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.

My Top Ten Favorite Music Videos of All Time

A lot of people will complain that MTV doesn't play music videos anymore. But I'm pretty sure that's BS, because I've seen that awful 'Lil Wayne video where he rips off both Inception and that table scene in Beetlejuice at least three times. And I hardly EVER watch MTV. So, yeah, they still play videos. Maybe not with the same frequency that they once did, but the network still showcases what the young people around the world are listening today. But so what? Those videos suck. The true art of making videos has pretty much disappeared, and that's a shame because music videos can be beautiful. To prove it, I've put down my top ten music videos below. See if any of yours make the list, and leave a comment below telling me some of your favorites of days old.

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10. Virtual Insanity by Jamiroquai

Really, the idea was simple. Have the lead singer, Jay Kay, wear a silly looking hat (Which was actually the fashion of the day. Can you believe it?) and have the floor move. But oh, what an arresting visual it portrayed. Yeah, sure, the lyrics didn't have much to do with the video, but just seeing Jay Kay dancing around while the floor pulled him toward the screen was absolutely classic. And the song wasn't too bad, either. Take a gander.

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9. Joints and Jams by The Black Eyed Peas

It may be hard to believe now, but The Black Eyed Peas DID exist without Fergie. And they produced this awesome video to boot, which had them all break dancing in the end and showcasing a side of themselves that you NEVER see from them anymore: The side with talent. Yeah, the group has made some catchy music since then and some very, very funky music videos, but this will always be my favorite by them. It's in your face. Literally.

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8. Star Guitar by The Chemical Brothers

Genius through simplicity is what I love, and you won't find another video more complex, and yet simple, as this magnificent video from The Chemical Brothers. I actually used to do this when I was a child and tried to link the music that I was listening to on the train with the landscape that was passing by. But I never imagined that anybody else did this, too. It just goes to show you how connected we all really are.

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7. Sabotage by The Beastie Boys

This video is just too much fun. Cop shows in the 70s were the shit, and the Beastie Boys, with the help of genius, Spike Jonze just nailed it with this one. Believe it or not, it's actually not one of my favorite BB songs, but this is definitely their best video. No question about it.

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6. Criminal by Fiona Apple

Music videos, if done right, should make you FEEL something, and this video by Fiona Apple did. It made me feel dirty. It made me feel like a perv, and that was a very good thing for me back then as a teenager who couldn't get enough sleaze in my music videos. But this video actually felt like a classy kind of sleaze. I mean, it was almost an innocent kind of sleaze, and THAT'S what made it feel so dangerous. Fiona Apple had a lot of songs that were better than this, but none were as provocative as "Criminal." Man, oh man. To be young again.

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5. Hey Ya by Outkast

Speaking of fun videos like "Sabotage." There have been very few videos that I can remember that always got me out of my seat and doing karate chops in the air. But this one did. Always. Andre 3000 plays all of the roles in this playful video mimicking the Beatles and it did a great job of winning the crowd over. Me included. I probably would have bought the album anyway, being a big fan of the group, but I rushed to the store after seeing this video. Definitely the best from the eclectic group.

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4. King of Rock by Run-D.M.C.

What balls. This one goes on my list purely for the fact that Run-D.M.C. are awesome and stepped on Michael Jackson's white glove because "This is not Triller!" You're damn right it ain't. And while this may sound like sacrilege, I don't care. "King of Rock" is BETTER than "Thriller." Yep, I went there. It's just so raw and powerful. Run-D.M.C. were an indomitable force of nature. There was nothing like them. And nothing since.

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3. Come To Daddy by Aphex Twin


Definitely the scariest video I've ever seen in my entire life. I remember seeing this for the first time at night, and I seriously couldn't go to sleep. I also kept the lights on. I have no idea what the video is meant to symbolize, but the woman getting screamed at in the end is bonkers. I. Love. This.

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2. Triumph by The Wu-tang Clan

Believe it or not, but I wasn't in love with the group until this video, which has got to be the most elaborate and kick ass rap video ever. ODB (RIP) was jumping off a building, the RZA had wings, and Ghost and Rae were rapping in a cage. The Killer Bees were never more entertaining, or deadly.

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1. Prison Sex by Tool

The whole reason why I decided to do this article in the first place, Tool's "Prison Sex," is one of the most disturbing and evocative videos I've ever seen. It's said that this video is about when the lead singer, Maynard James Keenan, was molested as a child, and it shows. It's very hard to watch, even today, but you can't look away from it. It's a masterpiece. A sheer masterpiece.