I’d Still Watch MTV if…

… the videos were this damn cool. This video by OK Go for their snappy new tune “Here It Goes Again” is probably the most creative thing I’ve seen since Spike Jonze created those brilliant videos for Fatboy Slim, Weezer and the Beastie Boys back in the 90s. And what makes OK Go’s new video so creative is that is so decidedly low-tech. Who ever thought 4 guys dancing on 6 running machines could be so entertaining?

Seriously, I love technology, but in terms of the art of music videos, I have always subscribed to the theory that less is more. I basically had it with high-tech videos way back in the mid-80s after Dire Straits did “Money For Nothing” and A-Ha made “Take on Me.” Yes, I know that dates me in a terrible way, but those really were cutting edge videos in terms of high-tech wizardry–both then and now. After that, artists were destined to do all sorts of stupid things with technology in music videos. Remember that horrible Paula Abdul video with a dancing cartoon cat. Of course, everything Paula’s ever done is horrible (remember her “Rebel Without A Cause” video ripoff featuring a young Keanu Reeves?), so maybe that isn’t the best example.

Perhaps TLF readers will have some examples of their least favorite music videos of all-time. Beyond anything by Paula Abdul, I’d have to say that the worst videos I’ve ever seen are:

1 – “We Built This City” by Starship (pure, unadulterated music video evil… When Abe Lincoln’s statue gets up and dances, that’s when I usually reach for a beer bottle to throw at the TV.)

2 – “Mr. Roboto” by Styx (I’m always rooting for the machines to rip Dennis DeYoung apart in this video… and IBM should have sued these guys for having their good name used in this piece of crap song.)

3 – (tie)
“She Likes to Party All the Time” by Eddie Murphy
“Return of Bruno” – Bruce Willis
… and last but most certainly not least…
Don Johnson’s “Heartbeat” (oh, the horror, the horror… and yes that is Dweezil Zappa and Paul Schaefer in the video.)

… oh, man, just too many choices here. Let me know your favorites.

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