Coming from the guys who made that hilarious"Tighten Up" video, that's kind of sad. It got me thinking about music videos and what some of my favorites were. So without further introduction, here are 11 beloved music videos of mine and at the end I'll pick a winner. I'll just exclude already well known classics like "Thriller" and the aforementioned Beastie Boys video. Because really that's like putting Citizen Kane on your "Best Films of All Time" list.
So here we go, and bear in mind these are in no particular order:
#11 I'll Believe In Anything -- Wolf Parade
Set in what I think is the Romantic Era (don't quote me on that one), this video follows two aristocratic gentlemen locked in a pissing match over a woman that eventually escalates to them settling it with cannons in an all out dual. Aside from the obvious thrill I get watching men in silly hats shoot at each other, I like how this whole video has pretty much nothing to do with the theme of the song in any way - Which is probably something you'll see a lot of in this list.
#10 Oscar Wilde -- Company of Thieves
This makes the cut just for paying tribute to one of my all time favorite movies... Also the lead singer is one of the most beautiful woman I've seen wearing glasses. Just saying.
#9 We'll Become Silhouettes -- The Postal Service
A family (or maybe a cult?) living in what is quite possibly the post-apocalypse, going on family bike rides, and watching the sunset together. I really can't do it justice.
#8 Hoppipolla -- Sigur Ros
Sigur Rós - Hoppípolla from sigur rós on Vimeo.
This warms my heart. It follows a group of elderly folks, galavanting around town pulling pranks, lighting off fireworks, door bell ditching, and doing a whole bunch of other stuff you usually don't associate with anyone above the age of 12. While that may sound juvenile, it's honestly done in a way that's very moving. Shot on what looks Super 8, it has this nostalgic quality that makes me get slightly emotional every time I watch it... But then again that happens whenever I listen to Sigur Ros.
#7 I'd Rather Dance With You -- Kings of Convenience
Out of all the entries, this one is probably the funniest. It shows a young boy in a ballet class who's thrown out for dancing to his own beat (Something we sufferers of Dyslexic and ADD can attest to). He then grows up and returns to teach in the very classroom he was expelled from. I can't really say why, but all of this puts a smile on my face. Maybe I relate to being misunderstood as a kid by teachers and peers and this is slightly therapeutic for me. Or maybe I just hate ballet.
#6 High & Dry -- Radiohead
Thom Yorke and company arrive in a small dinner and we then explore the personal lives of the customers and workers through a series of flash backs -- some of whom turn out to be criminals. There's also an explosion towards the end. But the highlight for me is when Thom and the little girl share this moment and they smile at each other. Pulls at the heart strings like only Radiohead can,
#5 On Melancholy Hill (and pretty much everything by the Gorillaz) -- Gorillaz
them on this list but as a hardcore fan, I feel that would be sin on my part. Clint Eastwood is the most famous, but personally I think On Melancholy Hill is my all-time favorite. I honestly wish there was a Gorillaz tv series or something because all of these could be fully fleshed-out films in their own right. For now, we just have the music videos. Come back Gorillaz, we miss you.
#4 Praise You -- Fat Boy Slim
Spike Jonze, in my humble opinion, is one of the best directors alive today and his newest film, Her, was nominated for Best Picture, won Best Screenplay, and is the only film outside of the opening of Up that can make most men cry... He's also a spontaneous prankster, as evidenced by this hilarious video. Under the pseudonym Richard Koufey, he shot this guerrilla style with his own dance troupe and everything that follows (including security coming to stop the boombox) is pretty much 100% unscripted. Now that Sabotage video was pretty funny, but this is the work of a mad genius. In a poll in 2001, this was voted as the greatest music video of all time by MTV--righty so. Mr. Jonze, I salute you.
#3 Strawberry Fields Forever -- The Beatles
strawberry fields forever from aboriggeno on Vimeo.
One of the very first music videos ever made (back then simply called a promotional video), this one is pure entertainment. It features the fab four goofing around a field in bright, colorful outfits, and features bizarre edits, day-to-night jump cuts, slow motion, reverse, and ends with the guys pouring paint over a piano. Groundbreaking and still infinitely more creative than the thousands of videos that would follow it.
#2 Take On Me -- A-ha
No description necessary.
#1 Enjoy The Silence -- Depeche Mode
A man in a burger king outfit carries a lawn chair to various high places and sits in it. Brillant.
So which is my all time favorite? I think it's a toss up between Praise You and Enjoy The Silence. I like the humor and simplicity. The idea that music videos have to be these big grandiose affairs is silly. Just grab a group of friends and go dance in public, or make a shoddy costume and just walk around the woods.
Okay, now I have to mention that I too have made my fair share of music videos. One of them I directed with my best friend when I was 16 (Seen Above) and then I acted in another friends (I'm not very proud of it but thankfully I can't find it on YouTube anymore) where I can be seen dancing in a banana shirt. One of these days I hope to make an actual quality film. But for now-- I'll settle for being some schmo on the internet...
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