When Has the Video Killed the Music For You?

[Nemesis296]

Time for a new topic! I have been absolutely ensnared by the song "Sancturary" by Gareth Emery, but the music video is just horrible, it almost kills the song for me.

What songs did you just absolutely love, and as soon as you saw the video for it (or any video with the song for that matter), and it completely (or nearly) changed your opinion of the song, and why?

Here's my example:



Such an awesome song almost ruined by a horrible video. The actors in the video are so fake, and it just looks amateurish for being an 'official music video'. With a beat like the song has I also expected it to be more creative, instead of just a dance scene with choppy scenes, ugh. What are your examples?

[Randy 54]

I'm not posting an example but, my #1 was Take A Bow by Maddonna. Beautiful
song, idiotic video.

[theBlackman]

Video interpretations are mostly so much garbage. The so-called producers don't really address the lyrics. They just throw up a bunch of frenetic choreography and ignore the meaning (story line) of the song.

A few exceptions exist that stay fairly close such as "Cool Criminal" but most of them aren't worth the time it takes to watch them.

A non-visual sound track always does a better job selling a song than these crap videos.

[Poor Bison]

Videos that are genuinely creative, or produced with constant collaboration with the band are usually ok. It's videos where the label just commission some crappy, cheap director who runs all his/her videos from a "Modern Video Production Template" that are awful.

I'm always excited to see what video will be made for a song. The only two that really stand out to me recently are these:





Often, I never watch music videos on TV - I tend to check them out online, and even then only with bands I already like/songs I've already heard. As far as selling songs go, I guess this is quite important for those who do watch music channels on TV to try and find new music. But the wrong video can give a vastly wrong message. For this reason I absolutely hate 30 Seconds to Mars because of their horrifically lengthy and pointless music videos that they subject us to everytime they release a new single. And I don't like their music either, come to think of it.

[BLOWHARD]

I think it's killed off a large portion of music since MTV started playing them around the clock. Videos have a HUGE influence on the music people like now. How many bands or artist could make it without visuals of themselves and other cues to get their "essence" across?
Music, the artist/group and the listeners relationship to it has been changed forever. Kind of like opening Pandora's box.
Besides TBM, who here remembers sitting back in your room, with or without friends, with or without the lights on, and just listening to records? Even watching the vinyl spin around on the turntable! Imagining pictures and stories in your head without some slick video telling you what to think of while you listened to it? That was magical!!!
That was better. Those videos take away all your imagination and do the work for you.
But some are interesting and we can't go back now, that box is opened.

[theBlackman]

Originally Posted by BLOWHARD

[...] we can't go back now, that box is opened.

But we can ignore the box! I still have LP vinyl and 45s and a turntable on which to play them.

But, in the main you are right. "Think this way..." like politicians. Everybody wants you to be a member of the herd and not be heard.

[cazzer]

Well i can't really think of one off the top of my head, so i'm going to post the kinda opposite, makes me smile, also because i love the tune.

[Nemesis296]

Originally Posted by BLOWHARD

Music, the artist/group and the listeners relationship to it has been changed forever. Kind of like opening Pandora's box.
Those videos take away all your imagination and do the work for you.
But some are interesting and we can't go back now, that box is opened.

I couldn't agree more. Seeing one person's interpretation as the "official-this-is-how-it-was-meant-to-be-seen" visuals behind the song takes away the imagination of the listener completely. This is actually the reason why I stay away from videos of Lady Gaga's music. She records some decent tracks, and then the video seems like it is just there to confuse the heck out of you.

The angle that cazzer brings up is also an interesting one. In a way, it's possible that a video for a song can actually get you to like the song more than before you saw it because you enjoy the interpretation of the song (by the message or just the imagery played to the music). Prime example for me is Fireflies by Owl City:



And recently, Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO...I really don't know why but this video is just awesome to me:



Sometimes, I definitely agree that we should be able to leave it up to our imaginations, but today's world certainly doesn't really let that happen anymore.

[WinterSoldier]

Sarah McLachlan's "Possesion". It's a brilliant tune, but man, BOTH of the videos for it just... well they just... bleh! It's a song about a dude so obsessed with a chick he literaly wants to smother her to death while making love to her. How can you not get a cool video from that? I mean, the one with the band rocking out is awesome, but there's too much smiling in it for such a dark subject matter. The one where Sarah is playing the Virgin Mary is just... a head trip when set to those lyrics.

I just don't see how a "storyline video" wasn't made for it. But, I suppose she's supposed to be seen as something of a "good girl" and not be acknowledged for the dark lyrics she writes (Fun fact: "Angel" is about Heroin. That's the Angel in that song). Anyways, didn't ruin the song for me, but it's still quite a trip. She does look gorgeous as ever in both vids, tho.