B4.1

Music video Timeline

1950s-1960s:

"Soundies" (1940s-1950s): Soundies were not traditional music videos. They were short musical films made for a jukebox device called the Panorama. They included performances by various artists and are considered the first progression of music videos.

1960s:

"Promotional Films" (1960s): Artists like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones created short promotional films for their songs, which could be considered the early prototypes of music videos. These films were many times used to promote songs on TV programs.

1970s:

"Bohemian Rhapsody" (1975) by Queen, Was not a traditional music video and was intended to be a promotional film for "Bohemian Rhapsody". The music video is famous for its complicated production and visual effects for its time, showing the band's creative vision.

"Take Me to the River" (1978) by "Talking Heads", Directed by Bruce Conner, this video is viewed to be one of the early examples of artistic and creative music video production. They hired a director (Bruce Conner) which pushed artists and producers to collaborate and make music videos that fit the artists creative direction.

1980s:

"Video Killed the Radio Star" (1979) by The Buggles, was the first music video played on MTV in 1981, the song was a hit and the music video and song ironically represent the shift from radio to video (TV). Opening new doors for artists to promote themselves to the mainstream.

"Thriller" (1982) by Michael Jackson, Directed by John Landis, Set a new standard for music videos and is viewed as one of the most influential music videos. The video was praised for its dance moves, costumes, narrative, and sound. MTV played an important role in popularizing and shaping music in the 80's. because of this, it set the mark for all artists to publish a music video in order to gain more attention and show their visions.

"Sweet Child o' Mine" (1988) by Guns N' Roses, Directed by Nigel Dick, this video is famous for its plain yet effective approach of filming as if it were live to capture the energy of the band and for its fans to watch how they play their instruments. This form of music video made them gain immense success.

"Express Yourself" (1989) by Madonna Directed by David Fincher, It features Madonna in gender-bending roles, which challenged traditional gender roles. This created some controversy around sexuality. The budget for this music video also added more controversy as it was one of the most expensive videos of the time.

"Black or White" (1991) by Michael Jackson Another groundbreaking video from Michael Jackson, directed by John Landis, "Black or White" featured innovative morphing technology and a diverse array of global cultures.

"Jeremy" (1992) by Pearl Jam, Directed by Mark Pellington, the video addressed major social issues about a 15-year-old boy named Jeremy Wade Delle from Richardson who shot himself in front of his teacher and his class of 30 students in 1991. Pearl jam used their music to promote mental health and spread awareness about this case. They later on won several MTV Video Music Awards, which showcased the potential for music videos to carry strong messages and to spread awareness.

2000s:

"Stan" (2000) by Eminem featuring, Dido Directed by Dr.Dre and Philip G. Atwell The video was provided with commentary on the impact of celebrity culture and the relationship between fans and artists. It tells a story and addresses issues about fame, mental health, and others... The music video was praised for its cinematography and inspired other artists to experiment with using narrative in their music video and to use their platform to tell harsh truths and to open up about problems.

"Hey Ya!" (2003) by OutKast was directed by Bryan Barber, this video featured a fun and visually memorable music video but it shaped the future of music as they experimented with different genres and showed the potential for unconventional and catchy music to go mainstream. This encouraged musicians and producers to take risks and push boundaries in the music industry.

2010s:

"Gangnam Style" (2012) by PSY was Directed by Cho Soo-hyun, "Gangnam Style" went viral and currently has over 5 billion views on youtube. It was a global event and reached the audience of all countries even though the song is Korean. This music video showed the potential for music videos on online platforms like YouTube and grew the popularity of KPOP internationally.

"Happy" (2013) by Pharrell Williams was a major hit in the music industry as it had a cheerly and dancy tone. He made 24 music videos each one hour featuring 24 h of people around the world dancing to this song to further promote his song and its cheerfulness, this demonstrated a global reach and interactivity of music videos in the early digital age, as people filmed themselves dancing to this song.

"Blinding Lights" (2020) by The Weeknd was Directed by Anton Tammi, this video added to the visual narrative of The Weeknd's album "After Hours" and was applauded for its cinematography, which has heightened more standards in the music video industry.

"WAP" (2020) by Cardi B featuring Megan Thee Stallion was Directed by Colin Tilley. The music video sparked major controversy as well as popularity, due to their bold image of female sexuality. The lyrics itself was also sparked a lot of controversy and went viral on tiktok as well as youtube which cause cultural conversations and debates on wether it should be allowed to show such explicit content on youtube and in the music industry.

Old Time Music 2022, 'The Meaning Behind the Song "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles', Old Time Music, Available at: https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-video-killed-the-radio-star-by-the-buggles/#:~:text=Video%20Killed%20the%20Radio%20Star%20is%20considered%20iconic%20because%20of,consumed%20and%20experienced%20by%20audiences (Accessed: 7 December 2023)..

National Recording Preservation Board 2011, 'Thriller', Library of Congress, Available at: https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/documents/Thriller--FINAL.pdf (9 December 2023).

Wikipedia 2022, 'Sweet Child o' Mine', Wikipedia, Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_Child_o%27_Mine#:~:text=The%20video%20was%20successful%20on,of%20Slash's%20guitar%20solo%20removed (Accessed: 7 December 2023).

Author(s) Last name, Initial(s) 2014, '12 Reasons This Is Madonna's Best Performance Ever: "Express Yourself" at the VMAs 1989', Rolling Stone, Available at: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/12-reasons-this-is-madonnas-best-performance-ever-express-yourself-vmas-1989-194671/ (Accessed: 6 December 2023).

Wikipedia 2022, 'Jeremy (song)', Wikipedia, Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_(song)#:~:text=%22Jeremy%22%20is%20based%20on%20two,morning%20of%20January%208%2C%201991 (Accessed: 6 December 2023).

Old Time Music 2022, 'The Meaning Behind the Song "Black or White" by Michael Jackson', Old Time Music, Available at: https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-black-or-white-by-michael-jackson/#:~:text=While%20the%20song's%20catchy%20melody,still%20resonating%20with%20audiences%20today (6 December 2023).

Grammy 2021, 'Eminem's "Recovery" Wins Best Rap Album | 2011 Grammys | GRAMMY Rewind', Grammy, Available at: https://www.grammy.com/news/eminem-recovery-best-rap-album-2011-grammys-win-speech-video-rewind (Accessed: 7 December 2023).

Wikipedia contributors, 2022, 'Hey Ya!', Wikipedia, Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hey_Ya! (Accessed: 7 December 2023).).

Hernandez, Javier C., 2022, 'Psy Reflects on the Success of "Gangnam Style"', The New York Times, Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/25/world/asia/psy-gangnam-style.html#:~:text=In%202012%2C%20the%20song%20took,failing%20to%20replicate%20the%20phenomenon (Accessed: 9 December 2023).).

Wikipedia contributors, 2022, 'WAP (song)', Wikipedia, Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WAP_(song)#:~:text=Some%20observers%2C%20ranging%20from%20social,a%20song%20in%20U.S.%20history. (Accessed: 9 December 2023).).

I used ChatGTP for research purposes

ChatGPT, https://chat.openai.com/c/998e1ab1-8dea-4b07-af55-1631ba670f43/ (Accessed: 7 December 2023).

Stop The Breaks. (n.d.). Music Videos 101: A Brief History. Retrieved from https://www.stopthebreaks.com/music-industry-news/music-videos-101-a-brief-history/

Purpose Of Music Video

Extention Of Income

Promote band/ Singers image; promote the song as part of a record label marketing strategy:

In Marilyn Manson's "The Dope Show" music video, he's deliberately promoting himself to show who he is and what he stands for. Manson is known for being different and provocative, and he keeps that image by dressing uniquely and playing with gender expectations. The weird and strange visuals in the video match his overall style, making it memorable. Manson's self-promotion isn't just about looks; he's also sending a message. In "The Dope Show," he questions authority and fame, making people think about the music industry. By doing this, Manson uses self-promotion to not just showcase his music but also to share a bigger idea about his identity and what he believes in. He is now known worldwide for his looks and that controversy only gained him more popularity.

Extension of outlets (music channel,direct DVD and CD sales, websites, download):

In the 1960s, there was a big change in how musicians promoted their songs. Instead of just relying on radio, they started using television and movies. Harry Nilsson's "Everybody's Talkin'" is a great example. While the song gained some attention in 1969 by promoting his song in the "Midnight Cowboy" movie, Nilsson decided to make another music video. Inspired by the Beatles, he made a narrative style music vide., he can be seen lipsyncing to sing the song. The goal was to get the song on TV, taking advantage of the fact that more people were watching television.

This change was a break from the usual focus on radio. Showing visuals and stories helped songs become even more popular.

Releasing the music video for A-ha's "Take On Me" in 1985 was a smart move to grab attention with its unique animation. The video mixed real-life scenes with hand-drawn animation, which is what made the music video gain so much popularity. They released the song in 1984 and it gained some rage but they later released the music video in 1985 to promote the song. In the 2000s and 2010s, the song became popular again on Vine and TikTok in the 2020s. The song's catchy sound and lyrics made it a hit for short videos, and during the COVID lockdowns, people loved the nostalgic feel. The music video has a shocking 1.8 billion views on YouTube, demonstrating how a unique music video can stay popular for a long time and on different platforms.

To showcase a Director's Skills:

Choosing Michel Gondry to direct Radiohead's "Knives Out" video was intentional. Gondry's unique style, using practical effects and dreamlike storytelling, is clear in "knives out" and in the video "Bachelorette by Björk. This consistency emphasizes how a director's style and direction is crucial for the look and feel of a music video. Directors like Wes Anderson show that their special style can make videos or films stand out, underlining how a director's style is key for creating a memorable and cohesive visual story.

To communicate a message (Political/charitable):

"This Is America" by Childish Gambino, was directed by Hiro Murai. It has a significant and clear purpose to communicate societal issues like gun violence and racism using impactful visuals. The video intentionally contrasts positive dance scenes with harsh imagery, and references the Charleston church shooting that occurred in 2015, guns being given to children, etc... The purpose is to raise awareness about major issues in America. All of these references, visuals, and lyrics add depth to the message. The video also talks about society's tendency to distract serious issues via entertainment. Overall, "This Is America" encourages viewers to think about and discuss the issues occurring in America and its culture.

Product Placement

"Lovely" by Billie Eilish and Khalid features the Beats headphones in the music video. It is featured in the first shot and throughout the entire video. This song promotes the sound and promotes the idea that the headphones will immerse the customer in this music video with the song's 360's sound.

Synergy (Films,TV Programs)

In the "The Power of Love" music video by Huey Lewis & The News, they use different cameras angles. Close-up shots to focus on individual band members, showing their expressions and instruments, while wide shots capture the whole band, making the video feel dynamic. They brought in Christopher Lloyd, who played Dr. Emmett Brown in "Back to the Future,". "Back to the Future" was a popular movie, the purpose of featuring the actor was to promote the movie in which the song is featured. Including scenes with Dr. Brown was meant to remind people of the movie and attract fans to enjoy the song. It was a smart move to add a nostalgic touch and strengthen the link between the song and the film.

Extension of income:

Smooth Radio 2022, 'The Story of a-ha's "Take On Me" - Video, Lyrics, Meaning & Facts', Smooth Radio, Available at: https://www.smoothradio.com/features/the-story-of/a-ha-take-on-me-video-lyrics-meaning-facts/ (Accessed: 8 January 2024).

ChatGPT helped wtih paragraph structure and gramatical errors

ChatGPT, https://chat.openai.com/c/998e1ab1-8dea-4b07-af55-1631ba670f43/ 09 january 2024

ChatGPT, https://chat.openai.com/c/998e1ab1-8dea-4b07-af55-1631ba670f43/ (Accessed: December 2023).

I used ChatGTP for research purposes

Kleinman, Zoe, 2018, 'What Childish Gambino's 'This Is America' Video Means', Time, Available at: https://time.com/5267890/childish-gambino-this-is-america-meaning/ (Accessed: 27 December 2023).

Music Video, Styles, conventions, & techniques

In concert and “as live” footage:

"How Soon is now" By the smiths was an early stage of music videos where there wasn't too much creativity being shown (no visuals, or narrative) The music video consists of close-ups of the band and the instruments, close ups and track shots of the lead singer Morrisey and some random clips in black and white were added to make the video a bit more interesting and have more depth. at the time using the blending transition effect was popular so the smiths also used it. The close-ups and the importance of as live footage is because it lets some of the fans be able to admire their musical talents and techniques and can also help to teach kids or adults to learn the cords to play the song on drums, base, guitar etc..

This music video "Good Day" by Tally Hall is categorized as seen in concert, in a more creative direction. They decided to use a stop motion-like technique by changing the background and tv but keeping the video synced. We can see the band playing the music which can be interpreted as "as live footage". I think this a great way of making the "as live" videos more interesting and it showcases the band's creativity and views. I also like how they included other images, and videos other than just them playing the guitar. They used different camera angles and sometimes zoomed in and out and changed the layout of the TV and background but the video was always centered to not make the audience's eyes shift every second. Overall I believe this is a creative direction to bring as live footage on a music video.

Dance Routines :

This music includes a dance routine in their music video. The song itself is straightforward and dictates what dance moves they do. It is a similar concept too if you are happy and you know it clap your hands. The song tells you how to do the dance move and when which made this video blow up. The famous dance move "Whip, nene" Gained extreme popularity on the internet. Millions of people reacted to the dance and tried to recreate it. This was included in the music video. There are also many other dances in this music video like the Superman. The music video features many people on the basketball court dancing around the singer with fun costumes and outfits to grab the audience's attention. The technique used in the music video was to use a simple dance in the routine so people who aren't dancers could replicate it. This was also used to promote the song by linking it to a dance.

Animation:

The music video for "Blue Monday" by New Order is unique. They used paper stop-motion animation, which is like a flip book, to create some interesting visuals. Unlike other animated music videos, this one stands out because of its mix of different materials and techniques. The use of paper stop motion gives a handmade, DIY vibe that's different from smooth, computer-generated animations.

Throughout the video, the animation sometimes syncs up with the beats of the song. They cut and change scenes right on beat, making it feel connected to the music. There are moments where the action in the video matches the music's mood, creating a visual rhythm. The video uses a mix of camera angles. Sometimes it goes from close-up, and other times it's a wider shot. These changes in angles, along with cutting on the beat and action, add to the dynamic feel of the video.

One standout scene is the part where the animated hand reaches out to touch a flower, and as it touches, the scene changes. This cut-on action is a neat trick that keeps you engaged. The mood of the song is moody and electronic, and the animation technique complements that vibe. The whole mix of animation styles, camera moves, and cuts make the "Blue Monday" music video a visually intriguing experience.

Interpretive:

Narrative:

In the music video for "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele, there's a clear connection between the visuals and the music, making it feel like the scenes are telling a story along with the song. It interprets the song by synchronizing actions with the music's beat. For example, when the music intensifies, you see scenes of plates being thrown or cups of water being spilled, and these actions match the powerful beats in the song. This creates a strong link between what you see and what you hear.

Additionally, the video uses metaphoric elements that interpret the emotions in the song. The broken plates and cups could represent a relationship breaking apart, and the man in the chalk room with a sword might symbolize struggles in a relationship. These visuals adds depth to the meaning of the song. The mix of these elements makes the music video an interpretation of the emotions and story conveyed in Adele's "Rolling in the Deep." It's a way of using images to enhance and complement the feelings expressed in the lyrics and music.

The music video for "Alien Days" by MGMT tells a story to go along with the song. They use this narrative to make the video more interesting and match the dreamy and alien feel of the music. The video uses different camera angles and visual effects to create a surreal and otherworldly atmosphere. What stands out is the unique storyline, which follows a character through strange and imaginative experiences. The purpose of this story is to add a visual layer to the song's themes of self-discovery and the weird aspects in life. The video aims to give viewers an immersive experience that goes further than just listening to the song.

Impressionist:

Surrealist:

MGMT's "When You Die" music video, directed by Mike Burakoff who recently just passed away is a surrealistic music video that captures the band's psychedelic and experimental musical style. The music video uses various media techniques to create a dreamlike and halucinatory narrative. The style of the video is clearly surrealistic, as you can see scenes blending into each other and trippy visuals, graphic imagery, and a dreamy atmosphere. This style goes perfectly with MGMT's music style as it pushes the lyrics and tells a story. Surrealism usually involves presenting the mind's imagination and illogical aspects, which was masterfully done in the "When You Die" music video. The narrative starts with normal imagery and smooth transitions from one setting to another and slowly includes scenes with warped images, patterns taking over and blending into other things, odd characters, and other dreamlike scenes. The video uses surrealism to create a sense of disorientation and portray what spychedlics could feel and look like. The music video included Techniques such as reverse motion and distorting effects to add to the surrealistic and spychedlic song

The music video effectively references and complements the song's lyrics and story. The psychedelic style of MGMT's music is presented with vibrant colors, kaleidoscopic looking visuals, and confusing morphing to leave the audience uncomfortable but also intrigued.

Pastiche:

Björk's "Human Behaviour" music video, directed by Michel Gondry in 1993, is an avant-garde piece that breaks away from typical music video styles. The video has a dreamlike and surreal style, mixing live-action and stop-motion animation in an bizzare way.This perfectly encapsulates Björks music style. The music video uses the pastiche technique by referencing the fairy tale "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." Björk interacts with teddy bears in a fantasty forest setting, adding a playful and childlike feel to the music video. The pastiche is recognised clearly when Björk is in a wooden cabin eating some sort of porrige from a bowl. The goldilocks and the three bears is a well known kids story and this image makes the clear connection.

The music video includes various shots like close-ups and unique camera angles to enhance the visual story. They were very inclusive when it comes to mixed media as they used stop-motion, animation, and immersive set designs that further enhanced the music video and songs style. Björk's unique vocals and unconventional sounds compliments the visuals in the music video. "Human Behaviour" stands out from the generic mainstream music videos and its clear that art was put into it. It blended pastiche references and created a avantgarde and cinematic music video that pushed conventional boundaries.

The "Bluish" music video by Animal Collective uses an Impressionist style, focusing on creating feelings rather than clear details. They did this to give the video a dreamy and emotionally rich vibe that matches the song.

To achieve this, the video plays with vibrant colors, dynamic lighting, and smooth movements. They use different camera angles to capture emotions, sometimes zooming in on faces or showing a broader view to set the mood. What makes the video stand out are the bold colors and the flowing movements, creating an immersive and dreamy atmosphere. The purpose of using Impressionism is to let viewers feel and interpret the video in their own way, connecting with the emotions of the music in a more personal and abstract manner. The colors and lights are chosen to match the song's mood, making the visual experience sensory .

The costumes and themes in the video add to the dreamy feel, emphasizing emotions rather than telling a clear story. The goal of embracing Impressionism in this music video is to provide a visually compelling look to engage viewers to the music, and giving people sensory and interpretative experience while watching the video and listening to the music.

Parody:

This music video is a parody of the music video "Gangnam Style" by PSY. This music video was a Spanish parody used for a political campaign. They went for a comedic direction to make fun of some big politicians. Most of the time, parodies are used to exaggerate the original work and to make fun of some topics, whether it's to change the lyrics as they have done here or to mock and mimic the artist. In this video, they paid attention to the scenes, the costumes, the lyrics, and the storyline. They featured the guy in the yellow suit, which is a character that stands out a lot in the original "Gangnam Style" video. They also copied the dance and recreated some scenes like the famous elevator and toilet scene. The lyrics were translated into Catalan and made fun of politicians. This video went extremely viral and was done when the "Gangnam Style" music video was blowing up.

Homage:

Madonna's "Material Girl" music video pays a clear homage to Marilyn Monroe. The music video references Monroe's scene in "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" from "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." This homage is clearly shown in Madonna's music video as she mirros the scene perfectly from the pink gown, choreography, and overall aesthetic. Madonna embodies Marylin Monroe in all aspects. The music videos lyrics also goes very well with this homage as Marylin was portrayed as a very materialistic woman due to her love for diamonds and glamor. Madonna uses different media techniques that enhance the video's impact.The music video gained massive popularity as it felt like a reincarnated version of Marylin. Madonna incorporates energetic camera movements, such as track shots and close-ups. Overall the music video was great homage to the iconic Marylin Monroe and Madonna captured her essence and it will continue to be one of the most distinguished music videos.

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