Synopsis

Richard Marx arrives in Hollywood as an ambitious newcomer hoping to break into the music business. The video follows a young woman, played by Cynthia Rhodes, as she encounters the city's exploitative entertainment scene, including questionable auditions and a predatory apartment manager portrayed by G.W. Bailey. Marx appears as a struggling musician trying to share his songs while the story contrasts Hollywood's glamorous image with its seedy realities. The closing moments suggest that the cycle continues when another hopeful newcomer arrives.

Factoids & Trivia

• Released in 1987, "Don't Mean Nothing" was Richard Marx's debut single and the lead track from his self-titled debut album.

• Cynthia Rhodes plays the central female character. She and Marx later married on January 8, 1989, making the video an early on-screen appearance by Marx's future first wife.

• Rhodes was already known as an actress and dancer, with credits including Flashdance, Staying Alive, and Dirty Dancing.

• G.W. Bailey appears as the apartment manager. He was already familiar to audiences from television and films, and would soon become especially well known as Lieutenant Harris in the Police Academy series.

• The video's Hollywood setting reflects the song's cynical view of the entertainment business, presenting show-business ambition as a world where hopeful newcomers can be manipulated.

• Marx's recording featured Joe Walsh on guitar, with former Eagles members Randy Meisner and Timothy B. Schmit contributing background vocals.

• The single reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Album Rock Tracks chart.

• The video was later included in the 1989 television compilation MTV Top 100 Videos of the 80s.