It’s two for one day here at The Vidz!
Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) by Backstreet Boys.
AND
Thriller by Michael Jackson.
There’s a very obvious reason I put these two together but let’s talk about MJ first. What can one say about the best music video ever made? Where do I even start? Is there anyone out there who doesn’t like this video?
I miss the days when 14 minute clips actually had an awesome storyline and - better yet - an amazing, historic dance sequence. These days, when a video is over 6 minutes long, it’s used mostly to indulge the artist/s and their sense of bullshit creativity. Not everyone is a director, producer and actor as well as musician. But these days, any artist with a slightly edgy feel assumes that they are.
So what has made this video so incredibly memorable, historic and enthralling? In short, everything. Just pick one aspect, whatever is your favourite, and focus on it. Fake horror movie. Amazing 80’s styling. The compelling storyline. The wonderous costuming and make-up. MJ’s red leather jacket. The dancing. That’s the brilliance of it all, any aspect you can settle on becomes the focus and can be the sole reason for loving this video.
For me, yep, it’s the dancing. No on dances anymore in their music videos. Not like this, not like a big musical number. I can’t even count the amount of films, tv shows and other music videos this dance has been featured in. And for the best reasons. This choreography was cutting edge and yet, anyone is able to pull it off.
Back in 1997, the everyone’s favourite generic boy band made the clip to Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) in a similar vein to MJ’s Thriller and brought the idea of a choreographed group dance set in a kitch-y horror film genre to a new audience. Kids who had yet to hear of Michael Jackson were treated to the great spectacle of the plotted music video - beginning and ending not with music, but with terrible acting and hilariously stupid story lines.
The Backstreet Boys didn’t contain their dance moves to just this one clip - choreography was staple of 90’s boy band, and perhaps why I still chose to listen to 90’s tunes - but this video and it’s track were the defining moment of that band, and that decade.
It all comes back around in the end, right? History repeats etc etc. I think we’re about ready for another camp monster dance video voiced by Vincent Price. Or maybe Alan Rickman?
