First off, we have Anton Corbijn's version, which is the one I most associate with the song. Shot on-location at and around Berlin's Samsa Studio where U2 recorded Achtung Baby and is probably best remembered as the video where U2 is dressed in drag (which overshadowed the fact that Bono's dad has a cameo in it, and made the band think that it wasn't appropriate since all single sales proceed were going to AIDS charities).
Next up is Mark Pellington's version, which dispensed with band footage entirely, focusing on a textual treatment of "One" and footage of Buffalos heading toward a cliff in homage to AIDS activist and acclaimed '80s artist David Wojnarowicz photo of Buffalo tumbling over a cliff, which also served as the single's artword. A gorgous video, but also not the most commercial match for a surefire worldwide smash.
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Phil Joanou's version is the third and "official" version of "One" — the only one that's on U2's official YouTube account (even though it's curiously/mistakenly attributed to Corbijn, instead of Joanou, who also directed the band's Rattle & Hum movie). The focus here is on Bono: He's alone at a club after a long night, with a beautiful woman on his mind. A much simpler and less provocative match to the song than the other two videos, but perhaps the right choice when your goal is to get the world together.
And, just in case I buried the lede: The Phil Joanou version of "One" miscredited to Anton Corbijn on the official U2 YouTube page. Let's fix that.
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