Artists with the most Consistently Great Videos

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Inspired by catching the clip for "China Girl" by Bowie on VH1 Classic this morning, I was tempted to say the Thin White Duke himself, but he's made his share of eyesore clunkers (notably "Day In, Day Out")

Second obvious choice is invariably Duran Duran: exotic locales, dayglo martinis, fabulous babes, ill-advised make-up application, color-coordinated suits, cheetahs, silly hair, elephants, snakes. I mean, one must admire the absolute ludicrousness of the clip for "Union of the Snake" or "Wild Boys" (wherein, legend has it, Le Bon almost drowned on the inexplicable water windmill scene).

I'd say my vote, however, goes to Devo, who were making videos from way back. Consistently bold, bizarre, conceptual, eye-catching, whipsmart, hilarious, disquieting.....you name it. There were some greater than others, of course (the video for "Disco Dancer" is pretty weak), but I'd say their focus and aesthetic trounces their competitors.

Et vous?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 13:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Missy Elliot.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 13:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Although I must also acknowledge Busta Rhymes and Robbie Williams.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 13:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Missy Elliott

Good one! Easily the Peter Gabriel of her era (and why didn't I cite him above?)

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 13:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Bjork, Aphex Twin and Pulp don't, to my mind, have a duff video between them.

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 13:31 (twenty-two years ago)

The Cure

― Lynskey (Lynskey), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 13:32 (twenty-two years ago)

white stripes
radiohead
bjork
chemical brothers

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 13:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I was going to say The Cure, but then I remembered their early videos.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 13:41 (twenty-two years ago)

bjork's 'hidden place' and 'pagan poetry' videos are pretty poor - everything else phenomenal

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 13:42 (twenty-two years ago)

The Beasties!

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 13:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Daft Punk

― Siegbran (eofor), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 13:47 (twenty-two years ago)

I was going to say The Cure, but then I remembered their early videos.

Just say The Cure after Tim Pope started directing.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 13:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Madonna, NIN (well after the boatload of bands already mentioned)

― teeny (teeny), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 13:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Judas Priest

(for laugh potential, at least)

― M Carty (mj_c), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 14:09 (twenty-two years ago)

I've only seen two massive attack videos, but loved both of them. Anyone have that DVD to say whether they are all good?

― Jonathan (Jonathan), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 14:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Massive Attack videos are incredible. Except for the studio version of Karmacoma. Though why they even released that one after the super freaky Shinning video version confuses me.

I like all the Blur Video's I've seen but that might be due to this website which is pure gold.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 14:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Running along with the Judas Priest tangant. Billy Idol made some mind boggling videos that demand attention.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 14:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Pet Shop Boys

West End Girls
Domino Dancing
Being Boring
Jealousy

and so on.....

― Vincent Vern, Tuesday, 23 September 2003 14:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Anyone have that DVD to say whether they are all good?

No, but they're mostly good.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 14:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Some more suggesions:

Suede (don't laugh)
Talk Talk (more Tim Pope)
Sisters of Mercy (such pomp)

And another vote for Bjork and Pulp.

― Marcel Gallingez (Marcel Gallingez), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 15:05 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah the cure pretty much own this thread. im still waiting to see a better video than "close to me", "lullaby" is great too

― Bob Shaw (Bob Shaw), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 15:32 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't really watch videos, but I always get a larf outta Foo Fighters videos.

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 15:38 (twenty-two years ago)

The Jesus and Mary Chain always made good videos, even though they were basically the same one. The Prodigy and Massive Attack. Fields of the Neph too for hilarity value.

Why did the Cure stop using Tim Pope? All their videos for singles since he stopped doing them have been crap.

― flowersdie (flowersdie), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 15:59 (twenty-two years ago)

I think Tim was concentrating on trying for a movie career or something (but directing a Crow sequel was not a good way to start).

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 16:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Massive Attack videos are great for the most part, although the warbling fetus in "Teardrop" give me the fear.

The Sisters of Mercy videos used to be wonderful excercises in lethargy (witness "Black Planet": Andrew driving around Los Angeles freeway clovers in the Monkees' dragster, with Wayne and Craig passed out in the shotgun and backseats). The video for "Walk Away" was simillarly low-frills....Andrews schmaltzing around in too-huge sunglasses around a trippy laser beam, whilst his teased-haired compatriots do their best to stand perfectly still and not crack up. Circa Floodland is when it all went a bit south. "This Corrosion" is soggy apocalyptic lament to wearing leather trousers in a downpour. "Lucretia My Reflection" has a chicken-chested Eldritch swanning around a Thai sweatshop with Freddie Mercury's mic stand. "Dominion" is the finest of the lot, finding a beardy Eldritch giving it some sharp-dressed Rudyard Kipling to Patricia's swashbuckling Morticia Adams routine amid the arid environs of Jordan, and some strange plot involving a document exchange with camel-riding Berbery pirates right out of John Houston's "The Wind & the Lion". Oh, and Andy ends up in the trunk of a Mercedes for some reason.

I don't remember the clips circa Vision Thing as being anything to write home about, though.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 16:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Beck
Duran Duran
Busta Rhymes
The Cure
Foo Fighters

― Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 16:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion had some great videos, esp the "Flavor Remix" one with Beck and Mike D.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 16:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Re: Sisters vids

"No Time To Cry" was always my favourite (the hats, the 'burns).

Probably best not to mention the "Vision Thing" era altogether, although I seem to remember that the video for "Under The Gun" a few years later was worth a look. Andy does naked and sexy!?

― Marcel Gallingez (Marcel Gallingez), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 17:38 (twenty-two years ago)

"Lucretia My Reflection" has a chicken-chested Eldritch swanning around a Thai sweatshop with Freddie Mercury's mic stand.

This is possibly the greatest sentence ever written.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 17:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Air!

― tipustiger, Tuesday, 23 September 2003 18:15 (twenty-two years ago)

bjork and bowie are the only artists who have dvd collections of videos that i've purchased. of course 99% of bjorks videos are excellent (I love the pagan poetry video, it hurts); a LOT of bowie's are crap, but the good ones are great.

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 18:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Godley & Creme

― Mark (MarkR), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 19:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Peter Gabriel
Talking Heads

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 19:29 (twenty-two years ago)

marilyn manson. the god is in tv compilation rules.

michael jackson.
janet jackson.
fiona apple.
fatboy slim.

― reo fordecor, Tuesday, 23 September 2003 22:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Depeche Mode (even the twee ones like "people are people" and "Love in Itself" are worth watching, if only to giggle at)

New Order (though they didn't make enough of them)

PSB (do I really need to say why?)

Second Bjork and Bowie

Tori Amos (if only to check out how the hell her lyrics fit the images)

Suede (esp. those from the early years, even with the ruffle shirts)

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 22:48 (twenty-two years ago)

no love for saint etienne vids?

― the surface noise (electricsound), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 00:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Madness!

― retort pouch (retort pouch), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 01:53 (twenty-two years ago)

ADAM ANT! wtf? nobody mentioned him yet? his videos are pearls. the freeze-frame/repeat-sequence-three-times move is classic.

R. Kelly (and the subset of videos from The Isley Bros. Featuring Ronald Isley A.K.A. Mr. Biggs) also makes some tremendous conceptually stunning videos. Favorites include "I Wish," "Down Low," and "Contagious."

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 02:06 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't really watch videos, but I always get a larf outta Foo Fighters videos.
-- dave225 (adspac...), September 23rd, 2003

Noooooooo! I really can't stand 'em at all. Not even Big Me stands up to the test of time for me.

I wouldn't hesitate to say Blur's pretty solid in this category.
Also...
Guitar Wolf
Nirvana (while Kurt was alive)
A Tribe Called Quest
Lemonheads (YES! there! i said it!)

― Francis Watlington (Francis Watlington), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 02:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Mr. Noodles, you are golden. That Blur site's spec-tack.

And while I'm at it I'd also like to add NOFX to the growing list, which for a notoriously annoying skate-punk band (which made its way into my haht), have some of the best videos that have ever been devised. 'Stickin' In My Eye' immediately springs to mind.

― Francis Watlington (Francis Watlington), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 02:16 (twenty-two years ago)

http://otoro.com/images/cardiac.gif

― retort pouch (retort pouch), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 03:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Radiohead's "No Surprises" is the best video I've seen.

"Karma Police," "Just," "Pyramid Song," "There There," and "Paranoid Android" are great too.

Since I never watch MTV I can't offer much more. Bjork's seem good, from what I've seen (aside from the VESPERTINE videos, although "Hidden Place" is at least interesting). In terms of guilty pleasure videos, "Venus As a Boy" would have to come very high on the list. Or "Alarm Call."

Oh, no one's mentioned R.E.M. Their videos aren't very consistent, but "Man on the Moon" is beautifully done and perfectly expresses the mood of the song. Their MONSTER videos were fun.

― aloha qwrty, Wednesday, 24 September 2003 05:11 (twenty-two years ago)

I love Depeche Mode, but I have never enjoyed their videos much. Generally I find the typical Corbijn black & white videos quite boring, and their pre-Corbijn videos are nothing special either.

Peter Gabriel for me stands as the ultimate one here. Particularly from "Us" onwards, almost every video he has released has been a classic one. I love those surrealist animation ones.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 08:30 (twenty-two years ago)

The Church.

(Yes, I am joking.)

― kate (kate), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 08:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Madness!!!

― stevie (stevie), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 11:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Kate of course posts the band that has consistently put out bad videos.

One band I completely disagree with is Radiohead since both versions of High & Dry suck ass.

Now I haven't seen a video past She Says What She Means but I've enjoy my past Sloan videos (availbe on VHS and DVD).

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 12:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Kate of course posts the band that has consistently put out bad videos.

But but but the pseudo-Cabaret style guy in "Metropolis" who claps and points!

Oh wait.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 14:35 (twenty-two years ago)

New Order. "True Faith"... WOW.

― Douglas (Douglas), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 15:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Duran Duran and Madonna have like the most flawless video collections ever, even nu-Madonna's videos are still imminently watchable.

Miccio basically OTM about Adam Ant, but the thing is it's only like 8 videos that are really great, the rest are really duff--but the 8 that are good are so good, especially "Stand and Deliver", that it's like the bad ones don't exist, it negates them.

More recently, Radiohead's videos are the best thing about Radiohead, and I can't think of a bad Daft Punk video. And my god, the Electric Six!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

― Ally (mlescaut), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 17:27 (twenty-two years ago)

"SAVE THE GORILLAS/YOUR MONEY FOR THEIR LIVES!"

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 20:49 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm not sure if that destroyed my Adam Ant point or merely propped it.

― Ally (mlescaut), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 20:50 (twenty-two years ago)

It was meant to prop.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 20:51 (twenty-two years ago)

I should note I've probably only seen the eight good Adam Ant videos. My opinion is based solely on "Antmusic," "Stand And Deliver," "Prince Charming," "Goody Goody Two Shoes" and "Desperate But Not Serious," actually.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 25 September 2003 20:08 (twenty-two years ago)

More recently, Radiohead's videos are the best thing about Radiohead, and I can't think of a bad Daft Punk video. And my god, the Electric Six!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Haven't Electric Six only had one or two videos out? Maybe I've miscounted.

As Radiohead's music fairly rocks, you're semi-OTM. See their vid backdrops live. that is also art.

Around The World is pretty naff, but otherwise Daft Punk is pretty cool.

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Thursday, 25 September 2003 23:36 (twenty-two years ago)

um...david lee roth, zz top, the cars, poison, mc hammer (+ oaktown 3-5-7) and the fat boys used to some pretty good ones, if i remember right. (peter gabriel's were all completely horrible, though.)

still, obviously, michael jackson wins.

― chuck, Friday, 26 September 2003 00:57 (twenty-two years ago)

still, obviously, michael jackson wins.

The key words, Chuckles, were consistently great! I'm not going to sit here and try to deny that the video for "Thriller" was great, but his other ones weren't entirely anything to write home about.....with or without the fuckin' morphing.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 26 September 2003 01:22 (twenty-two years ago)

I have to agree with Bjork, Madonna, The Cure, and Daft Punk. And "Around the world" is probably my favorite by them, makes me laugh out loud everytime!

― Seb, Friday, 26 September 2003 02:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd like to offer a posthomous vote for Robert Palmer.
Sure the three videos that made him famous were cheesy (and borderline sexist?) but that didn't stop them from being great.

― Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Friday, 26 September 2003 14:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Also, I agree with Seb. Daft Punks "All Around the World" video is awe inspiring! How can it fail when it has astro-bots AND she-mummies!

― Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Friday, 26 September 2003 14:17 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.mtv-china.com/avzone/photo/video/4sledgehammer.jpg

― Chuck Tatum (Chuck Tatum), Friday, 26 September 2003 14:32 (twenty-two years ago)

That is the dorkiest picture of Peter Gabriel ever.

― Ally (mlescaut), Friday, 26 September 2003 14:48 (twenty-two years ago)

>> I'm not going to sit here and try to deny that the video for "Thriller" was great, but his other ones weren't entirely anything to write home about....with or without the fuckin' morphing.<

Yeah right-As if Duran Duran ever smashed windshields with tire irons!

― chuck, Friday, 26 September 2003 16:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Don't be silly - they might've creased their suits in a less than stylishly deliberate way!

― Kim (Kim), Friday, 26 September 2003 16:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Dude, I never thought I'd say this, but smashing windshields with tire irons does not automatically equate greatness.

God, yeah, I'm still kind of freaked out that I just said that, but it's totally true.

― Ally (mlescaut), Friday, 26 September 2003 17:27 (twenty-two years ago)

The world as we know it, has ceased to have order.

― Kim (Kim), Friday, 26 September 2003 17:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Dude, I never thought I'd say this, but smashing windshields with tire irons does not automatically equate greatness.

Ally is a goddess of wisdom.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 26 September 2003 18:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Not a huge fan of their music, but Smashing Pumpkins videos, at least the ones Ive seen, were awesome.

― David Allen, Friday, 26 September 2003 18:27 (twenty-two years ago)

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