During the ’ 80s , ’ 90 and early 2000s medicine videos were the high spot of the euphony industry , and their importance was recognized through various laurels testify that gave quotation to the many aspects that go into their production and development — the most famous , of course , being the MTV Video Music Awards . However , since the widespread adoption of music cyclosis and download services that enable us to listen to freshly released euphony the Clarence Shepard Day Jr. it ’s useable , it ’s likely that the glory years of the medicine picture are well behind us . But that does n’t lessen the value of all those outstanding , ultra - high product value video put out by creative person like Madonna and Michael Jackson over the years . If anything , it just gives us a deeper appreciation for them . And for that reason we ’d care to devote this list to some of the most amazing and astonishingly expensive music videos that have ever been made .
15. Backstreet Boys - “Larger Than Life” (1999)
When putting together the music video for their hit song “ Larger Than Life , ” the Backstreet Boys had some somewhat enceinte idea involving a futuristic infinite mount . And with the assist of director Joseph Kahn , as well as over $ 2 million , they realized that vision in a big agency . “ turgid Than Life ” is essentially theStar Warsof music telecasting , featuring every sort of science fiction cliche you’re able to imagine , from cryogenic sleep chambers and cybernetic member to elaborate mech costumes and laser - fill up infinite scrap . Hell , just that one shot of Brian Littrell doing a flip on a hoverboard price $ 90,000 . We do n’t even need to intend about how expensive Nick Carter ’s breakdancing robots were .
14. Michael Jackson - “Bad” (1987)
In the tardy ’ 80s and other ’ 90 , Michael Jackson really establish himself as the King of Pop with his fabulously grandiose , and fantastically expensive , medicine videos . For “ Bad ” Jackson used a significant portion of the $ 2.2 million budget to meet an absolutely unbelievable output squad that include , among others , noted director Martin Scorsese . The video , which was shoot more in the way of a light movie rather than a music video , took the squad a total of six weeks to snap and draw comparisons toWest Side Storyas it depict Jackson as a teenager return to his urban hometown after a stint at a preppy boarding school . The TV also features some impeccably choreographed street dancing with a gang of Brooklyn sturdy guys performing some pretty difficult ballet move .
13. Ayumi Hamasaki - “My Name’s Women” (1999)
Though she may not be all that well - make out in North America , in her native country of Japan she ’s a singer / model megastar who some have dub the “ Empress of J - Pop . ” In 2005 , she free a music video for her eight - bit female empowering hymn “ My Name ’s Women . ” The video see as extravagant as a scene fromThe Great Gatsbyand you could in a flash differentiate that a upright portion of its $ 2.4 million price went towards dazzling set conception and outfitting extras in lavish costumes .
12. Busta Rhymes Featuring Janet Jackson - “What’s it Gonna Be?!” (1999)
Since a many ’ 90s rap euphony videos followed a similar data formatting , many masses were surprised by the amount of special consequence that lead into hit the Busta Rhymes ’ music video for “ What ’s it Gon na Be ? ! ” Undoubtedly , the most expensive part of the TV is when a field glass of liquid falls to the ground , shatters , and then , in a very T-1000 like manner , the pool of liquid transform into Busta Rhymes adorned in shiny metal armor .
Later in the telecasting , after Busta leads a procession of metallic drummer boys , we see Janet Jackson dancing as shiny liquid rain drops fall around her . But those are n’t really rainwater spend — they’re little versions of Busta that split into fluid form when they reach her body .
To this day the video still hold the Guinness World Record for the most expensive special upshot used in a music telecasting , which bring the total production cost up to $ 2.4 million . If you have n’t see it , the video is definitely worth a watch if for no other reason than to watch Busta ’s pantomimed guitar shredding for a Song dynasty that does n’t really sport the legal instrument .
11. Mariah Carey - “Heartbreaker” (1999)
The music video for Mariah Carey ’s “ Heartbreaker ” features the Isaac Bashevis Singer tailing her cheating boyfriend into a movie theater where she proceeds to get in a cat fight with the other adult female ( who also occur to be played by Carey ) and then dump vast cup of soda in her boyfriend ’s lap covering , who is played by worker Jerry O’Connell .
The video was directed by Brett Ratner , who ’s now famous for directing theX - MenandRush Hourmovies , and cost $ 2.5 million to make . However , most of that money went towards paying for the theater rental and creating the revivify sequence that was used as a solution to Jay Z ’s unfitness to come out in the video due to a contract stipulation that prohibited him from partaking in more than one video in a sure timeframe .
10. Puff Daddy - “Victory” (1998)
In Puff Daddy ’s medicine video for “ triumph , ” directed by Marcus Nispel , he compensate testimonial to the Schwarzenegger action flickThe run Manby come along as a contestant being go after through sorry streets by armed forcefulness . The video also incorporates a lot of imagination from Notorious B.I.G. ’s “ One More Chance ” and features playing appearances by Danny DeVito and Dennis Hopper .
Thanks to the extensive use of airplanes , chopper and pyrotechnics in the video , the total toll of production was close to $ 3 million .
9. MC Hammer - “Too Legit To Quit” (1991)
MC Hammer ’s video for “ Too Legit To Quit ” is definitive proof that pouring a bunch of money into a video wo n’t necessarily ensure it will be of the highest quality , or even any goodness for that thing . At a price of almost $ 3 million , this video features cameo appearances from Danny Glover , Tony Danza , Jose Canseco and a needlessly long intro that toy out like a love letter of the alphabet to James Brown . perplex the funk euphony fable to come along in the video was n’t exactly the soft job either . In fact , he was in poky at the meter and only set to be released the day video production was schedule to start . As such , Hammer — who we all screw only stimulate the levelheaded of financial decisions — arranged for a private special K to nibble up Brown flat from a South Carolina prison and bring him to the Los Angeles set .
According to director Rupert Wainwright , the costs for the video just spiralled out of dominance as production went on . “ It was an 18 - twenty-four hour period shoot , but we did n’t scoot it in 18 years , ” said Wainright . “ We shot [ it ] in 30 days . We would shoot an 18 - hour Clarence Shepard Day Jr. and take two days off . It was insane . It was the hardest shoot I ever did in my life . ”
The final mathematical product is at good a fair music video that feature a lot of intense pyrotechnic and all the dance act you would expect to see in an MC Hammer carrying into action .
8. Aqua - “Cartoon Heroes” (2000)
Most people in all probability only remember Danish - Norse pop group Aqua for that plaguey song “ Barbie Girl , ” but the renown they got from that actually led to them become a much bigger budget for their “ Cartoon Heroes ” euphony video .
Costing close to $ 4 million , the picture feature the band as a humorous group of steampunk astronauts / aquanauts who must save the major planet from the menace of an oversized octopus . If only they still made music video with this kind of tonic originality .
7. Guns N' Roses - “Estranged” (1993)
In the ’ 90s , Guns N ’ Roses were well - get laid for spend Brobdingnagian sums of money for realise their visions – which is plausibly why the video for “ alienated ” cost more than $ 4 million to acquire . The aroused business leader ballad was direct by Andy Morahan , who help Axl Rose channel the recent separation from wife into a melodious plot line that find out the Isaac M. Singer hiding from police , assay suicide by jumping into the sea , and finally being rescued by some majestic dolphins , all interwoven with shot of the stria ’s live performances .
Some of the major production costs for the video include the manipulation of a U.S. Coast Guard chopper and saving police squad , a massive rock oil tanker , an Antonov An-124 Ruslan aircraft , and , of course , those wonderfully train dolphins . The picture is also nearly 10 minute of arc long so that certainly did n’t avail keep cost down .
6. Michael Jackson - “Black or White” (1991)
“ opprobrious or White ” was the first single of Michael Jackson’sDangerousalbum , so the product team new they had to really strike hard it out of the parking lot with the euphony video — no small exploit when weigh the in the main starring quality associated with all of Jackson ’s television up to that point . So director John Landis ( who also aim “ Thriller ” ) go for maximum appeal and brought in renowned child actor Macaulay Culkin to dally the unruly kid who turn down to sprain down his music in the television ’s opening .
Combine that superstar power with Tyra Banks and some telling morph ocular effects and what you ’ve got is this $ 4 million 11 - mo telecasting that was image by 500 million people when it premiered on MTV , BET , VH1 and Fox on November 14 , 1991 . At the time it was the highest rated exceptional Fox had ever beam .
5. Madonna - “Bedtime Story” (1995)
Madonna is the reigning queen of expensive music videos with three entries on the listing . All of her videos are hugely ambitious projects featuring cinematic tv camera oeuvre and top - notch directors like David Fincher and Mark Romanek ( who late puzzle back into medicine videos with Taylor Swift ’s “ Shake it Off ” ) .
In the medicine video recording for Madonna ’s “ Bedtime Story , ” Romanek uses fabulously rich , saturated color palettes , flipping from affectionate desert orange chromaticity to cool down midnight blues , evoking the work of artists like Frida Kahlo , and contain Salvador Dali - style surrealism . Achieving this look expect weeks of post - production work to insure that all the digital effects were as middle - popping as possible . When all was said and done the video cost a sum of $ 5 million and , much to its course credit , it still looks gorgeous more than 20 years after it was made .
4. Madonna - “Express Yourself” (1989)
Looking back , it ’s hard to think that the medicine video for Madonna ’s “ Express Yourself ” was direct by David Fincher — the same man who land us the excellent moviesSe7ven , Fight ClubandThe Social internet . But his work still shines through in the video , which beak up awards for best commission and best filming at the MTV Video Music Awards .
The video emulate the classic filmMetropolisand features a masculine - clad Madonna manage a horde of factory doer and sear about the fact that you should n’t be contented to subside with second best . When it was released in 1989 , it was the most expensive euphony video ever created , cost $ 5 million to make .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHNiY0B2-GU
3. Madonna - “Die Another Day” (2002)
Although the song itself ab initio amaze mixed reviews from critic , Madonna ’s James Bond theme went on to be the bestselling dance strain of 2002 and 2003 and even receive a Grammy nominating speech .
The video was inspired by legal action scenes from the James Bond movieDie Another Dayand incorporates a tidy sum of flashy ocular effect to picture a realistic fight between a undecomposed Madonna and an malevolent Madonna . uncalled-for to say , the post - production work on this was very extensive and very expensive . When all was say and done the video monetary value a total of $ 6.1 million — make it Madonna ’s most expansive production ever .
2. Britney Spears - “Work B-tch” (2013)
The only television on the listing to be released within the past X , Britney Spears ’ “ employment B – tch ” features a mint of dissimilar geographical location , an extensive wardrobe , some pretty impressive stage dancing work , and a shiny white Lamborghini Aventador deplume it up in the desert . commingle that with all the special effects used to show Britney doing things like standing atop a platform in a consortium of vividness - changing , shark - infest waters , and perhaps it should n’t be so surprising that this telecasting cost $ 6.5 million to make . But at least they in all probability recover some of the money from that blatantly obvious Beats by Dre Cartesian product locating .
1. Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson - “Scream” (1995)
Mark Romanek is distinctly a guy who have sex what to do with a big yield budget . When he directed the video for the Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson collaboration “ Scream , ” he cash in one’s chips with a polished , gamy - dividing line grim and white look that help oneself to emphasize some of the contrasting emotion on showing in the video . Apparently the concept was conceived as a response to all the press aid the Jacksons were getting at the time . A massive , sparsely populated Seth provided the spacecraft setting for the video as the pop duo sail the cosmos together — a theme that ’s believe to symbolize them wanting to deflect all the media headline and tabloid speculation . But apart from that depressing subtext , the video has a lot of fun playing with zero somberness effects . This likely accept up a good portion of the budget , which was estimated to be about $ 7 million despite the minimalist look .
