50."Leaving Song Part II" - AFI (Dir. Marc Webb)
In this video we see the band playing on an older style stage with just altering shots to people hardcore dancing. Why is this such a great video? Because of the raw energy that you feel between the band playing and the people going crazy in a parking lot. That's what the band wants to transmit in their music.
49."L'Via L'Viaquez" - The Mars Volta (Dir. Omar A Rodriguez-Lopez)
This music video is basically a freak out between sessions of animals flying free and the band jamming out. Overall, this song is exactly what you would expect from this song, and the words "psychedelic freak-out" seem to fit perfectly. The song was cut short for the video due to time restrictions.
48."Chinese Translation" - M. Ward (Dir. Joel Trussell and Eric Johnson)
It's a folk song set to folk images. The video itself is matching the song title and is almost the tale of an old Chinese proverb. Tone of the song is in complete synchronization with the video and if that doesn't make a good video then I don't know what does.
47."Swing Life Away" - Rise Against (Dir. Estevan Oriol)
Just hanging out and having fun playing music is the premise to this video. Rise Against, a typically heavy band, went acoustic for this song and made a damn good music video for it. Hanging out around Chicago and seeing the club scene is what this song is about. How can you not watch this video and get a smile?
46."Alive With The Glory Of Love" - Say Anything (Dir. Kevin Kerslake)
The power of love is the premise to this video as two very young love birds escape a seemingly menacing summer camp to be together. The song itself is somewhat related to frontman Max Bemis' grandparents who were Holocaust survivors. You can see some resemblances of the summer camp when you compare it with Jonestown. Now if grape flavor-aid doesn't scare you, then maybe getting caught by the camp marshal will.
45."Everything Is Alright" - Motion City Soundtrack (Dir. Chris Grismer and Chris Mills)
The video involves a group of mental patients, naturally in a mental facility, being themselves. The group plays this song throughout the video also, and we are constantly switching between the two. What makes this video great is that slowly we are revealed that the sane people (the band) are also insane. Guess we all need to analyze ourselves.
44."Hole In The Earth" - Deftones (Dir. Brian Lazzaro)
The group are slowly tossed around outer space in this video. As the band plays we slowly see that the earth is falling apart because of a hole in it. The effects are well done and doesn't subtract from the song or the quality of the video. It doesn't hurt that it's a damn good song.
43."Everlong" - Foo Fighters (Dir. Michel Gondry)
This video sees frontman Dave Grohl and drummer Taylor Hawkins as a married couple. Intruders get in and cause trouble, but Grohl tries to wake up from his slumber in time to save his wife. This song is phenomenal and the video is both touching and humorous in true Foo Fighters fashion.
42."Paperthin Hymn" - Anberlin (Dir. Chris Sims)
A young band makes a very touching video. Not often do you see that, but that's not what makes this video great. This song stands for sacrifice and the video shows that with the ultimate sacrifice. Most of the video shows the fun times and the hard times as oppose to the finale, which is what we all try to remember.
41."Mercy Me" - Alkaline Trio (Dir. Ben Goldman)
This legendary punk three piece pulls off their greatest video in a mixture of strange artwork, the members of the band, and the band actually playing. There's little to the actual story relating to song and video, but the art style and the looks of this video is simply enjoyable.
40."Holy Diver" - Killswitch Engage (Dir. Brian Thompson)
In this cover of the classic Dio tune, we see almost a shot for shot replica of the original music video. Except this time it isn't Dio who is hero and the damsel is...well...Adam. The song is a great cover, the video is done with great humor, and the mixture of them is just as good as the original version. Plus, you have to give Killswitch props for this, because not many would try after the Pat Boone version.
39."Ms. Jackson" - OutKast (Dir. F. Gary Gray)
It's a soothing song with a very abstract view. The two members of OutKast are in a house where it's storming. Rain keeps pouring in this house where the two guys are left to put buckets to catch the rain. They are joined by many cute little animals to make this a video viewable for everyone.
38."Failure's Not Flattering" - New Found Glory (Dir. Meiert Avis)
In this video we see the band being miniature size compared to the rest of the world around them, very much Alice In Wonderland style. The group goes through this situation and tries to get large again throughout the video. The art direction is great in this video and it is simply awesome to watch this group do everything.
37."I Will Possess Your Heart" - Death Cab For Cutie (Dir. Stewart Ahn and Shawn Kim)
This video is all about the love that one person wants to express to another person. Throughout the video we see a woman traveling and the group playing and then relate that frontman Ben Gibbard is singing this song to the woman in the video. The song's mellow tone matches the video almost perfectly and it is beautiful how it turned out.
36."Sic Transit Gloria...Glory Fades" - Brand New (Dir. Marc Webb)
Another Marc Webb headed video gives us a story of manipulation. We see frontman Jesse Lacey initially running into a bar and finding himself controlling everyone at the bar. Then he runs into a little bit of trouble. This is a well shot video as you would expect from a director like Webb. This one is slightly darker than his usual work, but that's to be expected since it matches the song.
35."Treat Me Like Your Mother" - The Dead Weather (Dir. Jonathan Glazer)
This video is just basically as badass as a Mexican standoff gets. Two band members walk towards each other and start opening fire with fully automatic guns. Some great effects are hidden in this video, be sure to look at the two members as the video progresses. The attention to detail is simply flawless.
34."The Ghost Of You" - My Chemical Romance (Dir. Marc Webb)
What happens when modern emo-punk meets up with World War II? This video. There are two events in this video, one is a USO dance where the band plays and the other is D-Day. We see the band members having a good time and enjoying themselves before they go to battle, then what happens when they are in battle. This video blew me away the first time I saw it and it hasn't lost a step in the three years since I first saw it.
33."Maps" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs (Dir. Patrick Daughters)
There is nothing obscene or any special effects in this video, this is just a simple concept executed perfectly. The band is simply playing the song in front of a small crowd, as if it was the first time the group has ever played a live show before. The look on singer Karen O's face says everything throughout the song. The anxious look she has is basically what the first show is about.
32."Cute Without The 'E' (Cut From The Team)" - Taking Back Sunday (Dir. Christian Winters)
The video itself is a direct copycat video of Fight Club. Inspired by every scene and every character, this video places members of the band in the movie essentially. It is executed perfectly by recreating many parts of the film with exact replica shots, but instead of Edward Norton and Brad Pitt you see John Nolan and Adam Lazzara. Oh, and the song is good too.
31."Learn To Fly" - Foo Fighters (Dir. Jesse Peretz)
Another one of the fun videos that everyone can enjoy. This video features cameos from Tenacious D as well as roles played by Dave Grohl, Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, and Dave Grohl. Some slacker janitors put A LOT of weed in the coffee pot and essentially render the entire plane full of people useless except for the guys in Foo Fighters who do their damnedest to pull a Sully.
30."Seven Nation Army" - The White Stripes (Dir. Alex and Martin)
To go along with the surreal style of most of The White Stripes videos, this is literally jumping down the rabbit hole. Composed of the visual effect that makes it appear that Jack and Meg are growing out of each other while playing their instruments, this video is simply awesome.
29."Shake It Out" - Manchester Orchestra (Dir. Clay Lipsky)
In this video frontman Andy Hull does his best Sylvester Stallone impression. The video follows the story of a truck driver with a kid following him and this truck driver stops in random places to arm wrestle. He eventually makes his way to the championship of a tournament in arm wrestling. Along the way however, he has problems with his woman at home, but don't worry, everything is okay.
28."First Day Of My Life" - Bright Eyes (Dir. John Cameron Mitchell)
This video could possibly be one of the cutest videos ever. It's sometimes amazing to realize that it's just listening that makes you realize things, and that's what this video showcases. Composed of couples and a few single people sitting on a couch listening, you see that this song was meant to unite people, and the reaction from the listeners is adorable.
27."Clint Eastwood" - Gorillaz (Dir. Jamie Hewlett)
Here we see a true virtual band and all of the various activities that they partake in. From playing their music with dancing gorillas to raising the dead, Gorillaz does their best to give us a somewhat spooky video to the tunes of slight hip-hop. The artwork is fun to look at for the entire video so it keeps you entertained through all of the graveyard antics.
26."Otherside" - Red Hot Chili Peppers (Dir. Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris)
Usually with Red Hot Chili Peppers we see interesting videos and this song is just another chapter in that story. Composed of essentially a Tim Burton outlook of a town, we see a hero who travels through many trials and tribulations to get to his final destination. Such tests include battling a dragon's head and a silhouette of himself. Oh, did I mention the battle with the giant crow? Yeah, because that is pretty cool too.
25."Go With The Flow" - Queens Of The Stone Age (Dir. Shynola)
Composed of only different shades of white, black, and red; this video is simply fun to watch. The only real plot here is a woman dancing while the band is driving full steam ahead at a gang who is doing the same thing. After a few sexual innuendos, color is restored to the video and we see life and more skimpy layered women in a clearer view.
24."99 Problems" - Jay-Z (Dir. Mark Romanek)
There's a lot going on in this video, but basically conquering adversity is the main theme. Despite the song speaking about how he has 99 problems but a bitch ain't one, the video features many of those bitches. A lot of block parties, Jay-Z walking through various places, and Rick Rubin placed in many places, this video is slowly telling a story which ends in an abrupt halt.
23."Holiday/Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" - Green Day (Dir. Samuel Bayer)
This video is truly the tale of two stories. During "Holiday" we have a fun night out that involves hookers and driving around seemingly intoxicated with a few role reversals involved. Then in "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" we see the hangover of their actions the night before and how lonely the three members of the band are. Because it's a Samuel Bayer video, you know that this is going to be well done, and it is. Plus, each one of these songs was all over the radio.
22."The Denial Twist" - The White Stripes (Dir. Michel Gondry)
In this video we see a bunch of tricks with the bodies of Jack and Meg, as well as the other star of the video, Conan O'Brien. The video starts off with the duo playing on Conan's show, then progresses into them getting into a car and going to their apartment. The art direction is simply neat and they interweave a few subtleties together very nicely that you have to pay attention to see.
21."Time To Pretend" - MGMT (Dir. Ray Tintori)
MGMT - Time To Pretend
Sony Music México | MySpace Music Videos
Another one of those spacey videos that you have no idea what is going on. There's no real plot to this video, just the two guys in the band hunting, eating, surfing, chilling with women, and basically everything else you can think of. All of that done in psychedelic form. This is one trippy video, but it keeps you watching until the end.
20."New Slang" - The Shins (Dir. Jake Neal)
Essentially this video is about the band just hanging out and doing things that guys in bands do. All of that is done on grainy video as if what you are watching is the home videos of some old home movies. You wouldn't think that formula would work but on this song the tone of the song matches the video perfectly and you can't help but smile while watching it.
19."Without Me" - Eminem (Dir. Joseph Kahn)
When somebody unloads in a video just having fun, not many people do it as well as Slim Shady himself. The video involves he and Dr. Dre doing a Batman and Robin style rescue of some kid buying Eminem's album which has the parental advisory sticker on it. Of course, there's many funny pokes at recent events that happened before the video was made. Isn't that what having fun is all about?
18."Bones" - The Killers (Dir. Tim Burton)
No you do not need to readjust your screen, that is THE Tim Burton. So of course this video already has some merit, but it also has substance. In this video there's a couple watching a drive-in movie and the band is playing on an abandoned playground when everyone slowly generates into skeletons. This video is one that you have to see to fully appreciate the execution of it.
17."The Kill" - 30 Seconds To Mars (Dir. Jared Leto)
This video is a direct take from The Shining. It involves the band performing in the hotel, doing numerous things in the hotel and encountering the same problems that happened in the adaptation of Stephen King's novel. One thing that stands out in this video is towards the end they give the illusion that the band is actually playing the ball that Jack attended in the olden days.
16."Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley (Dir. Robert Hales)
Gnarls Barkley "Crazy"
Gnarls Barkley | MySpace Music Videos
The song speaks of someone loosing their mind and asking people for their help in rectifying the situation. Then the singer goes insane and telling everyone else that they are just like him. The premise for the video is the psychiatric splotches all turn into members of Gnarls Barkley. It just needs to be seen to be appreciated.
15."Come On Up To The House" - Tom Waits (Dir. Anders Lövgren)
Who hasn't wrote on themselves with a permanent marker? Well, this guy takes it to the next level in this video when he writes all of the lyrics on his body as the song is playing. It's a neat video with only few effects, but the question I want to know is how did he get some of them erased that well?
14."The Ocean Breathes Salty" - Modest Mouse (Dir. Chris Milk)
This video tells the story of a boy who walks by a few dead crows in a field but when a big one hits in the same field he goes to investigate. The "bird" is actual Modest Mouse's frontman and the boy drags him back to his house so he and his mother can help patch up the injured "bird". Eventually he is back to good health and joins the rest of the band who has suffered the same fate as he.
13."Jesus Of Suburbia" - Green Day (Dir. Samuel Bayer)
Just like the song, the video tells the story of the "Jesus Of Suburbia" who struggles through problems in his life. Either it be in the relationship of a girlfriend, his mother, or himself, he can't find solace in anyone. The boy is played by Lou Taylor Pucci, who if he gets a good part in a good film, will be big.
12."Schism" - Tool (Dir. Adam Jones)
Okay, before you watch this video, I just want to make sure you know what you're getting into. Strange alien creatures do strange alien creature things. There, that's what you need to be looking out for. But it's simply beautiful how it all unfolds and how it somehow relates to the song. Seriously though, watch this.
11."House Of Cards" - Radiohead (Dir. James Frost)
This is another one of those trippy videos. It involves the wiring outlines and a small silicon-esque base of frontman Thom Yorke's face that sings the song. Then it involves the same technology but used on a city's skyline and we see the city slowly fall to pieces. More people show up and it becomes extremely trippy.
10."At The Bottom Of Everything" - Bright Eyes (Dir. Cat Solen)
It starts out as a spoken word narrative by Conor Oberst, Bright Eyes' frontman, which sets the story and the tone of the video. Don't worry, that's actually part of the song too. The story involves a woman on a plane and the fun that they have knowing that the plane is eventually going to crash. You may also notice that a few of the passengers look strangely familiar.
9."Here It Goes Again" - OK Go (Dir. Trish Sie and OK Go)
Only once in a great while do you get a music video that captivates an entire population. That's what this video did. I mean, who ever thought you could do so much on treadmills. The band said that they practiced for hours on end doing this, but it only took them four attempts to pull it all off. Well, everyone has already seen the video, but every time I see it I have to watch it.
8."Knights Of Cydonia" - Muse (Dir. Joseph Kahn)
This video is what happens when you mix the wild west with the future and karate. It's the story of a young cowboy who puts his six shooter away for a fistful of fury. In his quest for vengeance you see some futuristic things start to happen and every rule in the book is thrown out from there. It's such a fun video, you can't help but enjoy it. And if fun doesn't describe it, badass will.
7."Glósóli" - Sigur Rós (Dir. Arni and Kinski)
This video consists of children dressed in old-fashioned Icelandic clothing, migrating towards an unknown destination somewhere in Iceland. The leader, a boy with a drum, directs the group through a land characterized by open fields and rocky hills, all the while picking up more and more children. You just need to check this out, it's worth your time.
6."Fidelity" - Regina Spektor" (Dir. Marc Webb)
In this video we see sweet Regina alone, at least at first. She then is slowly joined by a man. Piece by piece the man comes together throughout the video. Then finally he is whole and the two begin to put color in their only black and white world. By throwing around pastels, paint, and chalk of mulitple colors, the two have a lot of fun while decorating their lives.
5."You Rock My World" - Micheal Jackson (Dir. Paul Hunter)
The king of pop does his final bow in this music video that is simply vintage Michael. He dances and sings his way to a woman's heart and does so in a manor familiar to West Side Story. Michael gets the help of a few very famous friends in this video to play the bad guys that he tries to rescue this woman from. Oh, and he has a famous partner, if Chris Tucker counts as famous.
4."Hurt" - Johnny Cash (Dir. Mark Romanek)
In formula you think that Johnny Cash covering Nine Inch Nails would be awkward, but that's the very opposite in this case. This is so beautiful when Johnny sings it that it is difficult for anyone to not tear up. The video itself is Johnny playing the song, and then flashbacks of his troublesome past. Recording this song and video shortly before his passing, Johnny gave everything he had in the recording sessions to keep himself sane, and this is song and video is proof of that: everything a man has.
3."Days Go By" - Dirty Vegas (Dir. Rob Leggatt and Leigh Marling)
The simple things that we do to try and bring back what we've lost. That's the premise of this video. The story of a breakdancer who's girlfriend leaves him and every year on the same day he goes back to the same place where they met and he dances to bring her back. As we watch the guy dance it flashes back and we see the younger version dance and have a small flashback to him with his woman. This is one of the videos I know I'll never forget, and I hope you all enjoy it.
2."Weapon Of Choice" - Fatboy Slim (Dir. Spike Jonze)
Do you really need more explanation than Christopher Walken dancing around an empty hotel? If you do, then just watch some of the various dance moves that he does. Jumping onto tables, doing flips, flying across clearings, Walken does it all in this highly entertaining video.
1."Fell In Love With A Girl" - The White Stripes (Dir. Michel Gondry)
Everyone as a child played with Legos. Well, this video is proof of what can happen when you take that love for Legos and just run to another atmosphere with it. Made up of all but two shots of entirely Legos, this video features Jack and Meg White trying their hand in nearly forbidden love. This video is simply charming and is the best album of the decade.
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