Synopsis

The J. Geils Band perform "Centerfold" in and around a stylized high school, turning the song's story of an old crush into a playful classroom fantasy. Peter Wolf races through the corridors and joins the band in a classroom, where the performance mixes energetic choreography, quick cuts, and flirtatious encounters with schoolgirls. The video mirrors the narrator's shock and fascination after discovering that his former sweetheart has appeared in a men's magazine centerfold.

Factoids & Trivia

• "Centerfold" was released in 1981 as the first single from the album *Freeze-Frame*.

• The video was filmed in Boston, reinforcing the band's long-standing connection to its home region.

• A schoolgirl character in the video is played by Jill Priest.

• The song was written by keyboardist Seth Justman, whose songwriting helped move the band toward the streamlined pop-rock sound heard on *Freeze-Frame*.

• The clip became an early MTV staple and helped introduce the J. Geils Band to a much larger mainstream audience.

• "Centerfold" became the band's biggest commercial success, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1982 and remaining there for six weeks.

• The video was later included in several retrospective MTV and 1980s music-video compilations, reflecting its status as one of the band's signature visual pieces.