My Top 10 Favorite Music Videos of All-Time

So here I am, sitting here on a couch, after just having eaten a nice Chicken Fajita Omelet from IHOP. Mmm, food coma!
As I dream about a career in film production, I often have daydreams about working in the music video industry. It combines two of my favorite loves: music and video.
Obviously that was a given, but I truly love the whole idea of putting visual elements to a song. It almost creates a whole new meaning to the song, let alone gives the song a new way of associating a song to a picture. Ultimately, that is what I would like to do. How long will it take me to get there? You tell me.
With that in mind, I decided to compile a list some music videos I've seen over the years that really caught my attention. Not just in a controversial aspect, but just as a way of seeing what the director intended to do with the piece. These videos are in no particular order however, they just happened to make my top 10 in my eyes :)
Without further ado, here are my top 10 favorite music videos:

Work/ Via Wikipedia..org
"Virtual Insanity" - Jamiroquai
This music video is pretty trippy. When you first watch it, you think the floor is moving! Actually, the walls are the ones doing all the moving. But how you could explain how some pieces of furniture move while others don't? Simple. The fact that certain pieces are bolted to the walls creates this illusion for the viewers. And the bugs in the video? They are us. Clearly, we are the ones wrapped up in our new technology that we "squirm around", so to speak.
Sadly, YouTube and many other sites ban this music video from the USA (I don't know why...). However, I was lucky enough to come across a full-length version here. 



"Sledgehammer" - Peter Gabriel
Another breakthrough video, Sledgehammer was one of the first popular music videos to utilize stop motion along with various animation effects. It won numerous MTV awards (back when it was actually good...) and remains as Rolling Stone's top music videos to this date. I love how every bit of fantasy is illustrated in this video, the headless chickens dancing, the nature flowing in and out of Gabriel's head, etc. Very artsy!


"From Yesterday" - 30 Seconds to Mars
One of the most beautiful depictions of the People's Republic of China, this is also the first music video to be shot with the Republic in its entirety. A story that revolves around the four band members whom are each given a "gift", then sent to fight in a masked battle of eight. Thankfully they all live, especially Jared Leto ;) Either way, the concept is incredible and the shot selection is well done. Definitely one of my favorites.



"Closer" - Nine Inch Nails
Who am I to not include my favorite band in the mix? One the most controversial, inappropriate videos released in the 90's, this video showed various topics which included religion, politics, sexuality, animal cruelty and even more. My favorite part is seeing how they made Trent Reznor's head a part of a table, which later included having his eyes open creepily later in the video. Yes, it is sexually explicit, but the random images that raise eyebrows and turn heads is what makes this lucrative song stand out. In context to the album "The Downward Spiral", the song deals with a desire to control. Not just to control a partner, but to evoke control over something even bigger such as society itself. If you listen to TDS from start to finish, you'l understand where I'm getting at. Until then, enjoy the video!



"Smack My B**** Up" - The Prodigy
This video pieces in all the craziest kinds of stuff one can do on a night out...and more. Alcohol, drugs, women abuse, drunk driving, car smashing...you'd wonder why I picked this one. It is because of the point of view from the dude-er well...chick. I love the obscenity from this video and frankly, I feel that it is the fast-paced nature that would attract most viewers. This video apparently got banned from many places, but still gained so much popularity that MTV only aired it late at night. Fitting, isn't it?



"Right Here, Right Now" - Fatboy Slim
An incredible time lapse, this video's animation deserves a gold medal. Visually appealing, the video transitions from prehistoric times to eventually an obese male strutting around the city. I love the way the scenery in the background changes as well...it is enough so that you cannot look away for one second without missing something amazing. Coincidentally, the man at the end is the icon of the album cover "You've Come a Long Way, Baby". I guess the imagery fits, wouldn't you agree?


"House of Cards" - Radiohead
Ah, Radiohead. Sometimes the simplicity of a music video goes a long way. Using lidar technology, the video shows the singer, Thom Yorke, flickering on and off as he sings the song. Throughout the video, you see body parts of Yorke along with still, peaceful imagery of open roads, neighborhoods and nature itself. The colors used in these sequences are absolutely stunning, and there couldn't be a more serene song to be paired up with these stunning visuals.


"Take a Bow" - Madonna
What a heartbreaking work of art. This is the sole reason I did not include "Like a Prayer" on this list. Obviously I am a huge fan of controversy, but this video is pure emotion. The song matched with the bull fighter who leads on the bull (Madonna) creates themes of unrequited love, abuse and sadness. In my honest opinion, this is Madonna at her best. Not the 80's, not her revival. Her ballad that comes straight from the heart. 



"Shut Me Up" - Mindless Self Indulgence
Another crazy video, Shut Me Up is really about letting loose and not giving a flip. The video does a great job with the animation and the bleak undertones of routine life, and how it spins out of control when the main character gets a jolt of ...uh crazy? Either way, I love how it reminds me of the fun, carefree music videos I made when I was a kid. The fact that one can break away from tradition and just run around being ridiculous is something I can definitely relate to!



"Hurricane" - 30 Seconds to Mars
Another 30STM video worth listing. Although very graphic, this video is marvelously crafted to an audience of little prudence.  With multiple sub-plots, the main character overcomes the ghost of his past and the fear of his future with many religious, sexual, S&M, aggressive and violent undertones. Many of the smaller characters in the video are real people dealing with real obsessions. The reason I love this video so much is because the director took into account everything that could cause a disturbance in society and bravely mashed it all together. After looking at the making of this video, I see myself doing videos such as this one: one with a beautifully molded concept.
Whew, that took a while but it was all worth it. What do you think of my list? Do you think these are deserving videos? Let me know what you think!