

The video mirrored both Green Day’s pent-up energy and the band’s innate rebelliousness. 38: Green Day: American Idiot (2004) Directed by: Samuel BayerĪ protest song railing at what Green Day perceived as the propagandist tendencies of the mainstream US media, “American Idiot” came with a subversive video showing the Cali neo-punk trio playing on a soundstage with a green-tinted version of the American flag as a backdrop. If social media had been more of a thing back then, we’re sure this would have been the source of a thousand memes. Halfway through, there’s a raucous beat-boxing competition held in a bar before Björk reunites with her husband, now suited, who grows to human size and then dances with her. One of the most mind-boggling videos of the 2000s was this one by the Icelandic avant-pop queen, which shows the singer going on a drinking binge to escape her husband, who is played by a cat wearing a vest. Like the song it’s representing, the video is taut and frenetic but is also an honest portrait of the band’s raucous, youthful energy.Ĭlick to load video 39: Björk: Triumph of a Heart (2005) Directed by: Spike Jonze These Canadian skate-punk rockers begin this anarchic video doing a short, impromptu four-part rap in a liquor store before the action cuts to a concert in a dry river bed, which is then interwoven with footage of the band acting up in front of the camera. 50: Sum 41: Fat Lip (2001) Directed by: Marc Klasfeld You can see a marked shift in the ways that musicians and film directors began to play with the format. What’s perhaps most interesting about this list of the best music videos of the 00s was the widespread arrival of the internet later in the decade.


There’s genre-defining moments in neo-soul and hip-hop, as well as genre-busting efforts by folks that subverted tropes built up since the arrival of MTV in August of 1981. There’s unique visual trickery by masters of the form. From Adele’s “Hello” to ZZ Top’s “Gimme All Your Lovin'” - these are the videos that continue to thrill us, delight us, disturb us, and remind us just how much you can do in three to four minutes with a song, a camera, a concept, a pose, some mood lighting, and an iconic hand gesture or two.The best music videos of the 00s are a varied bunch. But all of these picks are perfect examples of how pairing sound and vision created an entire artistic vocabulary, gave us a handful of miniature-movie masterpieces, and changed how we heard (and saw) music. No, “Thriller” is not.) A few pre-date the channel several have never played on MTV at all. You’ll notice some significant changes from the last time we did this. In honor of MTV’s 40th anniversary, we’ve decided to rank the top 100 music videos of all time.

Four decades after the channel’s launch and long after it stopped playing them, music videos still complement songs, create mythologies, and cause chatter and controversy. The internet soon stepped in to fill the void. The format proved so durable that when MTV decided to switch things up and devote its air time to game shows, reality TV, and scripted series, thus shutting down the primary pipeline for these promos, artists still kept making them. Entire genres and subgenres - from hip-hop to grunge to boy-band pop to nu metal - became part of the mainstream. The network revolutionized the music industry, inspired a multitude of copycat programming, made many careers, and broke more than a few. Virtually everyone knew what a music video was, and they wanted their MTV. At this point, viewers might have a few questions, like: Is this like a radio station on TV? What is a “VJ”? And what the hell is a “music video”?Ī year later, no one was asking that last question. This wasn’t a news channel it was “Music Television.” If they kept tuning in, they’d see clips and hear VJs talk about bringing you the latest in music videos. And then they’d hear a voiceover, with all the smooth patter of an FM disc jockey: “Ladies and gentlemen, rock & roll.” Cue power chords, and a flag with a network logo - something called MTV - that rapidly changed colors and patterns.
#Clipsy songs tv
The familiar sight of Neil Armstrong exiting his lunar module and walking on the moon would fill the TV screen. In the wee hours of August 1st, 1981, someone flipping through their channels might have come across the image of a rocket blasting into space.
