Eight music videos that are way better than their songs

From the early days of MTV it was obvious that music videos weren’t a radical new art form as much as they were a new way to sell music. At best they were slick ads for the artists and their songs, and more often than not they were cheap parades of images – or worse, concert footage – to occupy the visual part of what was otherwise a radio broadcast.

But as the medium developed a bit, some specimens started to emerge from the pack. Michael Jackson in particular went from star to mega-star based at least in part on the strength of the videos spawned by some of the tracks from Thriller. Overall, however, it was still more about the music than about the pictures.

Inevitably in some cases an intersection would crop up between a visually-innovative video and a mediocre – if not downright dreadful – song. Take these eight for example.

 

Lenny Kravitz – “Are You Gonna Go My Way?”
Kravitz’s breakout single is a fine piece of music. It didn’t exactly end war, poverty and famine, but it was nowhere near as annoying as most of the rest of popular culture (then or now). However, the coolness of the tune was vastly overshadowed by the coolness of the video. The background dancers up on the balconies were okay. The band was fun to look at. But oh, that giant light display on the ceiling. If I was a millionaire, nobody would ever come over to my house because I’d have one of these things on the ceiling in every room in the place.

The Wallets – “Totally Nude”
Though I couldn’t immediately track it down on Lexis, I’m pretty sure there’s a law on the books somewhere that requires anybody who pontificates about music to include at least one reference to a band or work that nobody’s ever heard of. You know, just to establish one’s know-it-all cred. Well, I don’t want to break the law, so … The Wallets were just like thousands of other garage bands that never really went much of anywhere. I think a couple of the guys went on to start an ad agency or something. But before they split up, they made this one really good video. Though it isn’t a masterpiece of narrative filmmaking, it does feature some interesting animation and a clever reference to Marcel Duchamp. And if nothing else, it must have taken a little chutzpah for the lead singer to put a mouse in his mouth. I don’t know why that strikes me as gutsy. It isn’t like they’re poisonous or anything. Still, I wouldn’t have done it.

Peter Gabriel – “Sledgehammer”
Gabriel’s music on the whole is quite good. Even this particular song is fun to listen to even though it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. The video, on the other hand, should come up in any Google search for “labor of love.” I can just imagine the patience the singer must have needed to sit around for hours as animators arranged everything from claymation to dead fish around him.

Michael Jackson – “Leave Me Alone”
Speaking of animators, Jim Blashfield directed several well-known videos with a similar look and feel for artists as diverse as Gabriel, Paul Simon and The Talking Heads. Usually his work ended up paired with music as good as the visuals he created to accompany it. Oddly enough, the one time the animation was far-and-away better than the song was for music video legend Michael Jackson’s “Leave Me Alone.” The lyrics are a vague expression of dissatisfaction about nothing in particular, but the unending-pan animation pokes fun at many of the crazy rumors circulating about the star’s eccentric behavior. For example, one shot finds Jackson performing some signature dance moves with the animated bones of the Elephant Man (which he once supposedly tried to purchase).

REM – “Losing My Religion”
Though I wouldn’t classify myself as a fan of these gods of complaint rock, a couple of their tunes are a guilty pleasure. On the less guilty side, I openly admit a love for Northern Renaissance painting. The two combine nicely in the video for Michael Stipe’s paean to coming out of the closet.

Madonna – “Express Yourself”
Like Michael Jackson, Madonna’s name became synonymous with video success in the early-to-mid 80s. Some of her better work included visual references to other bits of pop culture, such as the homage in “Material Girl” to Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. My favorite is the copious use of elements from Metropolis in “Express Yourself.” Sure, it’s like the Fritz Lang classic reshot as an ad for Calvin Klein. But the picture is still way better than the naïve silliness in the lyrics about how women should force their menfolk to communicate about their feelings.

MC 900 Foot Jesus – “If I Only Had a Brain”
Every time I hear this song, I get it stuck in my head. Or to be more precise, the version I get wedged between my ears isn’t the song itself but Beavis witlessly wuw-wuw-ing along with it. The video, on the other hand, plays like the Velvet Underground’s “The Gift”only with a happier ending. Fun stuff.

Basement Jaxx – “Where’s Your Head At?”
If I was stuck on a desert island and could play only one music video for the rest of my life, I wouldn’t hesitate for a moment to pick this one. The song has all the lyrical depth of any other piece of club techno noise. But the pictures … well, you just have to see it for yourself.

BONUS TRACK: Tool - “Sober”
After a reader suggestion and a discussion among the staff, we decided to add this video to the list. It's a good call. I really like the song, but the video is so much awesome that it truly does outshine the music.