How to kill a couple hours...

Pitchfork Media just released its list of the top fifty music videos of 2007. If you’re in the mood, expose yourself to some of these; they are some of the most interesting and creative examples of my favorite art form. Yes that’s right: music videos are my favorite art form. There is no other media that so easily and consistently generates such a powerful emotional response in me. Music alone is pretty good at stirring up feelings, triggering memories, and inducing moods, but when combined with the skillful use of film, the effect is dramatically compounded. Now let me be clear, I am NOT talking about the kind of music videos whose sole function is to drive record sales, the kind frequently shown on MTV2 (now that MTV doesn’t show music videos any more*). I absolutely hate videos that do nothing more than glamorize a musician. No, I’m talking about the honest attempt to create a better piece of artwork through the joining of music and film. If doing so happens to glamorize the artist or drive record sales – that’s fine – but it’s the intent of the artists that I care about. It doesn’t matter whether the artists’ aim is to augment a song’s impact through the use of moving imagery, to tell a better story with film by employing an appropriate piece of music, or simply to crack people up with a crazy dance on treadmills, I enjoy the collaboration. At least when done well.

I don’t agree with all of Pitchfork’s selections. Some of the videos are boring. But most of them were extremely satisfying, and you'll agree goddamit. It's my blog after all. Enjoy.


*Does that fact, that I remember when MTV used to show music videos, betray my age? I think so. I must be nearing a quarter century.