They could have ditched the whole storyline and just had the creepy monkey version of the band it would still make this list.
Directed in 2001 by Traktor, a Swedish production team of five directors and two producers. They have produced more than 300 television commercials. Other music videos to their credit include Song for Shelter / Ya Mama by Fatboy Slim and Die Another Day by Madonna.
One of the great mysteries in video music history - “What does the guy say at the end?” I guess we will never know why he did it.
Jamie Thraves directed this video in 1995 as one of his very first music videos. He directed a dozen videos from 200-2006 including two videos for Coldplay and one for Death Cab for Cutie.
I was already a Johnny Cash fan long before this, but some of my friends began to take notice of him after he covered this Nine Inch Nails song.
Directed by Mark Romanek in 2002 and Wikipedia says the video “has been hailed by many critics and fans alike as the most personal and moving music video ever made.”
Romanek was given his first Grammy Award for Best Short Form Video in 1996 for “Scream,” a collaboration between the pop superstar siblings Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson. The video, which cost $7 million to make, is cited as the most expensive ever made.
Take on Me may symbolize the 1980’s era of music videos more than any other. It also was one of the earliest attempts to make a music video play out like a story - the plot may not be much (comic book character falls in love with human girl, becomes human so they can live happily ever after), but its a story nonetheless.
Directed by Steve Barron in 1985. Barron directing dozens of music videos in the 1980s including Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean, Human League’s Don’t You Want Me and Culture Club’s Karma Chameleon, before going on to a couple feature film comedies in the 1990’s - including Coneheads and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
If you can name any other Chris Isaak song than you are one of his biggest fans. I actually liked his tv show - but still this is the only song I can recall and it mostly because of Helena Christensen.
Director and famed photographer Herb Ritts hit big with this video in 1991, in the previous two years he directed Janet Jackson’s Love Will Never Do (Without You) and Madonna’s Cherish with the same sexy style cinematography.
Truly an unforgettable video - ask anyone that was watching MTV in the 80s and they will know this song and video.
Jeff Stein directed this classic which won Best video of the Year at the 1984 Video Music Awards - it was also nominated for Best Concept Video, Best Special Effects, and Most Experimental Video. While Stein has some great videos to his resume, he also made some less artsy videos such as Warrant’s Cherry Pie - yeah you know the one. You can read more about Stein on the post for arguably his best video Tom Petty’s Don’t Come Around Here No More.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers had a string of good music videos including “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” and “Runnin’ Down A Dream”. But this is the one that always sticks out in my mind - of course it could just be that its imprinted in my mind because MTV played it so often.
Directed by Jeff Stein in 1985. Stein has directed 40 music videos including The Cars “You Might Think”, Carly Simon “My New Boyfriend” and Billy Idol “Rebel Yell”. Allegedly he started to direct Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark”, but Springsteen halted the video mid-shoot and a new director re-shot the video the way it was released. Besides music videos Stein directed TV shows “Barney Miller” and “Mr. Belvedere”.
uh, Christopher Walken dancing is a stroke of genius. Many forget that his roots were in musical theater ebfore getting into the movies, and heis early films featured him dancing.
Yet another Spike Jonze video. It won six MTV awards in 2001 and also won “best video of all time” in April 2002.
An homage to “A Trip to the Moon”, the 1902 French black and white silent science fiction film.
Directed by Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Farris in 1996. This husband and wife directing team as worked with bands such as Oasis, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beastie Boys, and R.E.M. They won six MTV Video Music Awards for this Smashing Pumpkins video and their first feature film, Little Miss Sunshine (2006), drew raving reviews from critics and won the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress for Abigail Breslin.
This song launched the animated band. The video helped with its anime roots. Both were very new and different. So is the Gorillaz web site.
Directed by comic book artist Jamie Hewlett and animator Pete Candeland in 2001. Hewlett was co-creator of the virtual band Gorillaz and the comic strip Tank Girl and co-creator of the band directing all their videos. In 2006 Hewlett’s artwork for Gorillaz was nominated for the Design Museum’s ‘Designer of the Year’ award and Hewlett was named the Designer of the Year.
This site is intended to showcase the Best Music Videos from across the decades and spans all musical genres of the video age from rock to alternative to rap to reggae to R & B to Pop. Its part appreciation of the music and part appreciation of the cinematic qualities of the music video artform.
