Top 11 Music Videos of 2011
- Posted by Aaron Brophy
- Comments
The "M" in MTV may not stand for "music" any more, but that doesn't mean music videos are dead. In fact, in these hyper-connected social media times it's more important than ever for an artist to have a good video.
Upload an ace clip on a Thursday and by Friday someone can become a worldwide Internet sensation. Just ask Rebecca Black. But there are plenty of artists big and small who made videos this year that aspired to greater things than just partying, partying, fun, fun, fun, fun.
Whether they're grand, sublime, ridiculous or twisted, great videos affect us just like any transcendent piece of art. And so we present the best this year had to offer in Spinner's Top Music Videos of 2011:
11. 'Sweetest Kill,' Broken Social Scene
Bijou Phillips takes the song title literally but isn't quite as studied at disposing of dead bodies as Dexter Morgan.
Contains:
- The under-appreciated 16th century royal court skill known as "putting poison in wine"
- The disquieting titillation of a near-upskirt shot while Bijou saws the dude's arm off
- Bijou rolling around in a body part-filled dirt patch like a feline in a field of catnip
Watch Broken Social Scene's 'The Sweetest Kill' Video
10. 'The Greeks,' Is Tropical
London electronic band Is Tropical's bouncy 'The Greeks' is transformed into a revealing look inside the mind of 12-year-old boys by French directing team Megaforce.
Contains:
- Bloody cartoon ultra-violence
- Children as meth lab workers
- The most appropriate/inappropriate use of toy Nerf guns ever
Watch Is Tropical's 'The Greeks' Video
9. 'Sexy and I Know It,' LMFAO
The dance zombies of 'Party Rock Anthem' are hard to beat, but when it comes to epic partying few things match man-thong dance competitions.
Contains:
- Unlikely cameos of porn star Ron Jeremy, dater of troubled actresses Wilmer Valderrama and mixed martial arts champ Alistair Overeem
- A half-man, half-robot pickup artist
- The "wiggle off," a jiggling man-crotch dance competition (think of it as the ironic counterpoint to Drake's Kanye-directed bouncing boobfest 'Best I Ever Had')
Watch LMFAO's 'Sexy and I Know It' Video
8. 'Marry the Night,' Lady Gaga
It's hard to top the weirdness of documenting your own birth into the cosmic multiverse in 'Born This Way' or the bike gang cribbing of 'Judas,' but Lady Gaga did it in this self-directed clip.
Contains:
- Smearing of Cheerios across one's naked body
- Cheeky Gaga-as-Madonna 'Desperately Seeking Susan' send-ups
- 'Grand Theft Auto'-level chain reaction exploding cars
Watch Lady Gaga's 'Marry the Night' Video
7. 'Walk,' Foo Fighters
Dave Grohl's super crappy day results in 'Happy Gilmore'-style chaos and PG-version 'Jackass' stunts.
Contains:
- Golf cart misadventure
- Dog poop in the face
- Don't tase me, bro!
Watch Foo Fighters' 'Walk' Video
6. 'I Follow Rivers,' Lykke Li
People have been slowly figuring out Lykke Li is far more "next Bjork" than "next Gaga." Doing things like getting legendary actor and Lars Von Trier go-to guy Stellan Skarsgård to co-star in 'Sadness Is a Blessing' helps. Better than that, though, is the incredibly simple -- and incredibly heavy -- 'I Follow Rivers.'
Contains:
- The realization that running on snow in high heels is inefficient
- Really cold feet
- Tearful reconciliation followed by... impending doom?
Watch Lykke Li's 'I Follow Rivers' Video
5. 'Video Games,' Lana Del Rey
Get past the hypnotic effect of Del Rey's jelly lips and there's a sultry cool thing going on here that recalls a bygone era.
Contains:
- Paz de la Huerta in full hot mess mode
- Barely sublimated Apple advertisements
- Dangerous helmet-free motorcycle riding (life is not a video game, kids!)
Watch Lana Del Rey's 'Video Games' Video
4. 'Money and Run,' UNKLE featuring Nick Cave
The band that brought the ultra-disturbing 'Rabbit in your Headlights' video a few years ago give us an equally upsetting inside glimpse of how the One Percent roll.
Contains:
- Inappropriate use of cricket bats
- Full-contact bad-touch combat tennis
- Hunting the world's most dangerous game (the other 99 Percent)
Watch UNKLE's 'Money and Run' Video
3. 'She,' Tyler, the Creator
That lamented lost 23rd chapter of R.Kelly's 'Trapped in the Closet' series gets hijacked by rapper Tyler, the Creator and his Odd Future gang.
Contains:
- Uzi machine guns as casual bedroom accessories
- Creepy underpants sniffing
- The greatest kitten t-shirt ever
Watch Tyler, the Creator's 'She' Video -- NSFW
2. 'Blow,' Ke$ha
Ke$ha cleans up (relatively) and lets her crazy out with Mr. Dawson Leery.
Contains:
- Unicorns as makeout buddies
- References to "James Van Der Douche" and Ke$ha as Prime Minister of Uzbekistan
- Unicorn-killing rainbow lasers
Watch Ke$ha's 'Blow' Video
1. 'Fight for Your Right (Revisited),' Beastie Boys
Seth Rogen, Danny McBride and Elijah Wood portray Beasties Mike D, MCA and Ad-Rock respectively in an epic 30-minute cameo-filled misadventure that devolves into a dance-fight against future-Beasties played by John C. Reilly, Jack Black and Will Ferrell.
Contains:
- Will Arnett classically revisiting his 'Arrested Development' "Come on!" catchphrase after getting hit by a flying beer
- Chloe Sevigny as a stab-happy metal chick tripping on acid
- The inevitable conclusion to all dance-fights --a literal pissing contest
Watch Beastie Boys' 'Fight for Your Right (Revisited)' Video
Upload an ace clip on a Thursday and by Friday someone can become a worldwide Internet sensation. Just ask Rebecca Black. But there are plenty of artists big and small who made videos this year that aspired to greater things than just partying, partying, fun, fun, fun, fun.
Whether they're grand, sublime, ridiculous or twisted, great videos affect us just like any transcendent piece of art. And so we present the best this year had to offer in Spinner's Top Music Videos of 2011:
11. 'Sweetest Kill,' Broken Social Scene
Bijou Phillips takes the song title literally but isn't quite as studied at disposing of dead bodies as Dexter Morgan.
Contains:
- The under-appreciated 16th century royal court skill known as "putting poison in wine"
- The disquieting titillation of a near-upskirt shot while Bijou saws the dude's arm off
- Bijou rolling around in a body part-filled dirt patch like a feline in a field of catnip
10. 'The Greeks,' Is Tropical
London electronic band Is Tropical's bouncy 'The Greeks' is transformed into a revealing look inside the mind of 12-year-old boys by French directing team Megaforce.
Contains:
- Bloody cartoon ultra-violence
- Children as meth lab workers
- The most appropriate/inappropriate use of toy Nerf guns ever
9. 'Sexy and I Know It,' LMFAO
The dance zombies of 'Party Rock Anthem' are hard to beat, but when it comes to epic partying few things match man-thong dance competitions.
Contains:
- Unlikely cameos of porn star Ron Jeremy, dater of troubled actresses Wilmer Valderrama and mixed martial arts champ Alistair Overeem
- A half-man, half-robot pickup artist
- The "wiggle off," a jiggling man-crotch dance competition (think of it as the ironic counterpoint to Drake's Kanye-directed bouncing boobfest 'Best I Ever Had')
8. 'Marry the Night,' Lady Gaga
It's hard to top the weirdness of documenting your own birth into the cosmic multiverse in 'Born This Way' or the bike gang cribbing of 'Judas,' but Lady Gaga did it in this self-directed clip.
Contains:
- Smearing of Cheerios across one's naked body
- Cheeky Gaga-as-Madonna 'Desperately Seeking Susan' send-ups
- 'Grand Theft Auto'-level chain reaction exploding cars
7. 'Walk,' Foo Fighters
Dave Grohl's super crappy day results in 'Happy Gilmore'-style chaos and PG-version 'Jackass' stunts.
Contains:
- Golf cart misadventure
- Dog poop in the face
- Don't tase me, bro!
6. 'I Follow Rivers,' Lykke Li
People have been slowly figuring out Lykke Li is far more "next Bjork" than "next Gaga." Doing things like getting legendary actor and Lars Von Trier go-to guy Stellan Skarsgård to co-star in 'Sadness Is a Blessing' helps. Better than that, though, is the incredibly simple -- and incredibly heavy -- 'I Follow Rivers.'
Contains:
- The realization that running on snow in high heels is inefficient
- Really cold feet
- Tearful reconciliation followed by... impending doom?
5. 'Video Games,' Lana Del Rey
Get past the hypnotic effect of Del Rey's jelly lips and there's a sultry cool thing going on here that recalls a bygone era.
Contains:
- Paz de la Huerta in full hot mess mode
- Barely sublimated Apple advertisements
- Dangerous helmet-free motorcycle riding (life is not a video game, kids!)
4. 'Money and Run,' UNKLE featuring Nick Cave
The band that brought the ultra-disturbing 'Rabbit in your Headlights' video a few years ago give us an equally upsetting inside glimpse of how the One Percent roll.
Contains:
- Inappropriate use of cricket bats
- Full-contact bad-touch combat tennis
- Hunting the world's most dangerous game (the other 99 Percent)
3. 'She,' Tyler, the Creator
That lamented lost 23rd chapter of R.Kelly's 'Trapped in the Closet' series gets hijacked by rapper Tyler, the Creator and his Odd Future gang.
Contains:
- Uzi machine guns as casual bedroom accessories
- Creepy underpants sniffing
- The greatest kitten t-shirt ever
2. 'Blow,' Ke$ha
Ke$ha cleans up (relatively) and lets her crazy out with Mr. Dawson Leery.
Contains:
- Unicorns as makeout buddies
- References to "James Van Der Douche" and Ke$ha as Prime Minister of Uzbekistan
- Unicorn-killing rainbow lasers
1. 'Fight for Your Right (Revisited),' Beastie Boys
Seth Rogen, Danny McBride and Elijah Wood portray Beasties Mike D, MCA and Ad-Rock respectively in an epic 30-minute cameo-filled misadventure that devolves into a dance-fight against future-Beasties played by John C. Reilly, Jack Black and Will Ferrell.
Contains:
- Will Arnett classically revisiting his 'Arrested Development' "Come on!" catchphrase after getting hit by a flying beer
- Chloe Sevigny as a stab-happy metal chick tripping on acid
- The inevitable conclusion to all dance-fights --a literal pissing contest
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