Awesome. Music. Videos.

Well, I've returned from a 7-week road trip with my family and I am furiously scouring the Internet for some new music to listen to. My kids' playlist is burned into my brain and even some of the more recent stuff I've been listening to is suddenly sounding stale. Sadness.

One thing that was not depressing was my amazing visit to Seattle's Experience Music Project. I went once in 2000 and had a great time. This time around, we spent 5 hours or so going through their exhibit on Fantasy in Pop Culture, their exhibit on Lego models of some of the world's most fascinating buildings, jamming in the Sound Lab and watching some of the best music videos of all time in the Spetacle: The Music Video temporary exhibit. It was the perfect museum visit for our family. I wish we had had another couple of hours to see some more music videos, but instead, I decided to transcribe some of the lists they had curated so that I could share them with you. If you love a good music video, stick around - this might take a while.

Here are some of the videos that were set up with their own stand-alone displays and/or screens. Most are groundbreaking for one reason or another.

a-ha “Take on Me” (dir. Steve Barron, 1985) (wiki)(YouTube)

O.K. Go! “This Too Shall Pass” (dir. James Frost, 2009) (wiki)(YouTube)

Kanye West “Power” (dir. Marco Brambilla, 2010) (wiki)(YouTube)

Bjork “Wanderlust” (dir. Encyclopedia Pictura, 2008) (wiki)(YouTube - sorry, this is only the 2D version)

The White Stripes “Seven Nation Army” (dir. Alex and Martin, 2003) (wiki)(YouTube)

The White Stripes “Fell in Love With a Girl” (dir. Michel Gondry, 2002) (wiki)(YouTube)

Cibo Matto “Sugar Water” (dir. Michel Gondry, 1985) (wiki)(YouTube)

Radiohead “House of Cards” (dir. James Frost, Aaron Koblin, 2008) (wiki)(YouTube)

There were others, but I didn't get them all down on paper..:(

One large screen was dedicated to showing the following list of videos in their entireties. I believe these videos were singled out for intelligent use of light and shade. Many of these are in black and white.

Jay-Z “99 Problems” (dir. Mark Romanek, 1999)(wiki)(YouTube)

Bjork “Big Time Sensuality (night version)” (dir. Stephane Sednaoui, 1993)(wiki)(YouTube)

The Verve “Bittersweet Symphony” (dir. Walter Stern, 1997) (wiki)(YouTube)

The White Stripes “Blue Orchid” (dir. Floria Sigismondi, 2005) (wiki)(YouTube)

Nine Inch Nails “Closer” (dir. Mark Romanek, 1994) (wiki)(YouTube - yeah, this one's a little NSFW)

Patti Smith “Don’t Smoke in Bed” (dir. Melodie McDaniel, 2007) (YouTube)

Police “Every Breath You Take” (dirs. Godley and Creme, 1983) (wiki)(YouTube)

REM “Everybody Hurts” (dir. Jake Scott, 1993) (wiki)(YouTube)

Madonna “Express Yourself” (dir. David Fincher, 1989) (wiki)(YouTube)

Red Hot Chili Peppers “Give it Away” (dir. Stephane Sednaoui, 1991) (wiki)(YouTube)

Sigur Ros “Glósóli” (dirs. Arni & Kinski, 2005) (wiki)(YouTube)

Lenny Kravitz “Are You Gonna Go My Way” (dir. Mark Romanek, 1993) (wiki-super enlightening)(YouTube)

REM “Drive” (dir. Peter Care, 1992) (wiki)(YouTube)

Johnny Cash “Hurt” (dir. Mark Romanek, 2002) (wiki)(YouTube)

Fever Ray “If I Had a Heart” (dir. Andreas Nilsson, 2009) (YouTube)

Nick Cave “Into My Arms” (dir. Jonathan Glazer, 1997) (wiki)(YouTube)

Woodkid “Iron” (dir. Yoann LeMoine, 2011) (YouTube)

REM “Losing My Religion” (dir. Tarsem, 1991) (wiki)(YouTube)

New Order “The Perfect Kiss” (dir. Jonathan Demme, 1985) (wiki)(YouTube)…I don't get this one.

Dizzee Rascal “Sirens” (dir. W.I.Z., 2007) (wiki)(YouTube)

Nirvana, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (dir. Samuel Bayer, 1991) (wiki)(YouTube)

Ministry “Stigmata” (dir. Ben Stokes, Eric Zimmermann, 1988) (wiki)(YouTube)

Radiohead “Street Spirit” (dir. Jonathan Glazer, 1996) (wiki)(YouTube)

Massive Attack “Teardrop” (dir. Walter Stern, 1998) (wiki-seriously, nothing more to say about this???)(YouTube)

REM “Man on the Moon” (dir. Peter Care, 1992) (wiki)(YouTube)

George Michael “Freedom” (dir. David Fincher, 1990) (wiki)(YouTube)

Marilyn Manson “The Beautiful People” (dir. Floria Sigismondi, 1999) (wiki)(YouTube)

Metallica “The Unforgiven (Director’s Cut)” (dir. Matt Mahurin, 1991) (wiki)(YouTube)

Sigur Ros “Untitled #1” (dir. Floria Sigismondi, 1999) (wiki)(YouTube)

Chris Isaak “Wicked Game” (dir. Herb Ritts, 1991) (wiki)(YouTube)

Sinead O’Connor “Nothing Compares 2 U” (dir. John Maybury, 1990) (wiki)(YouTube)

There was one other selection of videos I managed to transcribe, though the plaques didn't suggest any sort of unifying theme. Aside from the fact that many of them are due to Gondry, Jonze or Cunningham. Let's just call these noteworthy, then.

Radiohead “Karma Police” (dir. Jonathan Glazer, 1997) (wiki)(YouTube)

The White Stripes “The Hardest Button to Button” (dir. Michel Gondry, 2003) (wiki)(YouTube)

Beck “Lost Cause” (dir. Garth Jennings, 2002) (wiki)(YouTube)

Lucas “Lucas With the Lid Off” (dir. Michel Gondry, 1994) (wiki)(YouTube)

Cornelius “Music” (dir. Koichiro Tsujikawa, 2006) (YouTube)

Portishead “Only You” (dir. Chris Cunningham, 1998) (wiki)(Vimeo)

Air “Playground Love” (dirs. Roman & Sofia Coppola, 2000) (YouTube)

Unkle “Rabbit in Your Headlights” (dir. Jonathan Glazer, 1998) (wiki)(YouTube)

Manchester Orchestra “Simple Math” (dir. Daniels, 2011) (wiki)(YouTube)

Flying Lotus “Soft Gun Lily” (dir. Timothy Saccenti, 2009) (Vimeo - NSFW)("Making Of" on Vimeo)

Vitalic “Poney Pt. 1 (Birds)” (dir. Pleix, 2006) (YouTube)

Grizzly Bear “Two Weeks” (dir. Patrick Daughters, 2009) (wiki)(YouTube)

Jamiroquai “Virtual Insanity” (dir. Jonathan Glazer, 1996) (wiki)(YouTube)

Eskmo “We Got More” (dir. Cyriak, 2010) (YouTube)

Royksopp “What Else is There?” (dir. Martin de Thurah, 2005) (wiki)(YouTube)

Basement Jaxx “Where's Your Head At?” (dir. McG, 2002) (wiki)(YouTube)

Oh Land “White Nights” (dir. Canada, 2011) (Thanks, wiki)(YouTube)

Chemical Brothers “Star Guitar” (dir. Michel Gondry, 2001) (wiki)(YouTube)

Kid 606 “Sometimes” (dir. Pleix, 2004) (wiki)(YouTube)

MC Solaar “Nouveau Western” (dir. Stephane Sednaoui, 1994) (YouTube)

Bjork “All is Full of Love” (dir. Chris Cunningham, 1998) (wiki)(YouTube)

LCD Soundsystem “All My Friends” (dir. Tom Kuntz, 2007) (wiki)(YouTube)

Wax “California” (dir. Spike Jonze, 1995) (wiki)(YouTube)

The Cure “Close to Me” (dir. Tim Pope, 1985) (wiki)(Vimeo)

Rob Dougan “Clubbed to Death” (dir. David Slade, 2002) (YouTube)

Kylie Minogue “Come Into My World” (dir. Michel Gondry, 2002) (wiki)(YouTube)

Jarvis “Don't Let Him Waste Your Time” (dir. Dougal Wilson, 2006) (wiki)(YouTube)

The Pharcyde “The Drop” (dir. Spike Jonze, 1995) (wiki)(YouTube)

Foo FIghters “Everlong” (dir. Michel Gondry, 1995) (wiki)(YouTube)

Leftfield “Afrika (Shox)” (dir. Chris Cunningham, 1998) (wiki)(YouTube)

Cornelius “Fit Song” (dir. Koichiro Tsujikawa, 2006) (YouTube)

Weezer “Buddy Holly” (dir. Spike Jonze, 1994) (wiki)(YouTube)

God Lives Underwater “From Your Mouth” (dir. Roman Coppola, 1998) (wiki)(YouTube)

Beck “Girl” (dir. Motion Theory, 2004) (wiki)(YouTube)

Charlotte Gainsbourg and Beck “Heaven Can Wait” (dir. Keith Schofield, 2009) (wiki)(YouTube)

Oren Lavie “Her Morning Elegance” (dirs. Yuval, Merav Nathan, Oren Lavie, 2009) (wiki)(YouTube)

REM “Imitation of Life” (dir. Garth Jennings, 2001) (wiki)(YouTube)

My take-aways: some of my favourite videos while coming of age actually stood the test of time and were on display for me to share with my kids (awesome); video directors frequently go on to direct movies; my kids love Macklemore, though likely not as much as Seattle; a complete confirmation that Michel Gondry is awesome. I can't wait to back the EMP and see what they have in store for me next time...