I mean music videos - ones that just embody the song, so that when you hear the song, you can’t but help thinking about the video.
My picks, in no order:
[ul]“Father Figure” - George Michael. It’s just so . . . peaceful.
“Wicked Game” - Chris Isaak. One of the few things I’ve seen that is truly erotic and artistic.
“Express Yourself” - Madonna. Inspired by “Metropolis,” this videa actually manages to capture the spirit of the original. See above, also.
“Love Would never Do (Without You)” - Janet Jackson. The video that really put her over the top, career-wise.
“What’s It Gonna Be?” - Busta Rhymes, featuring Janet Jackson. Really cool special fx, Janet’s killer costume, and Rhymes’ great rapping flow.
“Raspberry Beret” - Prince. Most of Prince’s videos are lousy; it’s usually just him singing on a stage. What makes this one great are the animated parts. He would have been well-advised to animate the entire video.
“Thriller”, “Billy Jean”, “Beat It” - Michael Jackson. Boy, the Jackson family sure is on here a lot. Jackson’s decision to treat the vieos to his songs as importantly as the songs themselves made him the biggest star of his era. There have been a lot of albums that were as good, musically, as “Thriller.” There has never been one, even today, that looked better.
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Madness – “Our House.” Goofy video that encapsulates the spirit of the band and the song.
The Kinks – “Come Dancing” A story told to music, featuring Ray Davies as the slicked-hair-back date who “blows all his wages for a week, just for a cuddle and a peck on a cheek.” Great finish with all the mums dancing before the big band sound with their dusters.
Weird Al – “Dare to be Stupid” The best Devo song Devo never wrote, the video is just as weird with its mix of animation and live action. Second place for his “Smells Like Teen Spirit” parody, which looks like a video Mad magazine would have made, complete with off-the-wall humor and jokes tucked into the corners.
REM – “Losing My Religion” Hell if I know what it means, but it looks great. The kind of video to argue over while you’re passing around the bong.
George Michael – “Faith” Cool, cool, cool. All attitude with a little sex. Then it went all downhill, drowning in a sea of humorless self-importance. 'Tis pity he’s a dork now.
Guns N’ Roses- Estranged–This is when they went completely and utterly over the top, plus it eerily foreshadows what Axl’s life would become for the next 12 years
Don Henley- The Boys Of Summer
Pearl Jam- Jeremy
Sir-Mix-A-Lot–Put 'Em On The Glass–If you see the video then you know why.
[ul][li]Sabotage : Beastie Boys[/li][li]Let Forever Be** : Chemical Brothers[/li][li]Star Guitar** : Chemical Brothers[/li]Psyche Rock** : Pierre Henry & Fatboy Slim[/ul]
Tomcat beat me to it. I have a collection of Bjork videos, and aside from Venus as a Boy, they’re all absolutely wonderful. It’s Oh So Quiet and All is Full of Love are probably my favorites.
Tools first three videos are all great. I love the claymation work in it. They’re all just fucking amazing. I didn’t care too much for the one off of Lateralys (or however one spells it), and I haven’t seen their other one. But Aenema and Sober are just visually wonderful!
[i}Grandma Take me Home* by Nirvana is also really great. As is Smells like Teen Spirit and Come as you Are.
Peter Gabriele’s Sledge Hammer is one of my all time favorites.