There are some good music videos, and there’s lots of bad ones. Since the inception of the music video I guess most videos have been pretty boring advertisements for the band in the form of concert videos, or hackneyed cliche lifestyle ads (e.g. bling-bling videos for gangsta rap; pseudo-artsy montages for singer-songwriters; angry white boy videos for heavy metal groups, etc. etc.)
But a recent “Listed” show on the Top 40 videos of all time as well as msmith’s comment in another thread that “Sabotage” was the best video ever made me want to ask you folks:
What are the best music videos ever?
This could be based on
Originality
Working with the song
Influence on music video as a medium
Just plain coolness
Without listing them, I would immediately select:
“Beat it” and “Thriller” by Michael Jackson. Today “Thriller” seems better remembered, but at the time “Beat It” was as much a groundbreaking work, and IMHO it works better.
“Everybody Hurts” by REM. A cool, well-executed concept.
“Praise You” by Fatboy Slim. Most would instead select “Weapon of Choice” but I preferred the former.
The aforementioned “Sabotage.”
“Sledgehammer” by Peter Gabriel, of course.
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana. I’ve always thought they were overrated because Kurt Cobain died, but I gotta hand it to this video. It’s iconic.
“Don’t Come Around Here No More,” Tom Petty. A weird, creepy and yet funny video by a great showman of rock.
“Boys of Summer,” Don Henley. A great masterpeice, perhaps the best of the 80s.
“Justify My Love,” Madonna. Anything that scares MTV is great by me, but it’s a hell of a video besides.
Here’s an interesting list. I haven’t seen or heard of all of them, but the first one listed (in alphabetical order) has to be near the top of any Greatest list:
A-ha’s Take on Me. Still remarkable in its execution.
Soul Asylum’s Runaway Train (with pictures of real runaways) has always been a personal fave.
As a movie buff, I’m also obliged to include Madonna’s Express Yourself, a very clever riff on Fritz Lang’s Metropolis.
Here’s another list of Greatest, if anyone needs more ideas.
I have to mention Tool’s videos, particularly their video for “Prison Sex,” which I’ve always felt hit perfection with its blend of beauty and horror. See it here.
This is kind of obscure, but the video for UNKLE’s “Eye for an Eye” is also one of my favorites.
A lot of U2’s videos would be up there, I’d think. The one for The Sweetest Thing is excellent.
This isn’t really among the greatest, but I like Feeder’s video forJust a Day (the kids in it are all from the fanclub, who sent in videos) especially the little boy playing a xylophone.
As for great videos, I would suggest these (and as you can tell, my video viewing began with the Buggles and ended with Nirvana):
The Kinks “Come Dancing,” a fun, nostalgic song, well-filmed. Especially liked Ray Davies as the moustachioed Lothario “who ends up blowing all his wages for the week / all for a cuddle and a peck on a cheek.” The video ends with him ripping a Kinks Koncert poster off the alley wall.
Weird Al Yankovich “Amish Paradise.” True, it’s a takeoff on Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise”, but it’s a very witty take, and in some ways, very reflective of Amish life and thought. (Such as the line about forgiving the kid for kicking him in the butt because he knows the kid’ll be burning in hell).
Added votes for Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” and Nirvana’s “Teen Spirit” (fun fact, the members of Nirvana knew they had “made it” when Weird Al parodied this song.)
Madness. “Our House” for sheer goofiness as the band members act like typical members of a British working-class family.
Fatboy Slim: “Weapon of Choice” Who knew Christopher Walken could dance?
Newer ones? Dani California, oh another RDCP, Can’t Stop, great one. For some great T&A any Pussycat dolls. NIN “Deeper” OK GO “Million ways to be cruel” Highly recommend, always makes me laugh like a little kid. “Simply Irresistible,” Robert Palmer INXS “I need you tonight.” “Pump It” Black Eyed Peas Traveling Wilbury’s “End of the line” Just because they looked like they were having a great time. Bonnie Raitt “Let’s give them something to talk about” Ditto for having a great time. Cake “Going the Distance” Weezer “Beverly Hills” Schizo in music selection? I prefer to think of myself as having eclectic taste.
Bonnie Tyler’s TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART - glowing-eyed choir boys flying around while she’s all windswept and belting out that song… Wow!
Two Kate Bush’s - THE MAN WITH THE CHILD IN HIS EYES just because she’s slinking around in a gold lame’ bodysuit; and CLOUDBUSTING where Donald
Sutherland & she portray Wilhelm Reich and his son Peter
THESE DREAMS - the Wilson sisters looking their best!
CRY, I think by Godley and Cream (???), creepy face-morphing that’s always haunted me
“All Right With Me,” Janet Jackson
“Thugs,” Tragically Hip
“Virtual Insanity,” Jamiroquai
“That Thing,” Lauryn Hill
“I Can’t Wait,” Nu Shooz
“Right Now,” Van Halen
"Wicked Game, Chris Isaak
“No Rain,” Blind Melon
Is somebody else going to say it, or do I have to?
Oh, all right, here goes:
That would be “Rio” by Duran Duran.
Bonus points for Weird Al Yankovic’s spot-on parodies of both of these videos.
I’ve thought that the videos for these two bits of English nostalgia that came out at about the same time were remarkably similar, down to the tennis-racket-air-guitar solos.
This being the SD I have a feeling that everyone else is going to post all my other favorites eventually so I’ll throw just this one out there: Hurt by Johnny Cash.