Inspired by a cheesy late-night TV commercial, and accused of plagiarism by Huey Lewis, Ghostbusters topped the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and earned Parker, Jr. an Academy Award-nomination for Best Original Song. From the iconic synthesiser riff to the crowd-pleasing call-and-response, Ghostbusters is just cheesy enough without being cringe-worthy to back up one of the greatest 80s comedy vehicles.
The video, on the other hand, well, that’s cheesy. Featuring Ray Parker, Jr. as an unconvincing, finger-snapping, funky-dancing ghost, and filled with cameos from 80s stars like Chevy Chase, John Candy, Peter Falk and Danny DeVito, this video is a veritable gorgonzola. But it is rescued by iconic clips from the film (most involving Slimer) and best of all, the final section. This sees Parker, Jr. joined by the Ghostbusters: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson, as they dance through the streets of New York, ending with Murray’s hilarious attempts at breakdancing. And then Chevy Chase chokes on a cigarette. The youth of today, with their Hobbit theme songs being performed by Ed Sheeran, won’t know what hit them when Ghostbusters 3 lands.