LA-based noise pop duo No Age brought the ethos of early punk and hardcore music into the 21st-century with their stripped down DIY style that taped together their spare drum and guitar riffs with passionate vocals and a few playful samples. Their origins playing energetic live shows at all-ages venues around Los Angeles would lay the groundwork for the band’s future output for the next 15 years.

The essential document of New York’s 1980s New Wave scene and the archetypal "Midnight Movie" from director Slava Tsukerman returns home to Night Flight. In what is one of the most delectably stylish Science Fiction films ever produced: A small, heroin seeking UFO lands on a Manhattan roof, observes a bizarre, drug addicted fashion model and sucks endorphin from her sexual encounters' brains.

RIP Slava Tsukerman (1939-2026). Night Flight creator Stuart S. Shapiro talks to the writer, producer and director of Liquid Sky, Slava Tsukerman. Originally aired at the Roxy Theatre in NYC for Night Flight's screening on June 12th, 2024. Available for Night Flight Plus members.

This classic episode of Night Flight's venerable "Take Off" series which premiered in 1984 features music videos featuring flashy female rock icons such as Debbie Harry, Grace Slick, Tina Turner, Wendy O. Williams & Stevie Nicks.

1985's "Take Off" to street music featuring Chaka Khan, Grand Master Flash, Run DMC and more...

For tonight's Night Flight Originals, we start with a “Take Off” to LA Rock. Since the ‘60s, LA’s been a mecca for the music industry. Night Flight brings us up to date (1987) with LA’s bustling music scene that finds us watching and listening to videos from The Untouchables in their award-winning video for “Free Yourself,” Oingo Boingo, Concrete Blonde, Suicidal Tendencies, and Thelonius Monster. For part two tonight we take a look at a strange phenomenon of the 80s, Sport Rock! “Today’s fitness craze even spreads to rock,” Pat Prescott declares, as she introduces the first videos, including the Los Angeles Rams’ theme song, questionably named “Let’s Ram It,” and The Chicago Bears’ “Super Bowl Shuffle.” Both worth the price of admission alone. Next up, the wrestling mania of the '80s peaked with this Allstar line up known simply as The Wrestlers. “Land of A Thousand Dances,” the euphoric, almost mystical work from seminal 1985 album “The Wrestling Album,” will go down in history as an icon of the vibrant period we now refer to as the Rock ’n’ Wrestling connection. This is Night Flight, pure and true. We thank you for watching!

Night Flight's 1988 New Metal Special spans the globe - covering bands from Japan, Germany and at home in the USA. Acts included in this essential Night Flight Take Off are Megadeth, Zodiac Mindwarp, Ezo, Warlock and more... Not to be missed!

This week, Night Flight puts the focus on the visionaries behind some of the most experimental and interesting music videos of the 80s. This unique ‘Take Off’ takes music video directors as it’s subject, focusing specifically on the work of Creme & Godley and Zbigniew Rybczyński, including candid and creative interviews with the directors. Lol Creme and Kevin Godley (originally of the band 10cc) discuss the videos they created for Visage, The Police, Herbie Hancock (the excellent robotics video for "Rock-it"), the uncensored Night Flight favorite “Girls on Film” for Duran Duran and gorgeous video for their own song "Cry." For Part 2 of this special, Night Flight takes off to the work of Academy Award winning Polish director Zbigniew Rybczyński, featuring videos the surreal, groundbreaking music video classics for Art Of Noise, Chuck Mangione, Grandmaster Flash, and mysterious Columbia Records supergroup Iam Siam .

From Boston to LA, New York to DC, a musical explosion is taking place in Rock and Roll. Traditionally, success for bands came from touring, but today, the video explosion has given local bands national exposure sparking a renaissance in music and reinforcing the original roots of Rock 'n roll. Featuring 'Til Tuesday, Run DMC, REM and more...

We suggest you Take Off To The Beach with this Night Flight episode from 1986. This segment takes you through a video vignette series covering the land of the surf, sand and sun with videos include Y&T, The Beach Boys, Joe King Carrasco and Beastie Boys. Side B of this episode is a mix of videos loosely held together by the theme: 'Crime.' There's a topnotch selection of videos ranging from Art of Noise, Paul Hardcastle, Golden Earring, Tony Powers and David Bowie's Labyrinth cut "Underground."

Welcome to Night Flight's Take Off to Rock Legends! Tonight we'll look at those performers who had a profound influence on popular music including Chuck Berry, Elvis, Smokey Robinson and more classics. In true Night Flight fashion, this episode explains the influences and cultural context of Rock and Roll through the decades and up to more contemporary (for the time) artists. This is an original episode not to be missed.

In this 1983 Video Gallery, Night Flight Take’s Off to Politics. “Rock Music has always had a strong political connection,” Pat Prescott says. This tour of rock politics takes us through the '60s with Bob Dylan, Hendrix, and The Plastic Ono Band’s “Give Peace A Chance.” After this tour of protest rock Night Flight, takes on Politics in the Nuclear Era with campy twist, fast forwarding to the ‘80s where we find ourselves enjoying the incredible experimental animation of Donald Fagen’s “New Frontier,” Men at Work’s ominous tune “It’s A Mistake,” and a little known promotional clip for the 1982 film WarGames by Crosby, Stills and Nash.

The Ramones, Cabaret Voltaire, J. Geils Band, Rockwell, and The Monsters all make an appearance in Night Flight's Take Off to Rock and Horror from October 25th, 1986. On the flip side of this seasonal episode, Night Flight includes filmmaker Dan Carbone's post-apocalyptic title DOT in its short horror film collection of "Mini Chillers" a surrealist b&w film sought after by Night Flight purists.

In Take Off To Self Destruction (1986), Night Flight focuses on some of the darker elements that defined the 1980s, looking at music that dealt with topics like drug abuse and crime. Featured songs like “Stop The Madness” and “Just Say No” convey a conflicted range of emotion when watched today. The videos are definitely humorous in their categorically ‘80s presentation but they also require a somber reflection of the ineffective and corrosive drug policies promoted by the Reagans. Along with artist interviews and PSA style interstitials (including a brilliant one from Frank Zappa), this episode features videos from Armband, Jazzy Jeff, Fine Young Cannibals and more. A closing video of David Bowie’s “Ashes To Ashes” for this segment proves that Night Flight was willing to take on uncomfortable topics like drug abuse and suicide with an elegance you couldn’t find anywhere else on TV at the time. That’s a fact.

When you think of party time in the '80s... what comes to mind? It's totally understandable if a dark void exists for those of you who really found the time party. If the faint lingering echo of Gap Band's "Party Train," or Madness' "Our House" is ringing in your ears, then welcome - please step inside our time capsule to Night Flight's "Take Off To Party Time" from 1984. This version of Party Time mixes the elegant side of the soirée, with cuts from Lionel Richie and Huey Lewis and The News to the get out of your chair dance tunes from Men Without Hats and the Pointer Sisters. From the Kinks, to Prince, this is not a Party Time you want to miss!

Night Flight salutes the Women of Rock in this original episode from June, 1988. "Today," Pat Prescott tells us, "women's voices are more powerful than ever in new music, neo-folk and down & dirty Rock n Roll." Featuring Sinéad O'Connor with MC Lyte, Joan Jett, Lita Ford, and Annie Lennox.

Sports! Tonight, we're kicking off with a 1988 “Take Off” to Sports Rock and Roll that is pure Original Night Flight. Almost every popular sport, from Basketball to Boxing get’s it’s ‘80s anthem in this 50 minute classic segment. You could say that Wrestling is over-represented in this episode, but that really all depends on how much you love or hate ‘80s wrestling. Here at Night Flight, based on our selection of specifically that genre, you could say we love it. A lot. With slam dunks like Dazz Band’s “Let It All Blow,” Pro Wrestling’s supremely weird “Land of 1000 Dances,” Kurtis Blow’s “Basketball,” Manfred Mann's Earth Band’s “Runner” and of course, the timely Chicago Bears’ “Super Bowl Shuffle," we really can't recommend this enough.

Kicking off with a clip from the U.S. Senate's 1985 "Porn Rock" hearings, Night Flight Takes Off to Right-Wing Rock in this classic episode. "Parents hate it and politicians ban it, but ironically today's Rock is not the subversive cry of revolutionaries it once was..." Pat Prescott laments, while pointing to the right-wing co-option of rock in the '80s. The episode weaves a unique tongue and cheek video playlist featuring Van Halen/Blue Angels, the "Top Gun" Anthem, Christian Rockers Stryper and unabashed capitalist image makers Sigue Sigue Sputnik's homage to the Military Industrial Complex "Love Missile F1-11."

Tonight, we "Take Off" to iconic solo careers and the band's they left behind in this 1994 special Syndication episode of Night Flight. Ahh, the solo career: the proving ground for artists who uncouple from the bands that made them or simply want to blow off some creative steam. Hosted by Tom Juarez, we take a journey through the solo songs of Mick Jagger, Phil Collins, Stevie Nicks, and finally Morrissey (see below for our additional offerings from The Smiths this week) all while giving credit to the original bands that made them.

Tucked away inside this 1990s Syndication episode is Night Flight's "Take Off" to Reggae. Night Flight has always been proud of exposing our audience to Reggae music early on by being one of the first music shows to put the genre's music videos into heavy rotation. Tonight's "Take Off" episode is a perfect example of this. Featuring interviews and music with Jimmy Cliff, Peter Tosh, Third World, and Bob and Ziggy Marley, this classic episode is not to be missed and still serves as an excellent entry point to the incredible genre. Be sure to also stick around long enough to see Laurie Anderson's performance of "Language is a Virus (From Outer Space)."

"Rock n Roll is a Blues euphemism for sex," Pat Prescott tells us at the beginning of this 1985 episode of Night Flight. "Take Off To Sex" is a provocative look at video eroticism with Apollonia 6, Berlin, Southside Johnny, Pointer Sisters, Van Stephenson, Fred Schneider, Helix and more. Stick around after the show for a special Mr. Bill segment too!

Culture is political on tonight’s original episode of Night Flight where we return to 1986 to “Take Off” to Politics. Kicking off with Edwin Starr’s “WAR,” Night Flight navigates the polarizing music terrain of the ‘60s and ‘70s with a visual backdrop of global conflict from the time period, highlighting the electrifying politics that power rock and roll. A couple ‘80s cuts sneak into this episode, with a focus on those songs affecting a more poetic political outrage: X’s “I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts”, New Model Army’s “51st State” and Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s Dylan Thomas inspired “Rage Hard.” Viewer discretion is advised. This episode features graphic footage of war.

This Night Flight Original episode features a segment from the "Take Off" series on Politics and Progressive Rap. We also included extra special bonus feature on 'Movie Villains.'

Night Flight's special feature on Politics, featuring videos by Talking Heads, Tracy Chapman, Sting, Billy Bragg, Midnight Oil, Living Color, and many more!

Join us as Night Flight "Takes Off" to the Sounds of South, from the Bayou and beyond. A mix of country music, blues and old time religion: the sounds that define the south are echoed in many of Rock’s key pioneers. Tonight, Night Flight takes this geographic prompt to explore a broad range of ‘80s acts that carried the torch and established a sound inspired by southern roots, including: Jason and the Scorchers, Blackfoot, Molly Hatchet, 38 Special and more. 

"The sound of surf, sand and Sunset Strip..." Coming to you direct from the nerve center of the entertainment industry, tonight Night Flight "Takes Off" to the City of Angels. In this special syndication episode from 1992, we explore the troubadours and minstrels that help shape the musical legacy of Los Angeles and the California sound, from Folk to Surf, Rockabilly to Punk. Featuring The Beach Boys, The Doors, LA Guns, The Motels and more!

The sun has risen on the Aquarian Age. Tonight we return to 1988 for an intergalactic sojourn through the New Age movement. “A fascination with the eternal truths permeates New Age music…” Pat Prescott tells us, before jumping into an eclectic mix of Philip Glass, Ravi Shanker, Kitaro, and Yanni. Prepare your Pan Flutes, and ready yourself for New Age hour on Night Flight.

Ever since “Rock Around The Clock” was heard on the soundtrack of the film Blackboard Jungle, rock music has targeted the classroom as a constant enemy of all that is fun and good in music. Tonight we look at the bands revolting against school authority and classroom discipline with tunes from The Stray Cats, Ramones, Twisted Sister and more. The 1980s had no shortage of music videos set in High School classrooms, so believe us, this episode DELIVERS. Who was your homeroom angel?

Kicking off with a rock and soul temptress Tina Turner, host Pat Prescott presents an eclectic selection of female trailblazers and provocateurs including Wendy O. Williams, Patty Smyth's Scandal, Sheena Easton, Sheila E. and more tonight. "Take Off" to Women In Rock explores the pop-rock voices that left us with some of the best music of the 1980s in their wake. Strut!