Earlier this week, news broke about MTV resurrecting the ever-irreverent, nacho-munching, video-bashing cartoon duo BEAVIS AND BUTTHEAD. This is both good news and bad news. If the show is to be continued with creative control by founder Mike Judge, then there is hope (despite how agonizing his last movie, Extract, was to watch).

According to the New York Post, “The new series would keep Beavis and Butt-head in their perpetual high-school state, but it would be updated so that the pals -- who obsessively watch music videos on a battered TV set -- could lob their snarky comments at more current targets like Lady Gaga.”

And that is where the potential bad news may lie. It sounds as though MTV is using this as a vehicle to retain the popularity, through video, of already prominent artists. BEAVIS AND BUTTHEAD, in its original run, ended up becoming an inadvertent advertising tool that gave many lesser known artists, especially metal acts, extended exposure and life outside of the confines of niche shows like HEADBANGERS BALL.

In fact, when I interviewed the late, great Chuck Schuldiner of Death (in 1996 for the Morbid Voice fanzine), whose video for “The Philosopher” did not escape the wrath of the couch potato duo, he confessed, “Actually, they played it more than Headbangers Ball did. So, it helped us in a way to get exposed.”

Fingers are crossed that B&B do not forget their metal roots.

In celebration of the show’s return, we present a Top 20 Video Countdown of metal songs to which BEAVIS AND BUTTHEAD granted extended life.

20. MOTORHEAD: No Voices in the Sky
- Classic moment = when Beavis inquires, “Why does Lemmy have those two cocoa puffs stuck to his cheek?”

19. JUDAS PRIEST: Painkiller
- Classic moment = at the end, when the camera closes in on Halford, Butthead notices, “This dude is old!”

18. CARCASS: Heartwork
- Classic moment = Butthead commenting on Jeff Walker’s vocals – “This butt-munch sounds like Dave Mustaine!”

17. SLAYER: Seasons in the Abyss
- Classic moment = When discussing the video location, they determine that Moses build the pyramids, and Beavis states, “And then he, like, went and wrote The Ten Condiments!”

16. ENTOMBED: Wolverine Blues
- Classic moment = As soon as the video begins, Beavis announces, “Well, guess I’ll go take a leak!”

15. PRONG: Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck
- Classic moment = Beavis actually attempts to “snap his neck” and does it wrong.

14. IRON MAIDEN: From Here to Eternity
- Classic moment = In appreciation of the band’s visuals, Beavis exclaims, “Even if Maiden did Unplugged, they’d still have explosions and chicks.” Butthead replies, “Yeah, they’d be like, ‘we’re not gonna unplug the explosion machine, dude. That’s what got us here!’”

13. MORBID ANGEL: God of Emptiness
- Classic moment = As soon as David Vincent opens his mouth, Butthead exclaims, “Whoa, was that a bear?”

12. CANNIBAL CORPSE: Staring Through the Eyes of the Dead
- Classic moment = after watching the synchronized headbanging, Butthead acknowledges, “If these guys practiced their instruments as much as they practiced shaking their hair around, they’d be like, pretty good, probably.” Beavis quickly replies with, “I dunno, they’d probably still suck! Y’know, maybe it’s just me.”

11. METALLICA: For Whom the Bell Tolls
– Classic moment = Butthead observes, “That James Hetfield dude looks like the Cowardly Lion.”

10. DANZIG: Mother ‘93
- Classic moment= When watching Glenn dance, Beavis questions, “What’s he doing? He was shaking his hips back and forth like a little wussy!” Butthead agrees, “That little dance isn’t very cool.”

9. KING DIAMOND: The Family Ghost
- Classic moment = Beavis notices, “This guys kinda looks like, um, kinda looks like that dude on Sesame Street, The Count.”

8. POISON: I Want Action
- Classic moment = Beavis mocks Bret Michaels, “Bobby, I smeared my lipstick when I kissed my finger. Can I borrow some of yours?”

7. DEATH: The Philosopher
- Classic moment = Beavis imitates Chuck Schuldiner’s voice ordering food, “I’d like two tacos, pleassseee! And an order of friiiiieeeessss!!!!! Tooo goooooo!!!!!!”

6. MEGADETH: Sweating Bullets (video begins at 1:17)
- Classic moment = B&B going back and forth about how Dave Mustaine sounds like Beavis.

5. NAPALM DEATH: Plague Rages
- Classic moment = Beavis proclaims on the oddity of Barney Greenway’s voice coming out of Barney, “I was thinking like, it looks like this kind of voice, like, would come out of Godzilla…or maybe like, come out of Godzilla’s butt!” Butthead concurs, “Yeah, if it did come out of Godzilla’s butt, it would be a good video.”

4. ACCEPT: Balls To the Wall
- Classic moment = Butthead is shocked by Udo Dirkschneider’s appearance, “What is this butt-munch doing on the stage?” Then he affects a security guard’s voice, “You got a backstage pass, sir?”

3. CROWBAR: Existence is Punishment
- Classic moment = B&B banter back and forth about Kirk Windstein’s weight. Butthead says, “Whoa, he said he gave his heart and soul to some chick!” Beavis replies, “That must have been like, at least 50 lbs. of meat!"

2. PANTERA: This Love
- Classic moment = Apparently, B&B think Pantera is actually Phil Anselmo’s name. Beavis yells, “Dammit, Pantera, I told you to get out there and mow that lawn! Oh what’s this? Is that a tear, Pantera? Oh, is daddy’s little girl upset? I’m gonna kick your ass into next Tuesday, now get out of here, and quit acting like a damned little girl!!!”

1. GRIM REAPER: See You In Hell
- Classic moment = the entire clip, seriously. “Stop, in the name of all that which does not suck!”

Note: OVERKILL and MERCYFUL FATE were originally supposed to be in this countdown, but due to a Viacom copyright issue, the videos were removed from YouTube.