How a Pink Tank Top Ruined a Rock ‘n’ Roll Career

Billy Squier was big time. After struggling for years to get his career off the ground, his 1981 album Don’t Say No was a huge hit, buoyed by the chart topping single, The Stroke. His next two albums, Emotions in Motion and Signs of Life, also went platinum. He was becoming the preeminent rocker of the 1980s, and the sky was the limit. He was invincible. Billy thought, “Nothing can stop me now! In fact, just to prove how unstoppable I am, I’m going to do a video where I prance around like Jennifer Beal in a pink nightie, and people are still going to love my hard rocking sounds!” Billy was wrong. His career was ruined, his albums stopped selling, and he essentially disappeared until 2007, when Squier’s fireplace pìššëd off Bono.

Just imagine, as you watch this video, 50 Cent making that same career decision right now. Several platinum albums built on a tough guy image, just like Squier. Just think of Fitty, on top of the world, saying, “You want me to wear a pink tank top in this video and cavort around a bedroom like Peter Pan, only more effeminate? Sure. What could go wrong?”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fR0j7sModCI[/youtube]