What Makes A Great Music Video?

Pure and simple, a music video has to be memorable (#4). We must remember that the point of a music video is to augment the sales of audio recordings. So whatever visuals are in a video need to catch or hook the target audience, so that they think of the music the next time they're in a music store (whether online or an actual shop). Beyond being memorable, it just becomes subjective as to what it is that makes a video great.

Now, that's not to say that I don't agree with you - generally, I do prefer videos with the traits you suggest - but I just don't think there's a way to determine objectively what it is that makes anything great, since "great" itself is subjective. Many people clearly like videos with scantily-clad women grinding at the camera, for instance.

But, that said, here's my take on your points:

1) I think unique is good, but a little absolute. You could have something that is unlike anything else, but still is complete crap. There's also the case where a video is the first of its kind, spawning many imitators. Looking at it ten years later, it may not stand out from the pack, but does that mean that great is dependent on the time that you view it? Again, this means it's subjective. Similarly, I could see that a video could offer an interesting twist on an established formula or simply be the superlative example of a typical type of video. I've said before that I myself don't like videos that concentrate on the artists singing and playing instruments, but if the artist is doing something interesting while doing so, that can change my whole attitude (see "Smooth Criminal" by Alien Ant Farm.

2) Again, I like stories - I have gone so far as to say that I am addicted to stories in the past - but I don't think a story is necessary for a great music video. You can have great music videos that have nonlinear or even nonsensical stuff happening, such as the Weapon of Choice video by Fatboy Slim you mention in the article, or the "Busy Child" video by the Crystal Method, which hits you with random images interspersed with scenes from a dance hall. Very memorable, but no real story.

I will say it is far more likely that I will like a video that tells a story than one that doesn't!

3) Sure; OK. But I'd say that a novice director is more likely to do a video that doesn't match the lyrics (instead having the dancing girls, the band singing to the camera, and/or footage from the related feature film on which soundtrack the song appears). Yawn...

4) I agree, though I think the caveat about older videos is unnecessary. Any video has to be memorable to be great.

5) Much as I try to link to videos I find interesting - and I can tell that you do the same - I have to point out that this isn't the great music videos spot...it's just the music videos spot. So any music video would be appropriate here. In the spirit of the spot description, I haven't uploaded any fan-made videos here, though many of those are excellent, but I could see that others might have an argument for doing so.

So, if the greatness of a video is subjective (and if you take this as an inside joke between us, you're welcome), then to my mind the main thing that makes a great video is that the fanpop users rate it as great (or awesome! of course).

I know that this spot is the "music video" spot and not the great music video spot; I named it! And that's fine. While I personally choose to share videos that amaze me in some stupendous way (or more commonly, leave me saying 'whoa' after my first viewing), I'm not saying that others can't and shouldn't share more ubiquitous videos. In fact, I appreciate it given that I've been missing a year's worth of American/Western popular culture on standard cable. But this soapbox article is dedicated to those music videos that are great, a subset of the whole medium, and what principles make them that way - of course, all according to my own opinion.

What I meant about 'memorable' older music videos was just that if they were made today, viewers would either not be amazed because it HAS been reproduced in so many videos or think it was poorly made because of bad lighting, poor special effects, etc. Just compare Chris Issak's "Wicked Games" to Paris Hilton's "Stars are Blind". You've got the same black & white effect (or partially in Hilton's video) with the singer and a sexy other cavorting on the beach. The fact that Chris Issak was one of the first to do this sequence however makes his video particularly famous. But I wonder if a new teen had first seen Paris's version and THEN seen Issak's video for the first time, would they necessarily think it was "great"? So in my opinion, what has helped his video be memorable is that it was first to do it (and is, in this scenario, the older music video).

I did hesitate on including the 'story' aspect in my list, but then I thought that even those really crazy music videos that are nonsensical have storylines. I could now argue that Weapon of Choice does have a story - that bored Christopher Walken is waiting in a hotel, hears music (in his head or not) and dances his emotions (real or not). Not a compex story, but still one.

Thanks Harold for reflecting on and responding to my article . Keep it coming, if you want!

I was thinking about fan videos a bit more, and - this is a bit of a digression here - it seems to me that fan videos are necessary. Not on this spot, of course! But necessary to have in the world in general, because even great music videos (as we've defined them) have a single vision for the music in question. Since my primary exposure to music has never been videos, I've often found myself disappointed when I finally do see a video for a favorite song - even if the video is great, it rarely matches what I envision. So I really appreciate having fan-made alternative music videos for songs, as they present a multiplicity of vision for a particular song. I've never got around to making one myself, but I sure would if I wasn't spending all my time on fanpop...

Here's another simple way to check if a video is a great music video:

watch the video all the way through without the sound.

If the video still interests you, then it's doing a pretty good job.

Yes! Totally Harold! That's one reason why I liked watching foreign music videos -- you still hear the music but (mostly) don't understand the lyrics.

Where's the Avril Levigne, Mudhoney, Nirvana, Wheezer for those of us who prefer punk to top 40 or punk to rap or whatever else is out there that I keep getting on updates? So far, I'm not getting stuff I like. But I am getting everything else thank you.

Oh yeah, and what makes a great music video is the energy of the artists involved as far as I am concerned. You can tell what's "the thing to do now to make the dough" and what's not just a band that has their 15 minutes then poof gone...cuz they were really no good to begin with. Know what I mean?

I ike this man...Hey ...Come with me...rastaGal

To me, all it has to do is stand out. Be very...different.

Good point, music7111.

Mostly, a video has 2 be Sexy, but not TOO revealing. I think that's what iz wrong wit this generation nowadays. People don't want the simple cookie-cutter video, they want the slutty-horny dancer type videos. They see half-naked chicks in the video and think "This is what's gonna sell, big time!" I'd rather watch a Beyonce' video and not end up flipping the channel and showing a disgusted emotion and say, "Ugh! Why she gotta have a thong on all up in her butt?!" Janet Jackson's videos are sexy, not revealing, and so are Beyonce's as well. They should definately be in the category for Classy Artists of the Generation. For real! In a Janet video, You see her wear tank tops with jeans or either a long skirt or a full out uniform (Like in her "Rhythm Nation" video). Beyonce' on the other hand pushes the envelope, but doesn't try to reveal too much skin. People get pissed off too easily over her "Showin' way too much skin" when she don't! It's not like she's butt-naked in the videos. Just look at Madonna and Lady Gaga. Madonna pushed the envelope way too hard 2 reveal her sexiness. Gaga takes after Madonna as her idol & does the same. The reason why artists today "Copy" what they the see artists who came BEFORE them do(I'd like to think of it as "Taking what they've learned & turning it into something new"), is because they are INSPIRED by them, not necessarily trying to copy or STEAL what they've done. I mean, think about it. What would music be like today if we didn't have Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, James Brown, Luther Vandross, Teddy Pendegrass, Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle,Diana Ross & The Supremes, Jackson 5/Michael Jackson, Janet, Mary J. Blige?! NOTHING!! Artists would be nothing if it WASN'T for ALL these great LEGENDS. This point I have made is the reason why artists do what they do to make the perfect music video!