Favourite music video

[Socks]

In the before times music videos were a big thing, and an important part of promotion campaigns.  So, what's your favourite?

A re-mastered film from the 1930's (ish). I first saw this at Keele University students Union film club in the 1970's.  Bessie Smith, 'My Man Done me Wrong'. Nowadays I suppose some of it is quite dated, however allowing for that what a singer..

[rogerzilla]

Kiss Kiss - Holly Vallance

[Jurek]

David Bowie's Ashes to Ashes.
With a very young Boy George featuring in it as one of those dressed in black in front of the bulldozer.
ETA: Also, Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody - the first pop video. Totally groundbreaking.

[rafletcher]

Peter Gabriel’s Sledgehammer.

[spesh]

Weapon Of Choice - Fatboy Slim (Christopher Walken defying gravity while tripping the light fantastic)

Land of Confusion - Genesis (Spitting Image's finest piece of work, anyone?)

Two Tribes - Frankie Goes To Hollywood (Reagan and Chernenko, the forgotten Soviet gerontocrat, get in the ring)

[Aidan]

i want love - Elton John

Not a fan , but the video is one long continuous shot of Robert Downey Jr miming to it. Had impact when I saw it first

[redshift]

Palaeolithic: The ZZ Top 'Eliminator' era videos (Sharp Dressed Man, etc.)
Mesolithic: Tie between 'Bonnie & Clyde' and 'Pushed Again' by Die Toten Hosen
Anthropocene: Deutschland by Rammstein.  Not for the faint of heart.

These days only the Germans and Scandiwegians seem to make 'proper' videos.  Rammstein in particular do epic short films, and Till Lindemann's 'Ich Hasse Kinder' short film (20 minutes or so) version was... ...interesting.

[Legs]

Moving On - James

[CAMRAMan]

Cry by Godley & Creme is a superb example of pre-CGI wizardry. It must have taken them ages to sync from one image to another and the choice of people is inspired.

[Jaded]

Peter Gabriel’s Sledgehammer.

This.

[Woofage]

Road to Nowhere by Talking Heads, just for the peanut butter on bread animation.

[pcolbeck]

ETA: Also, Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody - the first pop video. Totally groundbreaking.

Except it wasn't. I think it was the first one shot on video tape but there had been plenty of promotional videos shot on film for singles before that. The Queen one was ground breaking in that it wasn't a straight performance video though.

Here's The Byrds in 1968

https://youtu.be/DoD0-5DTqpU

[phantasmagoriana]

Virtual Insanity by Jamiroquai was pretty good, though I haven't seen it in many years.

[Kim]

Virtual Insanity by Jamiroquai was pretty good, though I haven't seen it in many years.

I enjoyed working out how they filmed that one, and then enjoyed it even more.

[Jurek]

ETA: Also, Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody - the first pop video. Totally groundbreaking.

Except it wasn't. I think it was the first one shot on video tape but there had been plenty of promotional videos shot on film for singles before that. The Queen one was ground breaking in that it wasn't a straight performance video though.

Here's The Byrds in 1968

https://youtu.be/DoD0-5DTqpU

Every day a school day.

Virtual Insanity by Jamiroquai was pretty good, though I haven't seen it in many years.

That's because it was it was directed by Jonathon Glaser.
Any cinema advert that has made you go 'Wow!' (think Guinness ad Galloping horses surfer. Sony Bravia - bouncing coloured balls in San Francisco etc ) That's all Glaser's work as well as two very visually alluring films : Sexy Beast and Under Your Skin.

ETA - He is also responsible for the ident for Channel 4.

[Jurek]

Virtual Insanity by Jamiroquai was pretty good, though I haven't seen it in many years.

I enjoyed working out how they filmed that one, and then enjoyed it even more.

Very clever and yet very simple at the same time.
And a lot cheaper than a load of hydraulically operated floors.
ETA I was watching it this weekend just gone.

[Kim]

Have we had A-Ha's Take On Me yet?  That one's lovely.

REM's Imitation of Life is also quite clever.

I quite like the Starmachine 2000 video for neatly combining typical Wintergatan slide-projector-as-percussion with charming stop-motion animation.


This one needs no introduction.

[ravenbait]

Imagine Dragons - Radioactive

https://youtu.be/ktvTqknDobU

Sam

[Kim]

Imagine Dragons - Radioactive

https://youtu.be/ktvTqknDobU

Oh yes, that's hilarious.

[Mr Larrington]

ETA: Also, Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody - the first pop video. Totally groundbreaking.

Except it wasn't. I think it was the first one shot on video tape but there had been plenty of promotional videos shot on film for singles before that. The Queen one was ground breaking in that it wasn't a straight performance video though.

Here's The Byrds in 1968

https://youtu.be/DoD0-5DTqpU

And not forgetting His Bobness in 1965:

https://youtu.be/MGxjIBEZvx0

[fd3]

Cure: boys don’t cry.

[Pingu]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2dOh7_CKcI

[pcolbeck]

https://youtu.be/NeQM1c-XCDc

Possibly the most cinematic and ambitious music video ever.

[Pingu]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf4ejxFXTRU

[Jurek]

https://youtu.be/NeQM1c-XCDc

Possibly the most cinematic and ambitious music video ever.

Not one to watch just before bedtime.