Do Music Videos matter?

[BenMech]

just saw the new video on YouTube for Rush's Far Cry. Not a great video for what turns out to be an adequate Rush song

Sure, in their MTV heyday, the short-form music film was either experimental, interpretational, or just easy visual promotion of the band.

Presuming that at any one point you were amused or entertained by them, when did you walk away / stop caring?

 

[Jibrille]

I'd say the complete format change of MTV & VH1 from 80% music videos & 20% other stuff to 99% other stuff & 1% music videos has kind of killed the need for music videos. I like to always catch videos online. Back when I reguarly made icons, I loved using music videos for them.

 

[SharkBlack]

I still like a well done video!
I'm always cruisin' YouTube for them...
I like live video better but some vids are still very cool.

 

[swayn3rd]

The Ghost Opera music vid matters :{{

 

[Diamond45]

just saw the new video on YouTube for Rush's Far Cry. Not a great video for what turns out to be an adequate Rush song

Sure, in their MTV heyday, the short-form music film was either experimental, interpretational, or just easy visual promotion of the band.

Presuming that at any one point you were amused or entertained by them, when did you walk away / stop caring?

Now that MTV has pretty much ignored music videos (they didn't create the music video, just promoted its use), videos these days are not as important as they once were.

I still like them because I get to see the band perform the music. If I have never seen a band live, it gives me a taste of what the band is like performing a song.

I catch the occasional video on YouTube (classic 80s videos as well as modern power metal ones). Metal videos tend to be cheezy because they don't lend themselves as well to videos as does pop or (gasp) country music.

By the way - the video for Rush's Far Cry on YouTube was developed by a fan. It wasn't an official video (unless they came out with one of their own). The fan produced video was actually well done considering it was a low budget production.

 

[Kenso]

If i like a band, I might look up an actual live performance of them or something, if even that. I turned away from music videos as soon as i started getting into music that wasn't played very much on music video channels; this probably influenced me to stop watching them all together though. I feel now though that music videos are not necessary, but I don't frown upon someone who watches them, since there is no harm in them. I just personally find them boring, since most of them are quite cheesy anyways.

 

[Rev. Clayton]

It would matter if there was a good market for videos to be played. MTV doesn't matter...even taking into account, Headbanger's Ball. Most metalheads forget that is even on since it's on MTV...or at least I do.

There is one station that my cable gets called "The Tube." That has to be the best channel ever...since it plays music and only music. Now, it's not playing metal because it has no genre specification. They play Queen, LEd Zepplin, Clapton, Rolling Stones, Beatles...now I know that sounds like classic rock, but they play other things too (old blues, new soft rock). It's not bad at all, and if there was a station like that...that could eventually branch out into playing genres then I could see music videos mattering again. IMO now...they really don't.

 

[Jibrille]

It would matter if there was a good market for videos to be played. MTV doesn't matter...even taking into account, Headbanger's Ball. Most metalheads forget that is even on since it's on MTV...or at least I do.

I think another problem is that it's on MTV2 and there's still a number of people out there who don't get that channel because it's part of the premium cable packages and not that many people have upgraded yet. Even MTV2 has quickly turned from their video station because the main one wasn't showing them to the rerun & marathon station for Real World, Road Rules, and whatever other garbage they have on.

 

[Bryan316]

Bad videos, no. Awesome videos, YES.

 

[BlackRoseMetalHeart]

Presuming that at any one point you were amused or entertained by them, when did you walk away / stop caring?

I may have stopped caring about "music television" (MTV and VH1) probably completely about 1998/1999 (freshman/sophomore year of high school), but I never stopped caring about music videos ... I just found new places to find the good videos.
I love the Monsters of Metal volumes of metal videos and I've discovered a couple of new bands that way (Xandria being one that I can think of off the top of my head). As many have mentioned already, YouTube is somewhat assuming the role that MTV held in the 80s - although (IMO) they are doing much more for the industry by allowing anyone to post videos and allowing bands to get a good amount of exposure without having to pay for it.

 

[SwordLord]

If you are wondering if MTV music videos matter from a standpoint of whether or not it does anything for a band's musical career, I can settle that argument with a single word:

DRAGONFORCE

 

[Nigel Tufnel]

If the video actually adds something to the song, it can be good.

If the band is just playing in front of a blue screen with lots of quick cuts and cheezy graphics, then no.

 

[BenMech]

If you are wondering if MTV music videos matter from a standpoint of whether or not it does anything for a band's musical career, I can settle that argument with a single word:

DRAGONFORCE

ok.

 

[Thorn23TX]

If you are wondering if MTV music videos matter from a standpoint of whether or not it does anything for a band's musical career, I can settle that argument with a single word:

DRAGONFORCE

I actually thought DF attributed their success more to being on Ozzfest and selling t-shirts at Hot Topic, but this could simply be the classic chicken or the egg argument - which one came first?

Oh, and as Swayn3rd said... the Ghost Opera video is exceptional!

 

[edgeofthorns]

just saw the new video on YouTube for Rush's Far Cry. Not a great video for what turns out to be an adequate Rush song

Sure, in their MTV heyday, the short-form music film was either experimental, interpretational, or just easy visual promotion of the band.

Presuming that at any one point you were amused or entertained by them, when did you walk away / stop caring?

The only time I ever watch videos is when they are included in the bonus features of DVDs, etc. I do like watching some classic videos by my favorite bands, but otherwise I can take or leave them.

~Brian~