Out of all the major musical genres, it could be argued that rock music has most often taken trips into dark landscapes and flirted with bizarre imagery. Although far from having a monopoly on bizarre music videos, rock music most frequently satiates our hunger for weird things. Whether it be light acoustic rock like Hugo, or something heavier and complex like Meshuggah, or even something with a decidedly prominent electronic aspect, or even throws rap into the mix a la Clint Eastwood, rock music brings us our favorite videos to get scared by, to trip to, or just to sit back and enjoy the oddities brought forth. So whatever your reason, please enjoy ten bizarre rock videos, in no particular order.
Artist: Hugo
This is already a little bizarre, if only because of the song. Country/alternative rock artist Hugo kicks off the list with a cover of Jay-Z’s “99 Problems”, then decides to make things weirder by adding a dude in a pig mask, an iguana and some needles to the mix.
Artist: Psyclon Nine
Psyclon Nine was an aggrotech/industrial metal band from the San Francisco Bay Area. You would really just have to watch the video, but not if you have epilepsy. Also, for the people who are into this kind of thing, I will warn you beforehand… The vocalist is a guy.
Artist: Tool
Tool could have easily been featured on every bizarre music video list on Listverse, but for variety’s sake they had to take an absence from the most recent entries. Call me late to the game, but I only recently discovered the second single from their first album, Undertow, and it quickly became a favorite of mine. Upon seeing the video, I knew that it couldn’t be omitted from the next list. Fun trivia: It is one of only two Tool videos to show the band members (the other is ‘Hush’), although they are only fleeting glimpses towards the beginning and end.
Artist: Beck
The first (and most popular) video from Beck features a traveling coffin, the grim reaper, and lyrics that make no sense at all. Soy un perdedor, but aren’t we all?
Artist: Meshuggah
The Swedes bring the weird in style. Meshuggah lays the riffs heavy, the vocals loud, and the disturbing imagery thick in this complex outing.
Artist: Rammstein
WARNING: this clip contains sexual content. Watch the above clip at your own risk. It is censored, but those at work might get a stern talking to from their bosses. Combining German and English lyrics into a humorous song, Rammstein stays exceedingly true to the theme of the song by filming a video that includes explicit porn. An uncensored version can almost certainly be found on sites of… questionable content. For now though, you will have to stick with the censored video. And for the record, the band members had their heads digitally added to the male performers in the video.
Artist: A Perfect Circle
It is hard to tell what Maynard James Keenan was thinking when he endorsed this video, but it ended up being quite entertaining. Look for his cameo in the convenience store. Remember boys and girls, crime does not pay.
Artist: Pearl Jam
WARNING: this clip contains violent content. One of the Big Four of Grunge, Pearl Jam and animator Todd McFarlane make several excellent statements in this violent video, highlighting mankind’s wars and misdeeds throughout history, beginning with cavemen and going through history to the CEO’s of the big corporations, and showing little actual change. It might just make you think.
Artist: The Offspring
This video brings reminiscences of King Arthur’s legends, and reminds me a little bit of The Devil Went Down to Georgia, but maybe those references are coincidence. It depicts a story of a poverty-stricken young man who is awarded a golden guitar, but then uses it to fulfill his greedy desires.
Artist: Cage the Elephant
Thousands of people were exposed to this hit song through a combination heavy radio play, television show promotions, and the 2009 video game Borderlands. Who knows what is making that guy walk funny… But I want some.
Artist: The Heavy
The Heavy mixes some funk into this incredibly catchy tune. This song first began picking up popularity when it was (like the previous song) used frequently in television promos, and again when David Letterman, in an apparent first, loved the song so much he asked the band to play an encore when they played on the Late Show. Any former (or, hell, current) hippies will probably reminisce about their very similar personal experiences when they too followed a Red-Riding-Hood-type figure into the woods.
Artist: Mudvayne
One part of a trilogy of videos that can be watched in a rotation (start with any video, just know that Heard It All Before leads into Scream With Me, which leads into Strange and Beautiful, which leads back into HIAB) from Mudvayne’s latest self-titled album. If you decide to complete the trilogy, Strange and Beautiful is NSFW.
Artist: Alice In Chains
Another band from the Big Four of Grunge, Alice In Chains brings us this dark and eerie video with plenty of exotic animals. I’m jealous of Layne Staley for getting to play with that bush baby.
Artist: Gorillaz
The animated band Gorillaz started off their long-winded career with the rap-rock melody. The featured rapper, Del the Funky Homosapien, gets his own featured animated persona (the giant blue… ghost?) in this video rife with zombie references (see: opening text, the vocalist’s shirt, the not-so-subtle undead monkeys).
Artist: System of a Down
Who knows what is up with this little kid’s face, but regardless, the women love him. He is clearly a celebrity of sorts, although why he is famous is never stated. But it is made clear that, despite all his supposed friends, he is actually pretty alone.
Come to Daddy by Aphex Twins was some weird, off and disturbing stuff.
I may suggest you guys look up Ulver. Their videos are odd.
I’d have changed the order around a bit, but nevertheless great list!
I am not that much into rock. However I have to write something, so here you all go. I came across one bizarre article –
‘Singing penis’ sets noise record for water insect
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/13958630
Black hole sun soundgarden
No one has heard of these bands.
Who the hell is Tool?
Correction – You have never heard of these bands!! I live in Africa and I know Tool. We cant help that you have been stuck under a rock for half your life!! Great list….Loving the rock vibes
It’s nice to see that you get internet over there in Africa. Do you also get toilet paper in Africa, or do you use leaves?
Hey don’t disrespect the plant list girl. She may be one with nature, but let’s not get carried away here.
As for the original poster, all I can say is: LMAO, what a tool.
Wow, your a dick… you must be American, because only Americans and British look down upon other civilizations, except the British don’t disrespect them like you…
YOU haven’t heard of these bands! Many of us with more knowledge and culture have heard of and love these bands.
Uh I’d say 8 of these bands are pretty well known. You’re probably a 14 year old who listen to mainstream bull*****.
What are you talking about? Half of these bands are fairly well known and mainstream.
Well, I guess I’m no one then… as I’ve heard of all of these bands.
If you have never heard the majesty of Meshuggah’s “Bleed”, I feel sorry for you. Seriously, my day is worse now because you haven’t heard of them before.
These videos are so disturbing, but why did I find them so funny? I nearly laughed at watching all of them
They also make Lady Gaga’s music videos look completely normal!
To be honest, #2,5,6 are not as weird as #10, 11,13,14 (they really creeped the hell out of me that they’re gonna give me nightmares tonight).
I would have included ‘Head Like a Hole” Nine Inch Nails, Trent Reznor is a bizarre man. But great list nonetheless.
I’m just going to put out a disclaimer right now, I originally had the list as “no particular order” but it is now in descending order. I would have otherwise rearranged the videos based on bizarre-ness. Also, in the intro I said “Please enjoy ten bizarre rock videos”, I wrote the introduction before I decided to add more videos (too many to choose, I couldn’t stand to leave some of them off), but totally blanked on adjusting that. Otherwise, hope everybody likes it!
I thought the order was “SoaD is #1, and none of the others matter”.
Haha, I’ll bet that’s what everyone thought! If I ordered the list I probably would have put Tool or Meshuggah at number one
It’s Del The Ghost rapper!
Go Gorillaz!
Bloody Weirdo’s
Nine Inch Nails – Happiness in Slavery
sickest music video i’ve ever seen!
Rammstein aren’t rock… Neither are Alice in Chains really, and Gorillaz are debatable. Some pretty weird-ass videos there though!
If Rammstein is not rock then what is it?
Alice In Chains… aren’t rock? Dare I ask exactly what they are then?
No Duran Duran’s Wild Boys?
I don’t know if you were teasing but the Wild Boys video is not nearly wierd enough for this list. As a formerly HUGE D.D. fan, I can tell you the wierdest video they ever did was one called Night Boat. Still not as wierd as these though. Besides, DD are hardly ‘rock’
I mean’t ‘Weird’ – never could get my head around that word
Barely any of these are actually in the rock genre….research fail
I didn’t cite any specific sub-genre; all of these fit some type of rock genre. Note that I never said “hard rock”, or “heavy metal”. Just plain old rock.
Lol, you can’t win, man. First your “metal videos” list was criticized because you had “nu-metal” bands on it. Lesson learned: a genre that has the word “metal” in the name is apparently not “metal” in any way shape or form. Ok whatever. So now you try to homogenize it by just saying “Rock”, which is of course pretty wide open. And people are still whining. All this hub-bub about trying to pigeon-hole all these various sub-genres of sub-genres is missing the main point of the list, which is “hey check out these bizarre videos”. So next time just say “bizarre music videos”. But then don’t put something like Aphex Twin on it or people will cry “they’re not music!” So on second thought, just say “bizarre videos”, and when people question why they are all music-related and what about this one of a guy picking his nose or something, then we will have come full-circle. Except that nose-picking isn’t exactly “bizarre”. Well, videoing it may well be. I think bizarre is in the eye of the beholder. Jeez, this list is just your opinion, man. I resent being told what is bizarre. Other than that, great list.
I think you just went full circle with that comment lol. But whatever, I’m used to people being nitpicky on details. When I do vocal covers on my Youtube page, people are like “You didn’t get the pitch right” or “He holds that scream for 1 second longer than you did”. I always want to be like, “B.itch, I can’t go that high! It’s called octaves!” or “I ran out breath, sue me.” But generally, I just leave it with an eye roll and move on with my damn day. Except this time. This guy just bugged me. Maybe I got trolled? lol
“pretty wide open”
I’m sure there’s a good joke/offence that could use that line, I just can’t think of one on the spot. Hmm…
I would tell you to get your mind out of the gutter Arsnl, but then I would be lonely there without you.
Awful, awful list – this site caters for teens and not adults.
Teens?!? What planet do you reside on? Most of these songs are 10 plus years old.
Teens ?? No way im 20 and haven’t heard of a single one haha
The Perfect Circle video was actually part of a much larger internet project that culminated in a movie called The Bikini Bandits Experience. In it, Maynard plays the part of satan, and Dee Dee Ramone is god.
Bikini bandits? Is it anything like the wet bandits or ham burglars?
Assistant To The Regional Manager by The Devil Wears Prada
And blackHole sun by Soundgarden
Not really a fan of these bands. I’m more into 80′s rock. Also this was a bit much for me just waking up. I’ll agree these are weird.
Truly a bizarre list.
Weirdest concert/ gig experiences should be next…
I’m more into 80′s rock.
Well you know how it is. Every rose has its thorn.
a mastodon video….with muppets!
Gotta have Dir En Grey’s Obscure thrown in there!
I LOOOVE Dir en grey!!!
…and you can find the uncensored version of #10 at IsoHunt or Demonoid.
Well, that was…weird. If this was a competition, your submission would get my vote.
Cool list. Only knew of Gorillaz Ciint Eastwood really
Clint*
Clit?
Hope you’re feeling lucky, punk.
I thought the video for Shania Twain ‘That Don’t Impress Me Much’ was pretty weird especially the bit when her head exploded and a naked miniature waxwork of Sammy Hagar jumped out of her neck shouting “get back it’s a bomb”
A great selection of weirdalities, glad AIC got on the list somewhere, totally expecting Marilyn Manson and Aphex Twin, but you can’t have everything.
We have other lists of wierd videos and Manson and Aphex are proudly represented.
Aphex Twin in general scares me so bad
i’ll be removing this site from my morning routine.
Land of Confusion by Genesis always freaked me out as a kid. It was and is kind of bizarre still.
Happiness in slavery by nine inch nails is by far one if the most bizarre music videos. It saddens me it has yet to be featured on listverse. What about prodigy smack my ***** up? That’s fairly bizarre and fun as well. First person crazy lights. It feels like a gaspar Noe flick,
Smack My ***** Up is on a different list. I believe the “10 More Bizarre Videos” but I’m not certain.
How different would this list be if it were made by someone born before 1990?
None of these compare to the absolutely disturbing and mentally skewering video for “Total Eclipse of the Heart” which still has me waking up in a cold, trembling sweat to this very day
Ever seen Leonard Nimoy’s “Bilbo Baggins”?
What about that Bjork video of her being stalked and all but raped by a giant teddy bear?
Rammstein – Pussy uncensored *****es
http://www.rocktube.us/zrWrqogLqGh/Rammstein_Pussy_Uncut_in_HD.html
Another clip that could have entered this list is A Little Piece of Heaven by Avenged Sevenfold.
You’ll have to make a list including “Molten Light” by Chad VanGaalen! Bizarre… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLw5b70OJH8
I was kind of expecting something from The Wall, it’s what I immediately thought of. Some of that animation was weird as hell. Not a bad list though, and it was nice to see some bands I’d never heard of.
sattelite skin- Modest Mouse
amazing band, crazy video, check it out.
Slipknot – Wait and Bleed animated video, The Nameless, Vermillion Part 1 and many others
Genesis – Land of Confusion?
Marilyn Manson – most of his music videos
Lordi – most of their videos
Rammestien – Benzin would be the first to mind
ok im gunna stop myself now i could just keep going, but really any video i just named is ‘wierder’ than these listed
Hi there, long time reader first time poster. It’s a good list. If you’re into quirky/odd videos check out Duke Lion by the band of the same name.
what about the music video of “just” by radiohead?
First time posting on this site, but i just have to say this is a great list. There are definitely far-weirder videos out there, but it’d be impossible to list all of them. Major props for adding Meshuggah; haake (drummer) is a technical genius.
im suprised MGMT didnt make the list at all
Mmmmm where is Nine Inch Nails, Closer video? oooh… here it is…….
Maynard James Keenan opted for a ridiculous video because every single director he approached has the wrong idea about the song. It’s not about the person destroying themselves, like they all wanted to focus on; it’s about the person WATCHING the other destroy themselves. Hence the title of the song. When nobody would go with this concept, he said “screw it” and went with what we see here.
fewl
Overall, a good list. I was happy to see “Sober” and “Aerials” on here.
Definitely, DEFINITELY should have included Dir en grey’s “Obscure,” as someone mentioned. Easily he most bizarre and disturbing music video I’ve seen.
Any Rammstein video would fit in on this list, but I personally would have gone with “Mein Teil.” Disturbing video, disturbing song, disturbing backstory. Of course, it IS a list of “bizarre” and not “disturbing,” so that may be why.
“Tear You Apart” by She Wants Revenge has always struck me in a very unsettling way. Definitely fits the bill of “bizarre.” Though I can see some people nitpicking about it not being “rock” enough (though I personally think it fits just fine).
Thanks for the comment, I appreciate it. As far as Dir en Grey goes, the video for Obscure was included on the very first Bizarre Music Videos list
good list
Heck yes, System of a Down all the way !
this is a masterpiece, a milestone:
Every Bloodhound Gang video. Weird stuff.
Travel to Japan with Dir en grey. I think they deserve a special mention. OBSCURE, Aggitated Screams of Maggots, Raison D’etre, even? C’mon.
How about Sabrina by Einsturzende Neubauten?
BoyohBoy! And we thought we gave our parents something to worry about…we were obviously amateurs.
I find it hard to believe that nothing from director Chris Cunningham didn’t make the list…
There are 100′s of videos that would make these look like crap. Horrible list
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The video for Mr. Krinkle by Primus is pretty out there, but it’s awesome… Les Claypool dancing around, playing an upright bass, with a huge pig mask on – what’s not to love?
I wasn’t aware that that many people were familiar w/ Psyclon Nine. Very cool. It’s still such a trip after all these years for me to see where life has taken people.. It’s such a small world. Congrats to Marshall & his band for making music, controversy and this list!
I love Lil’ Dan. I’ve met him a few times at Mushroomhead shows, I even have a picture with him with both of us goofing off
Awesome list ianz09! I really enjoyed watching these videos. I have to say, I am pleased at the inclusion of Cage the Elephant “Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked”! I absolutely LOVE that song. But I’ve always wondered why the lead singer dances like that…he does it ALL the time! Even at live shows he seems to be up there twitching! Anyway, great list and great song!
Thanks for the comment! I haven’t had to pleasure to see Cage the Elephant. In fact, out of my decent concert resume, I haven’t seen any of these bands live. Although, SoaD and Tool are on my bucket list. But again, thank you
Where is Aphex Twin’s Rubber Johnny?
Here
http://listverse.com/2007/09/16/top-10-bizarre-mu…
Good night, YES!!! I had seen that years ago before I had heard of Aphex Twin and it baked my noodle for weeks. That’s saying much since I had been designing, building, and operating haunted houses for many years. I saw and built freaky stuff daily and it still had me twitching.
Heart-shaped Box by Nirvana. Quiet bizarre.
is Pink Floyd considered rock? if so i suggest ‘The Trial’, have fun.