The 10 Best Celebrity Appearances in Music Videos
Whether you think Vampire Weekend's new, star-studded music video for "Giving Up the Gun" is a work of delightful whimsy or the indie rock equivalent of a Blink-182 video, it's hard to deny that it's helped resurrect a trend that was in danger of dying: the art of stuffing celebrities into a music video. The Vampire Weekend clip can boast Jake Gyllenhaal, Joe Jonas, and the RZA among others, but can it hold a candle to these ten notable music videos that are best remembered for their star power? (Sorry, Martini Ranch. You almost made the list.)
"You Can Call Me Al"
Artist: Paul Simon
Celebrity: Chevy Chase
Simon's first video for "You Can Call Me Al" was a simple affair, taped off the video monitor when Simon performed the song during Saturday Night Live. Dissatisfied with the result, Simon commissioned a new clip, though the dry presence of Chevy Chase ensured that it would still be SNL-adjacent.
Comments
For Walken, I prefer him playing an angel in the Fincher-directed "Bad Girl" for Madonna.
I also enjoyed Zach's turn in Kanye West's "Can't Tell Me Nothing."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2bCc0EGP6U
Muse - Hysteria
Justin Theroux is shirtless, so it wins as far as I'm concerned.
And, since Iman is included, I'm guessing models are fair game, so, of course: George Michael - Freedom.
Oooh, and I'm not sure if he was famous at the time, but Paula Abdul's "Forever Your Girl" features a baby Elijah Wood. So freakin' cute.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgVhmly4s-M
Why be Walken when you could be Dancing?
Hear, hear! And Danny Aiello in "Papa Don't Preach"!
We're all just breaking out the old skool Fincher, huh? What about Leslie Ann Warren in Janie's Got A Gun?
Or, on the Romanek side, Vincent Gallo in 99 Problems?
OK, one last one: crazy Juliette Lewis in Melissa Etheridge's "Come to My Window."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej8H926Hmaw
Oh. Yeah. Speaking of Fincher and Abdul, Arsenio Hall is in Straight Up...
Maybe I've got Olympics on the brain, but Stephen Dorff looks kinda like Apolo Anton Ohno in the "Cryin" video.
Milton Berle in Ratt's "Round and Round" video (and one or two more Ratt videos). He was related to one of the band members.
How about this one?
I Wanna Be a Rockstar
Pretty sure it was Gabrielle Anwar in "Into the Great Wide Open", not Faye Dunaway...
Adrien Brody in Tori Amos' A Sorta Fairytale
Nick, Into The Great Wide Open had both Gabrielle Anwar and Faye Dunaway...as well as Matt LeBLanc....who was also in Bob Seger's video for Night Moves.
Angelina jolie was in the Meatloaf's video I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)
Everyone totally missed over this gem:
Danny Devito, Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Ernie Husdon, etc.
That's right, Ray Parker Jr's 1984 Hit, Ghostbusters!
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