My Top Ten Favorite Music Videos

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So MTV doesn't really play music videos anymore. So what? That's what YouTube's for now. And with YouTube, I was able to find some of my favorite music videos of all time. Now, keep in mind, this list will not include Thriller on it. It's a great video to be sure, but I tend to find it a little overrated. Besides, this isn't a list of the BEST music videos of all time. Only my favorite. So now, on with the list!

10. "Candy" by Cameo

Vintage cheesiness. It features people making funny faces, a sick beat, and a red codpiece. It begs the question, what wouldn't Cameo do back in the day to get their music out there, and the answer is pretty uncertain. It's like CAHN-DAAAY!



9. "Paranoid Android" by Radiohead

I've never really been a fan of Radiohead's music, but this video alone got me to buy OK Computer. It's strange, intriguing, and even a little unsettling. Oh, and it was also a cartoon. I'm not really sure what the whole point of it was, but it certainly went along with the song, no question.



8. "Criminal" by Fiona Apple

This video truly, truly, truly made me fall in love with Fiona Apple. It was the kind of video you felt dirty watching, and then, you wanted to watch it a second time just so you could feel dirty again. What exactly was going on in this postcoital aftermath? Whatever it was, I couldn't look away. Damn, Fiona Apple. Damn!



7. "Come to Daddy" by Aphex Twin

A truly scary video from its opening shot to its last, "Come to Daddy" is like a fever dream riddled with Satanic drum beats and screaming. The very best part of the video is when the old lady gets yelled at by that hideous creature. A classic video. A scary one.



6. "Where It's At" by Beck

What starts out as a homage to Cool Hand Luke soon turns into a splash of images that only Beck could pull off. A robot, fat guys fighting, and line dancing round out the video. Only Beck could make all that nonsense work. Only Beck.



5."My Mind's Playing Tricks On Me" by The Geto Boys

If there was ever a video that truly matched the dark tone of its song, it's this one. What really sticks out to me is that one scene where the fist is punching the concrete over and over again. I'll never get that image out of my head, and I don't think I want to, either.



4. "One" by Metallica

The sheer definition of epic. Pulling scenes from the movie, Johnny Get Your Gun, both the song and the video chronicle the life of a soldier who's lost pretty much everything besides the ability to think. Trapped in a bed, the video is graphic and haunting. Oh, and you gotta love that thrashing and head banging at the end. There's nothing else like it.



3. "Buddy Holly" by Weezer

"Charming" is probably the best word I'd use to describe this video, which won scores of awards in 1994. Spike Jonze made a lot of videos back in the day, but this is my all-time favorite of his. Basically, it just puts the members of Weezer in an episode of Happy Days, and that's pretty much it. Is it simple? Yes, but also extremely effective. This video put Weezer on the map!



2. "Prison Sex" by Tool

It's really hard to pick a favorite Tool video, as all of them are visually dense and wrought with meaning. But "Prison Sex" is my all-time favorite of theirs, and mostly because it impacted me on such a visceral level. I literally got nightmares from this video, and I think it's because my brain was trying to wrap its head around its complex meaning, which I'm closer to understanding today, but it still eludes me to a certain extent (I know it's about sexual abuse and molestation, but what else?). A very disturbing video, and an excellent one as well.



1. "Triumph" by The Wu-tang Clan

I know it's silly by today's standard, but I don't think any other video has impacted me as much as this one has. "Triumph" pretty much MADE me fall in love with hip-hop music and the Wu-tang Clan in general. I actually once wanted to get a Wu-tang tattoo (I know, I know) back in the day. I'm dead serious.

What's so great about this video is that it showcases every last member (And Cappadonna!) of the group, and puts them in incredibly cool situations. ODB jumps off a building, Inspectah Deck catches him, and then, he erupts into flames and now Method Man is riding the charge on motorcycles. I mean, it's never-ending. It will always be my favorite music video, whether you find it stupid or not, and it will always hold a place in my heart. It's still awesome.

The Top Ten Greatest Supergroups

What's a supergroup? It's when members from other bands come together to make another band that's, well, super. But, well, sometimes, it doesn't always work. Some supergroups are better left unsaid and unlistened to, while others were SO good, that you probably didn't even KNOW they were a supergroup to begin with. This list is the latter. Take a look.

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10. The Firm

Composed of: Naz, AZ, Foxy Brown, and Nature

Believe it or not, but there were actually TWO supergroups called The Firm. This rap one, and another featuring Jimmy Page and Paul Rodgers. But I'm choosing this one, because, well, the other one kind of sucked. While they only released a single album together (Appropriately--or stupidly--titled, The Album), it had some great Dre beats and some memorable tracks on it like "Firm Biz" and "Phone Tap." I liked it.

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9. Journey

Composed of: Greg Rolie (Santana), Neal Schon (Santana), George Tickner (Frumious Bandersnatch), Ross Valory (Steve Miller Band), Prairie Prince (The Tubes)

Of course the current lineup of Journey is different from the line-up of its glory days (No Steve Perry). But they still play all the recognizable hits like "Don't Stop Believing," and "Who's Crying Now?" at their concerts. Journey is a band that pretty much WAS the 80s, and their poppy, though, entirely sentimental, concert rock still provides a lot of good times in bars with Karaoke machines around the world. Gotta love that voice.

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8. A Perfect Circle

Composed of: Billy Howerdel, Maynard James Keenan (Tool), Josh Freese (Nine Inch Nails), James Iha (The Smashing Pumpkins), Jeordie White (Marilyn Manson)

Though they sound nothing like Tool besides the vocals, A Perfect Circle is a fine substitute for the aforementioned group with Maynard James Keenan as their frontman. Their sound is loud and more traditional rock, but their three albums together, with their last album, eMOTIVe, pretty much just being covers, were all pretty good. They're definitely listenable as their own separate band and that's why they make this list.

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7. The Wu-tang Clan

Composed of: The Rza, The Gza, 'Ol Dirty Bastard (RIP), Inspectah Deck, U-God, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Masta Killa, Method Man

Not a supergroup, you say? Well, not in the traditional sense. Sure, the Clan started off as a unit and THEN separated. But when they came back together again, after many of them had attained their OWN level of success, they COULD be considered a supergroup. See how that works? No? Well, who cares? "Triumph" was awesome.

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6. Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young

Composed of: David Crosby (The Byrds), Stephen Stills (Buffalo Springfield), Graham Nash (The Hollies), Neil Young (Buffalo Springfield)

Talk about pedigree. Each member of this group has respectively been inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame. Twice. That's quite the honor. But while alone, they were great, together, they were spectacular. Making some of the smoothest (And most listenable) folk music for all ears, Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young (Though, probably more known as just CSN, since Young was on again, off again), the group is definitely more known as a composite unit than in their separate groups. They are one of the most famous, and definitely one of the best, supergroups of all time, no question.

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5. C.R.E.A.M

Composed of: Eric Clapton (The Yardbirds), Jack Bruce (Graham Bond Organisation), Ginger Baker (Graham Bond Organisation)

Though their music was sublime, their biggest claim to fame may be that they were probably the first supergroup ever. Eric Clapton would go on to be in about a million supergroups, but this was probably his most famous and definitely stands on its own. Classic rock stations love them, and if you listen to it regularly, then you've certainly heard all of the group's hits. They were HUGE. Seriously.

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4. The Highwaymen

Composed of: Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson

Man, what a lineup. Country's biggest musicians came together for three albums, with the first one being the most noteworthy. The thought of this group alone is just mindblowing. And their songs were pretty good, too. Each member gets their time to shine. And if you like "old" country music (None of that Taylor Swift pop/country hybrid crap), then you'll enjoy this. Check it out if you've never heard of it before.

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3. Emerson, Lake and Palmer

Composed of: Keith Emerson (The Nice), Greg Lake (King Crimson), Carl Palmer (Atomic Rooster)

All three of them were prog rock stars before this group. But they became demigods after it. Tarkus is one of the greatest progressive albums of all time and their skill together was incomparable. Definitely better as ONE group than in separate ones.

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2. The Traveling Wilburys

Composed of: George Harrison (The Beatles), Bob Dylan, Tom Petty (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers), Jeff Lynne (Electric Light Orchestra), Roy Orbison

There has never, EVER been a supergroup with as many big names as The Traveling Wilburys. And there never will be. How could there be? A Beatle, Bob Dylan, a heartbreaker...I mean, I can't even finish. There are just too many big names. Their music was just as good as their respective units, which is beyond amazing. All great musicians by themselves, and together, in a single band. How did this happen?...

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1. The Foo Fighters

Composed of Dave Grohl (Nirvana), Pat Smear (The Germs), Nate Mendel (Sunny Day Real Estate), William Goldsmith (Sunny Day Real Estate), Tayler Hawkins (Alanis Morissette) Chris Shiflett (No Use for a Name)

How big are The Foo Fighters? So big, that you forgot Dave Grohl was even in Nirvana. And that's pretty big. It's hard to see Grohl as anything BUT a singer, but yeah, one time long ago, he was a drummer, and for a pretty big band to boot. But you know what? The Foo Fighters have proven themselves as such a band, that ALL of the other bands the members were once in have been overshadowed by this single juggernaut, making The Foo Fighters the greatest supergroup ever. Do you disagree? Who would you say?