MTV at 30: The Top Five Music Videos

On Aug. 1, MTV will be celebrating its 30th anniversary. VH1 Classic will hold a marathon this weekend of some of the most memorable moments throughout MTV's 30-year history. It should be noted that I only watched MTV during the mid-1990s, when grunge and alternative rock were king. Most of my exposure to music videos was during that time. Since, I haven't taken much interest in the music video industry. I give you the top five music videos.

"Black Hole Sun" -- Soundgarden

This was both the most interesting and most horrifying music video. With the fantastic Soundgarden classic as the backdrop, Chris Cornell and company take you on a freak show of a ride. I was more obsessed with the song then the video, but the video presented so many ridiculous images that it has been forever attached to the song. The setting is a suburban neighborhood that is eventually encompassed and swallowed by a black hole. I definitely recommend watching this one for yourself.

"Today" -- The Smashing Pumpkins

This was a video that I didn't entirely appreciate when I first saw it, perhaps given the fact I was in the neighborhood of 7 years old. The music video features front man Billy Corgan driving around in a white ice cream truck. As the video goes on, he begins splattering various colors of paint all over it. The song is supposedly written about Corgan being depressed and the consequential suicidal thoughts he had one day. The bright, happy instrumentation coupled with the "today is the greatest" line throughout makes for delicious irony.

"Even Flow" -- Pearl Jam

The addition of "Even Flow" to the list is a nod to live videos in general. I always liked live videos more. "Even Flow's" video is just an energetic Pearl Jam performance. The memorable portion of the video comes during the lengthy guitar solo when lead man Eddie Vedder climbs the rafters of the theater and subsequently leaps off into the crowd.

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" -- Nirvana

I warned you this list would be focused on the early/mid-1990s. Being that I grew up in the 1990s, it's almost a foregone conclusion that "Teen Spirit" would have an impact on me. The video starts with the band playing in a gymnasium to a bunch of quiet, well behaved high school students. With each passing verse and chorus, the crowd gets crazier. By the end, it's a full blown rock concert with the students crowd surfing and moshing. The ambiance of the video combined with the history of the song, it slides in at No. 2.

"Enter Sandman" -- Metallica

I love this video. I did then, I do now. "Enter Sandman" has become a staple in society, specifically in sports arenas. The video plays very much like a dream. Bizarre lighting effects, blurred vision, both accompanied by James Hetfield's thrashing vocals. My favorite moment in the video is during the bridge when Hetfield is moaning and groaning with his "yeah, yeahs" and it culminates with a resounding "boom!" At which point the video shows a semi-truck obliterate a bed sitting in the middle of the highway. Great song, great video.

Sources
VH1 Special
MTV Moments