The goal is to “ensure current and future generations will get to enjoy these timeless classics as they’ve never before been experienced”. At launch, 100 music videos have already been remastered including Billy Idol, Beastie Boys, Boyz II Men, George Strait, Janet Jackson, Kiss, Lady Antebellum, Lady Gaga, Lionel Richie, Maroon 5, Meat Loaf, No Doubt/Gwen Stefani, Smokey Robinson, The Killers, Kiss, and Tom Petty
While this makes me feel really old, videos like Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’” was released 30 years ago, while “Sabotage” by Beastie Boys’ dates back 25 years ago.
Looking at the remastered versions shows a great deal of improvement, although also shows up how cheaply they were made. Others like the one below suffer initially from 1980’s special effects and run a long better when these are switched off.
The most recent remaster is for Lady Gaga’s 10-year-old “Bad Romance” which is a conspiracy nut favourite.
YouTube and UMG plan to upgrading nearly 1,000 music videos. They will be added weekly, with completion expected before the end of 2020. Video descriptions will feature a “REMASTERED IN HD!” label and #Remastered hashtag.