Synopsis

A young woman is pursued through a dark, stylized house by a mischievous ghost played by Ray Parker, Jr. The sparse interior is traced with glowing neon outlines, giving the video a graphic, comic-book appearance. As the haunting escalates, she reaches for the telephone and calls the Ghostbusters. Parker then joins the film's four central heroes, along with a large group of celebrity guests, for a lively dance sequence through the streets of New York City.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video's blacked-out sets and bright neon outlines create a visual style distinct from the film while echoing its supernatural theme.

• Cindy Harrell plays the woman terrorized by the ghost. Ray Parker, Jr. appears in costume as the ghost before joining the Ghostbusters in the finale.

• The closing street sequence was filmed in New York City, with Times Square closed for the production. A sizable crowd remained visible in the background.

• The video features cameo appearances by Chevy Chase, Irene Cara, John Candy, Melissa Gilbert, Ollie E. Brown, Jeffrey Tambor, George Wendt, Al Franken, Danny DeVito, Carly Simon, Peter Falk, and Teri Garr.

• The celebrity participants reportedly appeared without payment as a favor to the production.

• The video became a major MTV success and reached the channel's No. 1 position.

• The dance performed by the Ghostbusters at the end was reused in the closing credits of the animated series The Real Ghostbusters and later appeared in a trailer for Ghostbusters: The Video Game.

• The song itself was released on June 8, 1984, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song.