Sam's Top 24 Favorite Music Videos of the '90s (Part 2)

As a special Thanksgiving treat, here’s part two (the final part) of my Top 24 Favorite Music Videos of the ‘90s! Gobble gobble, my darlings.

12. “I Miss You” by Björk (1997), dir. John Kricfalusi (NSFW)

Björk has a lot of great videos, but I’ve always been drawn to this animated masterpiece. It has the same animation style as The Ren & Stimpy Show (probably because it was directed by the show’s creator, John Kricfalusi), which means it’s packed full of crude humor and surrealism. This animation style definitely suits an artist like Björk because it’s off-kilter and kind of unnerving. Warnings for cartoon nudity and some strange imagery that may not fly at work.

11. “Liar” by Rollins Band (1994), dir. Anton Corbijn

Henry Rollins is a god amongst men, and this video proves it. It starts simply enough—Henry struts around doing his jazzy, spoken-word thing in a couple different costumes (including a superhero and a cop). But as soon as the chorus kicks in, he goes full ape-man, jumping around the set covered in red body paint. If you want to know what Henry Rollins is all about, look no further than “Liar.”

10. “Intergalactic” by Beastie Boys (1998), dir. Nathaniel Hörnblowér

Ah, the Beastie Boys. I was torn between this video and “Sabotage,” but I have to be honest—I just love “Intergalactic” more. I mean, what’s not to love about this video? You’ve got robots, a giant squid monster and it’s all set in Japan. It’s the Beasties at their most irreverent, and boy, is it entertaining. The corniness of the special effects just makes it all the more hilarious.

9. “Let Forever Be” by The Chemical Brothers (1999), dir. Michel Gondry

You will see Michel Gondry again on this list because he’s just an amazing director. “Let Forever Be” is one of his best videos because it’s a perfectly synchronized, surreal dance epic. His work has a lot to do with dreams, and this video is no exception. It just looks like a dream with the camera angles, the color scheme and all the cool effects.

8. “Smack My Bitch Up” by The Prodigy (1997), dir. Jonas Åkerlund (NSFW)

Okay, this video is 100% not safe to view at work. Just warning you now. I actually did a presentation with “Smack My Bitch Up” in an English class last year, and let me tell you, the looks on people’s faces were absolutely priceless. Controversy aside, this video is incredible. It’s shot from a first-person perspective, which gives the whole thing a more intimate feel. We follow a particularly rowdy individual on a night out and things get a little extreme. This also has a great twist ending, but I won’t spoil it here. (Note: You may have to sign into YouTube to watch it, since it's age-restricted.)

7. “Closer” by Nine Inch Nails (1994), dir. Mark Romanek (NSFW)

Here’s another one you might want to save for a home viewing. “Closer” is a visually stunning video because it has a 19^th century torture chamber motif. Okay, so it’s just really creepy and I dig creepy videos. The editing in this video is pretty cool, too. In order for it to be shown on MTV, certain scenes had to be removed. They were replaced by a title card reading “Scene Missing.” And every time the word “fuck” had to be censored, the video appeared to stop, like a defective filmstrip. The film stock Mark Romanek used gives the whole video a nice vintage look.

6. “Losing My Religion” by R.E.M. (1991), dir. Tarsem Singh

This is a video that’s heavy in metaphorical imagery, but that’s what makes it great. There’s a lot of religious imagery here, but it’s not of the sacrilegious variety, as shown in “Closer.” The color contrasts are what really sold me—the video shifts between dark grays and browns in the band scenes and oversaturated colors in the other scenes. “Losing My Religion” is a gorgeously haunting song with an equally gorgeous music video.

5. “Everlong” by Foo Fighters (1997), dir. Michel Gondry

Didn’t I tell you that you’d see Michel Gondry again? This is definitely my favorite Gondry video. He still plays with the dream motif (this time by actually structuring the events of the video within a dream), but it has that trademark Foo Fighters humor to it. Also, Taylor Hawkins makes a surprisingly pretty woman.

4. “Longview” by Green Day (1994), dir. Mark Kohr

What’s a ‘90s countdown without Green Day? This was the band’s first music video, and it’s pretty underrated, if you ask me. It doesn’t have the cool special effects of “Basket Case” or the nice tracking shots of “When I Come Around,” but it perfectly captures the snotty essence of Dookie-era Green Day. Billie Joe Armstrong still has a nose piercing and the remnants of dreadlocks. Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool have enough pent up energy to rock out in a closet. This is what Green Day is all about.

3. “Heart-Shaped Box” by Nirvana (1993), dir. Anton Corbijn

Kurt Cobain had a particular vision for this video and Anton Corbijn executed it perfectly. “Heart-Shaped Box” is a surreal trip into Kurt’s imagination, complete with hospital beds, poppy fields, little girls in KKK uniforms, human fetuses dangling from trees and an old man representing Jesus in a Santa Claus hat. It’s creepy, but visually stunning.

2. “Criminal” by Fiona Apple (1997), dir. Mark Romanek

So if you read this blog on a regular basis, you already know that I’m in love with Fiona Apple. This is one of her best videos because turns the whole female exploitation thing on its head. Fiona was barely legal at the time, making the scenes of her mostly naked a little risqué. Though it was deemed controversial, the video was all Fiona’s idea. She said, “I decided if I was going to be exploited, then I would do the exploiting myself.” Nicely played, Fiona.

1. “Tonight, Tonight” by Smashing Pumpkins (1996), dir. Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris

There are too many things to love about this video. Based on the groundbreaking silent film, George Méliès’ A Trip to the Moon, “Tonight, Tonight” successfully evokes a sense of whimsy and pure magic. It’s almost frame-for-frame identical to the film, with shots of the band performing in the clouds added for good measure. I’m actually speechless when it comes to this video. It’s just perfect, okay? 

Sam's Top 50 Favorite Albums of the '90s (Part 2)

Here’s part 2 of my Favorite Albums of the ‘90s countdown! Check out part 1 here.

40. Weight by Rollins Band (1994)

Henry Rollins formed Rollins Band shortly after Black Flag broke up in 1986. Henry and company didn’t have much success in the mainstream until 1994’s Weight, carried by the MTV staple, “Liar.” My favorite thing about Rollins Band is the band’s tendency to go into jazz territory. You can definitely hear it on “Liar,” which is honestly one of the best songs of the ‘90s. Weight is a great album because it doesn’t try to be a Black Flag record. Henry’s biting self-examination and snark come through loud and clear, even with all that wonderful instrumentation. There are so many great songs on this album—“Fool,” “Wrong Man,” “Shine.” Henry, you clever bastard.

39. S.C.I.E.N.C.E. by Incubus (1997)

Most people tend to cite Make Yourself as Incubus’ best album and conveniently forget about S.C.I.E.N.C.E. This is a crime. Incubus used to be a funk metal band before they hit it big with “Drive.” This album (plus the first album, 1995’s Fungus Amongus) is some funky shit. There’s some fantastic bass work (and we all know how much I love bass guitar) and frontman Brandon Boyd lets it all hang loose like a young Anthony Kiedis. The energy never lets up, especially on songs like “Redefine,” “Glass” and “A Certain Shade of Green.” And what exactly does S.C.I.E.N.C.E. stand for? Southern California's Incubus Enters Nevada Carrying Equipment (among other things).

38. Becoming X by Sneaker Pimps (1996)

Have I mentioned how much I love ‘90s electronic music yet? No? Well, this is a good album to start with. I actually grew up listening to this album (and others like it), so I always assumed everyone knew the SneakerPimps. Becoming X was their first (and best) album. It mixes downtempo and trip-hop with a pixie-like female vocalist (the lovely Kelli Dayton). This album has always been one of my favorites because there’s so much going on. On one hand, you have ultra-cool electronic powerhouse tunes (“Low Place Like Home,” “Walking Zero”), and on the other hand, you have super sleek downtempo tunes (“Post Modern Sleaze” “How Do”). It’s equal parts badass and beautiful.

37. Evil Empire by Rage Against the Machine (1996)

Objectively, RATM’s self-titled debut is probably the better album. But I just love Evil Empire more. It’s just balls-to-the-wall, take-no-prisoners awesome. “Bulls on Parade” and “People of the Sun” are really strong singles, but “Tire Me” (which actually won a Grammy for Best Metal Performance) is a real highlight. “Roll Right” and “Year of tha Boomerang” are just as heavy. Evil Empire was the band’s second to last studio album (not including Renegades, which was a covers album), but it’s definitely better than the last album, 1999’s The Battle of Los Angeles (unpopular opinion?). And just try to tell me that you don’t immediately feel like a badass every time “Bulls on Parade” comes on in your car. “They rally round the family / With a pocket full of shells.” Ugh, that delivery. Zack de la Rocha is too cool for this world.

36. Call the Doctor by Sleater-Kinney (1996)

Sleater-Kinney kind of straddles the line between the riot grrrl movement and a more generalized form of punk rock (though this album was compared favorably to Heavens to Betsy’s Calculated, a riot grrrl staple). Either way, Sleater-Kinney definitely delivers on Call the Doctor. Clocking in at just 30 minutes long, the album goes beyond the common riot grrrl themes of gender roles and explores the commoditization of people. Call the Doctor just proves that maturity and raw anger are compatible with each other, especially when they come from girls like Corin Tucker, Carrie Brownstein and Lora Macfarlane.

35. Live Through This by Hole (1994)

Forget whatever qualms you may have with Courtney Love for a second and actually listen to this record. Surrounded by the death of two important people in her life (Kurt Cobain and Hole bassist Kristen Pfaff), Courtney and company churned out one of the most personal and painful albums of the ‘90s. Though not as visceral as Pretty on the Inside, Live Through This is a delicate mess (and I mean that in the best way possible). Courtney floats between deep-seated rage (“Violet,” “Gutless”) and subdued misery (“Doll Parts,” “Miss World”) so easily. She may not be the best singer in the world, but you can still hear every emotion in her voice. Whether you believe Kurt Cobain really wrote all the songs on the album or not, you have to admit that Live Through This is perfectly executed.

34. So Much for the Afterglow by Everclear (1997)

I think I mentioned Everclear’s appeal in my Everclear entry, but I’ll just reiterate it here: this band’s albums are great because they hide dark subject matter in poppy hooks. So Much for the Afterglow is a little more radio-friendly than Sparkle and Fade, but I still think it’s the better album. The singles are perfect because they have dark themes, but sound great on the radio. “Father of Mine” is my go-to example because, well, look: “Father of mine / Tell me, how do you sleep / With the children you abandoned/ And the wife I saw you beat?” Most of the songs on this album have the power to make me head-bang while sobbing—they’re so catchy, but the lyrics get me every time. “Amphetamine” is my personal favorite not just because of the lyrics, but also because of the string arrangement at the end. Gorgeous.

33. Crash by Dave Matthews Band (1996)

Yes, I genuinely like Dave Matthews Band. Why is that a problem? I know very few people who really dig DMB and I still don’t understand why people hate this band. Okay, maybe I have some idea—not everybody likes jam bands. Or bluegrass. Or jazz fusion. Wait, why do I like this band again? Oh right, because of this album. Crash is arguably DMB’s best album (though it may be tied with Under the Table and Dreaming). There’s just something whimsical about Crash, especially on my favorite song, “Crash Into Me.” It kind of sounds like a fairy tale (minus the creepy parts like, “Oh, I watch you there through the window / And I stare at you / You wear nothing, but you wear it so well”). I do realize there’s nothing I can really say about this album (or this band) to sway a non-fan’s opinion, but I will tell you that Crash makes me really happy whenever I hear it. After all, my happiness is really the deciding factor when it comes to choosing music to listen to, right?

32. Rid of Me by PJ Harvey (1993)

I had a really hard time choosing between this album and PJHarvey’s previous album, Dry. But when I really think about it, Rid of Me is stronger. It’s aggressive and distorted and just raw. I think having Steve Albini record the album was a great choice. He captures the primal qualities of each instrument so well, including PJ’s voice. And oh, her voice. Polly Jean has a vocal style all her own. She manages to sound both angelic and bitter at the same time. And there’s a sensual quality underneath that’s so smoky and mysterious. You can hear it on songs like “Rub ‘til it Bleeds,” “Rid of Me” and “Ecstasy.” Rid of Me as a whole is controlled chaos. It’s destructive, yet beautiful.

31. Post by Björk (1995)

Speaking of female artists with amazing voices, here’s Björk’s first (and definitely not last) appearance on this list. Post was the first Björk album I really got into, mostly because of the song “I Miss You” (along with the ultra-cool, ultra-weird music video). Even if you don’t like her music, you have to admit that this woman is incredibly talented. She has an amazing vocal range and a totally unique style. Post has some of the dance elements of Debut, but it leans more toward the experimental style of later Björk albums. There’s a healthy mix of heavier electronic tunes (“Army of Me,” “Enjoy”) and softer ballads (“Possibly Maybe,” “You’ve Been Flirting Again”), which just accentuates Björk’s versatility. This isn’t my favorite Björk album (you’ll see that one later), but it’s pretty close.