What is a music video?
A music video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings. Although the origins of music videos date back much further, they came into prominence in the 1980s, when MTV based their format around the medium. Prior to the 80s, these works were described by various terms including "illustrated song", "filmed insert", "promotional (promo) film", "promotional clip" or "film clip". Music videos use a wide range of styles of film making techniques, including animation, live action filming, documentaries, and non-narrative approaches such as abstract film. Some music videos blend different styles, such as animation and live action. Many music videos do not interpret images from the song's lyrics, making it less literal than expected.
What was the first ever Music Video?
The First ever video was "Video Killed the Radio Star" by Buggles, Shown Below:
Analysis:
To start off the music video there is an opening editing section where the screen looks like its a piece of wallpaper being rolled out onto the shot, i think this looks really cool and is the first time I've ever seen an editing effect like this one, I'm thinking about trying to duplicate this effect on my music video if possible, i think it looks very retro and different. Then the shot cuts to a close-up of the lead singers face crossed over with a pattern- these two images merged together looks really good, however it is a bit simple which would be obvious considering this is the first ever music video. I also like the man's costume, it is quite futuristic and almost space-like with the quirky sun glasses and metallic suit. On the other hand I'm not too sure of the 2 women's outfits, i think they're a bit boring and don't really match with the theme of the video. When it comes to my own video i am going o make sure everything goes with the theme which i haven't decided yet. I also like the camera movement of the zooming out, from a close-up of the man's face to a medium shot of the man, 2 women and key-boardist. You can also see members of an audience sat down watching- which immediately reveals to the consumer that "The Buggles" are performing on stage at a concert with a live audience watching.
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| 2 Random Women |
I don't really understand what the directors of this video was thinking with the two females, i just think it's quite odd how the two men are dressed in metallic over the top suits with retro sunglasses on and the 2 women just look like they've been dragged off the street. And also how the women in white is just stood there stiff as a board singing and the women in pink is over the top dancing and jigging to the music. It just looks really weird to look at.
Overall there has definitely been a massive development from the first ever music video compared to music videos today. Technology is constantly improving making each video different and unusual which is how i want my music video to come across.
Music Artists and trends throughout the years:
The Colourful 70's
This decade saw the rise of experimental classical music and minimalist music by classical composers. Funk, disco, art rock, progressive rock, hard rock, glam rock, and punk music were also popular .Emerging genres included jazz-rock fusion, chamber jazz, reggae & heavy metal videos.The long-running British TV show "Top of the Pops" began playing music videos in the late 1970s. A good video would increase a song's sales as viewers hoped to see it again the following week. Artists music videos were shot on 16 mm and 35 mm, constructing their clips as "micro-comedic" short films.
Number One Hits of 1970:
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| Smokey Robinson & The Miracles Debut |
- Edison Lighthouse - Love Grows (Where my Rosemary goes)
- Lee Marvin - Wandrin’ Star
- Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water
- Norman Greenbaum - Spirit in the Sky
- England World Cup Squad - Back Home
- Mungo Jerry - In The Summertime
- Elvis Presley - The Wonder Of You
- Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Tears Of A Clown
- Matthew’s Southern Comfort - Woodstock
- Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Chile
Influential Trends & Events:
- It was the year the world changed from black and white to colour along with a year of kaleidoscopic and outrageous fashion, the Mini skirt practically disappeared and was replaced by the trendy Midi and Maxi.
- Until the late 1960s men’s fashion had been restricted to sharp suits and shiny shoes - unless you were a pop star or a DJ, in the 70's under the influence of the likes of Manchester United star George Best, the average bloke started strutting his stuff in skin-tight satin.
- Hippies took advantage of ethnic influences and wore shaggy Afghan coats, Indian cheesecloth shirts, South American ponchos and patchwork gypsy skirts. Smoking drugs like Cannabis was also popular along with protesting and promoting World Peace.
- The Isle of Wight Festival became the most famous music event the UK had known, and the mud-bath music festival of Glastonbury was born.
The Mod 80's
This decade saw the emergence of pop music, as well as various forms of rock music, such as new wave, soft rock, and glam metal. The 1980s are commonly associated with the use of synthesizers, and was the introduction of sampling and hip hop/rap. Shortly afterwords the MTV music channel started to play music videos.
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| John Lennon Album |
Number One Hits of 1980:
- John Lennon - Imagine
- Jealous Guy - Roxy Music
- This Ole' House- Shakin' Stevens
- Stand and Deliver - Adam & The Ants
- Ghost Town- The Specials
- One Day In your Life- Michael Jackson
- Tainted Love - Soft Cell
- Under Pressure - Queen & David Bowie
- Making Your Mind Up - Bucks Fizz
- Japanese Boy - Aneka
Influential Trends & Events:
- The "New Romantic" Music Trend, of the early 1980s typified by Adam and the Ants, Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, and the Human League, who walked around wearing their sisters' make-up and pouting.
- Pixie Boots, These were huge. It was every young girl's dream to own a pair of these hideous, wrinkly-ankled pull-on boots. Mums loved them because they were practical and kept your feet warm.
- The Next fashion chain was born when a family of tailors from Leeds bought up dozens of Kendall's stores out of which to sell womenswear. Soon Next's 70 shops became the only place to go for that lovely pastel top or a nice pair of court shoes.
- Compact discs began to take on the might of cassette tape and vinyl.
This diverse decade saw the continuation of teen pop of the 1980s and the emergence of grunge music and alternative rock in pop culture replacing glam metal and the continuation of hip hop's rise beginning midway in the '80s. It also featured the rise of contemporary country music as a major genre, which started in the 1980s.
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| Nothing Compares 2 U Album |
Number One Hits of 1990:
- Hangin' Tough - New Kids On The Block
- Tears On My Pillow - Kylie Minogue
- Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinead O'Connor
- The Power - Snap
- Vogue - Madonna
- Dub Be Good To Be - Beats International
- Sacrifice - Elton John
- Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice
- Killer - Adamski
- A Little Time - The Beautiful South
Influential Trends & Events:
- Vanilla Ice was a white rapper. He was famous for one song, 'Ice, Ice Baby', which contained possibly the silliest lyrics of the decade - 'Cooking MCs like a pound of bacon'.They even had strange tramlines cut into their hair like Ice himself. Although luckily no-one seemed keen to emulate his bizarre off-centre quiff.
- MC Hammer was the man with the baggy silk pants was a jack-of-all-trades for the Oakland Athletics baseball team, before he rose to fame in 1990 with songs from his album Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em.
- Vogue took women's insecurities about their bodies and quadrupled them by inventing the 'supermodel'.To their credit, supermodels changed the image of the fashion model from a walking coathanger into a power-woman. There is no better example of this than Linda Evangelista's infamous quote 'I don't get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day'.
- Vogueing was a style of dance that emerged in New York in early 1990.
It was inspired - as the name suggests- by standing in the middle of a nightclub striking the poses favoured by fashion models.Madonna was credited with popularising the 'dance' across the world by both writing a song about it, and vogueing in her video.
Many genres such as electropop, dance-pop, dubstep, house, new wave, trance, and electro hop have dominanted so far in this decade. Also, auto tuning singers voices to change the pitch drastically in a song has become more popular- with songs such as Ke$ha's "Blow" and "We R Who We R" (among others) become more popular. These two songs use Auto-Tune to add drastic changes to the singer's voice.
Number One Hits of 2010 so far:
- Rihanna - Only Girl in the world
- Usher feat Will.i.am - OMG
- Lady Gaga feat Beyonce - Telephone
- Olly Murs - Please Don't Let Me Go
- Tinie Tempah - Pass Out
- Nicki Minaj feat Drake - Moment For Life
- Jason Derulo - Watcha' Say
- The Wanted - All Time Low
- Katy Perry feat Snoop Dogg - Calafornia Girls
- Professor Green featuring Emeli Sande - Read all about it
Events and trends throughout the years have definitely influenced music videos, down to fashion, attitudes, empowerment, technological development, socialism developments and changes in politics. For example in the 70's, the Hippie Movement empowered women more than ever before, women were viewed and expected to act in a certain way, the 70s emphisized human rights and world peace which gave women a new persona and men started to view them in a different way. This could've influenced female musicians in the 70's who began to express themselves freely with music.
