The Music Video Mini-List

[Lowry_Sam]

....and now for MTVs heyday...

Tim Pope also did most of the videos for Soft Cell's 1st album, compiling into one of the first video albums, Non Stop Exotic Video Show. My favorites of the individual promos are the ones for Tainted Love and Frustration. His most notable accomplishment though is the first version of the video he filmed for Sex Dwarf where they rented prostitutes, a dwarf & purchased a chainsaw and slabs of meat to make the most notorious video of the decade. It was confiscated by Scotland Yard because it was too pornographic & many (myself included) had to wait decades (until the internet) to see it. Unfortunately it's still only available in a very poor quality vhs copy, maybe one day it will see the light of day.

Not a groundbreaking video, but Toto Coelo's I Eat Cannibals sums up the 80s in a single video for me: trash bag dresses, pink & blue neon lights, dayglo colored clothing, big hair, non-sensical -yet with not so subtle sexual innuendo-filled lyrics, catchy danceable beat, i can't resist it.

Others have mentioned Pet Shop Boys' videos. So I wanted to add 2 not mentioned: Heart is one of those mini-film videos that became popular in the mid 80s & I like better than It's A Sin, if only for the actor cameos. It's Alright is one of the best of the simple b&w popular of the late 80s/early 90s (Bruce Weber, Helmut Newton...) and I think will get my vote over the one for Being Boring, even though I prefer the latter song. I also think I prefer the Suburbia video to the one for West End Girls.

New Order's True Faith was quite popular & had interesting costumes & choreography. But for artistic sake, I'd have to go with Round & Round or World (The Price Of Love). Had the latter been filmed in 1 take instead of 4, it would be the best video of all time, as it evokes the opening 5 minutes of Soy Cuba/I Am Cuba, but in reverse.

OMD's videos weren't always the most imaginitive (ditto for Tears For Fears). However Genetic Engineering, despite not being commercially successful, was for me the peak of their creativity, w/ a bit of an avant gard take on the mini-film video. Pale Shelter fits the same bill for TFF.

The one video to beat Small Town Boy in launching a queer (non-gender bending) visibility to music videos was Pete Shelley's Homosapien.

Madness videos all seem the same after viewing a few, however I thinkCardiac Arrest makes best use of the medium to fit the song.

The Rolling Stones' videos from all decades mostly feature the band playing in a very straight forward setting, however the uncensored version of Undercover Of The Night is notable for its use of violence and allusion to US interventions in Latin America during the 80s.

Divine's I'm So Beautiful was a cult fave, however I think Walk Like A Man was a bit more technically advanced & perhaps therefore appealing.

Like A Surgeon is still my favorite Weird Al video.

Visage's Mind Of A Toy is their best video, despite not being their best song.

Paul Hardcastle's 19 and M/A/R/R/S' Pump Up The Volume were unlikely #1 hits, owing much of their popularity to their videos.

Lords Of The New Church's Russian Roulette used some of the same Vietnam video footage as did 19. In fact, it seems that a 1/4 of videos from the era featured war footage or an image of a nuclear bomb going off. Interesting that the 80s weren't particularly known for being a politically savvy time (ie. In contrast to the 60s), however, music videos say otherwise.

Paul Simon's Boy In The Bubble and Queen's I Want To Break Free are 2 mainstream artist videos that still hold up well.

[thirtyframesasecond]

I had Kraftwerk in my list but not Boys Keep Swinging. Gah!!!

[thirtyframesasecond]

Re: the 80s, I might've left the PSB out of my list, which would've been very stupid! I did have New Order though for one of their videos made by a famous filmmaker...and it probably ain't the video you're thinking of (if anything it's simplicity is the key). OMD weren't a videos band as such but at least their Pandora's Box single in the early 90s had copious clips of Louise Brooks movies. For TFF, the video for Sowing the Seeds of Love was made by Jim Blashfield (The Boy in the Bubble, And She Was, Leave Me Alone - the style is identical) and Head Over Heels had a nice video. Depeche Mode are one of my favourite bands but I pretty much dislike everything until Black Celebration! The next half a dozen albums coincided with hooking up with Anton Corbijn, which led to many memorable videos (although DA Pennebaker made a good vid for the rerelease of Everything Counts!) The one 80s video I would have to NSFW like crazy is the uncut video to Imagination by Belouis Some, directed by Storm Thorgerson!!!

[zedz]

zedz, since you live in the future, can you please specify the international time that lists are due?

Well, there's that pesky world war that's just broken out, so maybe we should just duck and cover instead.

I'm easy. It's morning here, and I'll work through whatever comes in today and overnight tonight, so that gives everybody basically 24 hours from whatever the timestamp reads on this message.

[zedz]

The one video to beat Small Town Boy in launching a queer (non-gender bending) visibility to music videos was Pete Shelley's Homosapien.

Wow, that took me back. The message of the song is abundantly clear, but I don't see anything particularly queer about the video (apart from Pete Shelley being camper than a boy scout jamboree).

As usual, Sylvester has everybody beat by half a decade:
You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)
You've got to love any video from 1978 that features girl dancers miming anal penetration.

[domino harvey]

zedz, since you live in the future, can you please specify the international time that lists are due?

Well, there's that pesky world war that's just broken out, so maybe we should just duck and cover instead.

I’m picturing zedz as Kyle Chandler in Early Edition now

[Lowry_Sam]

As usual, Sylvester has everybody beat by half a decade:
You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)
You've got to love any video from 1978 that features girl dancers miming anal penetration.

Damn! forgot that one...and the Village People YMCA video, though the latter would not come close to top25 despite its campiness.

The only reaon why MTV Amerca probably didnt censor Homosapien was because they probably paid no attention to the actual lyrics, only the video, which is so remarkably coy & sterile at the same time, pure genius.

[swo17]

A couple of videos that are very nostalgic for me (though not enough to make my list):

Radiohead: Just
Blur: Coffee & TV

[colinr0380]

And here are two music videos that YouTube has randomly recommended to me based on the last couple of weeks of relentless music video viewing:

The Hu - Wolf Totem - heavy metal Mongolian biker rock with added throat singing!
Forum - Let's All Call Each Other - 1980s Soviet synth pop!

I think that makes the project an unqualified success!

[zedz]

A couple of videos that are very nostalgic for me (though not enough to make my list):

Radiohead: Just
Blur: Coffee & TV

Coffee and TV has been voted for, which reminded me what a great video that was.

[zedz]

Twelve lists in so far, and we have votes for 221 different music videos (including some things that aren't music videos as defined by domino at the top, but whatever). I think we've just got to the point where we have a top 50, so we have lift off, and any more submissions will just give us more altitude.

The current top two are very close and not at all surprising, and they're by the same director, which is also not at all surprising. Number three is not by that same director (which is mildly surprising) and while it hasn't topped any lists, it's appeared on the most lists so far, so it has a chance of stealing the lead if this trend continues.

[domino harvey]

Guessing Gondry is the one and two and Thriller or Sledgehammer is three

[swo17]

including some things that aren't music videos as defined by domino at the top, but whatever

If you're referring at all to "Subterranean Homesick Blues" it was initially released as a promotional video for Dont Look Back before also being incorporated into the film

[domino harvey]

It’s zedz’ show now, so he’s of course welcome to disregard my wisdom in favor of chaos and ruination

[zedz]

including some things that aren't music videos as defined by domino at the top, but whatever

If you're referring at all to "Subterranean Homesick Blues" it was initially released as a promotional video for Dont Look Back before also being incorporated into the film

That was one of them, but I'm not being very stringent with definitions anyway - unless the top ten ends up being various episodes of Deadwood, of course, in which case I may need to reconsider.

[pedantry]My understanding was that the clip was shot for the film and always intended as part of it (i.e. from 1965 onward), but was later extracted (in late 1967) to be used as the trailer, not the other way around. The film was screened publicly with the sequence included four months before its commercial release, so I don't think there's any basis for arguing that the clip is an independent entity. [/pedantry]

But it is the granddaddy of conceptual music videos nevertheless, so it's fine for you or anybody else to vote for it if you want!

[swo17]

This article suggests the clip came before the film, though pedantically speaking, I would have voted for it either way

[brundlefly]

It's a cultural staple. And the only good visual joke in Courtney Barnett's "Avant Gardener," though the star there is obviously the lyrics.

[zedz]

Good morning / evening / apocalypse. Last few lists are in, so I'll compile them and figure out the results shortly.

In the meantime, here's a great animated video that I remembered too late for my - or anybody else's - list:
It's Not the End of the World?

[swo17]

I have a strong suspicion that if a video existed for "Wherever I Lay My Phone That's My Home" it would be top 10 material

[zedz]

THE MUSIC VIDEO MINI-LIST 2019

Final number is total points obviously. There were only five also-rans, so they're visible at the end.

The top two were neck and neck, with no fresh votes in the last little run as old stand-bys caught up. (When I posted that clue earlier, it was 'This Is America' that was running third, with the most votes of any video. The 1980s videos in the top 10 all rose late in the voting.

Other fun stats to follow shortly.

1. Let Forever Be – Chemical Brothers (Michel Gondry 1999) 121
2. Come Into My World - Kylie Minogue (Michel Gondry 2002) 118
3. Sledgehammer - Peter Gabriel (Stephen Johnson 1987 )105
4. This Is America - Childish Gambino (Hiro Murai 2018) 99
5. Imitation Of Life - R.E.M. (Hammer & Tongs 2001) 93
6. Thriller - Michael Jackson (John Landis 1983) 91
7. Take On Me - A-Ha (Steve Barron 1985) 82
8. Sugar Water - Cibo Matto (Michel Gondry 1996) 80
9=. Bachelorette – Bjork (Michel Gondry 1997) 59
9=. Low - R.E.M. (James Herbert 1991) 59
11. The Hardest Button To Button - The White Stripes (Michel Gondry 2003) 58
12. Afrika Shox - Leftfield w. Afrika Bambaata (Chris Cunningham 1999) 50
13. Sheena Is A Parasite - The Horrors (Chris Cunningham 2006) 46
14=. California Tuffy - Geraldine Fibbers (Carla Bozulich 1997) 42
14=. Celoso - Lele Pons (Rudy Mancuso 2018) 42
14=. Here It Goes Again - Ok Go (Trish Sie 2006) 42
17=. O Superman - Laurie Anderson (Laurie Anderson 1981) 41
17=. The One Moment - Ok Go (Damian Kulash 2016) 41
19=. Carried Away - Passion Pit (Ben & Alex Brewer 2013) 40
19=. Come To Daddy - Aphex Twin (Chris Cunningham 1997) 40
19=. Windowlicker - Aphex Twin (Chris Cunningham 1999) 40
22. This Is Hardcore – Pulp (Jarvis Cocker 1998) 39
23=. Freedom 90 - George Michael (David Fincher 1990) 38
23=. Subterranean Homesick Blues - Bob Dylan (D.A. Pennebaker 1967) 38
25=. All Is Full Of Love – Bjork (Chris Cunningham 1999) 37
25=. Around The World - Daft Punk (Michel Gondry 1997) 37
25=. Protection - Massive Attack (Michel Gondry 1995) 37
28=. Star Guitar - The Chemical Brothers (Michel Gondry 2002) 31
28=. Sugarcube - Yo La Tengo (Phil Morrison 1997) 31
30=. Closer – Nine Inch Nails (Mark Romanek 1994) 30
30=. Drunk Girls - LCD Soundsystem (Spike Jonze / James Murphy 2010) 30
30=. Hideaway – Kiesza (Blayre Ellestad 2014) 30
33. Accidents Will Happen - Elvis Costello & The Attractions (Annabel Jankel / Rocky Morton 1979) 29
34. Sky's The Limit - The Notorious B.I.G. (Spike Jonze 1997) 28
35. Genius Of Love - Tom Tom Club (Annabel Jankel / Rocky Morton 1981) 27
36=. Buddy Holly – Weezer (Spike Jonze 1994) 25
36=. Gun Has No Trigger - Dirty Projectors (David Longstreth 2012) 25
36=. Since I Left You - The Avalanches (Rob Leggett / Leigh Manning 2000) 25
36=. Ta Douleur – Camille (Stephanie Digiusto 2005) 25
40=. Bastards Of Young - The Replacements (1986) 24
40=. Triumph Of A Heart - Bjork (Spike Jonze 2005) 24
42. Lucas With The Lid Off – Lucas (Michel Gondry 1994) 22
43=. Cirrus – Bonobo (Cyriak 2013) 21
43=. What's A Girl To Do? - Bat For Lashes (Dougal Wilson 2007) 21
45. Wide Open - The Chemical Brothers (Dom & Nic 2016) 20
46=. D.A.N.C.E. – Justice (Jonas Euvremer / Francois Rousselet 2007) 19
46=. Vogue – Madonna (David Fincher 1990) 19
48=. 1979 - Smashing Pumpkins (Jonathan Dayton / Valerie Faris 1996) 18
48=. Hurt - Johnny Cash (Mark Romanek 2003) 18
50. Virtual Insanity – Jamiroquai (Jonathan Glazer 1996) 16

51. Sabotage - Beastie Boys (Spike Jonze 1994) 15
52. Happiness – Goldfrapp (Dougal Wilson 2008) 14
53=. Atlas – Battles (Tim Saccenti 2007) 13
53=. On - Aphex Twin (Jarvis Cocker 1993) 13
55. Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinead O'connor (John Maybury 1990) 8

[domino harvey]

Wow, props to whoever else was on the Lele Pons crew with me— 14 on a top 50 is way, way better than I expected. My list was almost entirely orphans but that top two was also my top two, so okay

Thanks for stepping in to tally, zedz!

[thirtyframesasecond]

Did you get my list zedz? I sent it Sunday and it shows as a sent message? Maybe you did but certainly my top few don't appear in this list? Doesn't matter really as I don't think I had a huge number of these.

[mfunk9786]

Same, although I'll confess to still being at a total loss re: how points are assigned in list projects - guessing even top-of-list orphans didn't accumulate enough points to be on this list?

[swo17]

Orphans by definition don't make the list

[mfunk9786]

Explains a lot, thanks