As someone who doesn't really care for music videos at all, only two come to mind as possible favorites–Take On Me by a-ha and Thriller by Michael Jackson.
Take On Me is iconic for many reasons, but I think what really sets it apart is the way it blends pencil-sketch animation with live action. The result is a surreal, almost dreamlike experience. It was incredibly innovative since there was nothing like it at the time. I think it still holds up pretty well even today. While I usually find romantic love songs to be done to death and just ugh in general, the way the romantic narrative in Take On Me is done makes it stand out above the rest (in my opinion). The blend of animation and live action isn't just eye candy–it mirrors the theme: Two people from completely different worlds trying to connect. There's also a lot of ambiguity in both the lyrics and the visuals. By leaving things open-ended, the video invites the viewer/listener to fill in the blanks themselves and draw their own meaning and conclusions, which is something the best art often does.
As for Michael Jackson's Thriller, it's basically a 14-minute short horror film, complete with a narrative arc, a twist ending, dialogue, legendary choreography that instantly became iconic, and eerie narration by Vincent Price, who was already a legend for his role in horror films at the time (that maniacal cackle at the end is the cherry on top of an already stacked ice cream sundae of perfection). Thriller took everything that music videos traditionally were and threw it all out the window. It's no understatement to say that it redefined what a music video could be. It's a blend of the pop, disco, and horror genres with unparalleled cinematic flair, managing to be both catchy and genuinely eerie at the same time.
Anyway, those are my two favorite music videos. There are a few others I'd consider neat or interesting, but those are few and far between. I usually find most music videos either really stupid, vulgar, or just plain weird (or all three). Honestly, I'd safely say I've never seen the music video for 99.8% of the songs I have in my Spotify playlists, and that's done intentionally. I don't want to risk forming a negative association with a song I like just because the music video is off-putting (this is just how my mind works). For me, the music and the lyrics are what matter most, but in rare cases like Take On Me and Thriller, the visuals actually elevate the song rather than detract from it.
As someone who doesn't really care for music videos at all, only two come to mind as possible favorites–Take On Me by a-ha and Thriller by Michael Jackson.
Take On Me is iconic for many reasons, but I think what really sets it apart is the way it blends pencil-sketch animation with live action. The result is a surreal, almost dreamlike experience. It was incredibly innovative since there was nothing like it at the time. I think it still holds up pretty well even today. While I usually find romantic love songs to be done to death and just ugh in general, the way the romantic narrative in Take On Me is done makes it stand out above the rest (in my opinion). The blend of animation and live action isn't just eye candy–it mirrors the theme: Two people from completely different worlds trying to connect. There's also a lot of ambiguity in both the lyrics and the visuals. By leaving things open-ended, the video invites the viewer/listener to fill in the blanks themselves and draw their own meaning and conclusions, which is something the best art often does.
As for Michael Jackson's Thriller, it's basically a 14-minute short horror film, complete with a narrative arc, a twist ending, dialogue, legendary choreography that instantly became iconic, and eerie narration by Vincent Price, who was already a legend for his role in horror films at the time (that maniacal cackle at the end is the cherry on top of an already stacked ice cream sundae of perfection). Thriller took everything that music videos traditionally were and threw it all out the window. It's no understatement to say that it redefined what a music video could be. It's a blend of the pop, disco, and horror genres with unparalleled cinematic flair, managing to be both catchy and genuinely eerie at the same time.
Anyway, those are my two favorite music videos. There are a few others I'd consider neat or interesting, but those are few and far between. I usually find most music videos either really stupid, vulgar, or just plain weird (or all three). Honestly, I'd safely say I've never seen the music video for 99.8% of the songs I have in my Spotify playlists, and that's done intentionally. I don't want to risk forming a negative association with a song I like just because the music video is off-putting (this is just how my mind works). For me, the music and the lyrics are what matter most, but in rare cases like Take On Me and Thriller, the visuals actually elevate the song rather than detract from it.
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