10. Black Hole Sun - Soundgarden
I know this is supposed to depict mundane suburban life being pulled into some metaphorical vortex but to me, it's just plain creepy and has stayed with me since I first saw it back in the mid nineties. The creepy stretchy smiles is just too spine-chilling for words and I wonder how they managed to cast this clip - by advertising for the most plastic looking people on earth??? I love Chris Cornell and Soundgarden but most of their other clips are pretty mundane actually. I wonder what they were on when they thought this up - although I'm pretty sure they didn't have a say in it.
9. Taylor – Jack Johnson.
This clip makes me laugh. It is shot like a documentary on the 'making of Taylor, the film clip' and it features Ben Stiller trying to make an impression as a video clip director but being a total tool in front of Jack Johnson. His literal take on the lyrics of the song are very funny and cheesy. I normally could give or take Ben Stiller but I always have a chuckle at this one. :)
8. Take On Me – aHa
For a decade of shame that featured baggy yellow pants, muscle shirts (or no shirts), clicking fingers in time and blue eyeshadow, this video seems welcomingly out-of-place. It's a great video, cleverly made and I like the mixture of drawing and reality. A-Ha have a very creative team behind them. And the song is so unspeakably catchy, you can't help but love it. :)
7. I Want To Be With You - Mandy Moore
To set the record straight, no, I haven't posted this video because I like seeing Mandy Moore writhe her way through a video. For a bit of back story, the main guy in this clip is Sascha Radetsky (an American Ballet Company dancer). He is bloody amazing. You might have seen him on Centre Stage as Charlie, if you have seen that movie, in which this song featured. I could watch this clip over and over again for him (with possibly the mute button on!). The rest of the dancers are pretty great too.
6. Here It Goes Again - Ok Go
This is one of the most original and clever clips I have ever seen. It is perfectly timed, coordinated and must have taken FOREVER to record. The song is also pretty cute but shows their extreme creativity. Enjoy!
5. Jeremy - Pearl Jam
This clip is shocking, heartbreaking and extremely clever. The song and clip was based on an actual story Eddie Vedder found in a newspaper about a boy in 1991 who shot himself in front of his classmates. The clip, as a result, depicts this story. It is famous for being misinterpreted - many people think because of the large amount of blood splattered on his classmates and their stationary positions, that the boy kills them which is untrue. There is a cut edition which depicts him putting the gun in his own mouth. In any case, it is very sad but thoroughly compelling. RIP Jeremy Delle.
4. Big Me – Foo Fighters
If anyone remembers TV in the nineties, this is a big payout of the Mentos ads (Mentos: The Freshmaker) which followed a similar pattern of someone trying to get out of a sticky situation, having a Mentos and subsequent brainwave. It is HILARIOUS and Dave Grohl's facial expressions crack me up! :)
3. Enigma – Return To Innocence
This was one of my favourite songs of my teenagehood and I even owned a tape of it - one of the few bought singles I had! This clip has always stayed with me for its beauty and intriguing. How wonderfully simple it is - beautiful footage played backwards, of nature, of ordinary people, farmers, children. I love that image of the tearing bread in reverse. And the dancing girl and the unicorn. Just so lovely!
2. Thriller – Michael Jackson
I couldn't leave out Thriller. It's just too famous for words. And for all the right reasons. Michael Jackson's clips always had that kind of je ne sais quoi that other artists just couldn't top. He was an amazing dancer, great pop artist and accomplished songwriter so Thriller ticks all the boxes, in that respect. Never has a song managed to get so many people excited when they get to pull out the requisite moves! And it features Vincent Price's voice-over for an added bonus. I miss Michael Jackson!
1. Last Stop: This Town - The Eels
What can I say about this clip? Injecting a carrot with DNA and growing it into a miniature version of yourself? How can you go wrong?! This is so cute. I really like the Eels, love this song and the clip just adds that little touch of icing to an already near-perfect cake!
