People Under 30 Won't Pass This Music Video Quiz
- by Pauline Quiambao
- – on
- in Entertainment
Back then, they use illustrated songs in promoting the sales of their songs. It was done by using a magic lantern that projected a series of still images on a screen simultaneous to live performances. As time passes by, "filmed insert", "promotional (promo) film", "promotional clip", "promotional video", "song video", "song clip" or "film clip" were produced. However, later on, technology is developed, producers became innovative, and visual effects were discovered; that’s why music videos grew and developed. Not only music videos were promotional, but artists also used it as a form of artistic expression.
A big thanks to MTV, music videos became a huge part of entertainment when they debuted. With this new outlet for material, music videos grew into a central role in popular music marketing. Even though MTV moved away from showing them, they debuted the show TRL, taking its reign.
Those who are overly fond of music can lessen their worries; Youtube is always available for daily use. Whenever you feel like to watch newly made videos or have some throwback from your favorites back then, Youtube is just one click away to support our entertainment needs!
Do you think that you’re a huge fan of the music industry? Then let’s see if how many of these music videos (popular 80s hits and recent award-winning videos) you can recognize.
Can you guess the music video?
This song served as the lead single from Drake’s fourth studio album. It’s music video has a minimalist concept which is very modern and eye-pleasing. It’s no doubt why it reached 1 billion views on YouTube! But that’s not all, it also made up to #2 Billboard Hot 100, making it Drake's highest-charting single in the United States. It also received two wins at the 2017 Grammy Awards for Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Performance. This video isn’t just an eye-pleaser, it also inspired many memes and parodies which made it even greater.
Can you guess the music video?
An iconic music video produced by an iconic singer, Beyonce. This is probably the easiest question on this quiz! This song’s video by Beyonce is the cheapest and quickest to make of all videos in her career because it mainly features Beyonce dancing along with two talented dancers. The song won three Grammy awards in 2010. Not only that, its black and white video had nine nominations at the 2009 VMAs and won three wins. Even with a simple concept, it’s unquestionable why it earned multiple awards!
Can you guess the music video?
The catchy song accompanied by an entertaining video is what makes this OutKast video unforgettable. It imitates the Beatles' landmark appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show but sets the action in London. André 3000 plays all eight members of the band The Love Below while Antwan plays the role of the band's manager. At the 2004 VMAs, the video scored four awards for Video of the Year, Best Hip-Hop Video, Best Special Effects, and Best Art Direction. This song is…
Can you guess the music video?
Who wouldn’t know this music video? This video won the 2011 VMA for Video of the year, and it has over 1 billion views on Youtube! This song is from Katy Perry’s album “The Teenage Dream” which is her third studio album. According to Katy Perry, this song was inspired by Jack Keroac’s novel On The Road. This song is obviously about self-empowerment and Katy has mentioned on many occasions that this was her favorite song on the album. Well, it’s not hard to see why!
Can you guess the music video?
In this music video of Eminem, Devon Sawa played the role of the main character, and Dido as his pregnant girlfriend. These two outstanding actors brought the song’s lyrics to life which made the video even better. The video was a literal explanation of the song’s story and is about an obsessed Eminem fan who had driven drunk off a bridge with his girlfriend in the trunk due to his obsession. This composition had multiple nominations but only won Best International Artist Video at the MuchMusic Video Awards.
Can you guess the music video?
Even if the whole world only understands a few words in this song, its music video became a worldwide hit earning the place of the most viewed video on YouTube and dropped it when Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth’s “See You Again” took its place. Korean pop star PSY held the title when he became the first person to reach 1 billion views on YouTube. Not only that, it became the most successful song from Asia, ever. Because of its success, it opened doors to other KPOP artists taking over the globe.
Can you guess the music video?
Out of all the music videos mentioned a while ago, this one is the most iconic of all time. Even someone who isn’t knowledgeable enough of music videos would get this right! This was an 80s hit but remains as a classic and a remarkable masterpiece. Directed by John Landis, it was only nominated for six VMAs in 1984 and took home only three, but did not take Video of the Year. With a $500,000 worth budget, its singer personally financed much of the video with his own pocket.
Can you guess the music video?
The public called this Lady Gaga song as one of the highlights of her album, The Fame Monster. Directed by Francis Lawrence, who also directed the three Hunger Games movies, this song’s video is about Lady Gaga being drugged by a group of supermodels that also sold her to a Russian mafia for sexual slavery. At the 2010 VMAs, it was nominated for ten awards, where Lady Gaga won seven, including Video of the Year and Best Direction for Lawrence. Someone who isn’t even a big fan of the music industry would know this music video!
Can you guess the music video?
Regardless of Justin Timberlake’s creepy actions in this music video, this may be one of the best heartbreak songs of all time and the best video he has ever made. Thanks to the outstanding director Francis Lawrence, it won in the categories of Best Male Video and Best Pop Video. That’s not all; it was also nominated for Video of the Year, Best Direction in a Video and Viewer's Choice. The video shows him seeking revenge to his ex by having sex with a suspiciously Britney-looking girl, filming it and making his ex watch it.
Can you guess the music video?
A duet by two of the biggest artists in the world, siblings Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson earned multiple awards with this powerful song and outstanding music video of all time. $7 million was spent in making this music video that’s why it was listed in the Guinness World Records as the most expensive music video ever made. The costing was worth it after all, it won MTV Video Music Awards and the Grammy Award for Best Music Video. This song is…
Can you guess the music video?
"You and me, baby, ain't nothin' but mammals; So let's do it like they do on the Discovery Channel,” is the national anthem of this song. A music video that features The Bloodhound Gang dressed up as monkeys singing about sexual colloquialisms in numerous locations of Paris. The band earned some controversies because of a scene in the video featuring the band members beating a pair of gay men by wielding baguettes but was cut off immediately after the premiere.
Can you guess the music video?
It was released six years ago but is still watched and rewatched by many. Considered as one of the great break-up songs of all time, it was nominated Video of the Year and Best Editing in 2012 but failed to win. With an impressive video and great song, it’s no doubt why it has 1 billion views on YouTube. The vibrancy and mixture of colors in the video with Gotye featuring Kimbra in it made it more impressive. Can you guess what music video is this?
Can you guess the music video?
Norwegian band A-Ha combined pencil-sketch animation and live-action in this music video producing a classic. It was an 80s hit song, but the video made it even more remarkable. Directed by Steve Barron, it circles on the theme of a romantic fantasy narrative where it won six awards at the 1986 VMAs. It became the only A-ha song to reach the top position of the Billboard Hot 100, because of its wide exposure on MTV. Do you know this song?
Can you guess the music video?
Ok Go, an American rock band widely known for its complex single-take videos. In this song’s video, the band used treadmills as a platform of expressing the song. But they were not running; they were dancing around it while singing which made it even more impressive. Ok Go never failed its fans in making amusing and innovative music videos which they did in their song “Needing/Getting.” This song was released nine years ago but is still amusing; some fans even made their own versions of this video.
Can you guess the music video?
Some versions of this single by American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails is titled “Closer to God.” This song is mainly about self-hatred and meditation but is often misinterpreted as a lust song because of its chorus. But with its music video, it’s song’s main themes were emphasized due to the video’s darkness. After it was released, controversies developed due to the imagery featured in it. Despite the controversies, it was listed as the second on AOL's "69 Sexiest Songs of All Time,” and earned multiple nominations.
Can you guess the music video?
An insanely catchy song accompanied by a fascinating video with great dancing, crisp visuals, and memorable cameos is unquestionably the Video of the Year at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards. It was directed by Dave Meyers that featured cameos by Timbaland, Eve, Tweet, Halle Berry, and Alyson Stoner that won the role of the young lead dancer out of 300 kids, who also debuted. Director Myers forgot to replace a glass of wine with a glass of water when filming the restaurant scene, so Elliott was heavily drunk after production. Can you guess what Missy Elliott song is this?
Can you guess the music video?
This second single of Red Hot Chili Peppers helped them to enter the mainstream. Written by their lead vocalist Anthony Kiedis, the song’s main themes are sadness, despair and his reflection on narcotics. Its success expanded when it’s video was released, winning multiple nominations and awards. It won the "Viewer's Choice Award" and "Breakthrough Video" at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards. It started their success and is just one of the bands worldwide hit songs. What Red Hot Chili Peppers' song is this?
Can you guess the music video?
In this Taylor Swift’s video, you’ll see a lot of familiar faces. Various singers, actresses, and models were featured in it, and as the video progresses, then they train as spies to fight with another group as Taylor seeking revenge. That’s not all, the actresses featured in it chose their own names which made it way more cooler. This song received negative reviews from critics, calling it “cliche.” But when Kendrick Lamar came up to the scene, featuring guest vocals in the remix version, it instantly gained praises.
Can you guess the music video?
Directed by Jesse Peretz and considered as the Best Short Form Music Video in the 2000 GRAMMYS, this song also scored three VMA nominations. It is produced by the Foo Fighters, which is considered as the “biggest band in the world.” In the song’s video, the band parodied the movie Airplane! Where the members portrays themselves as well as the several others. On July 15, 2015, a tribute video was posted on YouTube with 1,000 Italian musicians singing and playing the song in unison.
Can you guess the music video?
American rock musician Chris Isaak is best known for this hit song. It did not instantly become a hit until David Lynch featured it in his film Wild at Heart. Because of this, Lee Chesnut, an Atlanta music director began playing the song, and it became the station’s most-requested. Later on, it became nationwide top ten hit in January 1991. Listed as number one on Fuse’s 40 Sexiest Video in 2010, the song’s black and white video features Isaak himself and supermodel Helena Christensen having sensual encounters in one of the beaches of Hawaii.
Can you guess the music video?
Originally written by Prince, Sinéad O'Connor made this composition well-known due to her award-winning music video. The whole duration of the clip mainly consists of a closeup on Sinéad O'Connor's face and her different stages of sadness and even anger as she sings the lyrics but what makes it impressive is the way she delivers it. It scored three "Moonmen" at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards: Video of the Year, making her the first woman artist to be awarded with it.
Can you guess the music video?
Three artists flirting with supermodels running around during a catchy song was this song’s music video. It may not be a high-minded concept, but there’s no doubt that director Diane Martel had us with this one. An upbeat song in a buoyant mood video, many will certainly watch this video repeatedly. But this song had two music videos, the other shows the models naked and the censored one. It also earned controversies; some groups claim that it is misogynistic and promotes date rape. In spite of that, it gained more than 500 million views on YouTube.
Can you guess the music video?
This was the first for director Samuel Bayer and a world-wide hit for Nirvana. It was low budget and has a simple concept of a school concert that ends in riot, but this video was the video in the early 90s. Like the song itself, the music video received acclaims from critics. According to a writer of Rolling Stone, the video looks like the greatest gig you could ever imagine. This iconic work was listed in the 2000 Guinness World records as the Most Played Video on MTV Europe.
Can you guess the music video?
The outstanding director Spike Jonze strikes again, this time creating a Buddy Holly classic. The video took place at the original diner Arnold's Drive-In from the popular 1970s television show Happy Days, with the band Weezer performing. It combined footage of the band performing in the diner with some clips from the show. A brilliant video with an outstanding concept, it scored four VMAs in 1995 including Best Direction, Best Editing and Breakthrough video. Can you guess what music video is this?
Can you guess the music video?
Directed by Howard Greenhalgh, this song’s video dominated MTV, being the Best Metal/Hard Rock Video at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards. This is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden, written by frontman Chris Cornell. According to Cornell, it is only written in about 15 minutes! Some are misinterpreting this song as being positive, but Cornell said that it’s sad. It’s probably because of the song’s melody; but if you go deeper into the lyrics, you’ll find its true meaning.
Can you guess the music video?
This $800 video of Fatboy Slim won three major awards at the 1999 VMAs which are the following: Breakthrough Video, Best Direction, and Best Choreography. It was also nominated for Best Dance Video, but unfortunately, it failed to win. However, the guerilla-style shot, impressive concept, and flawless execution of this video resulted to it being number one of the 100 best videos of all time in a poll to mark the 20th anniversary of MTV. What song do you think this is?
Can you guess the music video?
Considered as one of the forty songs that changed the world by Rolling Stones Magazine, this song also peaked at number 21 on both the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart and the UK Singles Chart. You’d definitely be amused with LEGO after watching this music video because it is a lego animation directed by Michael Gondry. However, LEGO was not involved in this video at all. LEGO was even somewhat against it but eventually changed their mind after seeing the video. Guess what, it only took the production team a month to make this video!
Can you guess the music video?
This video’s concept mainly revolved around the events that were occurring at that time- both within the band Van Halen and the social issues around the world. The song reflects on living for the moment and not afraid of making a change. Vocalist Sammy Hagar opposed the video’s concept when it was proposed to him, but when it won three awards at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards, including the award for Video of the Year, he admitted that it was impressive and called it brilliant. We’d call this song an instrument for change.
Can you guess the music video?
This song was released as 2Pac’s comeback single after his release from prison and also his widely known single. There were two versions of this song’s video; the first one was inspired by Max Max Beyond Thunderdome which took place in a desert in the year 2095 and featured Chris Tucker and several actors. The second one was the continuation of the first and is based on the remix version of the song, featuring 2Pac himself. Can you guess this song?
Can you guess the music video?
A gorgeously shot and richly symbolic music video filled with irony that earned almost 500 million views on YouTube, it’s no wonder why this Kendrick Lamar music video was nominated for eight categories at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards, taking home six awards including Video of the Year. It was recently released on March 30, 2017, and is directed by Dave Meyers and The Little Homies. No one in this video exemplifies the title itself, not even its singer; that makes it more interesting to watch. What music video do you think this is?
Can you guess the music video?
No matter how long the time pass, this GRAMMY award-winning song definitely never gets old. From R.E.M’s critically-acclaimed, 1991 album, “Out of Time,” this song is directed by Tarsem Singh. It was released as the first single from the group's album. Not only it was GRAMMY award-winning, but the video also made it up to the VMAs! It won Video of the Year at 1991 VMAS. It’s title is an expression from the Southern Region of the United States that means losing one's temper or civility, or "being at the end of one's rope". What song is this?
Can you guess the music video?
This Madonna’s song is an 80s hit, and it’s accompanying video is one of the best videos of the 1980s. Unfortunately, the video gained controversies because of its main themes of racism, religion, and sexual ecstasy that was about Madonna falling in love with a black man, who also turns out to be a Christ figure played by Leon Robinson. The Vatican condemned it due to its “blasphemous use of Christian imagery.” It was nominated for Video of the Year in 1989 but failed in taking it home, most likely because of the controversies surrounding it.
Can you guess the music video?
This music video had three concepts before it was produced, but only the concept of directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, inspired by George Méliès’ silent film A Trip to the Moon was made into a video. It starred Tom Kenny and Jill Talley, a married couple who does the voice of two characters in Spongebob. With old-style effects and cinematic quality video, it gave its viewers a magical experience that earned six well-deserved awards in 1996 VMAs. This song is…
Can you guess the music video?
An underappreciated gem by R.E.M, this brilliant music video was only nominated for two awards at the 2001 VMAs and took home no wins. This nearly four-minute video was just shot in 20 seconds, using a single camera but choreographed, so those 20 seconds are played backward and forwards for the entire length of the video by zooming in and out. But the song reached number six on the UK Singles Charts and became R.E.M.'s first number-one single in Japan.
Can you guess the music video?
This music video was the last jewel Johnny Cash left us. It was both sad and beautiful because the central theme expressed in the video is about the decay of life we all face and 71 years old frail Johnny Cash was on display made it even sadder. The directors successfully matched the pain and emotion in the song with its video. No matter how long it was released, it will stay as the saddest music video of all time and will continue reminding us about Cash’s legacy.
Can you guess the music video?
This is Jamiroquai's best-known music video. It is a single-shot video that mainly consists Jamiroquai's lead singer, Jay Kay, dancing and performing the song in a bright white room with a grey floor but received critical praises from critics for its visual effects. Director Jonathan Glazer gave the illusion that objects on the floor are moving in the video. It’s no doubt why the video earned ten nominations in 1997 VMAs and took home four, including Video of the Year.
Can you guess the music video?
“Danny’s Got a Gun” was the original title of this song but was later changed. One of the songwriters, Steven Tyler, who also is the lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, wrote the lyrics of this song for nine months after he read a Newsweek article on gunshot victims. He was able to connect the song with the theme of child abuse and incest. It is mainly about a girl named Janie who takes revenge on her father after years of being sexually abused by him.
Can you guess the music video?
Not only because of Aerosmith and RUN-D.M.C combining forces makes this as a great music video but also because of its message. The two groups were entirely different, hip-hop and rock band joining together were impossible at that time. But the two groups broke the barriers and showed in the video that artists are artists, and music is music, no matter what the form. This started listeners to like and appreciate both types of music. What makes it greater then?
Can you guess the music video?
This video of America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band, Aerosmith, became an enormous hit in the 1990s. It featured the first appearance of Alicia Silverstone playing the role of a teenager who goes through a period of rebellion after she broke up with her boyfriend when she caught him cheating and eventually becomes self-sufficient. It opened the door for Silverstone to gain opportunities where she was casted in the 90s classic Clueless. It dominated the MTVs, where it became one of the most requested videos in 1993, and scored several awards at the VMAs.
Can you guess the music video?
Another Spike Jonze gem, which is a parody of 1970s crime drama shows, this is Beastie Boys’ best music video that earned five nominations at the VMAs. Unfortunately, the video lost to Aerosmith's "Cryin,” and R.E.M’s “Everybody Hurts.” But it did not end there; it won the best video in the new category of "Best Video (That Should Have Won a Moonman)" at the 2009 VMAs. There were several scenes to be removed when it was shown on MTV, but the uncut version can be found on Vevo.
Can you guess the music video?
Childish Gambino is just one facet of Donald Glover’s ever-growing career. This music video was the first that helped him to be successful in his rap career. It’s no doubt why people still listen to this song and watch its music video even if it was published seven years from now. Everyone loved this video ever since it was published. It was surely because of how raw it is, and the unleashed energy in it makes the viewers watch it over again. Did I mention that the lyrics are absolute fire?
Can you guess the music video?
This was Metallica’s first video and also their best one. Directed by Bill Pope and Michael Salomon, it is almost entirely shot in black and white and took place in Long Beach, California. It featured the band performing where they put great emphasis on the performances of the members as musicians and scenes from the 1971 film Johnny Got His Gun, creating an anti-war video. This was an underappreciated classic, earning just one nomination in the VMAs but received great praises up until now.
Can you guess the music video?
Another Pearl Jam masterpiece, this powerful song is accompanied by a remarkable video. It was based on two true stories; its main inspiration was from a newspaper article about a 16-year-old boy who shot himself in front of his teacher and his second period English class of 30 students on the morning of January 8, 1991. The second story was based on a student Eddie Vedder knew in high school who didn’t shoot himself but ended up shooting up an oceanography room. This moving and brilliant work won four VMAs in 1993.
Can you guess the music video?
An underappreciated Green Day music video that was filmed in an actual mental institution called Agnews Developmental Center in Santa Clara County, California, at the request of the band members. Billie Joe Armstrong stated that this song is about his battle with anxiety. It was originally in black and white, but bassist Mike Dirnt add color, contributing to the surreal effect of the video. It was nominated for nine awards at the 1995 VMAs, but unfortunately, it didn’t win any.
Can you guess the music video?
Ok Go is perfectly known for its innovative one take music videos but they brought this one into another level. It is centered on a Rube Goldberg machine, with the members of the band singing alongside the machine. What makes the video a brilliant and innovative one is that the producers avoided the use of computers or motors, and instead focused on purely physical devices. It was pure hardwork and deserved to be instantly viral when they achieved 6 million views on YouTube within six days of release.
Can you guess the music video?
R.E.M strikes again with this masterpiece that won four VMAs in 1994. This music video was based on the traffic jam in the opening dream sequence of Fellini's 8½. It was directed by Jake Scott and was filmed along the road in Downtown San Antonio, Texas. It featured the band being stuck in the traffic jam and the other people in other cars and subtitle of their thoughts was on display. “Losing My Religion” and “Imitation of Life” are two of R.E.M’s masterpiece but this is the best.
Can you guess the music video?
Another Spike Jonze video with a 57-year-old Christopher Walken involved who wakes up from a nap in an empty hotel lobby and begins to dance and fly around the area, eventually sitting and going back to sleep in the same chair where he began. Walken’s charismatic performance made the video even better. The song was best-known for its accompanying music video which took place in the lobby of Marriott Hotel and won various awards including six awards at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards and also won the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Music Video.
Can you guess the music video?
Gathering together the world’s five hottest supermodels and a few male models singing this George Michael song in one music video did the trick. Even if Michael refused to appear in this video, it is one of the most iconic videos ever made even with its simple concept. It was inspired by an iconic portrait of five models for January 1990 cover of the British edition of Vogue, who also starred in the video. It was directed by David Fincher, who was in that time was the most in-demand music video director in all of music videos.
Can you guess the music video?
This one was a classic of Peter Gabriel! This stop-motion animation video took the production team a lot of hard work for it to be released. For them to be able to produce a classic, Gabriel lays under a sheet of glass for 16 hours while filming the video one frame at a time. I must say that it’s definitely worth it! The song itself was great which is why it topped the charts but the with the video accompanying it, it dominated the VMAs. It was nominated for 10 VMAs in 1987 and took home nine of them.
Can you guess the music video?
This one was one of the most expensive music videos ever, having $1 million budget including the bridal dress. Unfortunately, it was only nominated for two awards at the VMAs in 1992 and won just one, for Best Cinematography. However, it’s official video on YouTube is the most viewed video on the site not made in the 21st century and the most viewed of the band’s on VEVO, with over 970 million views. Do you know what iconic video is this? I’m doubting your music knowledge if you don’t!