When listening to music, we all have our own interpretations and visuals that we create that are personal to us and the song we are listening to. Music videos have given the public a peek at what the artist of the song was envisioning for their own work. However, music videos were not always as popular and accessible as they are today.
The start of putting music and pictures together was an early innovation. In the 1930s and 1940s, the cartoons created by Max Fleisher were cut to sings by Cab Calloway and Louis Armstrong. Then in 1943, Panoram Soundies were placed in nightclubs and diners, These were jukeboxes where people could listen to music and watch performers on the miniscreen of the jukebox. From then on, music and pictures were used for commercial and marketing purposes. They were seen in commercials, theaters, shopping malls, department stores, and more. It wasn't until cable TV became an accessible option for Americans that the success of music videos truly began.
Big television companies weren't sure about how music videos would receive feedback. Warner took a gamble on the format in 1980 by dedicating a whole day to rock videos, and to their surprise, it received positive feedback. In 1981, MTV (Music Television) was created and quickly became popular and successful. Record companies reported a rise in sales following its premiere. Music videos then fueled the current boom in the recording industry so much that awards for music videos have been made and they have become part of the song's marketing strategy.
Aside from the growing popularity of music videos, there were always those who weren't fans of them. Some people have argued that music videos can be detrimental to a song because of the listener's own interpretations and personal images that they have created for the song being hindered or forced to associate the song to the video. People have also not been fond of the creation of false realities that some music videos may give, but then again, isn't that the fun part?
Music videos can be anything the artist and director want them to be. The sky is the limit. Although, there tends to be a repeated series of creative choices. This includes emphasized gestures which are often shown with dancing, exaggerated colors that may be shown with the use of filters, nonlinear editing, abstraction and surrealism, and pure spotlight showcasing the "star" or artist of the song. Music videos can tell a story, create a new reality, or even bring a live performance of the artist on stage into the viewer's living room.
"Bohemian Rhapsody" is widely credited as the first global hit song with a music video that has been part of its marketing strategy. The budget was extremely low, so special effects were minimal. Lighting changes and differences played a huge role in this video, as it transforms the mood of the visuals the director had planned. You can really tell that this was one of the first popular music videos given its production quality. The production was simple yet had hidden metaphors in the imagery. And although music videos now have a bigger budget and more technology, "Bohemian Rhapsody" is still a legendary music video that has millions of views today.
Click here to view the music video for "Bohemian Rhapsody".
"Call Me By Your Name" by Lil Nas X and its music video have caused a lot of controversy since its release in 2021. Because of the development of technology and special effects, artists now have much more freedom to truly create whatever they can imagine. In this music video, the imagery goes from religious to nudity throughout the song. Lil Nas X received a lot of negative feedback, but it ultimately gave him a lot of views and buzz that helped his popularity grow. This shows that music videos still are used as a marketing strategy.
Click here to view the music video for "Call Me By Your Name".
I love the ability to create false realities through the new developments in technology. Though the video created by Lil Nas X was an extreme reality, I do believe that those types of videos receive way more feedback than simple music videos. With special effects, CGI, and more, I think music videos now are more appealing to the eye.
Nowadays, music videos are much more accessible to the public. We can view them or even create them on our phones. Music videos today are still evolving as new technologies are trends are being created.
Sources
Changing the Business: Music Videos in Society. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1014&context=backstage-pass.
Shaffer, Claire Elizabeth. “Emotion Pictures: The Art and Evolution of Music Videos.” Emotion Pictures: The Art and Evolution of Music Videos, 1 Jan. 1970, https://digitalcollections.wesleyan.edu/object/ir-965.
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