I can see why Björk videos might resonate to varying degrees depending on one's appreciation for her music but the 'Bachelorette' video (by Gondry, of course) is like objectively astounding. I have to imagine it'll show up in these results eventually.
― When the Pain That You Feel is the Bite of an Eel, That's a Moray (Old Lunch), Friday, 18 March 2022 01:57 (two years ago) link
xps 'losing my religion' had to be my REM pick, despite my not particularly caring about it as a kid, because it captures an aspect of my memory of the 90s in a way that few other 90s artifacts do. rustic, sepia earth tones, pseudo-historicity, a mystique of sophistication, it reminds me of the pier 1 imports my mom decorated the house with, intended to offer the feel of a place that had been lived in without the dust and dirt of a real old object, decor that in retrospect is imbued with melancholic longing or an ennui of emptiness, which i also associate with the song
I'm tempted to say that the gap between the images in music videos and "life" was clearer before the Internet became part of everyday life, and that it was easier to be bored and to feel that emptiness -- not sure how much it's the adolescent versus the historical moment.
― eatandoph (Neue Jesse Schule), Friday, 18 March 2022 02:02 (two years ago) link
I voted for "Man on the Moon" (the "Losing My Religion" video is one of those I can't really see because of my antipathy for the song). That was definitely a key video for me in appreciating the artistic possibilities for the form, even though it's well along the timeline (and supposedly borrows liberally from Bruce Conner, whose films I've never seen).
― clemenza, Friday, 18 March 2022 02:11 (two years ago) link
The first Bruce Conner film I saw was a found-footage thing called “Take the 5:10 to Dreamland” (1976), which blew my mind. Devo’s “Mongoloid” video is another Bruce Conner found-footage work.
― Josefa, Friday, 18 March 2022 02:29 (two years ago) link
"star guitar" is the greatest visual representation of how it feels like the landscape syncs up with the music in your headphones when you're staring out the window of a train― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Thursday, March 17, 2022 10:32 AM (eleven hours ago) bookmarkflaglink
― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Thursday, March 17, 2022 10:32 AM (eleven hours ago) bookmarkflaglink
not sure I've seen the video but can confirm, after a "Star Guitar" drive across Kansas at sunset
― sloop johnnin' skater (geoffreyess), Friday, 18 March 2022 02:50 (two years ago) link
biggest surprise today... "Oblivion" had a video? something about that feels retconned
― sloop johnnin' skater (geoffreyess), Friday, 18 March 2022 02:57 (two years ago) link
It got lots of rotation on MTV; it’s how I discovered the song…
― Please don’t take / My time change away (morrisp), Friday, 18 March 2022 03:01 (two years ago) link
i am enjoying this rolloutalso old grumps & younglings may not recall everyone suddenly wearing tennis headbands to emulate marl knopfler & money for nothing video was THE coolest thing anyone had ever clapped eyes since “Thriller”. we didn’t get out muchand then def leppard ruined it by recreating the same animation for the lets get rocked video & all nostalgia left my body
― terminators of endearment (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 18 March 2022 04:02 (two years ago) link
Yeah the "Money for Nothing" video blew my mind at a young age. tbh I voted for it having forgotten about that one awful lyric, might have given me some pause had I remembered
― Vinnie, Friday, 18 March 2022 04:53 (two years ago) link
Their lasting impact was not lasting, at least not here--Rob Sheffield is still an enthusiast.
― clemenza, Thursday, March 17, 2022 9:08 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink
do you mean their videos?
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 18 March 2022 09:29 (two years ago) link
“oblivion” video was def a big deal at the time, maybe only in tumblr and the blogosphere, but that area of the culture deserves representation here
― roflrofl fight (voodoo chili), Friday, 18 March 2022 12:04 (two years ago) link
didnt vote but im glad radiohead 'just' placed, i remember vhs taping that off mtv as a teen & watching it over and over to find out what was said @ the end
― johnny crunch, Friday, 18 March 2022 13:11 (two years ago) link
In terms of Duran Duran, that's probably what I meant; in terms of Rob, more general. There are probably bands out there influenced by them musically, and image-wise, that I don't know.
― clemenza, Friday, 18 March 2022 13:53 (two years ago) link
I'm just sitting around, may as well start. I move pretty quickly--would be happy to finish today.
― clemenza, Friday, 18 March 2022 14:27 (two years ago) link
https://phildellio.tripod.com/video-25.jpg
25. “Bastards of Young,” Replacements (1985)73 points/8 votesDirector: Randy Skinner
― clemenza, Friday, 18 March 2022 14:29 (two years ago) link
I'm a big fan but of two minds on this video. In context, in its moment, it's ingenious, and kind of a necessary No.
But I also think of Adventureland, and its brilliant use of "Unsatisfied" as Jesse Eisenberg is about to board a bus for New York near the end of the film. The Replacements had so many great songs that could have been, if they cared enough, turned into great videos. It would be nice to have those around right now; also, hundreds and hundreds of lesser bands broke through commercially because of a video.
But, if you've read Trouble Boys, and probably even if you haven't, you know they tried to sabotage that every chance they got. They succeeded, and this is what we have. (Maybe they made an actual video or two I've forgotten.)
― clemenza, Friday, 18 March 2022 14:34 (two years ago) link
xps star guitar would have been my #1 had i voted, apols if it doesn't place!
― nxd, Friday, 18 March 2022 14:35 (two years ago) link
XP They started making 'proper' videos w/Don't Tell A Soul.
― Precious, Grace, Hill & Beard LTD. (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 18 March 2022 14:36 (two years ago) link
(xpost) Rest easy.
Any good ones that got overshadowed by "Bastards of Young"s memorable gimmick? I have a three or four year window around that time where I wasn't paying attention to videos--that picked up again in the '90s.
― clemenza, Friday, 18 March 2022 14:38 (two years ago) link
Skimmed a couple quickly ("I'll Be You" and "Achin' to Be")--looked okay, primarily performance.
― clemenza, Friday, 18 March 2022 14:42 (two years ago) link
https://phildellio.tripod.com/video-24.jpg
24. “Ashes to Ashes,” David Bowie (1985)74 points/9 votesDirector: David Mallet
― clemenza, Friday, 18 March 2022 14:43 (two years ago) link
any way to get a text recap of what's placed so far?
*is murdered by clemenza*
― roflrofl fight (voodoo chili), Friday, 18 March 2022 14:43 (two years ago) link
OK boomers...
― Max Hamburgers (Eric H.), Friday, 18 March 2022 14:44 (two years ago) link
The best scene: harlequine Major Tom impassively enduring his mom's babbling on their beach walk.
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 18 March 2022 14:44 (two years ago) link
if the "bastards of young" video came out today it would be called a "visualizer" and there would be a different "official video"
― roflrofl fight (voodoo chili), Friday, 18 March 2022 14:45 (two years ago) link
I'll do a recap after I finish today--either the full thing, if I finish, or #40-11 if I don't. Also #41-100 after that.
― clemenza, Friday, 18 March 2022 14:46 (two years ago) link
Starting with the hypothetical that videos are still relevant (doubtful), if the Replacements were around today and still begging off, fans would jump in and make a bunch for them.
― clemenza, Friday, 18 March 2022 14:48 (two years ago) link
perfect video for the song
― nxd, Friday, 18 March 2022 14:48 (two years ago) link
The later Replacements videos weren't bad, but OTOH I'm just not sure MTV was ready for them even if they were doing 'great' videos (same w/the Pixies).
The "I'll Be You" video got pretty good airtime, and I particularly like the follow-up clip for "Achin'To Be" (one of Westerberg's sisters plays the mysterious shadow girl).
Rhino apparently has done some new official videos for old tracks, but I haven't watched them.
― Precious, Grace, Hill & Beard LTD. (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 18 March 2022 14:53 (two years ago) link
Good point--not like they would have automatically gotten play. If they'd been around after "Smells Like Teen Spirit," yes.
― clemenza, Friday, 18 March 2022 14:54 (two years ago) link
But we'd have them, though, right now.
― clemenza, Friday, 18 March 2022 14:55 (two years ago) link
https://phildellio.tripod.com/video-23.jpg
23. “Freedom! ‘90,” George Michael (1990)78 points/9 votesDirector: David Fincher
xp It's mostly my love for the song but I really like "The Ledge" video -- similarly zero-effort to "Bastards of Young" aside from the fact that they actually showed up to the shoot, plus there's no lip-syncing so it was pretty easy for the b-roll to get recycled for the identical "Alex Chiton" and "Can't Hardly Wait" videos. At least that's what I think is happening there.
― billstevejim, Friday, 18 March 2022 14:56 (two years ago) link
xps the new videos for the Sorry Ma box are alright. crossed my mind, but should have voted for Bastards.
― bulb after bulb, Friday, 18 March 2022 14:57 (two years ago) link
The "Ashes to Ashes" video was actually 1980. If I had ranked my picks, it would have been first. I just made the connection this morning - the only other thing with such ominous visuals I would have been watching on TV at the age of 8 or 9 was Doctor Who, I wonder if that allowed me to make a little more sense of it than I would have otherwise.
― Halfway there but for you, Friday, 18 March 2022 14:59 (two years ago) link
David Fincher shows up twice here...Honestly not sure if I knew of his video background or not. Maybe I did at one time, but I'd forgotten about it by the time of Zodiac and The Social Network.
"Alex Chilton" was waiting there for a brilliant video.
With a few of these, the album came out one year and the single/video another--went with the latter when I was aware of that. Maybe I messed up on Bowie.
― clemenza, Friday, 18 March 2022 14:59 (two years ago) link
Ah, that's a typo--the correct date is in the screenshot. (Cutting and pasting--he got the Replacements' 1985.)
― clemenza, Friday, 18 March 2022 15:01 (two years ago) link
freedom 90 way too low
― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Friday, 18 March 2022 15:01 (two years ago) link
"Bstards of Young" was a no-brainer nom for me but I had no particular expectation of it placing. I don't think I even grasped that was an anti-video statement when I belatedly saw with it virtually no context. (It was the first Replacements song I heard.) There's *just* enough going on for it be entertaining in spite of itself lol.
The several no-we-don't-do-videos videos are way cooler than the conventional ones they eventually did IMHO.
― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Friday, 18 March 2022 15:01 (two years ago) link
https://phildellio.tripod.com/video-22.jpg
22. “Rockit,” Herbie Hancock (1983)85 points/9 votesDirector: Kevin Godley & Lol Creme
― clemenza, Friday, 18 March 2022 15:07 (two years ago) link
lol this video resides deep in my subconscious
― roflrofl fight (voodoo chili), Friday, 18 March 2022 15:09 (two years ago) link
I thought this was forgotten history; evidently not. (This and Dire Straits and one famous video coming up are the kind of gimmick videos I've never liked--again, if I'd been younger, they may have made the same impression on me as on those who voted for them. I still like a number of indefensible songs from the early '70s.)
― clemenza, Friday, 18 March 2022 15:09 (two years ago) link
lol lol creme
― Josefa, Friday, 18 March 2022 15:11 (two years ago) link
"Too Funky" > "Freedom '90"
― Max Hamburgers (Eric H.), Friday, 18 March 2022 15:12 (two years ago) link
The band that recorded "Seen Your Video" should not be in this results list. Just sayin.
― enochroot, Friday, 18 March 2022 15:15 (two years ago) link
I can only imagine the WTF?-factor "Rockit" had upon viewers stumbling upon it back in the day.
― Precious, Grace, Hill & Beard LTD. (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 18 March 2022 15:15 (two years ago) link
I was 7 when Ashes to Ashes came out, maybe just young enough to not be too weirded out, just old enough to realise that it was something out of the ordinary - either way it's stuck with me.
― ledge, Friday, 18 March 2022 15:16 (two years ago) link
I first heard of The Replacements in the issue of Rolling Stone that placed "Bastards of Young" as the 19th best video: http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/1993/rsvideo.htm
So I imagined what it looked/sounded like based on the description. I think I assumed they were more hardcore sounding. I finally saw a 5 second clip of it a couple years later on a 120 Minutes anniversary special when Green Day brought it up.
Re: "Money for Nothing" I didn't vote for it but I think there's something special about the combination of animation style and concept that transcends its popularity in that particular moment. Considering the bad language I'm kind of mindblown recalling (I'm almost certain) that it aired several times on Nick Rocks (the music vid show on Nickelodeon).
― billstevejim, Friday, 18 March 2022 15:18 (two years ago) link
https://phildellio.tripod.com/video-21.jpg
21. “Vogue,” Madonna (1990)87 points/7 votesDirector: David Fincher
― clemenza, Friday, 18 March 2022 15:18 (two years ago) link
Had no idea Fincher directed "Freedom '90" and "Vogue"!
― Vinnie, Friday, 18 March 2022 15:19 (two years ago) link