Top 100 greatest Music Videos Analysis

(95) The Cardigans - My Favourite Game [1998]



In this video it shows the lead singer of The Cardigans speeding dangerously in a car down a road in the middle of nowhere. this whole situation is meant to reflect a failing love affair with the car crashing cars representing it falling apart rather dramatically. In my opinion the main feature of this video which makes it successful is the use of humor when she is thrown over the front of the car and bounces of the roof of the van, the reason i feel its funny is the shear surprise from it as its not really something you would expect in a music video.


(92) Elton John - I Want Love [2001]



In this video it features Robert Downey Jr performing the Elton John's song ' I Want Love' in one continuous shot which he had to mime all the way through. The main feature of this video is the use of Robert Downey Jr himself as at the time he had been admitted to rehab for his drug abuse, and by using him it would boost his publicity in a positive way.




(85) Sid Vicious - My Way [1979]



In this video Sid Vicious is covering Frank Sinatra's 'My Way' with his punk style of singing. This comes across as being rather mocking towards Frank Sinatra as people perceive punk as not being a good genre of music and is looked down on.




( 78) Godley and Creme - Cry [1985]


This video features the used of blending and fading different clips together to mix different peoples faces together. And overall this editing creates an astounding effect which draws the viewers attention to the mixing of different peoples faces throughout the entire video.





(73) Basement Jaxx - Wheres Your Head At? [2001]



This video has an interesting build up due to the lack of unexplained narrative, and then when the main scene with the monkeys with the human faces are playing the instruments comes up its really surprising and humorous.





(66) Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues [1965]




This video was the first one to use the iconic idea of dropping signs with lyrics on them as they are said. This video is not that well made but its very iconic and has been used in more present music videos as well as some television advertisements.






(47) Jamiroquai - Virtual Insanity [1996]


This video is well known primarily due to the effect of having the moving room with the artist inside. This caused many people to think of theories of how they made this effect happen such as a giant treadmill like machine or magnets on his feet. But the way they actually did it was by moving the room around him to give the unusual illusion. Also with this being accompanied by his well placed footwork while dancing this makes everything in the video flow more smoothly as the video plays out.



(48) Johnny Cash - Hurt [2003]



I found this video to be very effective after knowing it was his last one and how he died not long after it was made. The way the music video was shot made Johnny Cash and his surrounding s look almost like a painting with in relation the the way it was lit and the colours that were used. It video also featured clips of past  films he was casted in and music performances, so overall the music video shows a progression of his life accomplishments to where he is now.




(21) Queen - I Want to Break Free [1984]


On this videos release its revealed lead singer Freddy Mercury's true sexuality to the public and their fans. This including the drag act part at the beginning of the video caused their popularity in the United States to drop rather dramatically as this was a period when homosexuality was becoming much more accepted. other than that the video features various types of narratives from humorous to surreal/fantasy type clips.


(3) A-Ha -Take On Me [1985]


This video features really early animation to make a really creative effect which even now looks very impressive. Also the switching between animation and live camera shots makes the video less repetitive and constantly changing.



(1) Michael Jackson - Thriller [1983]


This video is known for being the number 1 music video for a number of reasons. One of the reasons is due to the built up narrative which altogether makes the whole video add up to a very short horror movie. another reason is the brilliant unchoreographed performance of Micheal Jackson in various parts of the video, also the highly iconic dance routine with the zombies.   

Channel 4 Top 100 Music Videos

# Michael Jackson: Thriller

# Peter Gabriel: Sledgehammer

# A-ha: Take on Me

# Queen: Bohemian Rhapsody

# Madonna: Like a Prayer

# Robbie Williams: Rock DJ

# Michael Jackson: Billie Jean

# The Verve: Bittersweet Symphony

# Madonna: Vogue

# Nirvana: Smells Like Teen Spirit

# Coldplay: The Scientist

# Michael & Janet Jackson: Scream

# Pink Floyd: Another Brick in the Wall

# Christina Aguilera: Dirrty

# REM: Everybody Hurts

# OutKast: Hey Ya

# Blur: Coffee & TV

# Beyonce: Crazy in Love

# Madonna: Material Girl

# Gorillaz: Clint Eastwood

# Queen: I Want to Break Free

# Justin Timberlake: Cry Me a River

# Britney Spears: ...Baby One More Time

# Radiohead: No Surprises

# Madness: Baggy Trousers

# TLC: Waterfalls

# David Bowie: Ashes to Ashes

# Foo Fighters: Learn to Fly

# Electric Six: Gay Bar

# Weezer: Buddy Holly

# Eminem: Stan

# Chris Isaak: Wicked Game

# U2: The Sweetest Thing

# The White Stripes: Fell in Love with a Girl

# Sinead O'Connor: Nothing Compares 2U

# Red Hot Chili Peppers: Give It Away

# Guns N Roses: November Rain

# Fatboy Slim: Weapon of Choice

# Pulp: Common People

# Missy Elliot: Get Ur Freak On

# The Spice Girls: Wannabe

# Bjork: It's Oh So Quiet

# Dire Straits: Money for Nothing

# Kylie Minogue: Can't Get You Out of My Head

# Aerosmith: Crazy

# Adam & the Ants: Prince Charming

# The Prodigy: Firestarter

# Johnny Cash: Hurt

# Jamiroquai: Virtual Insanity

# Paul Simon: You Can Call Me Al

# Run DMC & Aerosmith: Walk This Way

# Massive Attack: Teardrop

# Wham: Club Tropicana

# Daft Punk: Around the World

# Fatboy Slim: Praise You

# Eminem: Without Me

# Meatloaf: I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)

# The Cure: Close to Me

# Abba: Knowing Me, Knowing You

# Eurythmics: Sweet Dreams

# The Prodigy: Smack My Bitch Up

# Blur: Parklife

# George Michael: Outside

# Bjork: Human Behaviour

# Aphex Twin: Windowlicker

# Bob Dylan: Subterranean Homesick Blues

# The Beastie Boys: Sabotage

# Madonna: Ray of Light

# Frankie Goes to Hollywood: Two Tribes

# The Police: Every Breath You Take

# Bjork: All Is Full of Love

# Robert Palmer: Addicted to Love

# Basement Jaxx: Where's Your Head At?

# Wu-Tang Clan: Gravel Pit

# Duran Duran: Rio

# The Beatles: Strawberry Fields

# MC Hammer: U Can't Touch This

# Godley and Creme: Cry

# New Order: True Faith

# Radiohead: Just

# Ultravox: Vienna

# 50 Cent: In Da Club

# Shakespear's Sister: Stay

# The Boomtown Rats: I Don't Like Mondays

# Sid Vicious: My Way

# The Streets: Fit But You Know It

# Talking Heads: Once in a Lifetime

# Elton John: I Want Love

# Smashing Pumpkins: Tonight Tonight

# The Pet Shop Boys: Go West

# The Specials: Ghost Town

# Herbie Hancock: Rockit

# The Rolling Stones: We Love You

# Bonnie Tyler: Total Eclipse of the Heart

# The Cardigans: My Favourite Game

# So Solid Crew: 21 Seconds

# Cornershop: Brimful of Asha

# Bronski Beat: Smalltown Boy

# Supergrass: Pumping on Your Stereo

# Musical Youth: Pass the Dutchie

Purpose of a music promo video

The main purpose of a music promo video is to promote the artist's and songs profile, and in turn getting more albums sold. For example the song Take on Me by A-Ha was very unpopular when it was first released, by after the music video was released the number of albums sold dramatically changed.

Other than that there are other purposes for a music video such as creating a meaning by being parallel with in the songs lyrics, an example of this would be Bronski Beat's Smalltown Boy. In this video it depicts a young gay man as he ends up in a new town where he wont be accepted by the local men.

Music videos can also be based around other elements such as an artistic statement which will either pass along a meaning or representation of a particular subject.

Editing to the Beat

Here i have created a small segment of a music video with a song and several clips proided to us by our teachers. First I went through the clips and selected some key part which i thought looked appropriate to used and fit well with the type of song.

At first I found it rather tricky typing to keep the editing in sync with the beat, but after a while i managed to get in time with it and then add clips which make it seem the artist's body language is also in time with the song.