At one time, the music video for a song was the perfect complement that catapulted a certain artist to worldwide fame. And established celebrities shelled out real fortunes to produce a video that would be repeated over and over again on music TV channels. Regardless of the genre, a good song (sometimes not so much) had to have its own music video. It was the most direct way to increase engagement with the public.
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While a visual representation of the work emerged, it was much easier for fans to understand the idea of what the artist was trying to convey. All this revolution in the music industry would have been impossible without the arrival of MTV. A channel that forced artists to invest more and more in the production of their music videos. This was evident in the 1990s, when musicians seemed to compete to see who could come up with the most expensive music video.
We’ll start off strong with this music video directed by Joseph Kahn, who has collaborated with the cream of the music industry in directing videos. Britney Spears, Shakira, Muse, Christina Aguilera, U2 and Eminem are some of the celebrities who collaborated with this director. George Michael shelled out a whopping $2 million for this futuristic production to accompany the single Freeek.
Setting up a production on the helipad of a skyscraper must be very expensive. But… Keep rollin’ rollin’ rollin’ rollin. This music video for Limp Bizkit cost a whopping $3 million and featured a cameo from Ben Stiller and Stephen Dorff. It’s a landmark video, not least because it won Best Rock Video at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards. Also because the filming was done on the roof of the south tower of the World Trade Center, in New York. That same skyscraper that collapsed after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Gwen Stefani’s career would be very different without the media boost that came with her foray into music videos. And each of those productions is full of colors, movement, and a hefty monetary investment. However, the video clip for the song Make Me Like You stands out. Produced in 2016, this work cost US$ 4 million.
Madonna is not the queen of pop by chance, and she spares no resources when it comes to investing in her image. Since the dawn of his career, his music videos stand out for their excellent production. In 1994 he released Bedtime Story, his sixth studio album, and soon after he summoned Mark Romanek to produce the music video that would accompany the eponymous single. With an investment of US$ 5 million, the video for Bedtime Story was inspired by works by artists such as Frida Kahlo and Remedios Varo.
Be warned, there is only one queen in pop. In 2002, Madonna smashed it on music TV channels with the music video for Die Another Day. This song also served as the soundtrack for the film Another Day to Die, from the 007 saga. The total cost for the production of this video amounted to US$ 6.1 million.
Some of the most iconic music videos in history feature Britney Spears. That’s why, in 2013, he tried to revive his artistic career with a video full of all kinds of luxuries. The production stands out for the majestic sets and eye-catching costumes, as well as the presence of sharks and a Lamborghini. Of course, no one overlooks the overwhelming amount of special effects. The music video for this Britney Spears hit cost a whopping $6.5 million to produce.
The most expensive music video in history is of Michael Jackson and his sister, Janet Jackson. Throughout their careers, both boasted music videos with exceptional production. But, in 1995 they upped the ante with the music video for Scream. In lighting alone, the artists dispensed $175,000. Another $65,000 went toward building the spacecraft using CGI. The thing is, in the end, the video for Scream cost $7 million. After all, the king is the king.
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