Best Of The Month

Whittling down a year's worth of music videos to a Top 10 is one of my least favorite things, but such are the responsibilities with Video Static.

Here's my Top Ten. And, since I'm allowed to break the rules, I also included 30 more videos worth a watch for one reason or another. (And, I'll remind you that the monthly Best Of list is guaranteed* good viewing.)

2016 Best Videos Of The Year - Top 10

1. OK Go "The One Moment" (Damian Kulash, dir.)
2. The Avalanches "The Was" (Chris Hopkins, Al Smithee, dir.)
3. Jamie XX "Gosh" (Romain Gavras, dir.)
4. Coldplay "Up & Up" (Vania Heymann and Gal Muggia, dir.)
5. Michael Kiwanuka "Black Man In A White World" (Hiro Murai, dir.)
6. Leon Bridges "River" (Miles Jay, dir.)
7. Stylo G x Jacob Plant "Bike Engine" (Keith Schofield, dir.)
8. Beyonce "Formation" (Melina Matsoukas, dir.)
9. The Weeknd "False Alarm [NSFW]" (Ilya Naishuller, dir.)
10. DJ Shadow f/ Run The Jewels "Nobody Speak" (Sam Pilling, dir.)

2016 Best Videos Continued (in alphaberical order)

• 3OH!3 "Mad at You" (Isaac Ravishankara, dir.)
• Aesop Rock "Rings" (Rob Shaw, dir.)
• Baauer "Day Ones" (Hiro Murai, dir.)
• Bastille "Blame" (Elliott Sellers, dir.)
• Clams Casino "All Nite" (Ryan Staake, dir.)
• David Bowie "Lazarus" (Johan Renck, dir.)
• Fergie "M.I.L.F. $" (Colin Tilley, dir.)
• Kanye West "Fade" (Kanye West, Eli Linnetz, dir.)
• Kanye West "Famous" (NSFW)
• Kari Faux "Fantasy" (Carlos Lopez Estrada, dir.)
• Lyrical School "Run And Run"
• Massive Attack x Young Fathers "Voodoo In My Blood" (Ringan Ledwidge, dir.)
• Miike Snow "Genghis Kahn" (Ninian Doff, dir.)
• Nick Jonas f/ Tove Lo "Close" (Tim Erem, dir.)
• OK Go "Upside Down & Inside Out"
• OneRepublic "Wherever I Go" (Joseph Kahn, dir.)
• Pusha T "H.G.T.V." (Yung Jake, dir.)
• Radiohead "Burn The Witch" (Chris Hopewell, dir.)
• Rihanna "Needed Me" (Harmony Korine, dir.)
• Somewhere Else "Move Together" (Helmi, dir.) [NSFW]
• THE 1975 "A Change of Heart" (Tim Mattia, dir.)
• The Chemical Brothers "Wide Open" (Dom&Nic, dir.)
• The Kills "Doing it to Death" (Wendy Morgan, dir.)
• The Lumineers "Ophelia" (Isaac Ravishankara, dir.)
• The Lumineers "Sleep On The Floor" (Isaac Ravishankara, dir.)
• The Shoes "1960's Horror" (Emile Sornin, dir.)
• Two Door Cinema Club "Bad Decisions" (Thunderlips, dir.)
• Vince Staples "Lift Me Up" (David Helman, dir.)
• Watsky "Pink Lemonade" (Carlos Lopez Estrada, dir.)
• will.i.am f/ Nicole Scherzinger "Mona Lisa Smile" (Michael Jurkovac, dir.)

And if you want a Playlist of the Best Music Videos of 2016 listed in order of popularity, we got you covered as well!

*not guaranteed

The Best Music Videos of October 2016

• The Weeknd "False Alarm [NSFW]" (Ilya Naishuller, dir.)
• The Avalanches "Because I'm Me" (Greg Brunkalla, dir.)
• Vic Mensa "16 Shots [director's cut]" (Ace Norton, dir.)
• Pusha T "H.G.T.V." (Yung Jake, dir.)
• ZHU "Generationwhy" (American Millennial, dir.)
• Lewis Del Mar "Painting (Masterpiece)" (rubberband, dir.)
• Moby & The Void Pacific Choir "Are You Lost In The World Like Me" (Steve Cutts, dir.)
• Lorn "Anvil" (Hélène Jeudy & Antoine Caëcke [aka Geriko], dir.)
• Avenged Sevenfold "The Stage" (Chris Hopewell, dir.)
• Bonzai "I Did" (Tom Bunker, dir.)
• Charli XCX f/ Lil Yachty "After The Afterparty" (Diane Martel, dir.)
• The Shins "Dead Alive" (John Sortland, dir.)
• SonReal "Hot Air Balloon" (Peter Huang, dir.)
• Solange "Don't Touch My Hair" (Alan Ferguson, Solange Knowles, dir.)
• Solange "Cranes In The Sky" (Alan Ferguson, Solange Knowles, dir.)
• Regina Spektor "Small Bill$" (Steven Mertens, dir.)
• Matt Simons "Lose Control" (Matt Stawski, dir.)
• Galantis x Hook & Sling "Love On Me" (Dano Cerny, dir.)
• JANE "We Don't Wanna Dance" (Daniel Iglesias Jr., dir.)
• Calvin Harris "My Way" (Emil Nava, dir.)
• Dillon Francis "Anywhere" (Brother Willis, dir.)
• Moderat "Eating Hooks" (Måns Nyman, dir.)
• Dan Sultan "Magnetic" (Jonathan Chong, dir.)

I do hate when the best video of the month is behind a Pay Wall and can't be on the YouTube playlist, but it's something we'll likely need to get used to. Otherwise, well played, everyone.

The Best Music Videos of August 2016 

• Kanye West "Fade" (Kanye West, Eli Linnetz, dir.)
• DJ Shadow f/ Run The Jewels "Nobody Speak" (Sam Pilling, dir.)
• Miike Snow "My Trigger" (Ninian Doff, dir.)
• "Kenzo World" (Spike Jonze, dir.)
• The Avalanches "Subways" (Mrzyk & Moriceau, dir.)
• Teddybears "The Best You Ever Had" (Bengt-Anton Runsten, dir.)
• Watsky "Brave New World" (Carlos Lopez Estrada, dir.)
• Moses Sumney "Worth It" (Allie Avital, dir.)
• Knox Hamilton "Washed Up Together" (Titanic Sinclair, dir.)
• Keith Ape "Diamonds" (BRTHR, dir.)
• Midnight To Monaco "One In A Million" (Nicolas Randall, Marc-Edouard Leon, dir.)
• Massive Attack "The Spoils" (John Hillcoat, dir.)
• Pattern "Dialler" (Jane Eastlight, dir.)
• Fede Cabral "La mitad del sentimiento" (Juan Cabral, dir.)
• Alexandre Chatelard "LENNY KRAVITZ" (Allen & Smithee, dir.) [NSFW]
• Tinashe "Superlove" (Hannah Lux Davis, dir.)
• Tove Lo "Cool Girl" (Tim Erem, dir.)
• Katy Perry "Rise" (Paul Gore, dir.)
• CL "Lifted" (Dave Meyers, dir.)
• Shirazee "Different" (Jiwee, dir.)
• Peter Bjorn and John "Dominos" (Henry Moore Selder, dir.)
• Feed Me "What It Feels Like" (HAMMY, dir.)
• Makeunder "Great Headless Blank" (Carine Khalife, dir.)
• Sleepy Tom "Seeing Double" (Grandson & Son, dir.)
• Clipping "Air 'Em Out" (Carlos Lopez Estrada, dir.)
• Rae Sremmurd f/ Lil Jon "Set The Roof" (Grant Singer, dir.)
• Young Thug, Travis Scott "Pick Up The Phone (NSFW)" (Taylor Cohen, dir.)
• Heartstreets "Cruising With You" (Zacharie Lavertu, Charlotte Ratel, dir.)
• Biffy Clyro "Howl" (Marc Klasfeld, dir.)
• Charlotte Cardin "Like It Doesn't Hurt" (Kristof Brandl, dir.)
• AJJ "Junkie Church" (Ruffmercy, dir.)
• Kids of the Apocalypse "Better Life" (Ernest Desumbila, dir.)
• Wiwek & Skrillex "Still In The Cage" (Jodeb, dir.)

Was it just me or were there way too many great videos this month? Or is such a thing possible?

I guess that's my way of apologizing if your greatness isn't on this list. (Although in the case of Kanye "Famous" it's purely because it's behind that TIDAL paywall)

The Best Music Videos of June 2016

• The Avalanches "Frankie Sinatra" (Fleur & Manu, dir.)
• Clams Casino "All Nite" (Ryan Staake, dir.)
• Cumhur Jay "On & On" (Akihiko Taniguchi, dir.)
• Usher "Crash" (Christopher Sims, dir.)
• Matt and Kim "Let's Run Away"
• Cheerleader "A Million Ways" (Josh Forbes, dir.)
• Blonde Redhead "Dripping" (Eric Wareheim, dir.) [NSFW]
• Aliment "Car Crush" (Albert Sala, dir.)
• AJJ "Goodbye Oh Goodbye" (Joe Stakun, dir.)
• Major Lazer "Night Riders" (KILLDEATH, dir.)
• Vic Mensa "There's Alot Going On" (Jake Osmun, Vic Mensa, dir.)
• Rawtekk "Here's To Them" (denial of service, dir.)
• The Strokes "Threat Of Joy" (Warren Fu, dir.)
• Peter Bjorn and John "Breakin Point" (HochR, dir.)
• Bastille "Good Grief (NSFW)" (NYSU, dir.)
• The Temper Trap "Fall Together" (Kris Moyes, dir.)
• Major Lazer "Light it Up (Remix)" (Rupert Burton, dir.)
• Rihanna "Sledgehammer" (Floria Sigismondi, dir.)
• St Lucia "Help Me Run Away" (Norton, dir.)
• Atlas Genius "Balladino" (Justin Le Burgos, dir.)
• Neko Case, K.D. Lang, Laura Veirs "Atomic Number" (Kangmin Kim, dir.)
• Jon Lajoie "Wolfie's Just Fine" (Jon Lajoie & Brandon Dermer, dir.)
• Villas "Fuckin Round On You" (Dan LeMoyne and D'Ari Lisle, dir.)
• Zimmer x Pallace "Saturday Love" (Mackenzie Sheppard, dir.)
• Mai Lan "Technique" (Cédric Richer, Quentin Curtat, dir.)
• Calvin Harris f/ Rihanna "This Is What You Came For" (Emil Nava, dir.)
• Blood Orange "Augustine" (Devonté Hynes, dir.)
• Red Hot Chili Peppers "Dark Necessities" (Olivia Wilde, dir.)
• Goldlink "Palm Trees/Late Night" (Jerome D, dir.)
• Zella Day "Mustang Kids" (Tim Mattia, dir.)
• Bassnectar "Reaching Out" (David Dutton, dir.)
• MØ "Final Song" (Mister Whitmore, dir.)

The video of the month — probably the year — is the Beyoncé "Lemonade" visual album/film, but Teamyonce isn't really treating it like a normal video. It aired/streamed via HBO for one weekend, and then disappeared, leaving it only available through TIDAL, or for purchase as a digital bundle. Wanna watch it? Buy it.

Otherwise, here we go...

The Best Music Videos of April 2016

• Rihanna "Needed Me" (Harmony Korine, dir.)
• Breakbot "My Toy" (AB/CD/CD, dir.)
• MK "Piece of Me" (Carlos Lopez Estrada, dir.)
• Jack Garratt "Surprise Yourself" (Tom Clarkson, dir.)
• will.i.am f/ Nicole Scherzinger "Smile Mona Lisa" (Michael Jurkovac, dir.)
• Jane Bordeaux "Ma’agalim" (Uri Lotan, dir.)
• Naturally Born Strangers "Jameson Ave" (RT!, dir.)
• Leon "Tired Of Talking" (Elliott Sellers, dir.)
• Lyrical School "Run And Run"
• Mura Masa "What If I Go?" (Yoni Lappin, dir.)
• Yuna "Crush" (Daniel Carberry, dir.)
• Macklemore & Ryan Lewis "Brad Pitt's Cousin"
• Lewis Del Mar "Loud(y)" (John Merizalde, dir.)
• SEVDALIZA "Marilyn Monroe" (Hirad Sab, dir.)
• THE 1975 "A Change of Heart" (Tim Mattia, dir.)
• Florence + The Machine "Third Eye" (Vincent Haycock, dir.)
• Alesso "I Wanna Know" (Colin Tilley, dir.)
• Tegan and Sara "Boyfriend" (Clea DuVall, dir.)
• BEARTOOTH "Agressive" (Drew Russ, dir.)
• Foy Vance "She Burns" (Gus Black, dir.)
• Casseurs Flowters "Inachevés" (Greg & Lio, dir.)
• Jaimeo Brown Transcendence "Be So Glad" (Fons Schiedon, dir.)
• Ry-X "Only" (Ry X & Dugan O'Neal, dir.)
• Gabriels "Amethyst"

The Best Music Videos of February 2016

• Beyonce "Formation" (Melina Matsoukas, dir.)
• Leon Bridges "River" (Miles Jay, dir.)
• OK Go "Upside Down & Inside Out"
• Baauer "Day Ones" (Hiro Murai, dir.)
• Aesop Rock "Rings" (Rob Shaw, dir.)
• THE 1975 "The Sound" (Tim Mattia, dir.)
• AWOLNATION "Woman Woman" (Marc Klasfeld, dir.)
• Karma Fields f/ Talib Kweli "Greatness" (Raven Kwok, dir.)
• Tepr "Half Below" (ELMØ, dir.)
• Lucius "Something About You" (Mimi Cave, dir.)
• Massive Attack x Young Fathers "Voodoo In My Blood" (Ringan Ledwidge, dir.)
• Troye Sivan "Youth" (Malia James, dir.)
• Halsey "Colors" (Tim Mattia, dir.)
• Rihanna f/ Drake "Work" (Director X, Tim Erem, dir.)
• The Lumineers "Ophelia" (Isaac Ravishankara, dir.)

I tend to put the Best of the Year list off to the last minute. Partially because I'm still traumatized by Beyonce releasing all those videos for her visual album at the end of of 2013, but mostly because music videos are like everything else these days: There's the top 1% in budget and impact — the videos that everyone has surely seen and will remember, aka the SNL worthy videos like Taylor Switft "Bad Blood" and Adele "Hello" — and then there's a practically endless list of other work in an alternate universe of unlimited niches. 

In truth you should just look at all the Best Of The Month lists of the past year and, depending on whether you're in the mood for big and bombastic, clever and cunning, or methodical and moody, you can pluck out the videos that perfectly strike your fancy. Shit. I bet if you randomly pick 25 videos from that group, you'd wind up with a perfectly fine list.

These are the 25 Best Music Videos of 2015. May it keep you busy through the New Year.

Best Music Videos of 2015

• Kendrick Lamar "Alright" (Colin Tilley, dir.)
• The Shoes "Submarine" (Karim Huu Do, dir.)
• Florence + The Machine "What Kind Of Man" (Vince Haycock, dir.)
• Tame Impala "The Less I Know The Better" (Canada, dir.)
• Drake "Hotline Bling" (Director X, dir.)
• Rihanna "Bitch Better Have My Money" (Robyn Rihanna Fenty, Megaforce, dir.)
• Taylor Swift "Bad Blood" (Joseph Kahn, dir.)
• The Weeknd "In The Night" (BRTHR, dir.)
• Run The Jewels "Close Your Eyes (And Count To F**k)" (AG Rojas, dir.)
• Kanye West "Only One" (Spike Jonze, dir.)
• Drake "Energy" (Fleur & Manu, dir.)
• Childish Gambino "Sober" (Hiro Murai, dir.)
• Stromae "Quand C'est" (Xavier Reye, dir.)
• Highly Suspect "Lydia" (TS&R, dir.)
• Naughty Boy f/ Beyonce "Runnin’ (Lose It All)" (Charlie Robins, dir.)
• Snoop Dogg "So Many Pros" (Francois Rousselet, dir.)
• FIDLAR "40oz On Repeat" (Ryan Baxley, dir.)
• Autre Ne Veut "World War Pt. 2" (Allie Avital, dir.)
• Action Bronson "Actin Crazy" (Syndrome, dir.)
• The Weeknd "Can't Feel My Face" (Grant Singer, dir.)
• Missy Elliott f/ Pharrell "WTF (Where They From)" (Dave Meyers, Missy Elliott, dir.)
• Pharrell Williams "Freedom" (Paul Hunter, dir.)
• Nate Ruess "Nothing Without Love" (Anthony Mandler, dir.)
• Adele "Hello" (Xavier Dolan, dir.)
• M.I.A. "Borders" (M.I.A., dir.)