MTV isn't interested in playing music videos these days, but when it did, it helped define eras and careers, and became a phenomenon in its own right.
The music video didn't appear out of nowhere in 1981 when MTV opened. Rather, there were many music videos before this, but few were successful, mainly due to occasional airings on weekly music shows on television stations around the world.
While music videos are almost exclusively watched on YouTube YouTube Music - Easily Discover New Music Videos on YouTube YouTube Music - Easily Discover New Music Videos on YouTube More information these days, this is just the latest stage in the evolution of a subgenre of films that can be as elaborate as a feature film and as personal as a family photo.
To tell the story of this medium and show how it has evolved over the decades, we've taken a look at 10 of the most iconic music videos of the last 50 years.
The Beatles are, of course, the most important band in the history of pop music (Even If Paul Is Dead Paul Is Dead:How The Internet Fueled The Beatles Conspiracy Theory Paul Is Dead:How The Internet Fueled The Beatles Conspiracy Theory) Beatles conspiracy Does Paul McCartney, legendary musician and member of The Beatles, actually die in 1966 only to be replaced by a lookalike Probably not, but the "Paul is Dead" conspiracy theory just refuses to die Read More), whose influence is still felt nearly 50 years after his death. pull apart. But what about their music videos?
In the 1960s, few acts shot music videos. There was no MTV, and in an age of endless touring, artists often couldn't get to the television studios to perform. Having flirted with the idea of promotional films for their songs taken from the movies, A Hard Day's Night and Help! , The Beatles later recorded a series of promotional films for their singles after leaving the tour in 1966.
While "I am the walrus" could be the best known Beatles. “video” from this point on, it is the “Strawberry Fields Forever” promo film that matters most, complete with reverse, slow motion, fades, camera filters and slow mixes, and a collection of unusual camera angles and slightly imposing..
The Beatles weren't alone in producing promotional films in those days; Other international artists like The Kinks (“Dead End,” “Monkey Man”), The Beach Kids (“Good Vibes”), and Bob Dylan (“Subterranean Homesick Blues”) used the idea.
Eight years later, the music video was nothing more than an occasional promotional film, usually the syndication of a certain television performance. Some artists like David Bowie shot promotional films, but this idea was generally ignored, with shows in Europe like Top of the Pops preferring to accompany songs with dancers if the artists were not available to perform.
When the queen's epic "Bohemian Rhapsody" became a number one hit in 1975, the band was on tour and couldn't make it to the Top of the Pops recording. on BBC One. Instead, they shot a special video for the occasion, with the band playing the beginning and end of the song on stage, and a collection of stunning visuals using the latest video editing technology accompanying the middle “opera” section.
The reception for this video was considerable, leading to it holding the number one spot in the UK for nine weeks.
By the time Michael Jackson's solo career hit the stratosphere with his Thriller The album, pop videos were more common, with debuting solo artists and established acts spending all their time shooting accompanying films and dedicated video performances to help sell their records.
Directed by John Landis (An American Werewolf in London , The Blues Brothers , one of those movies that can really match your mood Match Movies to Your Mood:Do These Tools Work? How to Match Movies to Your Mood:Do These Tools Work? There is something magical about movies. In the space of two hours a complete story is told from start to finish. With a medium that hopefully leaves you feeling something - anything - for the characters and... Read More enjoyed its MTV world premiere on December 2 North Dakota 1983.
“Novela de suspense” has since been listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the “most successful music video,” and is the first music video added to the National Film Registry. Its impact is broader than this, however, influencing musicians and film directors alike ever since.
Watch out for the American Werewolf -style transformation, possibly better executed in “Thriller” than in the original movie. And if you're still in the mood for some Michael Jackson, why not learn to walk on the moon? Learn to Moonwalk in 5 Easy Steps Learn to Moonwalk in 5 Easy Steps The moonwalk is easily one of the most iconic dance moves. Read more ?
Mixing early computer graphics with the rotoscoped animation of Dire Straits performing live, "Money for Nothing" reached number one in the US largely thanks to this video, which singer/guitarist Mark Knopfler had been hesitant about. much about the use of.
Director Steve Barron called in Ian Pearson and Gavin Blair to create the animation, using a Bosch FGS-4000 CGI system and a Quantel Paintbox. The latter device was used extensively in television production from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, and was used regularly by the BBC on Doctor Who ( and here are 50 more things every Doctor Who fan should know).
Pearson and Blair turned to Mainframe Entertainment, now Rainmaker Entertainment, producers of a wide selection of comic book cartoon spin-offs and toys as diverse as Transformers and Barbie, with a bit of Spider-Man thrown in.
“Money for Nothing” is also notable for featuring Sting on vocals.
Following his departure from Genesis, Peter Gabriel endured several years without a hit (first solo single). “Solsbury Hill” aside) until this influential music video was commissioned by Virgin Records.
With amazingly imaginative use of stop-motion video techniques (something you could probably do with a phone these days. Create Stop Motion Animations With These 5 Fun Apps [iPhone &Android] Create Stop Motion Animations With These 5 Fun Apps [ iPhone and Android] As far as the amazing creative things you can do with lots of free time, stop motion animations are up there with the best.For kids and adults alike, being able to take still photos... Read More) by Aardman Animations (which would later produce the world famous Wallace and gromit series), Gabriel's head (and his later body) is used as a template for a variety of real-world visual effects, from makeup to turning into fruit.
The result was that the "Sledgehammer" video won a previously unsurpassed nine MTV Video Music Awards in 1987, and is MTV's most played music video (not that they play many of those these days).
Gabriel's 1992 hit “Steam” also relied on cutting-edge techniques, this time using CGI and other digital effects.
Directed by Spike Jonze, Weezer's biggest hit was accompanied by the visual treatment of a Happy Days mashup, with original cast members cleverly edited into the group's performance at Arnold's Drive-In diner, the popular diner from the iconic '70s TV show.
While contemporary actors and artists intermingle with historical imagery these days, it was far less common in 1994, having only been successfully executed in Steve Martin's modern comedy, Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid . “Buddy Holly” won four awards at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards, and was also included on the Windows 95 CD, listed on the “Fun Stuff” list, which contributed to the song's success.
The use of the compact edition and a body double allowed the popular character Fonzie (Henry Winkler) to dance to the climax of the song, and you should also look for Al Molinaro as the only contemporary presence of the original show, which ended in 1984..
Jamiroquai's biggest hit featured this impressive combination of dance and a seemingly soulful floor, allowing singer Jay Kay to perform the vocals in a memorable way. While it appears that the video is a single take, it is actually several sequences edited together with subtle use of camera feeds. That's not the only magic at work here...
As you may have guessed, the ground doesn't actually move; rather, the camera is fixed on the set, which is moving on a gray, featureless floor.
Unsurprisingly, "Virtual Madness" won four awards at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards, where the band put on a memorable performance, with Jay Kay dancing on two moving walkways set up on stage.
Britney Spears' debut single was released with this slightly cheesy high school-focused video from director Nigel Dick, and immediately connected with the MTV audience, leading to near-instant worldwide fame for the former stalwart of the Disney Club..
Unlike most of the other videos on this list, there are few special effects in this music promo. It is, instead, an example of the perfect synchronicity between a song and its accompanying video, strong direction, convincing choreography, and realistic dress (standard school uniforms were worn).
The school used in the “Baby One More Time” video was Venice High School, which was formerly at the center of the cultural behemoth that is Grease. .
Shot in black and white and featuring nothing but Beyoncé and two dancers, well, dancing in what appears to be one take (it's not), "Single Women" was awarded Video of the Year at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. , and its popularity does not seem to have diminished since then. In fact, just the opposite is true.
With the advent of YouTube in 2005, music videos have moved wholesale from MTV to Google's video-sharing site, where they can be enjoyed on demand, rather than forcing the viewer to wait until the track is back in circulation. And then “Single Women” lives on.
Although iconic, it is interesting to know that the choreography was inspired by a very similar performance from The Ed Sullivan Show in 1969, choreographed by Bob Fosse, as demonstrated in this mashup.
Jake Nava's direction, the use of black and white, the development of the 40-year-old choreography, and the fact that the video features an international superstar named Beyoncé, thus rises beyond a cheap rip-off into the realm. of the icons. The number of skits inspired by this video is testament enough.
Lady Gaga has made music videos the focus of her pop bachelor's career more than any artist since Michael Jackson, so she shouldn't be surprised to find her stunning seven-minute film. “Born This Way” Video concluding this list (and believe me, it was hard to pick just 10).
Directed by fashion photographer Nick Knight, the video features Lady Gaga in various guises, complete with scary-looking facial bulges (actually prosthetic makeup rather than subdermal implants) and various references to Greek and Roman mythology. Oh, and an impression of Michael Jackson, appropriately enough.
It's frankly brilliant..
Speaking of parodies, it's actually a law of the internet that we can't talk about the amazing video for “Born This Way” Not to mention the other amazing video, for Weird Al Yankovich “Do It This Way”...
Right now, I can unlock my phone, launch the YouTube app, and enjoy pretty much any pop video ever made, wherever I am. It's a far cry from the experimental times of the 1960s, where adding a movie to their latest hit was considered. avant garde .
Queen's music video revolution, an experiment the band repeated over and over again with some fascinating results (such as "Radio ga ga" and "Innuendo") ushered in a new aspect of the music industry, one that spawned the most famous television channel in the world and the most famous video of all, Michael Jackson's “Thriller”.
Although MTV is now moving away from its former role, in part out of claims to legitimacy as a producer of television shows, and in part because its owners fear competition from YouTube, it will always be synonymous with the pop music scene of the 1980s and 1980s. 90..
But where could YouTube take music videos? Do Lady Gaga's amazing videos take advantage of the medium or just exploit it? Could YouTube, or another full service, offer a new way to host, play and distribute music videos in the future?
What do you think? What would you include in your own list of iconic music videos? Tell us your thoughts on music videos, and how they've evolved over the years, in the comments section below!
