Richard Marx — Should've Known Better

JUL 01 1987 · 12:00

Richard Marx — Should've Known Better (1987) Director: Dominic Sena Era: MTV Golden Era (1987) - Peak period of glossy, performance-driven pop-rock music video production during the height of MTV's cultural dominance and the rise of adult contemporary rock crossover acts. High curatorial value as a confirmed, well-documented artifact of the 1987 MTV canon, directed by Propaganda Films co-founder Dominic Sena during his most formative period. The video is a textbook example of late-80s performance-realism aesthetics and documents the visual language that defined adult contemporary rock's dominance on early MTV. Its chart significance (#3 Billboard Hot 100) and the director's subsequent cultural footprint make it essential for any archive of the era. Context: Released in September 1987 as the second single from Richard Marx's self-titled debut album on Manhattan/EMI Records, 'Should've Known Better' arrived at the apex of MTV's influence on mainstream pop-rock. The video reflects the era's dominant music video grammar: performance-forward, emotionally legible, and designed for heavy rotation. Marx peaked at #3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 with this single, and became the first solo artist in recording history to place four singles from a debut album in the top three of that chart. The video, directed by Propaganda Films co-founder Dominic Sena, exemplifies the polished yet emotionally raw style that defined crossover adult contemporary rock during the Reagan-era cultural landscape, bridging arena-rock theatricality with the more intimate confessional register emerging in late-80s pop. Director notes: Confirmed as the director of 'Should've Known Better' by IMDb (tt7573666), IMVDb, Sessiondays, and Richard Marx's official Facebook page. The video was produced by Ben Dossett and released in 1987 to accompany the second single from Marx's self-titled debut album on Manhattan/EMI Records. Marx himself acknowledged it as his second music video on his official Facebook page. The video was cited on MTV's Top 100 Videos of 1987 lists. Sena's signature approach — performance-anchored realism with moody, warm lighting and dynamic close-up editing — is consistent with his broader Propaganda Films output of the period.