• Top 10 Music Videos

  

  Written by Zeromage 21 Comments
  Last Updated:: February 4, 2009

  The music video medium has swept music into a completely different form. Music was first intended for the ears. Combining the visual with the auditory reflected one of the biggest transitions for art in western society. With the popularity of the visual medium was the difficulty in being able to separate the visual from the audio, and often the audio would gain greater status because of the visual, when often not warranted on the music alone. While this has been the case for many bands and many fans of those bands, this is not to say that there hasn’t been creativity and nuance in the music video that has enhanced the musical experience rather than work as a crutch for it. In this list, we will account for these greatest videos as signatures of the possibilities in the medium. Believe us when we say that these are definite diamonds in the rough.

  10. Superbowl Shuffle (The 85′ Chicago Bears)

  Being able to witness the worst dancers of all time dance without any sense of being self-conscious was one of the greater moments in music video history. Hearing the rap itself was a joy because of how awkward some of the flow was, especially Mike Singiltary who’s style of dance was even more awkward than his rap. It’s so awkward that you can’t stop watching the video and listening to the song. It’s not known if they had an actual choreographer or if they were just let loose on the dance floor like they were dominating teams in 85′ with the best defense of all time. The video gets even more silly when Jim McMahon appears on the screen with his massive sunglasses. The absurdity continues throughout the boisterous sax solo and the lyrics having to do with The Bears challenges throughout the playoffs. It’s almost impossible to stop watching this video.

  9. Champagne Supernova (Oasis)

  Oasis for the most part never excelled in the video medium. If you liked tough guys looking tough in video cameras then you would like most of their early video work. Who couldn’t feel a confidence boost when they backed a band with Liam looking like nothing in the world could affect him in the Supersonic video? It was the Champagne Supernova video though that showed Oasis in their best creative moment both musically and aesthetically. The video for Champagne Supernova took the psychedelic themes of the 60’s and modernized them with all the colors more incandescent and all the distortions more pronounced. It was fitting seeing that Champagne Supernova is arguably Oasis finest moment. The players played their part in the simplicity of their stage show. It was Noel at the end of the video who inspired an entire generation of musicians to pick up the guitar and play the way he was playing on the couch with all the bravado and sunglasses that they would soon epitomize with themselves.

  8. The Robots (Kraftwerk)

  “The Robots” by Kraftwerk was the music video before music videos even became popular. This obscure video backed by an even more obscure sound paved the way for all the purposely dispassionate musical performances in song and video after it. Kraftwerk stood by their robotic microphones singing like they were robots themselves. For the life of you, you couldn’t notice any humanity in their performance which made for an unprecedented move in pop music. The video was workmanlike reflecting the characters of Kraftwerk who looked neither miserable nor happy to go to their jobs, just machine-like. The clock above their heads when walking into an office further established this aesthetic that would be the muse for so much of the music of the late 90’s and the 00’s like Radiohead’s output since “Ok Computer”. This austere look at modernity starts at this video by Kraftwerk though.

  7. Lets get out of this Country (Camera Obscura)

  Let’s get out of this country may be considered the odd one out of all the other videos on this list. It had to be on this list though for how fun of a video it was. Many an indie boy would have a massive crush on the androgynous Tracy-Anne Campbell after this video. She looked at the camera with a wistful look of disinterest and coquettishness lacking in the modern woman. Beyond her stunning appearance was a colorful video with the band equally playing and traveling to parts unknown. Finally they reach the ocean with all their massive boxes of luggage and load them onto boats to float away to somewhere away from where they want to be. Lets get out of this Country is the ultimate escapist video and song. It’s dashful and shows off an upper-class mentality that doesn’t need to be so obsessed with pecuniary interests.

  6. Paranoid Android (Radiohead)

  There were many music videos that used the music video medium for abstract animations and other forms other than human performances. None of them told a story as powerful and tragic as Radiohead’s Paranoid Android. The story of this video would take the viewer from a lazy day with characters having nothing to do, to an out-of-body experience with the main character. Angels would be taking him on his journey through the banalities of the modern world and mysteriously over a tree where a butcher had lost all of his limbs by ostensibly cutting himself. The multifarious interpretations for this video go a long way for making this video one not to be forgotten. One thing was certain with the video and song, Radiohead we’re trying to say something never said before in a way that was as Wagnerian as it was pop, which was reflected perfectly in the video.

  5. Atmosphere (Joy Division)

  Anton Corjbin created the most interesting videos of the 80’s. He hit his enthusiasm for bleakness and Bergmanesque iconography with this subtle song by Joy Division. What appeared to be monks (or just simple silhouettes) enveloped this video always carrying something. This was Corjbin’s way of letting the viewer try to understand the weight the Ian Curtis always seemed to carry with him in all his vocal deliveries, and more importantly, his on-stage performances. That much of this film reflected the cinematography of Bergman’s “Seventh Seal” only adds to the mystique of the song and visual appearance rather than just being a pastiche of the earlier directors work. This video wasn’t for the feint at heart. It was made for those would could handle their imminent mortality and the burden that is carried with it when not simply ignored. Corjbin captured this perfectly in this video

  4. Joga (Bjork)

  Michael Gondry understood exactly what Bjork was saying in her song “Joga”. The video for the song was one of the most stunning videos ever created which was appropriate for how stunning this Bjork song was. Nature was seen in all it’s oscillation, never abiding to the wants of mere humans, but shifting and moving and it’s own speed. It’s like watching the best of Google world in an entire shifting video with an incredible soundtrack. Landscapes were never seen like this before in a music video. Who knows what the cost of this video must have been. Whatever it was, it was well worth it because as soon as this video came on, you were hypnotized into a world that operated on grounds completely of its own. It would not be a stretch to say that it changed the way some people thought about the world in general.

  3. Star Guitar (The Chemical Brothers)

  The Chemical Brothers always had a penchant for not settling for anything other than creative music videos, but with Star Guitar, the challenge was even higher because of the sheer quality of the song itself. Michel Gondry took this post Aphex Twin masterpiece and turned it into one of the most unique music video experiences of all time. The video consists of a Eurotrain seamlessly riding through somewhere we don’t know but the music accentuating the time of the day and the general aesthetic at every second. When the song was in it’s full groove, the daytime was alive with an average work day appearing on the screen, but when it relaxed, the sun would set and the people of the countryside would be relaxing in their chairs, only to be brought back to a new day of hustle and bustle with the mix back in full force. This matching of the visual and music at every second was a first for the medium and always is addicting to anyone who watches it.

  2. Enjoy the Silence (Depeche Mode)

  A song as incredible as “Enjoy The Silence” would need a matching video as incredible. Depeche Mode found it in Anton Corbijn’s storybook vision that was ubiquitously Dionysian and placid. This video appropriately mimicked the great movies of the 40’s and 50’s where there would be large intervals of silence to catch the characters reactions to situations. It was no irony that this theme was delivered to a song that’s lyrical theme was on silence. The beginning of the video came across like traditional 80’s rock cheese showing the band looking tough, but afterwards the video turned into Dave Gahan personifying a Nietzschian Zarathustra climbing a mountain alone in kingly garb and always with the look of pure contemplation. Even when Gahan hit the iridescent grassy fields, he was still in a undisturbed moment of contemplation. Regardless where he was, he was in himself. He and the world he was walking on became one in this masterpiece by Anton Carbijn.

  1.Rabbit in your headlights (UNKLE)

  Thom Yorke appears twice on this list with Radiohead and his vocal delivery here with UNKLE. This video was not only stunning in cinematography but stunning in how hard it was to stomach. Like the many great videos on this list, the amount of interpretations that could be placed on this video are never-ending. One thing is clear though, it was a critique on modernity; Thom Yorke sang on it so chances are it would be. Regardless of the obvious misanthropy was a deeper instinct of humanity. The lead role in the video was a man continually walking in a tunnel speaking to himself which can only be interpreted as pure solipsism (leading to the multiple interpretations of the video). The video hits its apex when the character gets run over, gets up and gets run over again, gets up and keeps walking in the middle of the road speaking to in a pure nonsensical monologue. Finally, when it appears as if he stops caring about the problems that are circling his mind, he stop in the middle of the road, opens up his arms and a car crashes running into him while he his left unmovable. Actually a happy ending to a video that is one of the most difficult to ever watch.

21 Comments

1. #1 Alex says:
   March 17th, 2010 at 12:53 pm

   Great post!
2. #2 Declan says:
   March 17th, 2010 at 1:20 pm

   WHAT!? No Tool?

   In saying that, the UNKLE video is a cracker. Having only ever caught it once (before catching it again just up there) I was mightily disturbed, and quite possibly still am depending on who you ask.

   Nice article, but again I cry, no Tool?
3. #3 The Mountain says:
   March 17th, 2010 at 2:19 pm

   LOL at #10
4. #4 Daniel says:
   March 17th, 2010 at 4:09 pm

   You forgot Beastie Boys – Sabotage
5. #5 Chase357 says:
   March 17th, 2010 at 4:42 pm

   Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode, The Chemical Brothers and Joy Division? This list is great!

   I don’t know about Oasis, but I’ll let that slide.
6. #6 Weeji says:
   March 17th, 2010 at 6:02 pm

   No Tool or Aphex Twin?
7. #7 Cerestes says:
   March 17th, 2010 at 3:57 am

   My main rule of what makes a video great is that you cant have a great vid if the song itself is mediocre…some good stuff on this list but none possibly other than Depeche mode would make my list…and once again Oasis rears it’s ugly head…my fav vid of alltime is undoubtedly Dreamworld by Midnight oil, but then I’m always a sucker for a good environmental theme…
8. #8 RedRedWineNeck82 says:
   March 17th, 2010 at 6:16 am

   Standing Here, The Stone Roses….I love that Chemical Bros. video, Sabotage is a great video too
9. #9 Phil says:
   March 17th, 2010 at 12:16 pm

   Nice list.
10. #10 bob says:
    March 17th, 2010 at 12:17 pm

    Fantastic list guys. This is your best music article to date. With the exception of #9 and #10 anyway.
11. #11 shay says:
    March 17th, 2010 at 10:55 am

    I thought this was a list of the 10 WORST music videos… It made sense then.

    What pretentious crap
12. #12 Bob says:
    March 17th, 2010 at 12:04 am

    As a “Top 10 Music Videos” of all time list, this one is pretty decent. Besides the #1 choice I guess. I could probably think of a better top ten videos though.
13. #13 Rick says:
    March 17th, 2010 at 5:21 am

    Soundgarden – Black Hole Sun?
14. #14 Chris says:
    March 17th, 2010 at 12:42 am

    Has this idiot ever watched a music video?
15. #15 Ian says:
    March 17th, 2010 at 6:45 pm

    OK, most of the choices are great, Star Guitar is one of my personal favourites. But you left out Coffee and TV.

    There was nothing there by Daft Punk, any of the videos from Discovery(The Interstella 5555 movie) could make the list and then theres the videos to Da Funk and Around the World.
    Fatboy Slim’s videos are amazing too along with a few from The Prodigy like Voodoo People or Justice vs Simian’s We Are Your Friends.

    I know it might seem like most of these are from dance/electro but to be honest even though most of the music I listen to is acoustic if I want to see music videos these are the types of bands I go for, I could go through a whole lot more videos but I really cant be bothered right now.
16. #16 One Eyed Willie says:
    March 17th, 2010 at 4:37 pm

    great list.
17. #17 Violator says:
    March 17th, 2010 at 3:21 pm

    No Queens of the stone age – go with the flow???
    Depeche – Enjoy the Silence #2, you must be kidding and Radiohead – paranoid android was a shitty clip…
18. #18 TrueGamer619 says:
    March 17th, 2010 at 1:58 pm

    Sorry to say, but this music FUCKIN SUCKS!
19. #19 else3573 says:
    March 17th, 2010 at 5:54 am

    Uhhh, how bout Peter Gabriel-Sledgehammer? Or Tom Petty and the Heartbrakers-Don’t Come Around Here No More? Or The Pharcyde-Drop? THOSE are great videos.
20. #20 George says:
    March 17th, 2010 at 12:51 pm

    You are a fucking retard, those are shit fucking videos, go back to jerking off over your sisters panties