TOP TEN Rock Video Directors

Published on December 12, 2011 by Christian Sellers · 2 Comments

Over the last thirty years the promo video has become an integral part of the music experience, with fans often hearing a song for the first time while watching the video on MTV or, more recently, websites such as YouTube. Arguably an early pioneer of the format was Russell Mulcahy, whose clip for the appropriately-titled hit Video Killed the Radio Star from The Buggles had the honour of being the first ever music video to be broadcast on MTV. It was the arrival of this television channel that helped transform the format into such an important medium, with Mulcahy continuing to enjoy success throughout the early 1980s with his work with such artists as Duran Duran and Elton John.

With the 1980s becoming such a fashion-conscious and excessive decade, the music video soon gained momentum by allowing artists to perform in front of the camera in a series of choreographed dance sequences or merely miming along to their latest single. Without a doubt the most important music video from this era was Michael Jackson’s Thriller, a fourteen-minute short film that incorporated extensive prosthetic make-up that allowed the pop star to transform into both a werewolf and zombie. The film was directed by John Landis, fresh from his success with the cult horror flick An American Werewolf in London, and would convince other artists and filmmakers to explore narratives and more complex visuals in their videos.

Over the years there have been countless directors who have carved out successful careers in the medium of music videos, from earlier filmmakers such as Mick Rock (David Bowie) and Anton Corbijn (Depeche Mode, Joy Division) to other directors who would eventually achieve major success in motion pictures. Among the more acclaimed of these were David Fincher, whose work with Madonna, Paula Abdul and Aerosmith would lead to such classic movies as Seven, Fight Club and the recent Academy Award-winner The Social Network, and Michael Bay, who achieved major success with his epic video for Meat Loaf’s hit single I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That). Other directors worthy of mention include Chris Cunningham (who gained notoriety for his work with Aphex Twin on the surreal videos for Come to Daddy and Windowlicker), Paul Hunter (who has worked with artists as diverse as Marilyn Manson and Will Smith), Tool guitarist and artist Adam Jones (whose work often incorporates stop motion and elements of sex and violence) and Nathaniel Hörnblowér (an alias for Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys, who directed the videos for Intergalactic and Body Movin’, among others).

10. STEVE BARRON
Having started his directing career in the early 1980s with the Adam and the Ants hit Antmusic, Irish filmmaker Steven Barron enjoyed considerable success throughout the decade through his collaborations with such artists as Heaven 17, Culture Club and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, although it would be A-ha‘s 1985 hit Take on Me that he would become most known for. Incorporating an experimental animation technique called rotoscoping, in which drawings were traced over live action footage, the video saw frontman Morten Harket seducing a young woman by drawing her into a world straight out of the pages of a sketch book. Barron also directed several hit videos for Bryan Adams, including Cuts Like a Knife and his signature tune Summer of ’69, as well as Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean, Toto‘s Africa and Rosanna and Def Leppard‘s Let’s Get Rocked.

9. JONAS ÅKERLUND
Swedish director Jonas Åkerlund gained notoriety with his first commercial music video for the 1997 Prodigy track Smack My Bitch Up, which featured an array of female nudity and seemingly misogynistic violence, only for the final shot to reveal that the previously unseen protagonist was in fact a young woman. Åkerlund soon became known for his shocking visuals, as was evident with the videos for Metallica‘s Turn the Page and Smashing Pumpkins‘ Try, Try, Try. The latter would also be adapted into the short film Try, about an ill-fated young couple suffering from poverty and drug addiction. Despite this, Åkerlund has enjoyed success with more commercial music videos, including My Favourite Game by The Cardigans, I Miss You by Blink-182 and Country Girl by Primal Scream (which had echoes of his Prodigy promo).

8. TIM POPE
London-born Tim Pope became the go-to director for many alternative artists during the 1980s, most notably The Cure. Following the release of their first promo, Boys Don’t Cry, Pope continued to work with the band for almost twenty years, shooting the videos for such classics as Close to Me, Just Like Heaven and Friday I’m in Love. In 1981 Pope shot two videos for Altered Images, fronted by occasional actress Clare Grogan (later of Red Dwarf fame), which would result in the hit single Happy Birthday. Other artists that Pope would work with over the years include Queen, David Bowie, Live and The Darkness. He would eventually make the transition to feature films with the disappointing sequel The Crow: City of Angels in 1996, drawing from his earlier work for inspiration.

7. MICHEL GONDRY
Prior to winning an Academy Award for his 2004 classic Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, French director Michel Gondry first cut his teeth in his native country shooting videos for the long-forgotten Oui Oui. He came to the attention of English-speaking audiences when he directed the promo for the 1993 Björk track Human Behaviour. This would mark the beginning of one of his most successful collaborations, as he would work with Björk several times over the years on some of her more acclaimed music videos. Although he would also direct clips for The Rolling Stones, Gondry’s greatest success came with the tongue-in-cheek Foo Fighters video Everlong, which demonstrated his playful and childlike imagination. Even as Hollywood beckoned, Gondry continued to work in the music video medium with the likes of The White Stripes, The Chemical Brothers and Kylie Minogue.

6. DAVID MALLET
Throughout the 1980s British director David Mallet worked with some of the most popular and established names in the industry, commencing with Queen before finding success with David Bowie. Among their most successful collaborations were Ashes to Ashes and Fashion. Mallet also worked with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, directing videos for the hits Bad Reputation and Crimson and Clover. Other artists that he would direct for during this era included Def Leppard, Billy Idol and Rush. Mallet continued to work with Queen during the mid-1980s, shooting the memorable videos for Radio Ga Ga and I Want to Break Free, as well as several promos for frontman Freddie Mercury’s short-lived solo career. Despite his success, Mallet would be responsible for two of the worst music videos of the decade; David Bowie and Mick Jagger’s cover of Dancing in the Street and the Kiss hit Tears Are Falling. Mallet also worked numerous times with AC/DC and later directed the Pink Floyd concert Pulse.

5. SAMUEL BAYER
Although his feature debut was the mediocre remake of Wes Craven’s horror classic A Nightmare on Elm Street, Samual Bayer was responsible for some of the most iconic music videos of the last twenty years. Following his breakthrough with the Ozzy Osbourne track Mama, I’m Coming Home, Bayer became an overnight sensation when he directed the video for Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana. The song proved to be an unexpected success and the video became a regular fixture on MTV, helping to propel the band into the mainstream. Bayer soon found himself in demand and was hired to shoot videos for Iron Maiden, Hole and The Cranberries, the latter resulting in the anti-war classic Zombie. Further acclaim followed with Bullet with Butterfly Wings, the lead single from Smashing Pumpkins‘ highly anticipated double album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Bayer worked with Garbage several times, including the hits Stupid Girl and Only Happy When It Rains, while he also became the director-of-choice for Marilyn Manson, resulting in Rock is Dead, Coma White and Disposable Teens. Following music videos for Green Day, Bayer was hired to direct their feature-length concert film Bullet in a Bible, which was released in 2005 to major acclaim. Bayer also directed the video for Welcome to the Black Parade by My Chemical Romance, which saw actor Lucas Haas being led away to the afterlife.

4. MARK ROMANEK
Having begun shooting on Super 8 when he was a child, Mark Romanek’s first break came when he was hired as second assistant director on Brian De Palma’s overlooked Home Movies. Eventually turning to the medium of music videos, Romanek directed the Keith Richards track Wicked as it Seems, before scoring his first hits with Free Your Mind by En Vogue and Are You Gonna Go My Way, a phenomenal success for Lenny Kravitz. Following his work with David Bowie, Romanek achieved notoriety when his controversial video for the Nine Inch Nails track Closer gained regular airplay on MTV. He would work with Nine Inch Nails once again on the 1997 track The Perfect Drug, while also collaborating with Sonic Youth, Weezer, Mick Jagger and No Doubt. Over recent years his hit videos have included Cochise by Audioslave, Can’t Stop by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, 99 Problems by rapper Jay-Z and the award-winning Hurt by Johnny Cash.

3. JONATHAN DAYTON and VALERIE FARIS
Film student Jonathan Dayton met a young dancer called Valerie Faris while studying at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the two soon married, forming a creative partnership that began in the early 1980s with The Cutting Edge, before producing the cult documentary The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years. Having also turned to directing music videos, the husband and wife team shot such cult promos as Been Caught Stealing by Jane’s Addiction, Outshined by Soundgarden and I Don’t Want to Grow Up by the Ramones, although their most successful from this era would be the acoustic ballad More Than Words by Extreme. Arguably their most celebrated video was Tonight, Tonight for the Smashing Pumpkins, which paid homage to Georges Méliès’ 1902 classic Le Voyage dans la lune, in which a rocket was famously shot into the eye of the moon. Dayton and Faris also worked regularly with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, while their feature debut, Little Miss Sunshine, won numerous awards when it was released in 2006.

2. MARTY CALLNER
While David Mallet and Tim Pope enjoyed considerable success during the 1980s, by far the most successful music director from this era was Marty Callner. Following his work with hair metal legends Twisted Sister on their hit videos We’re Not Gonna Take It and I Wanna Rock in 1985, Callner became the director-of-choice for some of the most popular rock groups of the decade. 1987 proved to be his peak year, not only shooting videos for the Heart hit Alone but also Dude (Looks Like a Lady), Rag Doll and Angel with Aerosmith. His most acclaimed collaboration, however, came with Whitesnake, when his work on the videos Here I Go Again, Is This Love and Still of the Night transformed model Tawny Kitaen into one of the most iconic sex symbols of the 1980s. The following year saw Callner directing three hit videos for glam metallers Poison (Fallen Angel, Every Rose Has Its Thorn and You Mama Don’t Dance), while in 1989 he reunited with Aerosmith for the hit Love in an Elevator. Other popular videos from this era would include Edie (Ciao Baby) by The Cult, If I Could Turn Back Time by Cher, Unskinny Bop by Poison, Always by Bon Jovi and fan favourites Crazy and Cryin’ by Aerosmith.

1. SPIKE JONZE
Long before making the Academy Award winners Being John Malkovich and Adaptation, Spike Jonze was one of the most popular music video directors of the 1990s. Having begun shooting skateboard videos, he was hired to film a promo for the Sonic Youth track 100%, which soon led to a co-directing job alongside bassist Kim Gordon for another group called The Breeders. Jonze’s most successful collaborations would include the Beastie Boys, specifically the cult classic Sabotage, and Weezer, with Buddy Holly becoming a staple of MTV throughout the mid-1990s. Among his other successful music videos were Feel the Pain by Dinosaur Jr., It’s Oh So Quiet by Björk, Praise You and Weapon of Choice by Fatboy Slim, Da Funk by Daft Punk, Wonderboy by Tenacious D and Y Control by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Jonze’s third feature, Where the Wild Things Are, provided him with yet another hit and further acclaim when it was released in 2009.