Music has inspired me for as long as I can remember, and I have always appreciated a great music video. In an age when MTV no longer lets music guide its way, I still manage to search out good music videos. I wanted to share a few of them with you. Most of them are thought-provoking. I hope everyone who watches them will come away finding something that inspires them, even if it is only by a little bit.
Pearl Jam - "Do the Evolution"
This animated video is most definitely a classic. The dark side of humanity is chronicled in wonderful traditional animation. Its frightening images move through war, destruction, greed, and the damage people have inflicted upon one another and the planet. It might take multiple viewings for everything to sink in, but please take a few minutes to watch it.
Boards of Canada - "Dayvan Cowboy"
Directed by Melissa Olson, the first official music video from Boards of Canada is truly a thing of beauty. Suspended on the edge of space in a balloon, an astronaut looks down at the beautiful planet Earth and prepares to dive in. Leaping from the balloon, he floats through the atmosphere and dense cloud cover before reaching the ocean. The video translates the power and atmosphere of Boards of Canada's music into a dreamlike journey from space to the sea and finally to the shore.
Lovedrug - "Pretend You're Alive"
Director James Scott created imagery that perfectly matches the song's feelings of despair and isolation. Filmed from buses, airplanes, trains, streets, airports, and train stations, the video turns ordinary travel into something lonely and emotionally overwhelming. Its constantly moving images make the viewer feel as though they are searching for something that always remains just beyond reach.
The Smashing Pumpkins - "1979"
I love the concept of this video: kids simply being kids. Watching it always brings back memories of growing up and having fun with friends. The quiet suburban streets, convenience stores, parties, and endless driving capture the freedom and uncertainty of being young. It may not be the most elaborate video on this list, but it is definitely the most carefree and nostalgic.
Sigur Rós - "Glósóli"
The cinematography is superb, incredibly beautiful, and deeply touching. I love the fact that all of the children cast in the video are from Iceland. The imagery has an honest, natural quality that makes its strange journey feel believable. I do not want to spoil the ending for anyone who has not seen it, but trust me: it is breathtaking.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - "Don't Come Around Here No More"
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' "Don't Come Around Here No More" is one of the most imaginative and unsettling music videos of the MTV era. Inspired by Alice in Wonderland, the video places Petty in the role of the Mad Hatter, leading Alice through a strange world filled with oversized mushrooms, bizarre characters, and wonderfully surreal imagery. The playful fantasy gradually becomes darker, ending with the unforgettable scene in which Alice is transformed into a giant cake and served to the guests.
The video perfectly complements the song's mysterious psychedelic sound. Petty is charming, mischievous, and slightly menacing, while the colorful setting creates the feeling of a children's story gone wonderfully wrong. Clever, theatrical, and impossible to forget, "Don't Come Around Here No More" showed how a music video could become a strange little movie of its own.
Blur - "Coffee & TV"
This video is about a walking milk carton searching for a missing young man. Its adventures are funny and cute but also contain a surprisingly effective streak of sadness and cruelty. The simple milk-carton character somehow becomes deeply expressive, making the video's conclusion far more moving than anyone might expect. It is imaginative, entertaining, and an absolute must-watch.
Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Californication"
This song comes from one of the Chili Peppers' best albums. The video is designed like a three-dimensional adventure game in which animated versions of the band members race, swim, snowboard, and travel through a distorted version of California. There is so much happening that it can be difficult to follow at times, but it remains creative, colorful, and unlike almost anything else from its era.
Common Children - "Morning Star"
This is easily one of my favorite Common Children songs. It is such a shame that most people have never had the pleasure of experiencing the band's music. The video was created by a fan rather than as an official production, but I still love its artistry. Its imagery gives the song an added feeling of mystery, beauty, and spiritual longing.
a-ha - "Take On Me"
Iconic is really the only sure way to describe the video for "Take On Me." It is one of the greatest examples of an MTV video helping transform a song into a worldwide phenomenon. Its combination of live action and pencil-sketch animation still looks remarkable, while its romantic story gives the visual effects a real emotional purpose. It was also one of the first videos I saw that told a complete story. I loved it as a child, and it remains just as magical today.
