Top 20 Ridiculous 2000s Music Videos
#20: “Pork and Beans” (2008)
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Weezer Need a primer on 2000s viral videos and memes? Just watch the video for Weezer’s “Pork and Beans.” It starts with the band playing the song, and then invokes such vintage memes as Dramatic Chipmunk, G.I. Joe PSAs, and “All Your Base Are Belong to Us.” It also includes appearances from viral stars like"Chocolate Rain" singer Tay Zonday and Miss Teen USA contestant Caitlin Upton. Depending on when you grew up, those names might have you feeling nostalgic or going "Who?" But this video is still a marvel of creativity and capturing a zeitgeist. And now we’re hungry…
#19: “Frontier Psychiatrist” (2000)
The Avalanches Australian electronic group The Avalanches create songs through compiling various samples to create something weird and wonderful. And those two words perfectly describe the video for “Frontier Psychiatrist.” Presented as a stage show, the video has actors performing sampled dialogue and musicians playing sample song elements. There are also ghosts, a turtle with a human head, and a DJ-ing skeleton. If this all sounds like some kind of mental breakdown, it probably makes sense that the hook is about someone needing therapy. You don't have to be crazy to love this video, but it helps.
#18: “The Hardest Part” (2005)
Top 10 Ridiculous 2000s Music Videos
Coldplay Coldplay tends to be a pretty earnest band, and “The Hardest Part” is a pretty earnest song. So, it’s nice to see them defy expectations and make an ode to one of the cheesiest genres: yacht rock, with a video that looks like it came straight out of the 80s. Technically, a part of it is straight out of another decade, incorporating footage from an episode of talk show “Attitudes.” Decked out in a white suit jacket, sunglasses, and permed hair, lead singer Chris Martin looks like your dad back in the day. Much of the video is focused on a dance routine between Gene Spencer, 25, and Barbara Moseley, 84, who’s more limber in her 80s than most of us in our 20s.
#17: “Danger! High Voltage” (2002)
Electric Six You might expect a video for a song as infectiously groovy as this one to take place in a dance club or rock venue, not an old mansion. But it’s that defiance of expectations that makes it so great. Posed in front of a fireplace and numerous paintings, Electric Six frontman Dick Valentine and actress Tina Kanarek - whose vocals are handled by Jack White - are really feeling the passion. How much are they feeling it? Well, let's just say certain areas start glowing and just leave it there. Danger! You're never going to forget this video.
#16: “Where’s Your Head At” (2001)
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Basement Jaxx If there wasn’t a song playing during this video, we’d label it a horror movie. Even with the musical accompaniment, from U.K. electronic duo Basement Jaxx, it’s still pretty unsettling. A man is brought into a research facility where he's presented with monkeys playing music. They then start to become restless and go after him. During his escape, the man learns the horrifying truth as to why these monkeys all have human faces. We hope that no animals were harmed in the making of this video. But our brains were certainly fried by it.
#15: “Elektronik Supersonik” (2004)
Santo Cilauro Do you love surreal entertainment like "Tim and Eric?" Then, you're the perfect audience for this video, created by Australian comedian Santo Cilauro. Under his Zlad persona, Cilauro creates a spaced-out synth-pop song that sounds like it's from the 80s, not the 2000s, with a video to match. There's no winking to be found in this video, which has incredible attention to detail in its use of colors and video effects. And the song matches the vibe of cheesy 80s hits with startling precision. Some might call this sound and vibe "dated." But Cilauro is so committed, it feels timeless.
#14: “Get Back” (2004)
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Ludacris It wasn’t just Ludacris’ skills as a rapper and lyricist that made him such a force in the 2000s; it was also his knack for unforgettable music videos. In this video, the Atlanta rapper is looking rather swole, which helps when dealing with someone bothering him during his bathroom time. He then goes on a rampage, smashing walls and mailboxes in a way that might send the Incredible Hulk fleeing. We're not sure what kind of workouts you would need to do or steroids you would need to take to get these arms, but Luda wears them well. There’s not “one false move” in this video.
#13: “Rock DJ” (2000)
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Robbie Williams If you watched just the beginning of this video, you might not think much of it. British pop superstar Robbie Williams sings and dances as stylish women roller skate around him. Nice to look at, but it’s not exactly mind-blowing. Then, Williams’ clothes start coming off and then a whole lot more comes off. We can't think of many videos that make sudden turns into body horror as convincingly as this one does, and even with the early 2000s effects, it’s still disturbing and delightful. This video is a trip, and there’s no bones about it.
#12: “Kids” (2007)
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MGMT While we may like to think of childhood as being carefree, a lack of responsibilities doesn’t mean a lack of worries. In this creative and disturbing video from MGMT, a toddler is frightened by the monsters he sees all around him. It doesn’t help that his mother, played by acclaimed musician Joanna Newsom, is the opposite of attentive. We don’t blame him for crying, as these creatures would make even a grown adult whimper. The video transitions into animation with some beautiful and colorful drawings that are still plenty surreal. There’s nothing quite like growing up.
#11: “Man Overboard” (2000)
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Blink-182 It’s not uncommon for artists to tribute other artists in their music videos. But it is uncommon for artists to tribute themselves the way Blink-182 do in this video. However, “Man Overboard” manages to be wildly entertaining, not self-indulgent. On the road, the members have strange dreams of their past videos - like “What's My Age Again?” and “All the Small Things.” However, they’ve been replaced with performers that aren’t quite as tall as them. If you’re already a Blink fan, this video is a great ode to some of your favorite videos. And if you’re not, well, it’s the perfect excuse to hop on the bandwagon.
#10: “Call on Me” (2004)
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Eric Prydz Calling the video for "Call on Me" "suggestive" isn't accurate. This video isn't suggesting anything; it's flat-out telling you. Sure, the only words heard might be from the sampled voice of Steve Winwood. But the constant shots of bodies jiggling in an aerobics class should get the message across. Depending on how you look at it, you might find this empowering or just vulgar. This video actually isn't wholly original, taking inspiration from "Perfect," a little-remembered drama starring John Travolta and Jamie Lee Curtis. Is this video perfect? Maybe, maybe not, but it's definitely memorable.
#9: “Weapon of Choice” (2001)
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Fatboy Slim feat. Bootsy Collins If Christopher Walken is involved, it’s sure to be interesting. This video, from director Spike Jonze, is both a showcase for the musical talents of superstar DJ Fatboy Slim and funk legend Bootsy Collins and an ode to Walken’s strange genius. Walken sits sadly in a hotel lobby before getting up to bust a few moves all around the hotel. This includes gaining the power of flight, which he seems to enjoy. Even if you already knew that Walken was a trained dancer, this video put him in a class of his own.
#8: “I’m on a Boat” (2009)
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The Lonely Island feat. T-Pain Many hip-hop music videos in the 2000s were celebrations of opulence that seemed designed to give viewers envy about the elaborate lifestyles depicted. The purpose of this video, from comedy group The Lonely Island, is to make you laugh. Andy Samberg wins a boat ride as a cereal box prize, and soon he, Akiva Schaffer, and T-Pain are setting sail. Sorry, Jorma! The video and song has pretty much one point to make. They're on a boat, and you're not. Honestly, it's not any less deep than most music videos. And this one has a mermaid.
#7: “Work It” (2002)
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Missy Elliott As an artist, Missy Elliott is incomparable. And the same goes for her videos. This video, which won Video of the Year at the VMAs is as inventive as the song itself. Elliott guides us through a variety of stunning scenes, including her covered in bees, dancing in a subway station, and swallowing a toy Lamborghini. She also tributes departed artists Aaliyah and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. This is a video that tries so much and goes in so many different directions. Yet it all makes sense in its own weird way. Is it worth it? Oh yeah.
#6: “Dirrty” (2002)
Christina Aguilera feat. Redman Some artists gradually shift their sound or image over the course of a few years. Christina Aguilera basically did an overnight overhaul with the release of this song and video. Tired of being marketed as a squeaky-clean pop star, Aguilera literally got dirty, singing about sex and moving every inch of her body in an underground club. She also gets physical in a different way, through boxing. Plus, Redman comes through for a livewire verse, where he’s briefly surrounded by costumed mascots. While we're used to this video now, we'll never forget our shock when we first saw it.
#5: “Tribute” (2001)
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Tenacious D If the Devil tasked you with playing the greatest song in the world, how would you proceed? That’s the question at the heart of this video from comedy rock duo Tenacious D. Members Jack Black and Kyle Gass set up in a shoddy karaoke booth at a shopping mall and sing about their encounter with the Prince of Darkness, played by Dave Grohl. While they do play the “best song in the world,” they stress that it’s completely different from the one they’re currently playing. And Satan shows he too has some guitar skills. Despite their rockstar swagger, Tenacious D is booted from the mall. This might not be the best song in the world, but it’s pretty close.
#4: “Oops!... I Did It Again” (2000)
Britney Spears Britney Spears’ popularity levels were out of this world when she released “Oops!... I Did It Again.” And the song’s video literally followed suit. An astronaut exploring the surface of Mars finds a rock with Spears' image on it, and she's soon descending down, dressed in a now-iconic red latex suit. She then front-flips her way over to the space traveler, removing his helmet, and accepting a gift that you might know as “The Heart of the Ocean.” Spears reportedly came up with the Mars concept herself. You know you're a superstar when you can get a video like this off the ground.
#3: “Telephone” (2009)
Lady Gaga feat. Beyoncé Got a spare minute to watch a music video? How about nine minutes? That's the length of this video starring superstars Lady Gaga and Beyoncé. While the song itself is under four minutes, the video goes longer to create a narrative, involving Gaga in jail. She receives a call from Beyoncé and the song kicks into gear, with Gaga giving us a new take on the "Cell Block Tango." She's bailed out by who else but Queen Bey herself, and they're soon hitting the road. We also get an appearance from Tyrese Gibson and Gaga doing some rather dangerous cooking. A collaboration between these two was sure to be good. But we had no idea it would go as far out as this video did.
#2: “Parisian Goldfish” (2008)
Flying Lotus This video starts with a warning about flashing lights. It should also come with a warning that it might shatter your sense of reality. Acclaimed producer Flying Lotus and director Eric Wareheim are the perfect match in terms of bonkers vision. Two people stand on a dance floor that keeps changing colors and patterns, with the man getting really into it. As FlyLo's intoxicating rhythms and grooves pump away, the two get closer, and things get rather explicit from there. The version on YouTube is much shorter, due to, you know, content guidelines. We can't so much as allude to what happens in the full version of this video. Just know that, if you do watch it, to do so in complete privacy.
#1: “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” (2003)
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The Darkness Outside of the UK, The Darkness are generally regarded as one-hit wonders. But there are bands with multiple number ones who have never managed to create a video half as fascinating as this one. Just as the song itself is a gloriously over-the-top hard rock anthem, the video is also allergic to subtlety. And that's just how we like it. Mostly taking place on a spaceship, this video finds the band getting cozy with and facing some ferocious creatures, including a giant squid. They also make sure to rock out, with guitars so powerful, they shoot lightning. We don’t know what exactly this thing is. But you had better believe we love it.
