bLISTerd: Happy Birthday, MTV!: The Top 10 Videos of the ’00s
by MJ on Aug 26, 2011 • 4:30 pm 1 CommentMissy Elliott works it, Isaac Brock and Modest Mouse try on funny mustaches, and Fiddy parties like it’s yo’ berf day (AKA #20-#11) here.
10. Here it Goes Again | OK Go (2006)
It all started with some treadmills. Add in a synchronized choreography routine (not very easy to do on treadmills, mind you) and a C-list power-pop band turns into those guys! Do you think the members of OK Go are pissed because they’ve turned into something of a gimmick band? Probably not-I’d bet they’re laughing all the way to the bank. I will say that I’d probably go to the gym a lot more if you could bust moves like these on the treadmill without getting kicked out and losing your membership. –Blerd
9. Telephone | Lady GaGa featuring Beyonce (2010)
The video starts off with what must be the most well-choreographed incarceration since Michael Jackson was booked in 2005. There’s a series of got-damn riDONKulous GaGa outfits and hairpieces (cigarettes? actual telephones?) and the video continues through some of the most deliberately stilted dialogue in the history of music video and the stars’ adventure in something called the Pussy Wagon. Miss Germanotta and Mrs. Carter (along with director Jonas Akerlund) put together a slice of cinematic cheese that you couldn’t turn away from for even a second. This was the peak of the “is this GaGa chick serious?” era. And they found a job for Tyrese. Mighty nice of them.-Blerd
8. Keep Fishin’ | Weezer (2002)
Rivers Cuomo and Muppets. Say no more. Almost a solid decade before Muppetmania returned in full flower, our favorite power-pop band brought Jim Henson’s character back to life for a video that can make even the biggest Statler and Waldorf-sized sourpuss crack a grin. Miss Piggy gets the hots for drummer Pat Wilson and kidnaps him-conveniently allowing Animal to take the stage as Weezer’s replacement drummer. Non-stop shenanigans, a great song, and appearances from damn near the whole Muppet crew (Fozzie, Gonzo, Dr. Bunsen Burner and Beaker and the Swedish Chef are all here, as is Kermit, of course)? I feel like I’m 5 again!-Blerd
7. Crazy | Gnarls Barkley (2007)
Well, it’s a cross-genre smash, the result of a collabo between a hip-hop producer with an affinity for Ennio Morricone and the Beatles and a rapper who, as it turns out, can belt out future whacked-out soul standards with the conviction of a Gaye or a Cooke. The clip for “Crazy” is as mad as its title and its origins suggest; and also every bit as artistic, a series of mirrored Rorshach blots that mutate rhythmically forming the vid’s centerpiece. It’s so brilliantly simple it’s hard to believe no one’s done it before. – Drew
6. Clint Eastwood | Gorillaz (2005)
The video for “Clint Eastwood” establishes the Gorillaz as a dizzying whirlwind of multimedia, relying heavily on visual elements and cultural touchstones as well as the group’s idiosyncratic, vivacious music. In the animated clip, the animated band members – joined by a big blue phantasm voiced by Del tha Funkee Homosapien – battle zombie apes in a graveyard. The dynamic, anime-inspired animation is interesting enough to hold the attention, but the devil’s in the horror-flick details here, opening with a quote from the original “Dawn of the Dead” and tipping the hat towards Peter Jackson’s “Dead Alive” and – in perhaps the finest moment of homage – the immortal zombie dance from Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”.-Drew
5. 99 Problems | Jay-Z (2004)
2004 Mtv Video Music Awards for Best Rap Video, Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Editing. Winner of 3 Music Video Production Awards (MVPA) in 2005. Awarded the #2 spot on Rolling Stone’s Top 100 Videos of the 2000’s list. Universally panned as a visual masterpiece, Jay Z’s video for 99 Problems garnered accolades across the board in 2004. In a medium where flash and pomp are the norm, the Mark Romanek video stayed pure and classic, matching Jay’s flow and stripped down, banging trademark Rick Rubin beat. Shot entirely in black and white, its the scenes of life in Jay’s home of Brooklyn that are the stars of this video. Juxtaposed against the wild, showy videos of just 6-7 years prior made famous by the likes of Puffy, Ma$e and Hype Williams, 99 problems finds its roots and identity in old school simplicity, allowing content to shine rather than Vegas lights and shiny suits. We are taken on a journey from the Marcy housing projects, from which Jay came up to various scenes of the city. The diversity, beauty and day to day hustle and bustle that makes New York the greatest city on earth is on full display: from the Rabbi praying on the sidewalk to B-Boys performing in the street. Street bikes, step routines, ballers and even Vincent Gallo and James Gandolfini viewed simply walking down the street grant a view of daily life in NYC. Daily life that is uncommon most everywhere else, but the true reality of Gotham. This is New York. This is Hip Hop. Romanek directed to the track perfectly in all aspects, none greater than the second verse. There is a brilliant and truly poignant exchange between Jay and a police officer who pulled him over. Seeing Jay and Rick Rubin seated in the GS300, unflinching at the harassment and peering eyes of the police who without the proper warrants won’t be able to see what’s in ‘the trunk in the back’ is just perfect. Knowing he has the police outsmarted, Jay gives a sly smirk to the camera to accentuate the fact that he was successful and got away with it. I’m pretty sure he still has that same knowing smirk going to this day as he sits as the top dog in the industry. 99 Problems is a true heavyweight track and the video complements it flawlessly, earning and deserving all praise and award bling it’s received. –Chuck
4. Weapon of Choice | Fatboy Slim (2000)
Christopher Walken-many things. Odd looking fellow. Gifted actor. Wicked cowbell-bang orderer. But…dancer? Prior to witnessing his tour de force performance in Fatboy Slim’s “Weapon of Choice” video, very few people knew that Walken had been a student of the Washington Dance Studio (majoring in musical theater) prior to hitting it big as an actor. You wouldn’t even know from the start of the video, which features Walken looking mighty forlorn in a chair, but the guy’s a dancing machine. This dude could have done a remake of an Astaire movie if he wanted to! I wonder who his Ginger Rogers would have been.-Blerd
3. Fell in Love with a Girl | The White Stripes (2001)
The first collaboration between The White Stripes and director Michel Gondry is also the most memorable. It was also the clip that catapulted the Stripes into wider popularity. Gondry immerses Jack and Meg into Legoland for a vibrant clip that exhibits the band’s playfulness as well as their garage rock chops. The video rightly scored VMAs for Breakthrough Video, Special Effects and Editing in 2002. In his brilliance as a marketer, Jack White allegedly wanted Lego to create small packs of everyone’s favorite building blocks to be packaged with the single, though the company refused because “we don’t market our product to people over twelve.” Once the video took off, Lego approached Jack about putting the offer back on the table, but White smartly refused. A man of integrity, he.-Dr. Gonzo
2. Hurt | Johnny Cash (2003)
I can’t remember verbatim what it said, but a few years ago I read an interview with Trent Reznor where he talked about the first time he saw this video and I believe, heard Johnny Cash’s cover of his hit “Hurt”. Trent was at his studio in New Orleans recording material for Zach De La Rocha’s forever in the works solo album when a package with the video arrived. Zach opened the package and watched the video while Trent was in another room. He came and found Trent and explained to him that he needed to watch this video immediately. Needless to say, Trent was floored (and extremely honored)….as was everyone else who loved Johnny Cash and/or Nine Inch Nails when they saw this video.
Lyrically, this song is perfect fit for Cash’s voice and delivery. The video is striking and personally, I don’t watch it often because I get a lump in my throat and feel like I could start crying by the time it is over (much the same way I felt when the series finale of Six Feet Under aired). I’m surprised I got this many words out about it because quite frankly, words don’t do this justice.-Nick
…and the #1 video of the 21st century so far, beating “Hurt” by a single point…
1. Hey Ya! | OutKast (2003)
Evoking Beatlemania, urging girls to shake it like a Polaroid pictcha, starring in a double triple quadruple quintuple sextuple sentuple octuple role as every member of The Love Below, Andre Benjamin created his tour de force with “Hey Ya!”, quite possibly the most inescapable song (never mind video) of the past decade. With this brightly-colored, joyous mini-movie, the Atlanta rapper captured the attention of the entire American public. Kids in the ‘hood dug “Hey Ya!” Indie kids dug “Hey Ya!”, grandmothers dug “Hey Ya!”. Hmmm…maybe that Beatlemania comparison wasn’t so farfetched…-Blerd
1 comment
3cd Blog says:
Aug 27, 2011
Birthday Videos…
[…] ller Sounds from a Killer Band (Hard-Fi come back hard!) […]…