Michael Jackson's "Thriller" goes without saying. Also, A-ha "Take On Me" and Guns 'N Roses "November Rain" are nice. But I have my favorite directors rather than individual video. For example: Mark Romanek - Fiona Apple "Criminal" - Beck "Devil's Haircut" - Nine Inch Nails "Closer" - Janet Jackson "Got 'Till It's Gone" Spike Jonze - Weezer "Buddy Holly" - Pharcyde "Drop" - Fatboy Slim "Praise You" - Fatboy Slim "Weapon of Choice" - Beastie Boys "Sabotage" and to a lesser extent, Herb Ritz - Chris Isaac "Wicked Game" - Britney Spears "Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know" - Janet Jackson "Love Will Never Do Without You"
The "Drop" video is definitely one of my all-time favorites. I'll drop whatever I'm doing if that comes on. I'm also fond of a couple of Radiohead videos "Paranoid Android" and "Street Spirit"
For controversy alone, you need to mention Madonna's "Like a Prayer" video. Personally, I'm a big fan of the video of Van Halen's "Right Now". And "Weapon of Choice", as skipshady pointed out. Ah, Walken.
Tool - "Sober" dire straits - "Money For Nothing" Metallica - "One", "Unforgiven" Peter Gabriel - "Sledgehammer", "Big Time"
From my personal "seen once, would like to see again" file: The Wolfgang Press, "Kansas." The Residents, "Skinny."
For Radiohead, the best to me are the original version of "Just" (the guy lying motionless on the street) and "No Surprises" (Thom drowns himself). The longform video Meeting People Is Easy shows how they did the No Surprises video, and it's very entertaining to see just how much Thom tortured himself to get it done. Very clever. -- U.N.K.L.E.'s "Rabbit In Your Headlights" with the schizophrenic man in the tunnel -- The original David Wojnarowicz video for U2's "One" with the buffalo and flowers. Infinitely better than either of the two more formulaic videos for the song that followed. -- Agree with Skip on "Devil's Haircut" by Beck. Among recent videos, I have no idea what's going on in DJ Shadow's "Six Days" video but it's fascinating to watch.
It was such a simple idea, to play the film backwards but Spike Jonze executed it perfectly. Extremely underrated. jmh30 - People forget how fresh "Right Now" was. Nowadays, the superimposed text is such an over- and misused device but that video had such a huge impact. Has anyone mentioned "November Rain" yet? No? Okay, I will. Remember in the early 90s, every video off "Use Your Illusions" was an MTV event? As for something more recent, Chemical Brothers' "Star Guitar" is pleasant to watch. It's nothing more than the computer-generated view from inside a moving train, but somehow, it works for me.
I have to agree with Radiohead's "Just" video, that was more of a movie than a video. I enjoyed Henry Rollins' "Liar" video. Funny seeing Rollins dressed all geeky. Was one of the Spike Jonze videos mentioned the one with that guy on fire chasing the bus? I liked that one too.
Some of my favorites: GNR - November Rain Michael Jackson - Thriller Weezer - Keep Fishin' Fatboy Slim - Weapon of Choice Pharcyde - Drop Tribe Called Quest - Oh My God Roots - You Got Me REM - Losing My Religion, Everybody Hurts U2 - Stay, Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me, Elevation In general I'm a sucker for videos with B stars (Moby, Busta's "Pass the Courvasier"). Simple stories work, too, like Craig David's "7 Days" and Glenn Lewis' "Don't You Forget It." RS
Useless trivia for the day: the director of this video, Charles Stone III, also wrote and directed the short film that eventually become the Budweiser "Wazzup!" commercials. Shameless namedropping for the day: Charles' father, Chuck Stone, is a legendary journalist from Philadelphia and now teaches at the University of North Carolina's J-school, where I had the pleasure of talking to him on several occasions.
still going with most of the Duran Duran videos. The new No Doubt one is pretty darn cool and creative. Garbage has some good vids.
coffee and TV A great great song and a great great video. thats on my list along with Jamiroquai- Virtual insanity Prodigy- taht one whith the first person perspective Weezer- Keep fishin' Fatboy slim- Weapon of choice Pearl Jam- Jeremy
I was just saying that the first time you see the video, it has suspense and more of a storyline than most videos. Most Videos are just eye candy with little development. That is why I said it is more like a movie than a video.
Re: Re: The BigSoccer Music Video Thread The answer apparently is nothing. He was just talking to the crew about whatever while they filmed him. Neither the band nor the director ever had a real explanation for what he said.
There's a techno/electronica/whatever video out right now and I don't know who the artist or director is. But it's this older breakdancer dancing in front of a burger joint. Then it cuts to his younger self breaking in the same spot years earlier. The video consists of people standing around telling the story of the dancer and his lost love in subtitles as they watch him dance. It's a really nice clip.
Rewinding a bit... Skipshady, was "Praise You" the one with the people doing aerobics (or whatever it was) in a mall?
Isn't that the same song that's used in the car commercial where the girl is doing the robot in the passenger seat?
That's the one. The credits shows a different name but the director and the leader of the dance troupe is actually Spike Jonze. Dirty Vegas "Days Go By" They played that damn song every frickin' day in my gym.