# Music videos where the band/singer doesn't appear **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 17, 2009, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-where-the-band-singer-doesnt-appear/510408 "2009-09-17T04:24:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-where-the-band-singer-doesnt-appear/510408/21 "2009-09-17T15:43:35Z")
But she also made one where she did appear. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-where-the-band-singer-doesnt-appear/510408/22 "2009-09-17T16:15:18Z")
Some of the Alan Parsons Project’s videos, like [Don’t Answer Me](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALC7kt6iUHY). ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-where-the-band-singer-doesnt-appear/510408/23 "2009-09-17T20:03:39Z")
Backwards eating Asian kid is the only person in the video [From Your Mouth](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjtDZ82oZB8) by God Lives Underwater. Also, in the 80’s Herb Alpert and Janet Jackson did a duet called Diamonds in which Alpert appears, but not Jackson. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-where-the-band-singer-doesnt-appear/510408/24 "2009-09-17T20:22:52Z")
> [@Postariti](#): > > The Replacements had a video which was just a turntable playing a record. It was actually more a shot of the speaker than anything. “Bastards Of Young”. I thought it was the best video ever when it came out. Unfortunately, it’s not on Youtube, but I did find it [here](http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play?p=the+replacements+bastards+of+young&ei=UTF-8&fr=ush-mail&fr2=tab-web&tnr=21&vid=0001301506724). Most of R.E.M.'s videos from the IRS years (excluding “Can’t Get There From Here”) didn’t feature the band, notably [Fall On Me](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf6vCjtaV1k) and [It’s The End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bmxyj6iInMc). ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-where-the-band-singer-doesnt-appear/510408/25 "2009-09-17T20:27:54Z")
That Lego White Stripes video is pretty awesome. The Spitting Image Genesis was nightmare fuel. This one maybe barely counts - another David Bowie movie theme: [When the Wind Blows](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u7dZ1gQY6Q) There’s obviously some hand-drawn Bowie in different styles and possibly rotoscoping. I don’t think there’s any live-action Bowie footage or still photos included, but I can’t be certain. I also never saw this aired on American TV or included in any of his video collections, but it apparently aired on Japanese TV. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-where-the-band-singer-doesnt-appear/510408/26 "2009-09-17T20:30:44Z")
Pearl Jam hasn’t appeared in any of their videos since Jeremy. ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-where-the-band-singer-doesnt-appear/510408/27 "2009-09-17T21:12:33Z")
I don’t remember the whole video, but I don’t believe Def Leppard appear in the video for “Women”, do they? Equally hazy is my memory of Tom Petty’s “Running Down a Dream”…wasn’t that whole thing animated? I remember parts of it but I can’t remember if there’s any live parts. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-where-the-band-singer-doesnt-appear/510408/28 "2009-09-17T21:13:26Z")
> [@batsto](#): > > Equally hazy is my memory of Tom Petty’s “Running Down a Dream”…wasn’t that whole thing animated? I remember parts of it but I can’t remember if there’s any live parts. Nope, all animated. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-where-the-band-singer-doesnt-appear/510408/29 "2009-09-17T21:45:49Z")
The Pet Shop Boys are absent from their “Numb” video aside from a “blink and you miss it” still photo inside a wavy snowglobe at the end. [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3750369423004056118#](http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3750369423004056118#) (It’s worth a look for its “Homer Simpson’s Expensive Mr. Plow Commerical”-ish WTF-ness. 😕 ) ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-where-the-band-singer-doesnt-appear/510408/30 "2009-09-17T21:55:51Z")
> [@batsto](#): > > I don’t remember the whole video, but I don’t believe Def Leppard appear in the video for “Women”, do they? > > Equally hazy is my memory of Tom Petty’s “Running Down a Dream”…wasn’t that whole thing animated? I remember parts of it but I can’t remember if there’s any live parts. A live-action Tom Petty appears, opens a book, the first chord sounds, and the animation begins. He reappears at the very end to close the book: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKo6oU3Jk4c](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKo6oU3Jk4c) ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-where-the-band-singer-doesnt-appear/510408/31 "2009-09-18T00:12:38Z")
> [@TWDuke](#): > > A live-action Tom Petty appears, opens a book, the first chord sounds, and the animation begins. He reappears at the very end to close the book: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKo6oU3Jk4c](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKo6oU3Jk4c) Oh yeah, I completely forgot about it, and it’s one of my favorite videos. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-where-the-band-singer-doesnt-appear/510408/32 "2009-09-18T01:48:38Z")
Melissa Etheridge’s _Come to my Window_ does not feature the singer, only Juliette Lewis ---
**Author:** ![Flip\_Pancake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f1d935/32.png) [@Flip\_Pancake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flip_Pancake)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-where-the-band-singer-doesnt-appear/510408/33 "2009-09-18T01:58:52Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > Melissa Etheridge’s _Come to my Window_ does not feature the singer, only Juliette Lewis Actually [it does](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej8H926Hmaw). ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-where-the-band-singer-doesnt-appear/510408/34 "2009-09-18T03:54:00Z")
> [@batsto](#): > > I don’t remember the whole video, but I don’t believe Def Leppard appear in the video for “Women”, do they? Yup, they’re in it!😃 ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-where-the-band-singer-doesnt-appear/510408/35 "2009-09-18T04:19:32Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > I don’t think Tool has been in any of their videos. There are plenty of others, so this is gonna be a long thread. They appear in a couple of them in near-total darkness. You can’t really see what’s going on beyond “guys with guitars”. The video for Pearl Jam’s _Do The Evolution_ is one big creepy cartoon which does not feature the band. The video for U2’s _Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me_ does show the band, but only as hand-drawn animations. Does that count? Prodigy/The Prodigy have a bunch of no-band-member-appearance videos in addition to _Smack My Bitch Up_, they’re not in _Voodoo People_, for one. If there’s a genre where you won’t see a no-band-appearance video, it’s heavy metal. I’ve been racking my brains and I can’t think of a single one. Massive Attack’s _Teardrop_ is just one long creepy shot of an infant in the womb. ---
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-where-the-band-singer-doesnt-appear/510408/36 "2009-09-18T05:14:10Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > Pearl Jam hasn’t appeared in any of their videos since Jeremy. I haven’t seen it yet, but supposedly the band will be in the _The Fixer_ video from their new (great but way too short) album. TECHNICALLY the band wasn’t in the _Life Wasted_ video, but molds of their faces were made and then animated with stop motion. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-where-the-band-singer-doesnt-appear/510408/37 "2009-09-18T07:35:23Z")
Damn, I was gonna mention R.E.M. They also don’t appear in “Orange Crush” and “I’ll Take the Rain.” I’m fairly sure that Blur didn’t appear in any videos for their last album (of original material), _Think Tank_. Michael Jackson isn’t in the video for “Man in the Mirror.” New Order might own this category. They don’t appear in the following videos (in addition to the aforementioned “Crystal”🙂 “Fine Time” “Round and Round” “Waiting for the Siren’s Call” “Krafty” Trivia question - anybody remember the name of the fake band that appears in the “Crystal” video? The Smiths don’t appear in the video for “The Queen is Dead.” U2 didn’t appear in one of the videos for “One” (the buffalo one). ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-where-the-band-singer-doesnt-appear/510408/38 "2009-09-18T08:34:47Z")
> [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](#): > > That’s Thom Yorke in the backseat of the car. > > Each one of them is in the video for just one time near the end of the video. Theere is, on the other hand, [the video for Paranoid Android](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHiGbolFFGw). All hand-drawn, nary a sight (did I use that expression correctly?) of any Radiohead member. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-where-the-band-singer-doesnt-appear/510408/39 "2009-09-18T13:45:21Z")
> [@cactus\_waltz](#): > > Theere is, on the other hand, [the video for Paranoid Android](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHiGbolFFGw). All hand-drawn, nary a sight (did I use that expression correctly?) of any Radiohead member. Actually, the band (drawn) is in the video. They’re in the background during the bar scene. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-where-the-band-singer-doesnt-appear/510408/40 "2009-09-18T13:50:26Z")
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