We Don't Want to Know: The ILM All-Time Video Poll (discussion, etc.; deadline is Monday, March 14)

It's tough to think of anything recent for this as I basically now only see music videos if I actively seek them out. And I rarely do that even for artists I enjoy -- I look for live performances.

Here's one though: David Bowie - Lazarus.

Maybe AFX fans should concentrate on Come To Daddy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1yr8w_vZ5E

Psychic TV - Godstar

There are a lot of these videos of a person wandering around the city aren't there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oMEuyhBkRo

Adam Freeland - We Want Your Soul

This one's classy, with that little razor scooter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q7IJOYxAMo

Nightmares On Wax - Les Nuits

One request: if you want to link to videos on this thread, do so without the http://. As you know, threads with numerous embedded videos take forever to load.

the Sledgehammer video was talked about above, something I never see mentioned is how similar bits of it are to this video by XTC for their song Funk Pop A Roll, made as part of a channel documentary in 1984:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnvO6lrZSxo

the Gabriel video is obviously much higher budget and elaborate (though I much prefer the Funk Pop A Roll video), but I wonder if that XTC video formed part of the inspiration? on the other hand, the guy who directed Sledgehammer also directed the video for Road To Nowhere by Talking Heads in 1985, and that also feature stop motion stuff but is less similar to the XTC video, so maybe they both came to it independently?

sorry, that was supposed to be with the http://. , but I must have done it wrong?

Rather than removing the http://, I reckon simply hyperlinking everything is both more reliable and neater

Perfume - Spending All My Time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4znsXCH_2Y

Show Images off in site preferences also stops videos embedding, I think.

OK, not sure if listing like this was discouraged so here's some I thought of in relatively short order, some pretty obvious ones included.

Beastie Boys - Sabotage
Fatboy Slim - Weapon of Choice
George Michael - Freedom '90
Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy
Massive Attack - Protection
Geto Boys - Mind Playing Tricks on Me
Public Enemy - Fight the Power
A Tribe Called Quest - Electric Relaxation
Pavement - Cut Your Hair
Pavement - Painted Soldiers
Yo La Tengo - I'll Be Around
New Order - The Perfect Kiss (Jonathan Demme!)
Suicidal Tendencies - Institutionalized
Wu-Tang Clan - Gravel Pit
Bjork - Bachelorette
Bjork - Triumph of a Heart

I think listing is fine, I was going to suggest knocking out the obvious choices.

2pac feat Dr Dre - California Love
Childish Gambino - This Is America
Fatboy Slim - Praise You
Herbie Hancock - Rockit
Kendrick Lamar - Alright
Metallica - One
REM - Losing My Religion
Sonic Youth - Teenage Riot
Sonic Youth - Bull in the Heather

i'm so thrilled this poll is happening tbh, music video is one of my favorite artforms. despite my comment above i don't think i'm going to be voting for many live performances (at the drive-in performing on letterman might make my list tho, sorry)

Sorry I think we agreed to do live performances as a separate poll at a later date. I'm not the boss of you tho.

xpost

Soref I love the stop-motion, that XTC video could've been part of the inspiration for this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtxAou8c28k

Hot Chip - Boy From School

ok fine music videos only then

Susanne Sundfør - Accelerate

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd4jT4zcdHg

Devo - Jocko Homo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk1DNzg0LWs

Suicide Commandos - Burn it Down (last 2 both by the great Chuck Statler)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7ZbNVb7Qh0

The Verlaines - Death and the Maiden

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P96cFKd4irY

and, my favorite, if it qualifies, Kenneth Anger's Puce Moment, music from Jonathan Halper

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw31ZAhHkaQ

(apologies, thought using url coding would stop embeds)

I think I'm realizing that most of the music videos that hold up for me are not necessarily ones that have some cool concept but capture or preserve some kind of essential aspect of the artist. The New Order clip I mentioned above is a good example -- Demme had a gift for bringing out the deeper personality of a band solely through capturing performance. This is also partly what I love about late 80s/early 90s hip hop videos. They were made for little money and had to carried by the charisma of the performers.

Hyperlinks won't embed, so do that.

Excited for this poll - have been making a list of favourites, will post them a few at a time until I know I've got hyperlinks worked out...

Cibo Matto - Sugar Water
The Knife - We Share Our Mothers Health
Adam & the Ants - Stand and Deliver
N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton
Beck - The New Pollution

If it's a big list feel free to just post the text. But good job so far!

I looked at a few other lists out there, surprised I haven't seen this one yet.

Laurie Anderson - O Superman

Two single-shot ones:

Mondo Grosso - Labyrinth
Kiesza - Hideaway

I remember when youtube started the most exciting thing for me was getting to see all these old music videos that were too obscure for vh1 and basically impossible to see anywhere else, I think these were my favourites

Cardiacs - RES

Flying Lizards - An Then He Kissed Me

Denim - Middle Of The Road

bulb after bulb you are my friend for life for nominating that Suicide Commandos video. I don't have a very long list (or a list at all tbf) of "favorite videos of all time" but that one qualifies.

This will definitely make my short list. Let’s see if I mess up the formatting.

Silicon Teens - Memphis Tennessee

Two biggies by the same artist:

Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues
Bob Dylan - Must Be Santa

This is like an episode of Mr Show

Yo La Tengo - Sugarcube

The Cure - Close To Me
Sinead O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U
Stray Kids - God's Menu
Oneus - Come Back Home
Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Relax
Adam and the Ants - Prince Charming

Silicon Teens reminded me of this video for Collapsing New People by Fad Gadget

Fad Gadget - Collapsing New People

this looks like it might have been filmed for a tv show or something rather than being a 'proper' music video? but I guess the line is pretty blurry, e.g. there are a lot of pre-MTV mimed performance on Top Of The Pops or whatever that have kind have become the official music video for a particular song?

clemenza: I made a duplicate version of the spreadsheet so I can edit it.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1aWJRCUlZPAzj5iLGcsYU6Enh00INpLWjbavK0KNc7Cg/edit?usp=sharing

Establishing my age:

Grace Jones - Slave to the Rhythm
The Art of Noise - Close (To the Edit) (version 1)
The Art of Noise - Close (To the Edit) (version 2)

A bit of trivia about the Beck "New Pollution" video mentioned above, if anyone cares. I took a college literature course where we watched the 70s documentary Jorge Luis Borges - Profile of a Writer, and recognized the pulsating ball of images from the end of that video when it appeared toward the very end of the film.

Kraftwerk - Showroom Dummies
Kraftwerk - The Robots
Kraftwerk - The Model
Yukihiro Takahashi - Drip Dry Eyes
David Bowie - Boys Keep Swinging
B-52s - Legal Tender
B-52s - Song For A Future Generation
The Cars - Hello Again
Joe Jackson - Steppin Out
They Might Be Giants - Ana Ng
Donald Fagen - New Frontier

Also clemenza: not sure about hyperlinks? I've been adding them as plain text.

Also apologies for any failure to follow instructions on my part earlier, I was a little distracted sorry.

and, my favorite, if it qualifies, Kenneth Anger's Puce Moment, music from Jonathan Halper

I'm unclear here, should I add it as 'Jonathan Halper - Puce Moment'?

Silicon Teens reminded me of this video for Collapsing New People by Fad Gadget

Fad Gadget - Collapsing New People

this looks like it might have been filmed for a tv show or something rather than being a 'proper' music video? but I guess the line is pretty blurry, e.g. there are a lot of pre-MTV mimed performance on Top Of The Pops or whatever that have kind have become the official music video for a particular song?

This is a tribute to Einstürzende Neubauten??

And yeah I was considering nominating The B-52s - Rock Lobster which is a live performance official video, but the sound quality is not so hot.

xps hey, Dan! those intros never fail to make me smile.

Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot - Bonnie and Clyde

Pink Floyd - Arnold Layne

Jacques Dutronc - Mini Mini Mini

Elisabeth Welch - Stormy Weather (from Jarman's The Tempest)

and a Canadian one for Clemenza:

Modernettes - Barbra

xp Viborg re: Puce Moment: I don't know, the Halper songs in the film are Leaving My Old Life Behind and I Am A Hermit.

Mentioned Joanna Wang (and Robert Youngblood) earlier. He's a complete unknown and yet they've put together numerous absolutely wonderful music videos, in many different styles at that. Here's two of them. They're quite long but worth the time

Joanna Wang - Sabrina, Don't Get Married Again
Joanna Wang - The Rightful Heir

Run-DMC - King of Rock
Madness - House of Fun
Guided by Voices - I Am a Scientist
Nine Inch Nails - March of the Pigs
Playboi Carti - Magnolia
Prince & the Revolution - Raspberry Beret
Judas Priest - Breaking the Law
M.I.A. - Bad Girls
Junior Senior - Move Your Feet
Janet Jackson - The Pleasure Principle

The Replacements - Bastards Of Young
(Thread title seemed to beg for it.)

Was going to add "The Perfect Kiss" and "Slave to the Rhythm" but some hep cats already did so in the few hours since I refreshed the page.

Mud - Dynamite
Yello - I Love You
Yello - Lost Again
Simple Minds - Promised You A Miracle
Beautiful South - 36D
Hugh Cornwell and Robert Williams - White Room
Bill Nelson -Do You Dream In Colour
Saint Etienne - Only Love Can Break Your Heart
Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Good Year For The Roses

some favourites of mine:

Roger Sanchez - Another Chance
Modjo - Lady (Hear Me Tonight)
Annie - Back Together
Wolf Alice - Don't Delete The Kisses
Shakespears Sister - Stay
Madonna - Ray Of Light
Kylie Minogue - Come Into My World
Benny Benassi - Satisfaction
Chris Isaak - Wicked Game
Mariah Carey - Heartbreaker
Radiohead - No Surprises
Celine Dion - Think Twice
Bjork - It's Oh So Quiet
Sophie Ellis Bextor - Take Me Home
Sade - No Ordinary Love
Fiona Apple - Criminal
Tinashe - Company
Normani - Motivation
Brandy & Monica - The Boy Is Mine
Dandy Warhols - Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth
Christina Milian - Dip It Low
Ciara - Ride
The Tough Alliance - 25 Years & Running
Azealia Banks - Anna Wintour
Kanye West - Fade
Missy Elliott - Beep Me 911
Fever Ray - To The Moon And Back
Roisin Murphy - Overpowered
Veronica Vega - Pay Me
Spice Girls - Wannabe
Imani Coppola - Legend Of A Cowgirl
Shania Twain - Man! I Feel Like A Woman!
Stina Nordenstam - This Time John
Bronski Beat - Small Town Boy
Rihanna - Only Girl In The World

no idea what i’m gonna vote for but here are some recent-ish rap videos that are good

ezale - five minutes of funktown

king von - took her to the o

city girls - act up

e-40 - tell me when to go

cardi b - w.a.p. ft. megan thee stallion

ooh, can’t forget: de la soul - the magic number

Videos suck
Music is an aural medium

cool bye

Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Accidents will Happen
Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band - Death Cab For Cutie
Toni Basil - Mickey
Toni Basil - You Gotta Problem
Lene Lovich - Bird Song

Bjork - Hyperballad
Wednesday Campanella - Matsuo Basho

Those have all been added now. No need for any more nominations--just put it on your ballot, it'll be counted. For voting details, go here:

Ritorna, Madonna: Voting and Scoring Thread for ILM's All-Time Video Poll (Voting Deadline: March 14)