Ever since music videos became popular on MTV in the 1980s, artists have been trying new ways to get their songs out into the world. Over time, things seem to become formulaic with the standard music video featuring their band playing their music much the same as seeing it live.
While watching a band play on the small screen at home was new and innovative at one point, now it has been done so often that it has become mundane. What audiences really want is to watch a story told in rhythm of the music that is being played. Music videos have become a sort of short film in that sense. But, with an average of four minutes per video, that doesn’t leave the director a lot of time to tell a story. That means artists have to get creative.
What is a good way to capture an audience’s attention in order to best market the songs and satisfy the fans? One way of doing this is through animation. With hand-drawings, computer animation, stop motion, Claymation and mixed media there are unlimited ways to keep a video fresh.
Here is a list of the top ten best animated rock music videos since the '80s.