Music videos that are good

[Werel]

I don't know if I'd call myself a music video nerd, but it's definitely one of my favorite bite-size media genres. A short film set to music? Preferably interacting with the music's themes in ways that enhance the aesthetic impact of both sound and image? Yes please! Sure, there are some dumb, boring music videos out there where it's just "hey here I am! the performer! Look at me standing on this set for four minutes!" But there are some good ones, and I would like recommendations for more of them.

So here's a thread for sharing your favorite, most cherished music videos. Any genre, any style. Only rule: you better think it's somehow interesting. Even better: tell us what you like about it.

I'll kick it off with two videos that explore children's perceptions of violence (obvious content warnings: violence involving children):


Aside from this dancer's supernatural talent giving me goosebumps every single time, the really nice color palettes, and a good soundtrack, it's the kid actors' reactions to death that make this one hit home for me. The first kid's face reading "hm. Hm. Well," while contemplating an action with fatal consequences is pretty wonderful. At 2:52, that scared-bored, avoidant stare by the kid in the white shirt leaning against the wall is such a haunting representation of how I felt as a kid when confronted with death: so terrified that I could only act dismissive.

On the flip side, there's this one:

I wasn't really the kind of kid who played war games, so I don't have memories of this kind of gleeful imaginary slaughter, but with enough media exposure I feel like I kind of get it-- and these kids TOTALLY get it. This one makes me laugh aloud because of the incongruity of what I'm seeing, but also terrifies me a little because I have to assume that for adults who commit atrocities, there might be... a little smidgen of this childlike glee in there somewhere. And there's so much glee. These kids are adorable in their glee. Don't love the song, but really like the video.

On a sappier note, I will always dig the video for All Is Full of Love (content warning: lesbian robot makeouts):

Anything that can eroticize the android assembly process is a-okay in my book!

And on the Ahh That's Just Sweet side of things (zero content warnings! happiness!):

It's not an artistic masterwork, but I almost never see depictions of this kind of sweet, carefree, goofy, innocent teen romance between kids of color. It's not about The Problems, it's not about Overcoming Struggles, it's not about See They're Just Kids Like Any Other Kids!-- it's just about two kids in love hitchhiking their way to the beach in the summertime.

Throw me some good music videos, guys!

[waxingjaney]

This one pretty much codified the AMV genre:

[Guest]

Ugh, I love music videos!

I love the Flying Lotus one, Wondering. His work is awesome. I especially like the music video he did for his most recent album, You're Dead!:

The two kids and wonderful dancers and it really captures the spirit of the album, the great unknown adventure that follows life. It's ultimately optimistic about life after death, that maybe it is an adventure. That's a bit of a unique take on death when it comes to music, I find. Or maybe I just listen to depressing music too much?

I have two from Queens of the Stone Age. The first is Go With The Flow:

Honestly, this one is just the aesthetic. I love how strange the red, black and white makes the band look and how they defined the tattoos on the two drivers of the other truck with white. Also, the drummer being the 'driver' of QOTSA's car is just funny. Also loads of sexual innuendo, because, well, screw subtlety? Also Josh Homme and the woman on the truck kissing and becoming one by virtue of completely blending together is really neat.

The next one is actually a small 'movie' that QOTSA made of about five of their songs from their ...Like Clockwork album:

While I wish it was animated better as opposed to basic flash-style stuff, I like the detail on the characters and the cycle represented in the movie, what with everything resetting and returning the cast back to where they came from. A fun fact is that the track 'If I Had a Tail' which follows a renegade female driver seems like a at male privilege and gender roles. Essentially, if the woman had a dick, she could do what she wanted which appears to be more masculine. At least, that's my take it on it from discussing it with my sister. Altogether, really cool stuff.

Next up is Karnivool's 'We Are' video:

It covers human arrogance, apathy and the willingness to let ourselves not appreciate what we have until they are taken from us. Not to mention the fact that we simply don't understand a whole lot of what happens around us.

Next is a just for laughs, Guy Pearce's 'Fly All The Way':

What can I say? It's Guy Pearce being a dork and representing the absurd consumerist obsessions of the world. I especially love the fresh Guy Pearce flesh! High in brotein! Vegan friendly! I want to be a Jedi Knight in kitchen...

This one is just neat:

I've never been a fan of Kylie Minogue, but this video is just cool. All the duplication and crossovers!

And, finally (because this is already overkill...), Peter Gabriel's 'Sledgehammer':

It's probably one of the most imaginative music videos to ever equate to 'I wanna be the guy that has sex with you'. My love of Peter Gabriel, stop-motion animation and ridiculous innuendos makes this a real treat.

I could probably post all of Peter Gabriel's music videos, thinking on it, as I love pretty much all of them.

[Gman]

"Virtual Insanity" - By Jamiroquai. The unique way the entire set moves around him. Considered a classic music video and innovative for it's time.

[CP96]

Squirrel Nut Zippers - The Ghost of Stephen Foster

The animation here is just wonderfully deranged and a great tribute to old Fleischer brother cartoons. It perfectly complements the manic, otherworldly music.

Muse - Knights of Cydonia

'Nuff said.

Ok Go - Here it Goes Again

A low budget classic.

[reboot]

I have a few. Sort of similarly themed and a few just because. This one is in Turkish. "Zaman Zaman" is "Time Time" and as far as I can tell it is about what you lose as you age with shots of the singer/musician from his youth


This one just guts me because I like NIN and Johnny Cash. It is a similar theme to the above video


This one is a different theme, but has a funny history. I take it that Ibrahim Tatlises did a song for 300. This went over not good with Turks. So they took a clip of a Russian movie about Genghis Khan (and a quite good one), stripped out the Western classic instrumental and replaced it with an İbrahim Tatlises song. I think the battle scene is great because it shows the classic Mongol dog pack strategy and the music is 1000% better than the original.


Last is an environmental group doing a famous song based on a famous poem. Turkish again. What I like about this song besides the words (a long and difficult road) is that it involves Turks, Kurds, Greeks, Armenians from everywhere and they are Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Alevi, Yazdi, etc. and using modern and ancient instruments. Top it off, the singing styles are Arabesque, traditional Turkish, rock, lounge, blues, and more. And most of those from Turkey are in jail since Gezi Park because they are an environmental conservation group. It is long but I think it is worth it

[FormerlyShyGuy]

One of my favorites, featuring a great song and Christopher Walken!

[Robjection]

I'm pretty sure I posted this in another thread, but this one:

Good animation with a nice little story. Oh, and giant dancing robot.

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