Top 10 Bizarre Music Videos
Published on September 16, 2007 - 55 Comments
Warning: Contains explicit lyrics and images. This is a list of the most bizarre music videos that have been made in recent years. Rather than writing a lot of information about each video, I will let them speak for themselves. Least to most weird:
10. Klaus Nomi Lightning Strikes
Klaus Nomi was a German countertenor noted for remarkable vocal performances and an unusual, elfin stage persona. Nomi is remembered for bizarrely theatrical live performances, heavy make-up, unusual costumes, and a highly stylized signature hairdo which flaunted a receding hairline. He is one of the first celebrities to die of aids.
9. The Avalanches Frontier Psychiatry
The Avalanches are an electronic music group from Melbourne, Australia, best known for its live DJ sets and debut album Since I Left You, which was assembled from approximately 3,500 vinyl samples. Initially The Avalanches played live using samplers, analogue keyboards, bass guitar, drumkit and theremin. Their set-up later included four turntables, a percussion stand, and a battery of MIDI-controlled special effects.
8. The Prodigy Smack my Bitch Up
“Smack My Bitch Up” was the thirteenth single released by the British electronica/rave/rock band The Prodigy on November 7, 1997. It was the third and final single from the album The Fat of the Land. The song was highly controversial because the lyrics and title of the song were believed to promote violence against women.
7. Björk Hunter
Björk Guðmundsdóttir is an Icelandic singer-songwriter, composer, actress and music producer. She is best known for her expressive range and an interest in many kinds of music, including pop, alternative rock, jazz, ambient music, electronica, and folk. She has won numerous awards, and has received 12 Grammy Award nominations and an Academy Award nomination.
6. Mushroomhead Solitaire Unravelling
Mushroomhead is an American band from Cleveland, Ohio. Formed in 1993, the band’s music can be described as a synthesis of alternative, heavy metal, and industrial influences. The members of Mushroomhead have identified themselves by each adopting masks or facial disguises as well as individual pseudonyms. Mushroomhead is identified by its distinct “X Face” logo – commonly worn boldly on the masks of most members, as well as clothing and associated merchandise.
5. Marilyn Manson The Beautiful People
“The Beautiful People” is a song from Marilyn Manson’s second full length album, Antichrist Superstar, released as a single in September, 1996. An alternative metal hit written by Marilyn Manson and Twiggy Ramirez, and produced by Trent Reznor, Dave Ogilvie and Marilyn Manson, its lyrics discuss two major themes: what Manson refers to as “the culture of beauty”, and that culture’s connection to Friedrich Nietzsche’s theory of master-slave morality — the song’s “weak ones”, who are “always wrong”, are oppressed by and “justify [the existence of] the strong”
4. Dir en Grey Obscure
Dir en grey is a Japanese band formed in 1997. As of 2007, they have released six full-length records and are among the handful of Japanese bands to have enjoyed notable success in Europe and North America. While the group’s lineup has remained consistent since its inception, numerous stylistic changes have made its music’s genre difficult to determine (though it is generally considered to be a form of rock music). Originally part of Japan’s visual kei movement, Dir en grey has opted for less flamboyant attire in recent years.
3. Nine Inch Nails Closer
Nine Inch Nails (abbreviated as NIN) is an industrial rock band founded in Cleveland, Ohio circa 1988 by Trent Reznor. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its musical direction. NIN’s music straddles a wide range of musical genres and modes, while retaining a characteristically intense sound through instruments and a heavy use of electronics and electronic processing techniques.
2. Tool Parabola
Parabola is the name of the second single from Tool’s album “Lateralus”. It was released in 2002 as a promo CD only. In support of this promo single, a music video was released — clocking in at over ten minutes because of the inclusion of the “Parabol” lead-in (a separate track on the album), it hardly met the criteria for being broadcast on mainstream music video stations, although some channels worked around this by cutting off the “Parabol” segment.
1. Aphex Twin Rubber Johnny
Rubber Johnny is a six-minute experimental short film and music video directed by Chris Cunningham in 2005, using music composed by Aphex Twin. The name Rubber Johnny is drawn from a British slang for “condom” as well as a description of the main character, which explains the title sequence. The DVD comes with an art book, containing stills from the film, as well as conceptual drawings, photographs and more.
Related Lists10 More Bizarre VideosTop 10 Most Entertaining Music Videos Top 10 Most Bizarre Videos Another 10 Bizarre Videos |
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1. Molly - September 16th, 2007 at 10:13 am
what about becks loser video?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJN3PGqDRNg
2. Monteze - September 16th, 2007 at 2:53 pm
mr.krinkle by primus is a weird one….in fact everything from primus is werid O__o
3. Rodders - September 17th, 2007 at 4:14 am
Blind Guardian’s “Mr. Sandman” video could well be classed as bizarre too! Great list!
4. Andre du Plessis - September 17th, 2007 at 5:33 am
10. No way… must be a Python spoof
9. Speaks for itself - boy it needs therapy
8. Great ending - didn’t expect that, especially with the fighting and all. Pity about the music.
7. Never heard her stuff, but have heard of her. Nice Kojak thing she got going there, as well as the Transformers bit - I hope they used CGI…
6. Nice catchy melody, I keep on whistling it.
5. Wasn’t Marilyn dead ? She sure looks like it … must have gotten a good contract.
4. The fact that these guys (?) enjoy notable success - speaks books about the decline of good taste and mental faculties. Didn’t manage to watch this one to the end, I was afraid my brain might perish…
3. They probably need to join number 9 although I doubt even Freud will be able to help.
2. Tool ? Well that seems appropriate, I guess you must be a complete one to listen to these complete ones.
1. I feel just like Rubber Johnny after these videos - maybe he went through the same experience ? No more please I beseech you…
Most videos have great special effects, it is just such a shame that the FX guys talents would be wasted in such a manner. Oh well…
5. jfrater - September 17th, 2007 at 6:10 am
Andre: heh thanks for the commentary
Of the group of videos the only one I really like is Bjork - she is one of my favorite singers.
6. Andre du Plessis - September 17th, 2007 at 6:52 am
Well I must say, her video is the only one could actually appreciate as music from that lot. One the strength of that song I doubt I will be buying her stuff though. Different strokes for different folks hey ?
7. purvislets - September 17th, 2007 at 9:00 am
I actually thought the Klaus Nomi one was kind of entertaining!
But I’m going to have nightmares from the Dir en Grey video…. yikes!
8. jfrater - September 17th, 2007 at 10:32 am
Andre: hehe - you either love her or hate her
purvislets: I have to confess that I downloaded his entire album after I saw that video
9. Andre du Plessis - September 17th, 2007 at 10:40 am
Well hate is a strong word - I belief in artistic freedom. I can see she is quite talented lady, but she prefers to pronounce herself in quite an unusual way. Which is obviously from a fear of falling into the mainstream and I can respect that, it is common among most artists. How many ways can you do music while being unique and still show your preference to society ?
10. Gunnar Langemark - September 17th, 2007 at 10:49 am
Tommy Seebachs Apache should not be neglegted!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTKL8MNH95Q
11. Adam W. - September 17th, 2007 at 2:02 pm
All i gotta say is aphex twin is the shit. His music is just so weird it’s good, although i’m sure many a folk can’t stand more than a minute of any of his songs…
12. Hannah - September 17th, 2007 at 2:12 pm
All of the Tool videos are totally out there! But I love Tool, and I really like a lot of manson too. Also I think I saw a live performance of Dir en Grey on one of the Family Values Tours’ videos, and the lead singer purposely stuck his hand in his mouth and ripped it open and spit a bunch of blood up in the air and and all over his face. It was really weird and you couldn’t understand anything he was saying, b/c it was all in japanese, but yeah he was a lil weird to say the least.
13. hgaratie - September 17th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
Also…The Rubber Johnny video is so weird and creepy. I think it was another one of your lists, and I couldn’t watch the whole video on that one, but this time I watched the whole thing. I can look at all the pictures of bodies and mutilation and weird ways of torture and execution, but the Rubber Johnny dude gets to me.
14. souxieq - September 17th, 2007 at 8:24 pm
What about just about any of the Massive Attack videos?
15. zakk - September 17th, 2007 at 9:42 pm
Aphex Twin all the way!
16. jfrater - September 17th, 2007 at 10:36 pm
Thanks for all the other mentions guys
17. just.xTc - September 18th, 2007 at 9:01 pm
NIN’s Closer is an excellent video if you can read between the lines and apply the allegories to the concept album it is issued from. Otherwise, I suppose it doesn’t make much sense. Closer, as a song, is quite disappointing when compared to most of the other songs. Listen to Ruiner, Mr. Self Destruct, or No, You Don’t to hear what Trent Reznor really wants you to hear.
18. Brian Moo - September 21st, 2007 at 11:28 pm
8 was killed!
19. Diogenes - September 27th, 2007 at 6:30 pm
Here is Bizarre (with a big B) from another point of view and a different part of the world, in this remake of “Thriller” by “1,500 plus CPDRC inmates of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center, Cebu, Philippines “.
George Romero is probably biting his fist, in that he didn’t include this footage in some way in his last zombie movie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMnk7lh9M3o
Maybe it would fit better in a dance video list.
20. The Dum Guy - September 27th, 2007 at 11:14 pm
The Prodigy one isn’t working.
21. The Dum Guy - September 27th, 2007 at 11:26 pm
I found this one:
http://www.kewego.com/video/iLyROoaftJ5_.html
22. jfrater - September 28th, 2007 at 2:03 am
The Dum Guy: thank you - I have replaced it in the body of the article with the one you found.
23. batesman - September 29th, 2007 at 11:07 am
I wouldn’t consider ‘Rubber Johnny’ to be a music video, so I’d replace it with either Come To Daddy or Windowlicker. Great stuff though!
24. Nick - September 30th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
Rubber Johnny isnt real btw lolz hes made up by that chris guy but its still creepy
25. Punjar - October 1st, 2007 at 11:35 am
Just about every video Primus ever did should be on this list, most noatbly Mr. Krinkle.
Also, the weirdest video I’ve ever seen is The Locust’s video for Live From The Russian Compound.
Check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuEU9qGfUcY
26. jfrater - October 1st, 2007 at 12:04 pm
Punjar: wow - that is weird. Thanks for mentioning it.
27. Kaz - October 9th, 2007 at 10:22 am
Was also disappointed in the lack of Primus. I can’t remember one video that was considered anything intelligible. And it’s also what Les seems to strive for.
Also thought Soundgarden’s - Black Hole Sun was left off the list.
28. Yo - November 4th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
Mushroomhead? Fuck that! Mr. Bungle - My Ass is on Fire should be on there.
29. Ravyn - November 4th, 2007 at 5:57 pm
I actually know Stitch (Drummer for Mushroomhead). He is a very interesting person to know. lol.
30. Jorgegrl - November 4th, 2007 at 11:03 pm
The Klaus Nomi video link no longer works, but thanks to you I recognized him when he was used as a character on Venture Brothers on Comedy Central!!!
31. jfrater - November 5th, 2007 at 1:07 am
Jorgegrl: Thanks - I have now replaced it with a working clip
32. Alexandra - November 8th, 2007 at 12:01 am
Yes they are all bizarre. But no more bizarre than a David Lynch film.
33. DeeRabbiTurkey - December 8th, 2007 at 7:44 am
has anyone seen Rock Dj by Robbie Williams?.. thats pretty bizarre.
34. briansimpson - December 8th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
I have one for you, either for this list or for the entertaining music video list. Garbage’s Push It video. While not as outright creepy or hardcore as some of these, it still is pretty strange, and I keep catching stuff I didn’t see in previous viewings of it. Cool list, keep it up!
35. Stormy - December 17th, 2007 at 10:35 am
That beck music video isn’t bizarre, it’s just cool.
36. Slammerworm - December 30th, 2007 at 8:43 pm
I’m with Batesman; substitute ’short movie with soundtrack’ Rubber Johnny with actual Aphex Twin music video Come To Daddy. Hoo boy, that one is soooo deliciously creepy. If the Aphex-faced children don’t get you, the screaming monster will do the job.
37. Jerika - January 7th, 2008 at 7:15 am
how about that new one with snoop dogg?! sensual suduction.. opps nevermind it said weirdest music videos not stupidest!
38. Mullaccio - January 26th, 2008 at 5:22 am
Respect for Aphex Twin at 1. That video is utterly disturbing.
39. kfinn - January 27th, 2008 at 9:25 pm
great list. i saw on youtube this one video by The Klaxons that i thought was particularly bizarre…don’t quite remember the name.
40. ArizonaBay - January 30th, 2008 at 2:51 am
Tool is hounestly a great band, all of there music videos are bizare
41. Michael Llaneza - February 3rd, 2008 at 11:57 am
Here’s entry number 3A, http://youtube.com/watch?v=1PwpcUawjK0
It’s NIN’s Closer being used to explain the real subtext on Star Trek. Warning: Adult Situations and concentrated awesome. One of the best videos on YouTube and the single-best Trek clip on the net.
42. Tinto - February 16th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRguZr0xCOc
jocko homo
43. sɐɯoɥʇ - February 19th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
jesus, this list blows.
it fails. hard.
you guys ain’t seen shit.
44. Kayla - March 1st, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Yes!
Mushroomhead, Marilyn Manson, AND Nine Inch Nails..
All on one list!
Perfect.
45. Bobby the K - March 7th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
devo - whip it et. al.
b52’s - rock lobster et. al.
46. passerby - April 16th, 2008 at 11:46 am
animal collective - peacebone
47. shawn - May 25th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
Maybe you could do us all a favor and give us a the name of the video/song so when we go to a dead link we can still research it on our own…
48. nikki - May 31st, 2008 at 4:24 am
Is it wrong that watching them eat the hearts in vid #4 really turned me on..
49. nikki - May 31st, 2008 at 4:25 am
wups also meant to say, vids 3, 5 & 6 are no longer working
50. rushfan - June 6th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Wow. Left me wanting more.
51. JB - June 10th, 2008 at 7:43 am
Great list, but I’m surprised you didn’t put “Wang Chung” on here.
52. monteze - June 10th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
why cant i stop listening to number 10 …there is just something about it..catchy in a weird way