The finest music movies of the 00s are a diversified bunch. There’s distinctive visible trickery by masters of the shape. There’s genre-defining moments in neo-soul and hip-hop, in addition to genre-busting efforts by people that subverted tropes constructed up for the reason that arrival of MTV in August of 1981. What’s maybe most attention-grabbing about this listing of the most effective music movies of the 00s was the widespread arrival of the web later within the decade. You can see a marked shift within the ways in which musicians and movie administrators started to play with the format. It was a brand new period, for higher or worse.
50: Sum 41: Fat Lip (2001)
Directed by: Marc Klasfeld
These Canadian skate-punk rockers start this anarchic video doing a brief, impromptu four-part rap in a liquor retailer earlier than the motion cuts to a live performance in a dry river mattress, which is then interwoven with footage of the band appearing up in entrance of the digicam. Like the music it’s representing, the video is taut and frenetic however can be an trustworthy portrait of the band’s raucous, youthful power.
49: Birdman & Lil Wayne: Leather So Soft (2006)
Directed by: Aaron Courseault
Despite the truth that we see a dreadlocked Lil’ Wayne channeling his inside guitar-toting rock star on this video, it’s replete with all the same old hip-hop iconography; designer jewellery, costly automobiles, and gyrating, scantily clad girls. Somewhat bizarrely, although, it contains scenes that includes youngster ballet dancers and a lady utilizing signal language; pictures that appear at odds with the music’s sexually specific lyrics.
48: Dr. Dre feat. Eminem: Forgot About Dre (2001)
Directed by: Philip G. Atwell
Eminem channeled his Slim Shady alter ego in Dre’s indignant riposte to different rappers who had disrespected him. In an uncommon twist, the ultimate minute of the video is dedicated to Dre’s protégé Hitman, who’s seen performing his music “Last Dayz.”
47: Ludacris: Get Back (2004)
Directed by: Spike Jonze
Not all pop movies have glamorous settings; take the one to Ludacris‘ “Get Back,” for instance, which begins with the rapper being hustled by a wannabe (performed by ex-Pharcyde member Fatlip) whereas relieving himself in a public urinal. The video can be noteworthy for depicting Ludacris with enormous, Popeye-like forearms.
46: Mariah Carey feat. Jay-Z: Heartbreaker (1999)
Directed by: Bret Ratner
Contractual causes prevented Jay-Z collaborating on this video, which resulted in an animated sequence showing within the part of the music the place he performs his rap. Costing an eye-watering $2.5 million, “Heartbreaker,” which was primarily shot within the historic Los Angeles Theatre, stays one of the costly and finest pop music movies of the 00s.
45: Pulp: Bad Cover Version (2002)
Directed by: Jarvis Cocker and Martin Wallace
“Spot the lookalike” is the premise of this spoof documentary-style video which parodies Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas.” It options 29 superstar doppelgangers; from David Bowie to Missy Elliott. Although Pulp‘s Jarvis Cocker is also represented by an impersonator, he appears in the video disguised as Queen’s Brian May.
44: Soulja Boy Tell’em: Crank That (Soulja Boy) (2007)
Directed by: Dale Resteghini
Atlanta MC Soulja Boy (actual title DeAndre Cortez Way) ignited a brand new dance craze that unfold like wildfire throughout America together with his video to an insanely catchy tune that spent seven weeks on the summit for the US pop charts. The rapper’s label boss, music mogul “Mr. Collipark” seems as himself within the video.
43: Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Eminem: Forever (2009)
Directed by: Hype Williams
Four hip-hop heavyweights assembled for this video selling the primary single from the soundtrack to basketball participant LeBron James’ documentary More Than a Game. It was shot in a Miami lodge although Eminem filmed his contribution in Detroit. James seems briefly, enjoying on-line poker originally of the video.
42: Damian Marley: Welcome to Jamrock (2005)
Directed by: Ras Kassa
The Jamaican Tourist Board actually wouldn’t endorse Marley’s view of his nation within the reggae singer’s hard-hitting video to his 2005 hit, which depicts what most guests don’t see once they go there on trip: crime, violence, poverty, and corrupt legislation enforcement companies. Paradise misplaced? Absolutely.
41: Radiohead: Knives Out (2001)
Directed by: Michael Gondry
Anatomical and surgical imagery abound on this surreal early 2000s video, which finds singer Thom Yorke in a hospital whereas his associate undergoes a weird operation. Thankfully, the video for “Knives Out” made no reference to the music’s cannibalistic theme, nevertheless it nonetheless had a nightmarish high quality that appeared to seize the disquieting tone of Radiohead’s music.
40: Fall Out Boy: Sugar We’re Goin Down (2005)
Directed by: Matt Lenski
The video for this Top 10 US hit by the quartet focuses on an angst-ridden teenager’s battle between being himself and conforming to societal conventions. Filmed in Margaretville within the Catskill Mountains, it depicts a younger man who’s born with antlers and charts his journey from self-loathing to self-acceptance.
39: Björk: Triumph of a Heart (2005)
Directed by: Spike Jonze
One of essentially the most mind-boggling movies of the 2000s was this one by the Icelandic avant-pop queen, which reveals the singer happening a ingesting binge to flee her husband, who’s performed by a cat sporting a vest. Halfway by way of, there’s a raucous beat-boxing competitors held in a bar earlier than Björk reunites along with her husband, now suited, who grows to human measurement after which dances along with her. If social media had been extra of a factor again then, we’re positive this might have been the supply of a thousand memes.
38: Green Day: American Idiot (2004)
Directed by: Samuel Bayer
A protest music railing at what Green Day perceived because the propagandist tendencies of the mainstream US media, “American Idiot” got here with a subversive video exhibiting the Cali neo-punk trio enjoying on a soundstage with a green-tinted model of the American flag as a backdrop. The video mirrored each Green Day’s pent-up power and the band’s innate rebelliousness.
37: Elton John: I Want Love (2001)
Directed by: Sam Taylor-Wood
The Iron Man himself, Robert Downey Jr, stars on this video, lip-syncing to Elton John‘s plaintive ballad as he strolls pensively through the luxurious Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. It was filmed in one continuous take but took sixteen attempts to get it to the director’s satisfaction.
36: Destiny’s Child: Say My Name (2000)
Directed by: Joseph Kahn
Although they didn’t sing on the document, Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin have been put in as new members of Destiny’s Child in time for taking pictures “Say My Name’s” video. Their hasty recruitment meant they didn’t have a lot time to be taught the video choreography however you wouldn’t guess that witnessing their assured strikes on this colourful promo that is still among the finest music movies of the 00s.
35: Fountains of Wayne: Stacy’s Mom (2003)
Directed by: Chris Applebaum
The greatest US chart hit by these New York purveyors of punky energy pop, “Stacy’s Mom” got here with a video that includes actor/mannequin Rachel Hunter because the titular character who fuels the sexual fantasies of an adolescent boy. Packed with hilarious vignettes, it deservedly topped each MTV and VH1’s video charts in 2003.
34: Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Y Control (2004)
Directed by: Spike Jonze
With its stunning picture of kids disemboweling and mutilating one another in addition to enjoying with a lifeless canine, this video sparked outrage and vociferous protests in some quarters. Even so, it received performed on MTV, which blurred out a few of the movie’s extra ugly scenes.
33: Justice: D.A.N.C.E. (2007)
Directed by: Jonas & Francois
This French digital duo blended a Chic-inspired disco groove with youngsters’s vocals for “D.A.N.C.E.,” whose attention-grabbing video cleverly married pop artwork iconography with animation. Most of the display time is dedicated to a sequence of pictures that seem in a steady circulate on the 2 musicians’ T-shirts. Easily among the finest music movies of the 00s.
32: Taylor Swift: You Belong With Me (2009)
Directed by: Roman White
“Be true to yourself” appears to be the leitmotif on this multi-award-winning video the place Taylor Swift performs two opposing roles; a quiet, studious and delicate individual and a extra brazen, shallow, and outgoing lady who’s extra common with boys. Both are adversaries in a rom-com fashion love conflict the place in the end, authenticity triumphs over posturing.
31: Red Hot Chili Peppers: Californication (2000)
Directed by: Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris
A rumination on how Hollywood exerts a strong, generally darkish, affect on folks world wide, “Californication” resulted within the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ hottest video, which depicts the band as characters in a online game. To date, it has racked up over 800 million views on YouTube.
30: Daft Punk: Interstella 5555 (2003)
Directed by Leiji Matsumoto
The enigmatic French digital duo’s second album Discovery was accompanied by this epic 65-minute dialogue-less sci-fi themed anime film. Subtitled The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem, it first appeared in 4 on-line installments earlier than the total film premiered on DVD.
29: Weezer: Pork and Beans (2008)
Directed by: Matthew Cullen
This was Weezer‘s response to their document firm asking them to be extra industrial: a defiant declaration of individuality, which produced a hilarious internet-inspired video that includes tons of cameos. It obtained one million views in its first week of launch and in 2009 received a Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video.
28: Kylie Minogue: Come Into My World (2002)
Directed by: Michel Gondry
Filming the Australian pop princess strolling in a circle doesn’t sound like a viable concept for a music video however when you’ve got French director Michel Gondry behind the digicam, an unremarkable idea can blossom into an impressed visible symphony. One of the most effective music movies of the 00s, Minogue’s walkabout occurred in Paris, used 50 extras, and was filmed in a single steady take.
27: Beyonce: Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) (2008)
Directed by: Jake Nava
Many pop movies of this period bombarded the viewer with a fancy array of visible pictures however Beyoncé went for a comparatively simple strategy on this black and white promo movie, which captured her dancing in opposition to an unchanging background. It’s highly effective as a result of it gives the look that we’re witnessing an entire, uninterrupted efficiency by the singer, whose dancing exudes mesmerizing power.
26: Bat for Lashes: What’s a Girl to Do (2006)
Directed by: Dougal Wilson
British singer and auteur Bat For Lashes (actual title Natasha Khan) funneled the spirit of her favourite sci-fi film Donnie Darko on this video, the place she’s seen driving a motorcycle on a highway at night time accompanied by a number of insidious animal figures. Its surreal, nightmare high quality harmonizes with the music’s unearthly atmosphere.
25: My Chemical Romance: Helena (2005)
Directed by: Marc Webb
This New Jersey band took the extraordinary and brooding sound of emo into the mainstream with their single “Helena,” whose macabre video depicted a funeral filmed in a Los Angeles Presbyterian church. The music was supposedly impressed by the passing of frontman Gerard Way’s grandmother, although it’s uncertain she had a send-off just like the one within the video.
24: Gorillaz: Clint Eastwood (2001)
Directed by: Jamie Hewlett and Pete Candeland
Ex-Blur singer Damon Albarn’s anime-inspired digital band paid tribute to the titular Hollywood star by referencing the “Spaghetti Western” film The Good, The Bad & The Ugly. The music’s colourful and entertaining animated video alludes to zombie films and features a pastiche of Michael Jackson’s 80s traditional “Thriller” dropped at life by undead, big gorillas.
23: Kanye West: Stronger (2007)
Directed by: Hype Williams
Renowned as a perfectionist, Kanye West spent three months modifying this video, which took twelve days to movie and depicts a futuristic, robot-dominated world. Shot utilizing guerrilla-filmmaking strategies in each Tokyo and Los Angeles, it received eight awards and stands as among the finest music movies of the 00s.
22: The Chemical Brothers: Star Guitar (2002)
Directed by: Michael Gondry
Some songs don’t require costly and flashy music movies to resonate with viewers, as this Chemical Brothers promo movie proves, which provides a steady shot from a prepare window because it speeds by way of rural and concrete landscapes. The ensuing travelogue is completely in sync with the Mancunian dance duo’s evocative soundscape.
21: Bon Jovi: It’s My Life (2000)
Directed by: Wayne Isham
The New Jersey rock group’s most seen video – which has exceeded one billion views – stars actors Will Estes and Shiri Appleby because the music’s major characters Tommy and Gina. Its scenes the place Tommy dodges a succession of obstacles as he runs to fulfill Gina was impressed by the motion sequences within the 1998 German film Run Lola Run.
20: Nelly: Dilemma (2002)
Directed by: Benny Boom
Ex-Destiny’s Child singer Kelly Rowland is the article of Nelly‘s furtive desire in this video set in a fictional suburb called “Nellyville.” If you think the actor playing Rowland’s mom seems to be acquainted, it’s as a result of she’s soul music legend Patti LaBelle.
19: Snoop Dogg feat. Pharrell Williams: Drop It Like It’s Hot (2004)
Directed by: Paul Hunter
The inherent simplicity of this catchy hip-hop dance groove – only a naked beat behind some dope rhymes – is echoed within the starkness of its distinctive, award-winning black and white video. Although it options all of the stereotypical accouterments related to rap movies – weed smoking, scantily clad girls, flash automobiles, and designer jewellery – the promo exudes a sure clean-cut class.
18: Feist: 1234 (2007)
Directed by: Patrick Daughters
Shooting a pop video in a single steady take is a difficult process, particularly if, like this one, it entails complicated choreography and directing 100 dancers. After many hours of rehearsal, “1234” took over 20 takes to get proper, however because the fantastically realized finish product reveals, the director’s perfectionism was justified. One of essentially the most sophisticated (and finest) music movies of the 00s.
17: Christina Aguilera: Dirrty (2002)
Directed by: David Lachapelle
With its sweaty sequences depicting a girls’s boxing match, mud wrestling, and bump ‘n’ grind dance strikes, that is a kind of movies that can immediate many viewers to yearn for a chilly, cleaning bathe. Described by one reviewer as a “post-apocalyptic orgy,” Aguilera’s video was extremely controversial however that didn’t cease it topping MTV’s video chart.
16: The Strokes: Last Nite (2001)
Directed by: Roman Coppola
The New York rock band used a easy idea for one in every of their first music movies: Play dwell on a big soundstage that regarded greater than paying homage to a gaggle like The Beatles enjoying the Ed Sullivan Show. For a back-to-basics rock group, it was the proper match for his or her debut album.
15: Lady Gaga: Bad Romance (2009)
Directed by: Francis Lawrence
This risqué video by the queen of artwork pop – the place she’s kidnapped, bought into slavery, after which exacts revenge – is what you’d count on from an artist who likes to take inventive dangers and break boundaries. Replete with outlandish costumes and beautiful ensemble choreography, it confirmed GaGa as one in every of pop’s most provocative video makers of the 00s.
14: White Stripes: Fell In Love with a Girl (2002)
Directed by: Michel Gondry
Some music movies eschew shiny, high-tech gadgetry, in contrast to this one to The White Stripes’ storage rock traditional, which relied fully on hand-assembled constructions of Legos. The promo movie was painstakingly pieced collectively utilizing single-frame pictures which have been then segued to create an unforgettable shifting montage, the spirit of which appeared to reflect the band’s DIY aesthetic.
13: 50 Cent: In Da Club (2003)
Directed by: Philip Atwell
Dr. Dre and Eminem pose as lab scientists on this futuristic video set at a prime secret “Artist Development Center” the place we first glimpse 50 Cent as a cyborg being repaired on an working desk. (A reference, maybe, to the rapper being shot seven occasions in actual life). The video received two MTV awards and in 2020, surpassed one billion YouTube views.
12: The Avalanches: Frontier Psychiatrist (2000)
Directed by: Tom Kuntz and Mike Maguire
For the uninitiated, seeing this video is likely to be likened to experiencing a drug-induced hallucination, such is the surreal high quality of its imagery. The video is offered as a steady stage efficiency with a number of various characters voicing the music’s many sampled fragments of dialogue.
11: Rihanna feat. JAY-Z: Umbrella (2007)
Directed by: Chris Applebaum
Rihanna unsurprisingly grabbed the Video Of The Year gong at MTV’s 2007 Music Video Awards for her visually beautiful promo movie for “Umbrella,” which concerned her physique being smeared with silver paint throughout a sequence filmed in black and white. That USP mixed with neon-style rain results conspired to make an unforgettable pop music video.
10: Johnny Cash: Hurt (2003)
Directed by: Mark Romanek
Cash was within the twilight of his profession and 7 months from demise when he shot the video for his haunting cowl of Nine Inch Nails’ funereal ballad. Contrasting archive footage of a youthful Cash together with his older, frailer, self transforms the video right into a poignant, requiem-like, reflection of the nation legend’s life and profession.
09: Erykah Badu: Honey (2007)
Directed by: Erykah Badu and Chris Robinson
Set in a document retailer, this ingenious video embodies Erykah Badu‘s musical eclecticism and pays tribute to her many musical influences. We follow a customer thumbing through racks of LPs from different genres – ranging from Funkadelic’s Maggot Brain to The Beatles’ Let It Be – and each finds a shifting picture of Badu as a part of the album paintings.
08: Britney Spears: Toxic (2004)
Directed by: Joseph Kahn
“Appearances can be deceptive” appears to be the message of this traditional spy-themed video, the place Spears morphs from a blonde flight attendant right into a thrill-seeking redhead and eventually right into a raven-haired femme fatale. In between, Spears will be seen performing in a clear, diamond-studded bodysuit, which induced controversy and prompted MTV to restrict the video to nighttime viewing.
07: Missy Elliott: Work It (2002)
Directed by: Dave Meyers
Elliot’s producer Timbaland and his protégé, singer Tweet, seem on this vibrant video with elaborate choreography. It additionally options Cheaper By The Dozen youngster actor Alyson Stoner executing some breakdance strikes. The rapper additionally pays homage to the late R&B stars Aaliyah and Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, whose pictures adorn a automotive hood with the phrases “In Loving Memory.” Clearly among the finest music movies of the 00s.
06: Pink, Mya, Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim: Lady Marmalade (2001)
Directed by: Paul Hunter
This spirited reboot of a traditional 70s LaBelle quantity appeared within the soundtrack to Baz Luhrmann’s hit film, Moulin Rouge!, and produced an attention-grabbing video the place its lingerie-clad stars fused modern hip-hop sass with classic Parisian cabaret to beautiful impact. Unsurprisingly, it scooped the Best Video Of The Year prize on the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards.
05: Eminem: Stan (2000)
Directed by: Dr Dre and Philip Atwell
British singer Dido, whose music “Thank You” served because the sampled hook line in “Stan,” starred within the music’s cinematic video because the pregnant girlfriend of an obsessive, unstable Eminem fan whose life ends in tragedy. Aside from its standing as among the finest music movies of the 00s, the phrase stan has additionally come to grow to be a significant a part of fan tradition.
04: OK Go: Here It Goes Again (2006)
Directed by: Trish Sie
One of the best-choreographed scenes in a 00s music video was offered by this Windy City indie rock quartet for “Here It Goes Again,” the place the band members dance each on and in between eight strategically positioned treadmills. Filmed in a single steady take, it took them seventeen makes an attempt to good their routine however the closing consequence, which received a Grammy, was undoubtedly price the additional effort.
03: Fatboy Slim: Weapon of Choice (2001)
Directed by: Spike Jonze
The British DJ and producer didn’t seem within the video for his second music promo clip with Spike Jonze; as a substitute, he allowed popular culture icon Christopher Walken to bop his manner by way of the monitor in an empty lodge. The pièce de résistance is when the Hollywood legend levitates throughout the room.
02: Outkast: Hey Ya (2003)
Directed by: Brian Barber
Though it was set in London, the inspiration behind the Atlanta hip-hop duo’s multi-award-winning video for his or her No. 1 US smash was The Beatles’ debut look on the Ed Sullivan Show. It finds singer André 3000 enjoying all eight members of a fake eight-piece band referred to as The Love Below in entrance of screaming followers.
01: D’Angelo: Untitled (How Does It Feel?) (2000)
Directed by: Paul Hunter
The idea of this video was to make the viewer really feel that they have been having one-on-one time with a really ripped-looking D’Angelo, who seems to be bare (although we solely see his higher torso) as he sings instantly on the digicam. The promo was profitable in mirroring the intimate vibe of the neo-soul man’s music, and remains to be thought to be among the finest music movies of the 00s.