By Cole Ruebner, Contributing Writer
// Continuation of Ruebner’s Records: Some of the Best Music Videos of All Time from Blueprint’s Print Issue 3.
10 More Honorable Mentions:
a-ha – Take on Me
Comic book-style animation meets live action 80’s swagger in a video that’s so good it almost makes you forget how overplayed the song is.
Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams
Eurythmics vocalist Annie Lennox described the “Sweet Dreams” video as “a statement about the different forms of existence.” Through this message, the group managed to make a shot of them lying on a table while a cow slowly circles them surprisingly deep and insightful.
Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit
The video for “Smells Like Teen Spirit” embodies everything that grunge is about. The atmosphere is dark and gritty, with an ominous tone clashing with the song’s breakneck pace. Yet, through all of this murkiness and sinister imagery, Kurt Cobain is and his bandmates literally shine through with rebellious attitudes and headbanging guitar riffs.
Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Relax
I have no idea what’s going on in this video.
Duran Duran – Hungry Like the Wolf
“Hungry Like The Wolf” is a staple song of the 1980’s, characterizing the era’s best qualities in both the video and the song. My favorite part is when Simon Le Bon flips a table for no reason.
The White Stripes – Fell in Love With A Girl
The White Stripes employ insanely meticulous stop-motion animation in a video entirely made out of Legos. Band members Jack and Meg White contacted Lego asking for a mini set of the band to be shipped with every purchase of the song, but they were denied. However, when Lego saw how much of a hit the video was, they quickly changed their mind. This time, Jack White chose to deny them out of pure spite.
Busta Rhymes – Gimme Some More
On “Gimme Some More,” Busta Rhymes spits lightning quick verses as a fisheye lens cuts across the goofiest and most out there costume designs ever to grace a hip-hop video.
Danny Brown – Ain’t it Funny
A Jonah Hill-directed acid trip into a reality show where one person’s suffering becomes everyone else’s entertainment.
Flying Lotus-Never Catch Me
A spiritual celebration of youth, life, and death displaying an insane amount of talent from actors that haven’t even finished middle school. There is one scene in this video that blows me away every time I watch it; thumping kicks swallow lightning fast bass in a continuous shot that says so much about innocence and the blessing of life without even saying a word. This video is beautiful.