For a more recent example, here's a breathtaking video that was made for Gentle Giant's "His Last Voyage", which is like a flowing abstract painting. They've done a lot of really nice videos with their recent Blu-ray reissue packages.
I suppose that it was an unflinchingly honest portrayal of where he was at back then, like the album itself.
My vote would go to Paper Bag by Fiona Apple, unfortunately the version on YouTube/VEVO has been ruined by a very sloppy AI enhanced "upgrade". I can't find a link to the original.
I love eerie things. It may be a bit unsettling but in a "good unsettling" kind of way and is part of what makes it art to me, it's a video that moves something "within" with only him and a guitar. He was a great actor and his theatrics and short career as a mime, I'd say show here and. Bowie was never a Marlon Brando or James Dean kind of icon. That's his appeal to weirdos and outcasts like me. Some of his appeal. The music always spoke and still speaks for itself. Bowie himself loved eerie things. Just look at his Diamond Dogs cover and album, etc. That video shows theatrics like no other, in my perspective. It's like something that Samuel Beckett would have directed. A piece of Art. 10/10 to me.
I love this video for Reflektor by Arcade Fire (which I believe was directed by Dutch artist Anton Corbijn).
It was indeed directed by Anton Corbijn, and it looks as visually beautiful as you'd expect. Thanks for posting it; it's the first time I've watched this video. Love the song, too.
Any pop country video from the 90's. I once worked at a time Mcgraw concert in Scottsdale AZ. Oh. My. God.
Directed by Spike Jonze and filmed in my high school alma mater’s gymnasium (Venice Sr. High School in Los Angeles)
I agree to some degree, but it's hard to tell exactly how much of it is an act though. He possibly looked more emaciated and weird in the Young Americans era - yet there was a more obvious aestheticised effeminated beauty there. But here, he's pushing the sci-fi uber-geek look. I reckon there are some weird make-up effects contributing, not to mention the sour-disaffected facial-expression he's adopting which to me eyes is a very deliberate awkward and unappealing gesture. To contrast, he looks much more normal and healthy in other 1977 pics (below) I'd not give this video high marks for creative video aesthetics though. It's effective, but pretty easy to acheive. I think the main appeal is the result of the clothing, make-up and hair.
don't know why but whenever I hear/read about John The Baptist (Christian Bible Prophet), I picture him like Sting in this video.