I love making this list each year. Mainly because — I make an excuse to put a list of 20 really great videos together and spend an entire day at work compiling and watching them.
Hit the jump for an alphabetical “top 20” videos of 2013.
Previous Year-End Lists: Top 10 Shows of 2013.
-grizzly
Arcade Fire – Afterlife
Director: Emily Kai Bock
Cinematically speaking, this video is just beautiful. Take into consideration the emotional breadth of the video, and you have a short film worth investing in.
ASAP Ferg – Shabba feat. ASAP Rocky
Director: Andrew Hines, ASAP Ferg, ASAP Rocky
The got the original Shabba Ranks to be in the video (and Snoop from the Wire). It’s a party, and we were all invited. And hey, that’s two Ws for the ASAP Mob, because the next video…
ASAP Rocky – Wild For the Night feat. Skrillex
Director: Chris Robinson, ASAP Rocky
…is just as much of a party as the “Shabba” video. Skrillex and ASAP teamed up for one of the year’s best tracks, and managed to get to the Dominican Republic to film this video. It’s a nice nod to the 90s rap videos that made flossin’ famous, and I greatly appreciate it.
Beach House – Wishes
Director: Eric Wareheim
This dreamy clip employed Ray Wise for one of the year’s best halftime shows music videos. We even got a pretty sweet fireworks display!
Bob Dylan – Like a Rolling Stone (Interactive Music Video)
Director: Full Credits
Having never released a music video for the 1965 single, whoever thought it was a good idea to do so almost 50 years after the fact — is a genius!!! This interactive video will not only keep you busy, but it’ll get you to listen to this classic over and over as you flip through the channels to watch the likes of Drew Carey, Danny Brown, Pawn Stars, Marc Maron and plenty more. Click the screengrab above to head to the dedicated website.
Disclosure – When a Fire Starts to Burn
Director: Bo Mirosseni
I’d go to church if the sermons were of this nature.
Drake – Started from the Bottom
Director: Director X and Drake
For the 2nd year in a row, Drake and company put out one of the most incredible videos you’ll see all year. Following the sentiments of last year’s “HYFR,” Director X took a more whimsical route with “Started for the Bottom,” giving the internet a plethora of amazing gifs along the way.
FIDLAR – Cocaine
Director: Ryan Baxley
Fake dicks, Nick Offerman and pissing on everything in sight. What’s not to love about this ruckus?
HAIM – The Wire
Director: N/A
Wanna see a bunch of dudes cry because the HAIM sisters got absolutely no love for them? Of course you do. And yeah, if I got dumped by one of these gals, I’d be salty too.
Janelle Monae – Dance Apocalyptic
Director: Wendy Morgan
I know a lot of people are choosing “Q.U.E.E.N.” as the runaway favorite Janelle video of 2013, but I took a much bigger liking to this one. Maybe it’s all the sweet moves. Maybe it’s the long hair. Maybe it’s the overly enthusiastic drummer. Maybe it’s because I like the song more. Maybe it’s ca-
Justin Timberlake – Tunnel Vision (Unrated)
Director: Jonathan Craven, Simon McLoughlin, and Jeff Nicholas
While both this video and Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” made it onto this year-end list, and both feature a handsome 30-something in nice clothes dancing around beautiful naked women, this one got the flex because we can still hear this song without getting murderous. It’s also one of the best on his album.
Kanye West – Bound 2 (Seth Rogen and James Franco version)
Director: Seth Rogen and James Franco
I know a viral clip shouldn’t be on this list, but whatever — this is my website. The original was so laughably bad, but when Rogen and Franco dropped a shot-for-shot parody in a week’s time, all hell broke loose. This is amazing.
Kendrick Lamar – Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe
Director: The Lil Homies & OG Mike Mihail
Anyone else ever reminded of the overly dramatic and extremely cinematic videos Bad Boy Records used to put out? This feels like one of those, and for that, it makes the list. And the death to Molly thing is pretty cool, too.
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – White Walls [feat. Schoolboy Q and Hollis]
Director: Griff J, Ryan Lewis
Macklemore gets plenty of shit, you know? But this video is a gem. Not only did he have an incredibly productive 2013 (seriously, so many charted hits), but he’s got that certain sheen to his videos. In “Can’t Hold Us,” we got the Macklemore flag on top of the space needle. In “White Walls,” we get a gaggle of elderly women partying with Mackley and Q, bucket hats and all.
Miley Cyrus – Wrecking Ball
Director: Terry Richardson
Yeah, I’m just gonna drop this off here and keep moving.
Mumford and Sons – Hopeless Wanderer
Director: Sam Jones
So instead of Mumford & Sons, we got Jason Sudekis, Jason Bateman, Will Forte and Ed Helms. No one complained. We all laughed.
Rihanna – Pour it Up
Director: N/A
I don’t actually know who directed this video. The original director took off running due to creative differences, and Rihanna would eventually go another route – and I’m personally glad she did. Let’s be honest, this is only on the list because I’m a pervert.
Robin Thicke – Blurred Lines (Unrated)
Director: Diane Martel
#THICKE…or something.
Solange – Lovers in the Parking Lot
Director: Solange, Peter J. Brant and Emily Kai Bock
Looks like Emily Kai Bock got herself two videos on my personal list, which is cool. Solange’s video was conceptualized by her own damn self, filmed in our hometown. And hey, Bun B.
Tyler, The Creator – Tamale
Director: Wolf Haley
Count on Tyler to always put out quality music videos, huh? Despite Wolf not being a great album or anything, he delivered in droves with the greatness of Tyler’s creativity.
—
So there’s that! Til next year, folks.
WEWOREMASKS IS DEAD. 