Best Music Videos Ever

Since I have finals tomorrow for my Intensive Language Program (real classes start Monday), I've been doing all kinds of procrastinating and came up with a list of the top ten music videos ever. I've spent countless hours in front of YouTube watching videos from my Middle School-hood and deciding which ones are the best.

The Criteria:

- It has to be great because of the video, not the song

- It helps to have a good story/cool visual effects/etc.

- It can't be "Thriller," "Smells Like Teen Spirit," "The Wall" or any of those other videos that always fall first on VH1 countdowns

Here's what I ended up with:

1. "Weapon Of Choice" - Fatboy Slim (http://youtube.com/watch?v=0WW8flwpH-Q)

Features Christopher Walken dancing around a hotel with some extremely cool effects (he FLIES). This got number one mostly based on the fact that I would never listen to this song on it's own (especially not in its entirety) but gladly watched this video twice in a row.

2. "Hey Ya" - Outkast (http://youtube.com/watch?v=XvIw5ZqC1ms)

This is a fairly simple video but there's still enough going on to keep it entertaining. The opening scene where the manager is talking to them gives it a slight plot and the video feels very classic. I especially like videos where there are only a couple people playing multiple characters. The kids dancing in their living room is really great, too.

3. "By The Way" - Red Hot Chili Peppers (http://youtube.com/watch?v=TdagH15ZEwQ)

Entertaining.

4. "Vogue" - Madonna (http://youtube.com/watch?v=xRIYvfhXrdA)

She's really cool in this, and I like when they're dancing and they all swing their arms behind their heads at the same time - the dancing in general is really cool. Madonna looks really glamorous but not to the point where it's obnoxious.

5. "The Whole World" - Outkast (http://youtube.com/watch?v=p5UJjQt3bkM)

Even though this video is kind of scary, I really like the circus theme and how un-afraid Outkast is of looking totally gay by wearing blonde wigs.

6. "Baby One More Time" - Britney Spears (http://youtube.com/watch?v=_BclTRsTBZM)

There are some really stupid points to this video, but when it actually came out it was incredible how much air time it go on MTV. Also, I went to her concert back in the day and there were SO many girls dressed up as Catholic school girls - the fact that she can influence so many people by a couple minutes of music video is incredible.

7. "Doo Wop (That Thing)" - Lauryn Hill (http://youtube.com/watch?v=bGBKCff9o2k)

I really like the split screen between the '60s and present day New York City block parties. It kind of bothers me that present-day-Lauryn looks smaller for part of it, but it's still a really good video.

8. "The Bad Touch" - Bloodhound Gang (http://youtube.com/watch?v=iTW8oUV8Aq0)

THEY'RE DRESSED IN MONKEY SUITS FOR CRYING OUT LOUD. And they managed to get famous off a song about "you and me baby ain't nothing but mammals so let's do it like they do on the discovery channel."

9. "Las De La Intuicion" - Shakira (http://youtube.com/watch?v=NqkkAvRJ28M)

She's wearing a purple mod wig and she dances with saran wrap and manages to not look stupid at all.

10. "Together Again" - Janet Jackson (http://youtube.com/watch?v=5PwpZVlOumc)

I'm pretty sure she actually went to Africa to film this, and it looks really awesome. Her hair is slightly less awesome, but the elephants make up for it.