Influential Music Videos
The 10 Most Influential Music Videos
10) Gangnam
Style- PSY
This is an
influential music video because it was the first video to hit 1 billion on YouTube
and popularised the use of social media to share music videos. Gangnam style
also became a social phenomenon with news outlets reporting it as news and many
people being influenced by this trend. While Thriller affected people in the
same way, Gangnam style demonstrated that social media was now the most
prominent way of garnering attention.
9) Ok Go- Here
it goes again
Another Example
of how the internet has become more important as a source of media, this video
was released in 2005 during the early stages of YouTube and has since gone to
become viral and influential. Much like Subterranean Homesick Blues, this music
video has a ‘simple’ concept yet the execution is perfect. While Gangnam style
popularised internet music video sharing, this music video started it.
Furthermore, the video has been parodied many times, showing that it had an
impact on the culture at the time.
8) Madonna- Like a Prayer
Released in 1989, this music video was
influential because of the controversy it caused and the subject matter of the
video. Heavily sexual with themes of religion, this music video can be revered
or criticized as having popularized the sexual nature of some music videos that
has now become commonplace in genres such as hip hop and Pop.
7) Nirvana-
Smells like teen spirit
Released in 1991, this song is influential in terms of
genre conventions and social impact. The most popular songs by one of the most
influential bands of the 90’s, Nirvana, this music video depicts the very
popular idea of teenage angst and led the way to the popularity of grunge music
during the 90’s. Even to this day, the imagery of the video and band is still
popular and recognised with many parodies of the song and video. Smells like
teen spirit, in a way, shaped a generation of youths in terms of culture, style
and musical taste that signifies its importance.
6) A-HA- Take
on me
Released in 1984, the song’s music video is impressive and influential
because it was one of the first videos to use animation in the video. The way
that animation is used to convey abstract and surreal imagery would be
technique that would influence a plethora of works, such as the stop motion
animation in Radiohead’s’ Burn the Witch’ to the use of 3D- animation in more
recent videos.
5) Bessie Smith- St Louis Blues
This was the first music video in history, created around the 1920’sw, it was
the first to mix both music with moving imagery. While it is very out-dated, I
personally think it is very influential as it was the first music video in
history. While the video is lacking in much of what we
consider conventions for music videos nowadays, with it being a video focused
mainly on Bessie Smiths singing, it created the base by which other music
videos would follow.
4) Subterranean
Homesick Blues- Bob Dylan
The first example of a one shot used in a music video,
Bob Dylan’s Subterranean Homesick Blues is one of the most well music videos. Released in 1965, it challenged a lot of the norms of the music videos at the time with its mine en scene being very limited and a focus on only one particular person. While simple in concept and execution, it doesn’t detract from its
effectiveness. The single shot of the cards with words that go together with
the lyrics has been copied and parodied many times throughout the years. This
video demonstrated that a minimalistic and ‘simple’ video can work very well as
a music video, which is an idea that has also influenced other videos.
3) The Buggles-
Video killed the radio star
One of the most important milestones in Music
Video history was this song and video. Released in 1981, it was the first music
video to be aired on MTV and the first to be televised in history. It carved
out the way for televised music videos which would become the predominant way
of viewing music videos until the rise in popularity of the internet and social
media platforms.
2) Bohemian
Rhapsody- Queen
One of the greatest, in my opinion, music videos of all time
with one of my favourite songs, this music video conveyed a story which has
become very well known. The music video is well known for being sporadic and
continuous, with drastic transitions in imagery, camera shots and lighting. The
famous scene of the 4 band members is often parodied and effectively uses heavy
down lighting to create an ominous mood. More than any other music video, this
one is most influential in terms of visual storytelling and variety.
1) Thriller
Michael Jacksons’ biggest music video and one of the most well-known music
videos in history it’s not a surprise that it Thriller became influential. It
was well produced, with a budget of $500,000 dollars, and was shot like a movie.
It has a very prominent narrative and was one of the first music videos to
incorporate well-choreographed dance routines, which also became very popular.
It popularised the notion that music videos weren’t simply videos to go with
music but that the visuals and narrative told through the video could enhance
the experience.
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