There are many ways to make a great music video. You can offer an artful spin on the cultural unrest and political strife of the day, as Kendrick Lamar, Vince Staples, Run the Jewels, M.I.A., and Downtown Boys did this year. You can get a famous Hollywood director to casually follow you around for a while, like Kanye West and Joanna Newsom. You can take Rihanna and Lana Del Rey’s lead and redefine what a lawless badass can be in 2015. Or you can make like Drake and dance like nobody’s watching. Here is a ranked list of the 20 videos that dominated our screens across the last 12 months.
20. Joanna Newsom: “Sapokanikan”
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Saying not much happens in Joanna Newsom's "Sapokanikan" video is the same as saying nothing happens on day when you take a long stroll propelled by the idea that time is yours to use as uselessly as you choose. Which is to say not much happens in the "Sapokanikan" video. But it's a beautiful nothing, with Newsom gliding through Manhattan as Paul Thomas Anderson’s lens hovers around her. When she finally steps into the spotlight, it happens to be the sad and beautiful red glow of a stationary fire truck. —Matthew Schnipper
19. Charli XCX: “Famous”
Director: Eric Wareheim
The hero of this video risks death to charge her phone, entering a fleshy underworld in search of a spare outlet (that turns out to be built into the body of a very scary man). Directed by bizarro comedy kingpin Eric Wareheim, the clip takes Charli’s chirpy meditation on fame and imbues it with psychotic visual excess: blood is replaced by emojis, pristine faces become covered in scabs, and the scene of a teen girl dancing in her room becomes infused with horror. The video wonders if there’s any price we wouldn’t pay to access the content we love on the devices we own, and concludes with some measure of giddy despair: probably not. —Jeremy Gordon
18. Grimes: “Flesh Without Blood/Life in the Vivid Dream”
Director: Grimes
Grimes’ best video, 2012’s ”Oblivion", stood out because of its simplicity and its star. So even while “Flesh Without Blood” is markedly more opulent and over-the-top clip than that breakout clip, it still features Claire Boucher and her ineffable magnetism front-and-center. Here, she wears angel wings, smears herself with blood, stabs a doll, makes it rain, and dresses like "Smooth Criminal"-era Michael Jackson, a punk hacker, and Marie Antoinette, but it’s her palpable energy and exuberant, off-the-cuff dance moves that make the video click. Even amid the wild costumes and colorful L.A. scenery, she’s still the only thing you end up watching. —Brandon Stosuy
17. Donnie Trumpet & the Social Experiment: “Sunday Candy” [ft. Chance the Rapper]
Directors: Austin Vesely, Ian Eastwood, and Chance the Rapper
After a show-stopping dance sequence closes out the whimsical, technicolor video for “Sunday Candy”, the camera runs for a few more seconds as the huge cast and crew let out scattered applause. It isn’t a moment of self indulgence, but rather a group of young artists basking in some well-earned pride—and relief. This video pulls off a genuinely difficult feat: a one-take, high-school-play-style production that folds in costumes, choreography, acting, lighting, stage design, and more. It’s the type of endeavor that requires an entire team to hit all of their marks at the exact right time. It requires faith. And here, that faith pays off. —Ryan Dombal
16. M.I.A.: “Borders”
Director: M.I.A.
M.I.A.’s latest striking, political visual arrived two weeks after the recent terrorist attacks in Paris—horrific events that sparked troubling, and often xenophobic, conversations regarding the world’s current international immigration crisis. "Borders"' unflinching depiction of the harsh realities of war and the great lengths individuals take to escape it—a struggle that M.I.A. knows firsthand—carries grim connotations. And yet, the clip remains triumphant, a stunning display of humanity's collective spirit to overcome the vastest oceans and tallest fences. —Zoe Camp
15. Thundercat: “Them Changes”
Director: Carlos Lopez Estrada
“Them Changes” is a song about heartbreak, and few things are more heartbreaking than never being able to pursue your passion ever again. In this surreal video, the line "there’s blood on the floor" takes a literal meaning, and Thundercat’s limbs are shed. His armless samurai tragically watches a sword infomercial on his screen; his daughter has to turn the TV off for him. He feels trapped, forced into being a burden at the same time. —Evan Minsker
14. Downtown Boys: “Wave of History”
Director: Faye Orlove
Generally speaking, music videos are escapism—a cavalcade of boobs, butts, drugs, parties, blood, fire, skateboard tricks, explosions, etc. But with their visual for “Wave of History”, Downtown Boys and director Faye Orlove will not let you escape. “Know your enemy, know your context,” read the words at the video’s start, and as infographics roll forward, you’re forced to acknowledge wage disparity, the continued corruption of modern finance corporations, the staggering number of people murdered by police, and other unfortunate truths. Stay woke, and stay angry. —Evan Minsker
13. Nicki Minaj: “Feelin’ Myself” [ft. Beyoncé]
Director: Nicholas Walker
In the Female Friendship Olympics, consider how many attempts it takes some invisible lackey to capture the perfect image of a pop star and her girls Just Hangin' Out, Au Naturel. Flying in the face of a manicured moment, the clip for “Feelin' Myself” is the perfect shot sustained, evidence of a living bond. Even though you could buy every prop in the video for less than $15, Nicki and Bey make burgers, Now & Laters, and water pistols seem like artefacts of imperial decadence. —Laura Snapes (Watch a preview of the clip below; the full video is only available on TIDAL.)
12. Drake: “Energy”
Directors: Fleur & Manu
In his video for “Energy”, Drake makes like Eminem circa “Without Me”, transforming into Oprah, Miley, Bieber, Obama, Kanye, LeBron, and other other one-name icons. But even with all the makeup and FX wizardry, the rapper can’t help but be distinctly himself—prayer hands, emo-tude, well-kept stubble, and all. —Brandon Stosuy
11. David Bowie: “Blackstar”
Director: Johan Renck
I’ll be honest: I don’t really know what happens in this video. Across 10 minutes, there is an astronaut's skull and a woman with a tail and some shivering dancers and scarecrows and a ritual and, oh yeah, David Bowie gesticulating like a haunted marionette puppet. There’s a lot. But while the plot specifics are a mystery, the realm Bowie and director Johan Renck conjure is filled with details that come together to create something that can be just as exciting as a crackerjack story—a dark and tangible mood. This is the type of visual rupture that will light up a hidden part of your subconscious, whether you like it or not. —Ryan Dombal
10. Lana Del Rey: “High by the Beach”
Director: Jake Nava
If Lana Del Rey’s woozy paen to seaside stoners wasn’t already the most LDR©; song she’s ever released, the video seals its fate. Closed off in an immaculate cliffside apartment, our billowing hero sings the song’s disaffected lyrics while flipping through tabloids and throwing herself over furniture, all until we see the true villain hovering above: a paparazzi helicopter, snapping photos. So she does what any unfettered celebrity should do—she retrieves a bazooka and blows that shit to pieces. Del Rey has made an art out of confounding audiences, but here she reaches a new pinnacle as a bored celebutante aimed and ready to blast those who get too close. —Eric Torres
9. Oneohtrix Point Never: “Sticky Drama”
Directors: Jon Rafman and Daniel Lopatin
Ten out of 10 goth teens agree: Suburban living is war. In this two-part clip, Oneohtrix Point Never stages weekend apathy as an epic LARP battle, with dozens of disaffected youths hacking and slashing it out. Faces are scarred, nails are ripped out, wounds ooze, and a fleshy Tamagotchi is used as a bomb. Protesting your place in life never looked so gross. —Jeremy Gordon
8. Run the Jewels: “Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)”
Director: A.G. Rojas
After a year of unending police brutality, hate crimes, and mass shootings, it’s easy to feel fed up—and flat-out exhausted. No visual captures this sentiment as succinctly as Run the Jewels’ “Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)”, which details a struggle between a black man and a white cop that rages on long after both men realize the scuffle is pointless. Neither one of them wants to continue the worthless brawl, and yet here they are, grappling, grunting, collapsing, and staggering to their feet in a Sisyphean loop. —Zoe Camp
7. Drake: “Hotline Bling”
Director: Director X
The video that launched a thousand memes features Drake trolling an ex for "wearing less and going out more" while he layers up and dances like he hasn't been to a club since the Reagan administration. It’s goofy and stylish in equal measure—a handy toolbox for GIF makers worldwide. —Molly Beauchemin
6. Kanye West: "Only One" [ft. Paul McCartney]
Director: Spike Jonze
Even for an emotional exhibitionist like Kanye West, the vulnerability portrayed in the “Only One” video is stark. Though he uses Auto-Tune to mask his imperfect singing on the studio version of the song, his natural voice is audible in this visual; it's directed by Oscar winner Spike Jonze, but the clip is little more than a home movie. There are no masks of prestige to hide behind, just a father’s love for his daughter. And the adorable look on her face says it all: She loves him right back. —Matthew Strauss
5. Tame Impala: “The Less I Know the Better”
Director: Canada
With its animated interludes, surreal transitions, and cunning cinematography, this loopy tale of gorilla-on-cheerleader action is like an after-school special dipped in psychedelic goo. But it's not all monkey business—look past the fur and fantasy, and the clip emerges as a commentary on toxic masculinity, jealous paranoia, and the ultimate sad-but-truism: Sometimes you can't get the girl, no matter how many jump shots you sink (or how many basketballs you fling at a furry foe). —Zoe Camp
4. Rihanna: “Bitch Better Have My Money”
Directors: Rihanna and MegaForce
This video’s primary narrative—the cartoonishly brutal kidnapping and torture of a rich woman and her husband—led some naysayers to deride it amid cries of misogyny and bad taste. But such interpretations overlook the mini-movie’s true genius: It’s a rare portrayal of a woman of color in a position of unmatched power, striking back against the white, patriarchal, capitalist status quo. And so, Rihanna thumbs through her bills in the buff, with bloodstained fingers, a smile on her face, and a cigarette between her lips. Her quest for supremacy is complete. —Zoe Camp
3. FKA twigs: “Glass & Patron”
Director: FKA twigs
FKA twigs has already proven her avant bona fides so much that it’s somehow not completely unexpected when she pulls a ribbon out of her crotch in this video. But the fact that this highly conceptual artist also gives birth to an entire vogue battle in the "Glass & Patron" visual makes it clearer than ever that she was born to dance. —Molly Beauchemin
2. Vince Staples: "Señorita"
Director: Ian Pons Jewell
This nihilistic clip’s depiction of an urban hellscape led by a tattooed preacher spouting the Future is sinister enough—and that’s before it zooms out to unveil a cheery white family sitting behind glass and watching the carnage ensue. Like everything else Vince Staples did in 2015, the commentary here is brilliantly blunt, unflinching, and impossible to ignore. —Matthew Strauss
1. Kendrick Lamar: "Alright"
Director: Colin Tilley
"Alright" is a song about the promise of salvation, so it's only appropriate that Kendrick Lamar assumes the role of Christ up on that lamppost high above Los Angeles, where he ultimately dies for our sins, just another victim in a war "based on apartheid and discrimination." It’s a heavy and necessary message, especially now, and it’s delivered with gravitas by Colin Tilley's black-and-white video. But there's no shortage of humor, either.
The trickiest punchline of them all comes early: Kendrick and friends driving in a sedan, windows down, brown-bagging a 40. As they bounce back and forth, the camera pans out to reveal four white cops carrying the car on their shoulders. It's unclear who the butt of the joke is supposed to be—the cops, for bearing the load, or the young black men for unwittingly being carried off by The Man? But their bittersweet levitating act is redeemed by Lamar's own flight above the streets of L.A., his inner-city Icarus providing one of the most arresting—and liberating—images of the year. —Philip Sherburne