- May92012
Way Back Wednesday: Music Video Visionaries
Written by Trent | Filed under Britney Spears,Busta Rhymes,Ciara,Eminem,Janet Jackson,Lady GaGa,Ludacris,Madonna,Michael Jackson,Missy Elliott,Pink,Way Back Wednesday
Michael Jackson, Missy Elliott and Britney Spears.
We live in the Digital Age where performers need to be as exciting visually as they are sonically. Yet, very few acts have the creativity to truly bring their music to life. Not to worry, though, because Way Back Wednesday will showcase those visual artists who very rarely go wrong!
Whether they are making you laugh, cry, dance or pray, these visual entertainers truly understand the art of making music videos. Indeed, regardless of the sizes of their production budgets, they know how to leave their viewers in awe.
Watch videos by some of the best visual artists of our time below:
Britney Spears – ‘Toxic’
Busta Rhymes – ‘What’s It Gonna Be?! (Ft. Janet Jackson)’
Eminem – ‘The Real Slim Shady’
Janet Jackson – ‘Alright’
Lady Gaga – ‘Alejandro’
Ludacris – ‘Stand Up (Ft. Shawnna)’
Madonna – ‘Vogue’
Michael Jackson – ‘Thriller’
Missy Elliott – ‘Lose Control (Ft. Fatman Scoop)’
Pink – ‘Stupid Girls’
In case you didn’t notice, all of these videos, with the exception of Lady Gaga’s ‘Alejandro’, were released before 2007. What happened around that time? MTV programming drastically changed and a greater emphasis was placed on reality TV instead of actual music.
In addition to the struggling economy, that lack of interest by MTV producers to showcase the work of artists lead to a drastic downturn in the quality of their videos. In fact, only acts who command large production budgets even bother to make impressive visuals and that mainly happens for their lead singles. For example, Beyonce with ‘I Am…Sasha Fierce’ and ’4′ projects.
Still, there is no reason why artists should push themselves to be the best both sonically and visually. If Eminem and Pink could do it then their peers should follow suit. Besides, now we have VEVO as a platform for them to showcase their work.
You know the drill: rank these artists in order of who makes the best videos! Is there anybody missing from the list? Who should not be on it? Share your input below!
Thoughts?
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And what’s great is that the artists mentioned in this article are able to translate that same creativity and energy to their live performances. Kanye also comes to mind as well.
Agrees with @Bee, Kanye is should be on this list aswell.
Kanye def should b in this post also. He’s amazing visually but agree with all who you posted about! I miss the good ole days when videos were supposed to be on point. GaGa is the only one who gives me vintage video greatness as far as production and loJok.
@Trent
Is every thing Beyonce’s fault? Tell us why you really mad though? And Single Ladies should have been up there, but we know how your shady ass do.
Kanye (in all his creative greatness) came AFTER this era of singers. Just look at when these vids were made. Kanye isn’t in this list, as he shouldn’t be. These are the early 2000s.
Video killed the radio star and iTunes/YouTube/VEVO/etc. killed the “Video star” … and MTV and BET, as far as them displaying music vids. LOL. Some of these record companies don’t put much into making vids because who’s going to watch them? And where is the exclusivity? Michael Jackson’s vids were so GREAT that network/primetime television had to cordon off a slot for his vids to play…and be viewed BY MILLIONS all at once…long before the era of YouTube. Then MTV and BET had their “first time ever” premieres of vids by David Meyers, Marcus Nispel, Little X, Francis Lawrence, Spike Jonze, Hype Williams, etc. Music videos back in the day WERE AN EVENT.
Today they are fodder for product placement, blog hits and Twitter trending.
I think we should rank according to those music video directors I’ve listed, because they worked with a number of these artists and gave us some of the best visuals this side of short film and feature film.
I think you should do a followup post highlighting artists with creative music videos who are current with today’s scene…Kanye being one of those artists and Beyonce (minus the bulk of her BDay vids including Deja Vu and Run the World (Girls) which wasn’t as “epic” as expected.) being another.
Great post, as always Trent
@kingphoenix
Single Ladies was 2009-2010….this list is mostly 2000s-mid2000s. Where does Trent say this is Beyonce’s fault?
READING IS FUNDAMENTAL.
“In fact, only acts [Beyonce] who command large production budgets even bother to make impressive visuals and that mainly happens for their lead singles [Single Ladies…Run the World (Girls)…” – he uses her as an example! LOL Stop searching for hate and shade.
I agree with everyone with the exception of Pink.
@Tonja
You do no the shadiness of shade…He tried to use Beyonce as an example…yet she was not the first artist to do a big budget Vid first, with subsequent low budget videos after…She was following a standard set by the big record companies before she even came out as an artist…He was implying that Beyonce set this standard, which she didn’t. And it wasn’t even a valid claim. As well, everybody knows that EOT was supposed to be the big budget second or third single but alas she was pregnant which in validates his theory on 4 era videography. Many artist today use the Biggest budget for their second or third single choices…its all about single choice and following trends. i.e. Katy Perry (Hot N Cold, Teenage Dream), Lady Gaga (Bad Romance, Merry the Night), Rihanna (Hard, S&M, WHYB) Nicki Minaj (Super Bass)…and so on and so forth…If anything the Main Artist who does the big budget Video in the beginning and falls of on video treatments is Adele…she would have been the perfect example. @Trent was being a shady queen….
Your welcome.
lmao @ Bey stans! this is the OGs level, so im sorry Beyonce don’t come close my loves
Them two Jackson siblings u know der names by now they are just different, they define epicness!
Missy always did some of the best ever music videos ever!
Where’s TLC??
Madonna’s Vogue – Glamorous but she doesn’t have many
What happened to Brits?
Pink’s always been the female Eminem
Aahh Toxic!!! That’s still my jam.
Huh. Sorry. I didn’t get the complexity of it all…so thanks for breaking down the [her]story of her music video release.
Trent! You were being a shady queen!!! How DARE YOU!
Its okay girl I am here to help the feeble-minded.
Tonja says: “Kanye (in all his creative greatness) came AFTER this era of singers. Just look at when these vids were made. Kanye isn’t in this list, as he shouldn’t be. These are the early 2000s.”
That argument is not valid when Lady Gaga (who came out after 2008) is on this list. Kanye has been making great videos since 2004…
The artists that are listed in this article are not there necessarily because they predated the digital age, but because they exemplify. And I know not every artist could be including but was just mentioning Kanye as one
*they exemplify what a music video should be … entertaining, innovative, something that really embodies the song and even adds to it or shows a different perspective – artists who can really engage their audiences with their videos.
*included
With the turn that the music industry took after 2005 it’s a bit of a risk for labels to let their artist do big budget videos for a single or album that may not pay for itself. A lot of artist today come out of pocket to do videos. Also I think the directors should be aknowledged because they often send the artist a treatment or ideas for a video.
Why not include the good music videos post 2007?
Bey’s RTW(G), for one.
@ kingphoenix, I am NOT feeble-minded. LOL See I got “that shade” (insert INSULT, gee thanks). I just don’t live, eat, breathe all things Beyonce like y’all do.
@ Bee, thanks for pointing that out with Gaga. I just looked over her completely…shows how much I’m ‘awed’ by her work.
@ T, yes, let us recognize those who write the treatments most definitely! *dust off shoulders* Maybe Trent will make a new post featuring the directors (too).
Lady Gaga and Michael Jackson SLAY! and Vogue was amazing as well.
“Lose Control” SLAYED – even Ciara’s part. And everybody knows those Jackson kids were manufactured to be creative geniuses. And yes – Kanye NEEDS to be on this list. “Touch The Sky”, “Paranoid”, “Monster”, “Heard ‘Em Say”, and even the simple video for “All Falls Down” was great.
YESS FOR QUEEN BRITNEY. I APPRECIATE YOU GIVEN HER CREDIT FOR WHAT SHE’S DONE. PEOPLE WERE TOO BUSY SHADING HER FOR NOT BEING A ‘STRO
NG VOCALIST’ LIKE CHRISTINA AGUILERA AKA THE NOISE. YET SHE WAS A GREAT DANCER, COULD PERFORM HER ASS OFF AND ALWAYS DELIVERED WITH HER VIDEOS.
MISSY FUCKING ELLIOT. NO OTHER RAP FEMALE COULD EVER.
WHY ARE KANYE STANS MAD? A LOT OF TIMES IT JUST SEEMS LIKE HE FORCES IT WITH HIS VIDEOS. I LOVE HIM BUT THE VIDEOS COME OFF AS HE TRIES TOO HARD TO BE EPIC WITH THEM.
AS FOR BEYONCE STANS, Y’ALL CAN BUZZ OFF. THAT WAS COMPLETELY ACCURATE, SHE ONLY DELIVERS GOOD VIDEOS AT THE BEGGINNING OF EACH ERA AND THEN SERVES YOU BEES WITH IPHONE EDITED GREEN SCREEN RUBBISH. SHE IS NO MUSIC VIDEO VISIONARY. EVEN HER SIGNATURE MUSIC VIDEO- SINGLE LADIES WAS A RESULT OF HER MANY ‘INSPIRATIONS’.. COPIED FROM BOB FOSSE
Aside from Gagas, Rihanna has probably put out the best videos for the past few years.
@Tonja
Oh sorry dear, i just sensed a little sarcasm in your response to me…And you know how us bees do when we feel threaten. We sting.