Music videos

Music Videos hold a near and dear place in my heart. While all the other children watched things like Sesame Street and cartoons, I was watching MTV. That's right way back in the 80's MTV actually played music videos, I would sit with my grandmother and watch the videos all day long. I became an expert on 80's music at the age of 3, and I would have continued to be an expert had it not been for a certain Phil Collins music video which gave me nightmares. I know what your thinking, Phil Collins is not the type to have a scary music video. Check out Genesis "Land of Confusion" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt6R6sTwsa4 and tell me that those puppets wouldn't scare the crap out of you when you were three. Due to nightmares about the Ronald Regan puppet my parents made me stop watching MTV for quite a few years, but my love of music videos remains.

I always find myself shocked to find so many of my friends have never really watched music videos, or at least none before they became viral videos. So here I offer to you a crash course on what I consider to be the top 10 best music videos. I tried not to judge on merit of the song but more on the artistic quality of the video, and how it represented and interpreted the song. I also tried to get a mixtore of high budget and low budget, and mixture of approaches.

1. "Take on me" by A-ha

I had to start with one of the first music videos I ever loved. The effects were pretty good for the 80's, and the storyline is so adorable you can't help but get wrapped up in it a bit. Does it make perfect sense with the lyrics, net exactly but the action in the video is paced well to the tempo of the song.



2. "Yellow" by Coldplay

This video is proof that sometimes the simplest approach is the most effective. No special effects, no big budget sets, no casts of actors, and it still manages to be brilliant. It's just one man, one camera, a beach, a pretty song, and timing that is beyond perfect.



3. "Praise You" Fatboy Slim

The story goes that Fatboy Slim very much wanted Spike Jonze (Director of Adaptation and a number of Brilliant Music Videos) to direct his next video. For some reason or another Spike was unable to direct it, but as sort of a thank you to Fatboy Slim he sent a video of himself dancing to one of Fatboyslims songs. That is where the idea for this music video was born. Before you ask, yes Spike Jonze is the main dancer. You can tell this video was shot guerrilla style, and I completely admire them for taking that chance.



4. "It's Oh So Quiet" Bjork

This video was also directed by Spike Jonze, but you will find it is significantly different from his last. In many ways it makes sense that some music videos would be shown and performed as musicals, yet Spike Jonze accomplishes it with a quirky humor which fits perfectly with Bjork. Look out for the dancing garbage cans in the background of the last scene they are my favorite.



5. "No Rain" Blind Melon

This video was an interesting pick. I chose it because of the cultural importance of Bee Girl and the misunderstood individualism she represents. I think we can all relate to Bee Girl in one way or another, and thats what makes this a great video.



6. "I'm Not Ok" My chemical Romance

Say what you will about their music, but the music videos for their first two albums were amazing. The song "I'm Not Ok" is practically an anthem for high school angst, and what better way to show it then to make a movie. When I first saw this video I thought it was a movie trailer, and naturally that was the directors intention. It's a brilliant idea, and a very fun music video, kind of makes you wonder what would have happened if they had made a full length movie.



7. "Lenores Song" Yunyu

Yunyu is an amazing lesser known artist who wrote this song as a response to Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven. The video is comprised entirely of stop motion animation from over 16000 digital photos. the video is disturbing, yet utterly fascinating. It is one of the most creative music videos I have ever seen and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.



8. "Jeremy" Pearl Jam

This is one of the most critically acclaimed music videos ever made. Like the song the video is about a young man who shot kimself in front of his entire class. It's a dark video, but it's a powerful one. The representations of the boys life shown in the form of giant photos in the woods, are images that have never left my mind not. Nor has this become any less shocking and emotional each time I have seen it.

the company Sony BMG has disabled embedding of the video. So please take my word and copy and paste this link to their official youtube channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMRTOZExfJA

9. "Smack My Bitch Up" Prodigy

This is one of the videos banned from MTV and undoubtedly other networks. It's a brilliant music video done entirely from the perspective of one individual. It was banned because of violence, nudity, and I'm fairly certain drug use as well. If you are offended by any of these things then don't click the link. Wait till the end of the video, there is a twist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43GxJBsw2k4&

10. "Perfect Drug" Nine Inch Nails

This is one of the few high budget music videos that I absolutely love. It was directed by Mark Romanek who is one of the best music video directs of all times, if not the best. Apparently his video for Madonna's Bedtime Stories and his more famous Nine Inch Nails video Closer are on permanent display at MOMA.

Trent Reznor admittedly hated this video, but that's him and not me. It is one of those music videos that you have to watch a few times to really get the story. The video is dark, takes place in a very Gothic Victorian setting, and apparently drew inspiration from artist Edward Gorey. the first time you see it the visuals are so outstanding that it is hard to see past them and into the actual story.

Instead of following a more obvious theme for the song and doing a video about an obsession over romantic love, the director made it instead about the love for a lost child. The story seems to be about a man who has lost his son, and has become addicted to absinthe and other drugs to deal with his pain and loneliness.

Universal Music Group does not allow embedding of this music video so please follow the link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0s5UOVsMDg


Side note, I don't understand why some record companies will not allow their music videos to be posted on other sites. Music videos are created for promotional purposes, and what better way to promote then by sharing. I am not in any way trying to take credit for these videos, I have given proper credit to the artists and in some cases to the director as well. No I am promoting artists, and now that music videos can be bought on iTunes I am also promoting the sale of music videos.