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Since its inception, music videos have taken the music landscape by storm and have become an instant staple of the industry. Rarely is a song a hit unless it’s accompanied by an audiovisual presentation. People are more inspired by what they see, and music videos are effective in stimulating the audience, making them relate to the song, and promoting retention and recognition for both the song and the artist.
Because music videos are an effective platform to promote a song and a singer, many artists have looked for the best production outfits to help them create the most engaging and entertaining productions.
And for those who haven’t thought about money, distribution, and budgetary expenses, producing a music video can easily mean a multi-million dollar effort. Here are the 10 most expensive music videos of all time.
10 What’s It Gonna Be?!, 2,4 млн $
Produced in 1999 by Hype Williams, the music video for Busta Rhymes’ song “What’s It Gonna Be?!” demanded 2,4 million dollars for its implementation. Judging by the video’s budget, by today’s standards, the total cost would have been $3,9 million. Janet Jackson didn’t go down in price, but most of the money went into computer transformations.
In the video, Busta Rhimes and Miss Jackson appeared several times. The glass suit Rhimes wore was reported to have cost only $40.
9. Heartbreaker, $2,5 million
Mariah Carey music videoHeartbreakerwas filmed in 1999 with Brett Ratner leading the film crew.
The total cost was US$2,5 million due to the many elements required for production. The list included Jerry O’Connell’s talent fees, movie theater and mansion rentals, and animation. This was done at a time when Mariah was still a big name in the music industry.
8. Too Legit to Quit, 2,5 млн $
MC Hammer completely dominated the rap scene back in the early 1990s, and it’s no wonder he was able to shell out $2,5 million for a music video.”Too Legit To Quit“. Given that this was 1991, that amount was huge, and today, adjusted for inflation, a video would cost $4 million.
Highlights of the video included performances by James Brown and John Belushi, as well as some pyrotechnic elements.
7. Victory, $2,7 million
Puff Daddy, Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhimes teamed up in 1993 for the music video “Victory“. It was hosted by Markus Nispel and the total amount of money spent on production was $2,7 million.
The fact that it’s eight minutes long is only a small fraction of the production costs. The main expenses included the appearance of Dennis Hopper and Danny DeVito, the construction and destruction of the helicopter, the fees of the stuntmen, as well as the huge fireworks required a lot of money.
6. Estranged, $4 million
Guns N’ Roses were a popular band of the time, as were the music videos of their songs. “Estrangedis a 9,5-minute video produced in 1993 by Propaganda Films and is the third part of an unofficial series based on a story by Axl’s friend Rose Del James.
As the title suggests, the song is about separation and this was the main theme of the music video. The video was highlighted with several “expensive” scenes such as Axl Rose jumping off the deck of an oil tanker and Slash floating up from the ocean floor.
The live scenes of the clip were filmed at the Olympiastadion in Munich. And these were just some of the shots taken for the video. The video is rumored to have cost $4 million, although director Mark Romanek suggested that it did indeed hit the $9 million mark.
5. Black or White, 4 млн $
“Black or White“, one of the most popular songs of Michael Jackson in his musical career, was aimed directly at modern racism. With such a sensitive subject, Michael and his team wanted to create an equally compelling video.
The result needs no comments. The video was one of the most watched music videos of all time and helped make Michael Jackson a global icon in the fight against racism.
But the cost of production was anything but cheap. Computer transformations, the emergence of equally popular people, and the transformation of Michael into a black panther made up a huge part of the production’s $4 million budget. And that was back in 1991.
4. Bedtime Story, $5 million
«Bedtime Storyis the first of three Madonna music videos on this list, although the single she made to promote is not one of the singer’s biggest successes.
Madonna and her label had no problem spending $5 million to make a music video back in 1995. Directing fees were significantly higher when renowned director Mark Romanek was behind the wheel. Also, the video was mostly littered with a plethora of digital effects. Although filming lasted only six days, the post-production process continued for weeks.
However, the finished product was touted as one of the most experimental music videos ever, and Madonna didn’t miss a single promotional opportunity, showing the video in theaters in New York, Chicago, and Santa Monica. The video has been stored in art and music galleries around the world.
3. Express Yourself, 5 млн $
Inspired by the classic 1927 film Metropolis, the music video “Express yourselfwas Madonna’s explicit way of expressing her thoughts and ideas on a range of social issues related to power and gender.
Hollywood legend David Fincher (who also ran Fight Club and The Panic Room) led the crew. The payment for his talent alone required a huge sum from the general budget. Filmed in 1989, the clip is considered to be the most expensive video of that time.
2. Die Another Day, $6,1M
Madonna’s songDie Another Day” was the main theme of the James Bond film, which meant many action scenes for the song’s music video. Traktor, Swedish production equipment, were ordered to work and they did not disappoint.
Madonna performed her own stunts, including several wrestling scenes. To make the action more convincing, Madonna took fencing training to make herself a real sword fighter for a few minutes – that in itself is curious.
1. Scream, $7 million
Video for “Scream”, the first single from Michael Jackson’s HIStory album, is one of the few that everyone remembers when they see it for the very first time. Set in an elaborate spaceship, the mostly black and white image shows Michael and Janet having fun while also getting angry at the way the media has portrayed them lately.
The video debuted on ABC’s “Primetime Live” when Jackson was interviewing Lisa Marie Presley. The clip was seen by an estimated 64 million people and won a Grammy for Best Short Form Music Video later that year.