a 'D' student."
- Carload of Cool Kids: A rotating shot of the kids in the car is timed with the line "Cool kids never have the time".
- Coming of Age Story: According to Billy Corgan, the song about his transition into his adolescent life.
- Cranky Neighbor: D'arcy, covered in facial cream, carries a cellphone, presumably with the intention of calling the cops to complain about the partying teens.
- Donut Mess with a Cop: Two cops, one played by Jimmy Chamberlin, walk into the convenience store to grab some donuts.
- Flipping the Bird: One of the teens flips off the suburbs from a hill early on.
- Jerkass: The teens act like they own the world and let it show when they trash the convenience store. There is also one of them turning on the shower over a couple making out in the bathtub at the party.
- The Mountains of Illinois: The video is supposed to be set in a Chicago suburb, but mountains are visible due to it being shot in California.
- Ode to Youth: The song is about Billy Corgan's nostalgia over his youth.
- Sequel Episode: "Perfect", from Adore, in which the teens are older. One of them returns to the convenience store and steals some nachos just to be a Jerkass to Iha, presumably in retribution for Iha having called the cops on him earlier, and quickly gets into a police chase.
- Suburbia: The setting of the video.
- Title by Year: "1979", which refers to the year in which Billy Corgan turned twelve.
- Toilet Paper Prank: A tree gets targeted with toilet paper as the characters leave the party.
- Wild Teen Party: Featuring live music by The Smashing Pumpkins.
