LoC 48- Top 50 Music Videos of All Time

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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/182oUgBfoLE?fs=1" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/182oUgBfoLE?fs=1</a>

In 1981, a little cable channel launched on one cable system in New Jersey. They specialized in showing a relatively new idea called a "music video", which was a short video played along with a musical song. The channel grew and prospered and soon became nationwide. And then they began playing 10 hours of Road Rules a day and eventually lost track of the whole "Music" part of their name.

But music videos continue to be made and watched, and with that in mind, our most recent list of crap takes a look at what this forum considers to be the most memorable music videos of all time. Here goes...

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Oh, and today's phrase to remember - "And then things go badly."

And BTW, #53 to 45's positions were determined randomly.

Hey! I did the second post! I can stick the rundown in here.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Rank   Song   Artist   Points
1   Thriller    Michael Jackson   222
2   Take On Me    A-Ha   211
3   Sabotage   Beastie Boys   141
4   Weapon of Choice    Fatboy Slim   133
5   Sledgehamer    Peter Gabriel   124
6   Here It Goes Again    Ok, Go   94
7   Land of Confusion   Genesis   90
8   Buddy Holly   Weezer   88
9   Human Behaviour   Bjork   80
10   Money for Nothing   Dire Straits   80
11   Billie Jean   Michael Jackson   66
12   Come To Daddy   Aphex Twin   65
13   Virtual Insanity    Jamiroquai   61
14   Smooth Criminal   Michael Jackson   56
15   Rabbit In Your Headlight   Unkel   55
16   addicted to love   Robert Palmer   52
17   This Too Shall Pass   Ok, Go   52
18   Tonight, Tonight   Smashing Pumpkins   50
19   Beautiful World    Devo   48
20   Sober    Tool    45
21   Sweep the Leg   No More Kings   43
22   Whip it   Devo   41
23   Closer   NIN   40
24   Once In A Lifetime   Talking Heads   38
25   Trapped in the closet part I   R. Kelley   38
26   Experimental Film”    They Might Be Giants   37
27   Black Hole Sun   Soundgarden   36
28   Super Bowl Shuffle   The 85 Chicago Bears   35
29   All Is Full of Love   Bjork   34
30   Hungry Like The Wolf   Duran Duran   34
31   Polite Dance Song   The Bird and the Bee   34
32   Hurt    Johnny Cash   31
33   The Kill   30 Seconds to Mars   31
34   Knights of Cydonia   Muse   30
35   Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)   Eurythmics    29
36   Freak on a Leash    Korn   28
37   Everlong   Foo Fighters   27
38   Windowlicker   Aphex Twin   27
39   The Perfect Drug   Nine Inch Nails   27
40   Rockit   Herbie Hancock   26
41   Bad   Michael Jackson   26
42   Smells like nirvana   Weird Al Yankovic   26
43   Karma Police   Radiohead   25
44   It's oh So Quiet   Bjork   25
45   Goonies R Good Enough   Cindy Lauper   25
46   Cloud Bursting   Kate Bush   25
47   Massive Attack   Inertia Creeps   25
48   Worlock   Skinny Puppy   25
49   I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight –   U2   25
50   Eat it   Weird Al Yankovic   25
51   Keep Fishin'   Weezer   25
52   Preacher Man   Fields of the Nephilim   25

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Hey! Stop foreshadowing!

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Number 52
(25 points, on 1 of 17 lists - Top Vote #1 by Mr. Katonic)

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/hsSFR43Z600?fs=1" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/hsSFR43Z600?fs=1</a>

Preacher Man
Fields of the Nephilim
Dawnrazer
1987

'Bout The Band:
Fields of the Nephilim are an English gothic metal band formed in Stevenage, Hertfordshire in 1984. They are cited by many as being highly influential in the goth noir and dark metal musical fields. Since 1991, they have released one album worth of new material, leading to Schweppes offering free Dr. Absinthe when the next CD is done.

'Bout the Video:
A post apocalyptic tale featuring a conflict between the band, a sheriff and the children of the bomb.

Up Next:
It's time to play the music!

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Number 51
(25 points, on 1 of 17 lists - Top Vote #1 by ScottH)

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/hOIsYA1QDuk?fs=1" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/hOIsYA1QDuk?fs=1</a>

Keep Fishin'
Weezer
Maladroit
2002
Dir- Marcos Siega

'Bout The Band:
Weezer is an American alternative rock band formed in 1992. I'm pretty sure that I used up all of my fake bio material about them in the 1990s song list.

'Bout the Video:
Weezer performs on the Muppet Show. Unfortunately, their drummer has been kidnapped by Miss Piggy. Wackiness ensues.

Fun musical fact:
According to the band, this was the first video in which the members of Weezer acted rather than just performed. This seems odd to me, but whatever.

Up Next:
Food, glorious, food.

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Number 50
(25 points, on 1 of 17 lists - Top Vote #1 by Pak-Man)

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZcJjMnHoIBI?fs=1" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/ZcJjMnHoIBI?fs=1</a>

Eat It
"Weird Al" Yankovic
"Wield Al" Yankovic in 3D
1984

'Bout The Band:
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic  (born October 23, 1959) is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, actor, comedian, satirist, and a parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts.

'Bout the Video:
As two rival gangs prepare to rumble, Al ponders food.

Hey, Isn't That...?
Somewhere in that crowd is Tracii Gunns (of the band LA Guns, whom no one under 30 will recognize. For that matter most folks over 30 won't either.) and Michael deLorenzo later of the TV show NY Undercover. Oh, and Al's band mates are also there as well.

Up Next:
It's from Starman. Take a guess as to what band it's from.

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Number 49
(25 points, on 1 of 17 lists - Top Vote #1 by Starman Relaxing Dragon )


<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/4q_AHAMVQ9c?fs=1" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/4q_AHAMVQ9c?fs=1</a>

I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight
U2
No Line on the Horizon
2009
Dir- David O'Reilly

'Bout The Band:
U2 is a four member Irish rock band formed in Dublin in 1976. Their lyrics, often embellished with spiritual imagery, focus on personal themes and sociopolitical concerns.

'Bout the Video:
The lives of several people intersect over the course of an evening and leads to each of them making a change in their lives.

Fun musical fact:
A second version of this video was released and be seen over here. Hopefully, that one wasn't the one voted for. If it was, whoops.

Up Next:
The next one isn't safe for work. Seriously.

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Number 48
(25 points, on 1 of 17 lists - Top Vote #1 by Tyrant)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/wUdF6yl4aW0?fs=1 &gt;" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/wUdF6yl4aW0?fs=1 &gt;</a>

Worlock
Skinny Puppy
Rabies
1990

'Bout The Band:
Skinny Puppy is a Canadian industrial musical group, formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1982. The group is widely considered to be the founders of the electro-industrial genre.

'Bout the Video:
It's six minutes of nightmare fuel! Topics include mutilation, bad dental care, scenes from various horror films and extreme dizziness. Seriously, it's rather graphic and the more squeamish may want to avoid it.

Fun musical fact:
On the single released of this song, some copies were mispressed and instead contained Sinead O'Connor's "The Emperor's New Clothes." That might be more disturbing that the video was.

Hey, Isn't That...?
Yes, RVR, there was a scene from Dune in there. So please feel free to watch the video just to catch that segment.

Up Next:
The resistance of any physical object to a change in its state of motion or rest, or the tendency of an object to resist any change in its motion

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Number 47
(25 points, on 1 of 17 lists - Top Vote #1 by Tripe)

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/w3mn7EC-skg?fs=1" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/w3mn7EC-skg?fs=1</a>

Inertia Creeps
Massive Attack
Mezzanine
1998  

'Bout The Band:
Massive Attack is a collaborative music production duo from Bristol, UK. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be progenitors of the trip hop genre.

'Bout the Video:
A man ponders his life while continually reviewing recent events in his life. Let's just say that things end badly for one of the people. And the girl looks remarkably like she's on the cover of a Cars' album.

Up Next:
Here comes the rain again. It's red rain. Thankfully, I'm only happy when it rains.

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Number 46
(25 points, on 1 of 17 lists - Top Vote #1 by Gojikranz)

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/pllRW9wETzw?fs=1" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/pllRW9wETzw?fs=1</a>

Cloud Bursting
Kate Bush
Hounds of Love
1985
Dir- Julian Doyle

'Bout The Artist:
Kate Bush (born Catherine Bush 30 July 1958)[1] is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.

'Bout the Video:
A scientist and his incredibly short son attempt to create a weather making machine. Things go badly for Dad.

Fun musical fact:
The video was conceived by Bush and Terry Gilliam.

Hey, Isn't That...?
Donald Sutherland playing Wilhelm Reich? Yep. And Kate Bush is playing Keifer.

Up Next:
Wrestlers, Mr. Rico! Zillions of 'em!

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Number 45
(25 points, on 1 of 17 lists - Top Vote #1 by Rattrap)

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/LxLhytQ67fs?fs=1" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/LxLhytQ67fs?fs=1</a>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/5h6YJIzfpKg?fs=1" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/5h6YJIzfpKg?fs=1</a>

Goonies R Good Enough
Cyndi Lauper
The Goonies Original Soundtrack
1985
Dir- Richard Donner

'Bout The Band:
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album. Lauper has released 11 albums and over 40 singles, and as of 2008 had sold more than 30 million records worldwide.

'Bout the Video:
Okay, Lauper's family gas station is being repossessed by a group of traveling wrestlers, so she embarks on a quest to find one-eyed Captain Lou's lost treasure. While searching she runs into the Goonies. And a bunch of pirates. And Steven Spielberg, during his brief beardless period. And Witchie-Poo from HR Puf'n'stuf.

Fun musical fact:
Lauper hates this song. It didn't appear on any of her best of albums until 2003, 18 years after the song's release. She didn't perform the song live until 2004. Cheap Trick has more affection towards "Up The Creek" than Lauper does this song.

Also, IIRC, part 2 first aired on NBC's wrassling show "Saturday Night's Main Event", which would pre-empt SNL about once a month or so.

Hey, Isn't That...?
Yes, that was pretty much every wrestler active in the 1980s. And Freddy Blasi. But those girl pirates? That was the relatively unknown at the time Bangles.

Up Next:
Seriously, thanks for all the videos that involve umlauts. That made typing this up so much funner.

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Number 44
(25 points, on 2 of 17 lists - Top Vote #7 by ScottH)

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/TEC4nZ-yga8?fs=1" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/TEC4nZ-yga8?fs=1</a>

It's Oh So Quiet
Björk
Post
1995
Dir- Spike Jonze

'Bout The Artist:
Björk Guðmundsdóttir (born 21 November 1965), known as Björk (pronounced /ˈbjɜrk/ BYURK in English), is an Icelandic Polar Music Prize-winning singer-songwriter, occasional actress, music composer and music producer, whose influential solo work includes seven solo albums and two original film soundtracks.

Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk. Her voice has been acclaimed for its distinctive qualities.
Wow. An Icelandic Polar Music Prize winner. That's some lofty heights there.

'Bout the Video:
I'm pretty sure that they just filmed one of Björk's normal days.

Okay, Björk moves in slow motion until she reaches a chorus, at which point normal speed resumes and nearby onlookers dance with her.

Fun musical fact:
The song is a renamed cover of Betty Hutton's "Blow a Fuse."

Also, for unexplained reasons, this is a rather popular song to play at Christmas-time in the UK, despite the complete lack of connection in the song to Christmas.

Up Next:
A band that once cancelled a show just because of a crying baby.

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Number 43
(25 points, on 2 of 17 lists - Top Vote #3 by Tripe)

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/IBH97ma9YiI?fs=1" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/IBH97ma9YiI?fs=1</a>

Karma Police
Radiohead
Ok Computer
1997
Dir- Johnathan Glazer

'Bout The Band:
Radiohead is a six member English alternative rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985.

'Bout the Video:
A sleepy Thom Yorke takes a drive. It ends badly.

Fun musical fact:
Glazer had previously pitched this video concept to Marilyn Manson for one of his songs. Manson declined to use the idea.

Hey, Isn't That...?
Hungarian actor Lajos Kovacs, playing the nameless chasee? Yep.

Up Next:
Wherein mumbling is involved.

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Number 42
(26 points, on 2 of 17 lists - Top Vote #12 by Rattrap)

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/FklUAoZ6KxY?fs=1" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/FklUAoZ6KxY?fs=1</a>

Smells Like Nirvana
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Off the Deep End
1992
Dir- Jay Levey

'Bout The Band:
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic  (born October 23, 1959) is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, actor, comedian, satirist, and a parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts.

'Bout the Video:
Al replicates and parodies the video to "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

Fun musical fact:
According to Yankovic, he first sought Cobain's permission to parody the song. When he learned that Nirvana was to perform on Saturday Night Live, he called up his UHF co-star, Victoria Jackson, at the time a regular cast member of the show. Jackson got Cobain on the phone so that Yankovic could make his request. Cobain agreed, though initially, he inquired if the song would be about food.

Hey, Isn't That...?
Dick van Patten is a gimme. But also present in the video? Pro skater Tony Hawk is one of the extras in the crowd.

Up Next:
Another song by Al.... oh. wait. It's the original song. Never mind.

[Kete]

Could we see the points as well as the rank?