List of most expensive music videos

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This page lists the most expensive music videos ever made, with costs of $500,000 or more. Michael Jackson and Ayumi Hamasaki have five videos on this list. Madonna and Janet Jackson have made four appearances each. Britney Spears, Kanye West, Busta Rhymes, Mylène Farmer, Guns N' Roses, and MC Hammer appear on the list twice. Joseph Kahn has directed four videos on this list while Hype Williams and Wataru Takeishi have directed three videos on the list. Nigel Dick, Mark Romanek and John Landis appear twice on this list, the latter with videos both directed for Michael Jackson.

Titles in bold were the most expensive of all time at the time of their production.

Mark Romanek, the director of the, as known, most expensive music video, Michael and Janet Jackson's "Scream", has refuted the claim saying that there were two other music videos from the same era which cost "millions more" than the video for "Scream".[1]

Most expensive music videos [edit]

Artist(s) Song title Director Original air date Production costs (PC) Inflation-adjusted PC (2013)
Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson "Scream" Mark Romanek 1995-00-001995 $7,000,000[2] $10,546,626
Madonna "Die Another Day" Traktor 2002-10-22October 22, 2002 $6,000,000[3] $7,658,464
Madonna "Express Yourself" David Fincher 1989-05-17May 17, 1989 $5,000,000[4] $9,260,403
Michael Jackson
(featuring L.T.B.)
"Black or White" John Landis 1991-11-14November 14, 1991 $4,000,000[5][6] $6,742,243
Guns N' Roses "Estranged" Andy Morahan 1993-12-00December 1993 $4,000,000[7] $6,357,061
Puff Daddy
(featuring The Notorious B.I.G. & Busta Rhymes)
"Victory" Marcus Nispel 1998-03-31March 31, 1998 $2,700,000[2] $3,803,042
MC Hammer "Too Legit to Quit" Rupert Wainwright[8] 1991-11-00November 1991 $2,500,000[5] $4,089,993
Mariah Carey
(featuring Jay-Z)
"Heartbreaker" Brett Ratner 1999-08-16August 16, 1999 $2,500,000[2] $3,445,366
Busta Rhymes
(featuring Janet Jackson)
"What's It Gonna Be?!" Hype Williams & Busta Rhymes 1999-03-12March 12, 1999 $2,400,000[2] $3,926,393
Celine Dion "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" Nigel Dick 1996-07-29July 29, 1996 $2,300,000[3] $3,366,794
Michael Jackson "Bad" Martin Scorsese 1987-06-00August 31, 1987 $2,200,000[2] $4,445,753
Backstreet Boys "Larger Than Life" Joseph Kahn 1999-09-14September 14, 1999 $2,100,000[2] $2,894,107
Michael Jackson "Remember the Time" John Singleton 1992-02-03February 3, 1992 $2,000,000[9] $3,271,994
Madonna "Bedtime Story" Mark Romanek 1995-00-001995 $2,000,000[10][11] $3,013,322
Will Smith "Miami" Wayne Isham 1999-12-00December 1998 $2,000,000[2] $2,756,292
Missy Elliott "She's a Bitch" Hype Williams 1999-05-01May 1, 1999 $2,000,000[2] $2,756,292
George Michael "Freeek!" Joseph Kahn[12] 2004-00-002004 $2,000,000[2] $2,430,937
Ayumi Hamasaki "My Name's Women" Wataru Takeishi 2005-03-16March 16, 2005 $2,000,000[3] $2,350,997
Ayumi Hamasaki "Fairyland" Wataru Takeishi 2005-07-16July 16, 2005 $2,000,000[2] $2,350,997
Ayumi Hamasaki "Green" Kazuyoshi Shimomura 2008-12-17December 17, 2008 $1,600,000[13] $2,350,997
TLC "Unpretty" Paul Hunter 1999-08-29August 29, 1999 $1,600,000[2] $2,205,034
Guns N' Roses "November Rain" Andy Morahan 1992-06-02June 2, 1992 $1,500,000[13] $2,453,996
Blackstreet & Janet Jackson
(featuring Eve & Ja Rule)
"Girlfriend/Boyfriend" Joseph Kahn 1999-03-23March 23, 1999 $1,500,000[2] $2,067,219
Madonna
(featuring Nicki Minaj and M.I.A.)
"Give Me All Your Luvin'" Megaforce 2012-02-03February 3, 2012 $1,500,000[14][15] $1,530,843
MC Hammer "Here Comes the Hammer" MC Hammer 1991-01-01January 1, 1991 $1,300,000[16] $2,284,437
Kanye West "Stronger" Hype Williams 2007-07-00July 2007 $1,200,000[2] $1,328,647
Duran Duran "The Wild Boys" Russell Mulcahy 1984-00-001984 $1,000,000+[17] $2,209,801
Michael Jackson "Thriller" John Landis 1983-12-02December 2, 1983 $1,000,000[18] $2,535,550
The Sisters of Mercy "Dominion/Mother Russia" Andrew Eldritch 1988-02-00February 1988 $1,000,000[19] $1,941,193
Rolling Stones "Love Is Strong" David Fincher 1994-00-001994 $1,000,000[11] $1,548,945
TLC "Waterfalls" F. Gary Gray 1995-00-001995 $1,000,000[11] $1,506,661
Sisqó
(featuring Foxy Brown)
"Thong Song" (remix) Little X 20002000 $1,000,000[20] $1,333,140
Britney Spears "Toxic" Joseph Kahn 2004-01-13January 13, 2004 $1,000,000[21] $1,215,469
Janet Jackson & Nelly "Call on Me" Hype Williams 20062006 $1,000,000[3] $2,277,649
Kanye West
(featuring Lupe Fiasco)
"Touch The Sky" Chris Milk 2006-04-00April 2006 $1,000,000[22] $1,138,825
Ayumi Hamasaki "Jewel" Wataru Takeishi 2006-11-00November 2006 $1,100,000[3] $1,252,707
Ayumi Hamasaki "Virgin Road" Masashi Muto 2010-09-27September 27, 2010 $1,000,000[23] $1,052,800
Pia Zadora "Heartbeat of Love" Dominic Sena 19891989 $800,000[24] $1,481,664
Britney Spears "Oops!...I Did It Again" Nigel Dick 2000-04-10April 10, 2000 $750,000[25] $999,855
Mylène Farmer "California" Abel Ferrara 1996-03-20March 20, 1996 $700,000[26] $1,024,676
Mylène Farmer "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces" Laurent Boutonnat 1988-09-12September 12, 1988 $500,000[26] $970,597

References [edit]

  1. ^ Tewksbury, Drew. "Mark Romanek: 'Never Let Me Go' Director On His Music Video Career : The Record". NPR. Retrieved 2013-04-19. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m The Most Expensive Music Video Ever «
  3. ^ a b c d e Rangliste: Die teuersten Musikvideos aller Zeiten - NachrichtenVermischtes - WELT ONLINE
  4. ^ Lamb, Bill. "Madonna's 38 Top 10 Pop Songs". About.com. Retrieved 2012-05-08. 
  5. ^ a b December 09, 1991 (1991-12-09). "Superstars And Super Hype To The Rescue". Newsweek. Retrieved 2011-05-02. 
  6. ^ "Those Wacky Jacksons". Entertainment Weekly. 1991-12-27. Retrieved 2012-04-29. 
  7. ^ Mick O'Shea. (2008). The Guns N' Roses encyclopaedia. New Malden, Surrey, UK: Chrome Dreams. p. 83. ISBN 978-1-84240-423-2. 
  8. ^ "Hammer - "Too legit to quit"". mvdbase.com. Retrieved 2011-05-02. 
  9. ^ MICHAEL JACKSON'S New Video 'Remembers The Time' When Blacks Were Kings And Queens p.58
  10. ^ 'Bedtime Story' Pays Off : Madonna's $2-million endeavor receives the top nod for special effects that get the left brain just about right.
  11. ^ a b c Passing the Buck
  12. ^ George Michael - Freeek! - Music Video Database - The Base Of Music Videos
  13. ^ a b "Oh No They Didn't! - 20 Most Expensive Music Videos". Ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com. 2011-06-01. Retrieved 2013-04-19. 
  14. ^ "Directors Of Madonna's $1.5m Music Video Throw Her Some Shade!". Oh No They Didn't. 2012-02-15. Retrieved 2012-02-18. 
  15. ^ "Megaforce: Working with Madonna is like Working with the CIA". Madonnarama. 2012-02-15. Retrieved 2012-02-18. 
  16. ^ Farber, Jim (1991-03-08). "Flesh Forward | Music". EW.com. Retrieved 2011-05-02. 
  17. ^ Haugen, Fredrick (2012-04-27). "Top 5 Futuristic Music Videos by Duran Duran". FutureDude. Retrieved 2012-05-08. 
  18. ^ Exclusive: How Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' Changed The Music Business, Billboard, July 3, 2009
  19. ^ "Sisters of Mercy - Sex & Violence". Vamp.org. Retrieved 2011-05-02. 
  20. ^ Murphy, Keith (March 2008). "Is the music video dead?". Vibe: 66. ISSN 1070-4701. Retrieved 2012-05-27. 
  21. ^ Kaufman, Gill (August 25, 2004). "Yes, Britney Really Is Naked In The 'Toxic' Video: VMA Lens Recap". MTV News. Retrieved 2008-12-31. 
  22. ^ MSNBC
  23. ^ Prince Samuel (2011-09-19). "Call Me Prince: 09/19/11". Pangeransamuelsamuel.blogspot.sg. Retrieved 2013-04-19. 
  24. ^ Marks, Craig; Tannenbaum, Rob (2011). I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution. Penguin. 
  25. ^ Vena, Jocelyn (2009-11-17). "Britney Spears Fought For 'Oops! ... I Did It Again' Red Catsuit". MTV. Retrieved 2012-08-26. 
  26. ^ a b Mylène Farmer, le culte - L'envers du décor, Sophie Khairallah, 2007, Why Not Ed., p. 44