The list-happy pop culturalists at Entertainment Weekly take a day off from making their own head-scratchers, and hand the keys to Michel Gondry for a whirl about his 25 favorite music vids. Michel got his Masters in Great Things awhile ago -- packing a solid IMDb page alongside memorable work with Björk, Radiohead, the White Stripes, Beck and so many et ceteras -- so any opportunity to peek inside his spotless mind is good times for inspiration and envy. And as it turns out, he's got nice taste in musical videos not directed by him:
Here's the rundown. If you click the link you can watch like magic:
- Michael Jackson - ''Billie Jean'' (1983)
- Peter Gabriel - 'Sledgehammer'' (1986)
- Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Give It Away'' (1991)
- Beastie Boys - ''Sabotage'' (1994)
- Björk - "It's Oh So Quiet'' (1995)
- Herbie Hancock - "Rockit'' (1983)
- Jean-Luc Ponty - "Individual Choice" (1983)
- Talking Heads - "Burning Down the House" (1983)
- Téléphone - "Un Autre Monde" (1984)
- The Cure - "Close to Me" (1985)
- New Order - "Perfect Kiss" (1985)
- Beastie Boys - "Fight for Your Right to Party" (1986)
- Run DMC (Feat. Aerosmith) - "'Walk this Way" (1986)
- Paul Simon - "You Can Call Me Al" (1986)
- Michael Jackson - "Leave Me Alone" (1987)
- Madonna - "Like a Prayer" (1989)
- Tone Loc - "Wild Thing" (1989)
- Young MC - "Bust a Move" (1989)
- Massive Attack - "Unfinished Sympathy" (1991)
- Lenny Kravitz - "Are You Gonna Go My Way?" (1993)
- Jamiroquai - "Virtual Insanity" (1996)
- The Pharcyde - "Drop" (1996)
- Aphex Twin - "Come to Daddy" (1997)
- Devendra Banhart, ''A Ribbon'' (2004)
- R. Kelly, ''Trapped in the Closet'' (2005)
A couple of MJs, a couple of Beastie Boys, a couple of Spike Jonze joints. We should really invent an Opposite Of Shit List, and then we could put this in that Category. Speaking of Not Shit Lists, we made one once, and that very same Pharcyde video made it, for our Greatest Backwards Videos of All Time. So Michel Gondry, consider your taste VALIDATED. If you feel like getting some Gondry insight on each vid (you should feel like getting his insight on everything), and also if you feel like clicking 26 times, consider this click number one.
UPDATE: Here's the list (sans "Bille Jean") in a single YouTube playlist, lovingly compiled by commenter rainer. Enjoy.
