Will Liney’s pick of the most narrative music videos from the past five decades
16 Feb 2026 | Will Liney
Dystopian worlds collide; immigrants are reconnected with their family; a husband meets his deceased wife again; and a milk carton makes the long arduous journey to bring a drummer back to his parents.
No, I’m not describing the upcoming A24 spring slate or Sundance’s standout short films from this year. These are the plots to some of my favourite music videos, a world where the experimental fringes of short filmmaking meet the madness of the music industry.
Too often music videos are discarded as relics of the past that have faded into mild insignificance in today’s digitalised world. However, artists do still make music videos, and many hold a certain gravitas that has carved them into the annals of history. Look at Hiro Murai’s masterclass of filmmaking in Childish Gambino’s This Is America, Jamie XX’s dystopian Gosh video, or The Daniels’s groundbreaking Turn Down for What for DJ Snake.
Sitting in a category all of their own, music videos are rarely afforded critical analysis, more likely viewed as extraneous nice-to-haves than art in their own right. What I’m interested in is the connection between music videos and narrative storytelling, the bold cinematic visions that are too often overlooked.
I’ve selected some of my favourite music videos that I think fall into this category: two from the eighties, two from the nineties and then three more recent (this century) that I absolutely love and have watched more times that I can count. I admit I set myself a near impossible task by picking only two per section (okay I snuck ina n extra one for the noughties onwards), but otherwise there would be no limits and I would never finish this piece.
I’ve tried to stick to a strict rule of narrative- or story-driven music videos only. How have I defined that? Well, I’ve simply assessed the films that have genuinely made me feel something, whether that be anger, sadness or a sweeping sense of nostalgia. Vague? Yes. But to paraphrase Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski, “It’s just my opinion man.”
Eighties
This is the decade where music videos came into their own. Record labels were splashing the cash; a decade of excess, kitsch, ballads and massive stars. Thriller is, of course, the first that comes to mind – it’s a seminal, terrifying piece of cinema and has set the bar for music videos since its release in 1983. I have not, however, included it in my list as I want to shine a light on two slightly lesser known videos.
Smalltown Boy, Bronski Beat. Dir: Bernard Rose
There’s a quietly harrowing sequence in this video where the lead actor (singer Jimmy Sommerville) is handed a ten pound note by his parents before being sent packing from his small town. It’s not overwrought, there’s no melodramatic screaming and crying, it simply happens. I found that moment, like the rest of the video, intensely moving. Bronski Beat often used their music to tell the story of their move from Scotland to London, which they felt forced to do due to their sexuality, and this work is no exception. For such an enormous anthem, the video is remarkably understated and it’s all the better for it. It fills you with a deep sadness, yet somehow makes you want to dance at the same time. This dichotomy may be why it was a universal hit when it was released.
Take on Me, Aha. Dir: Steve Barron
We all know the song and you’ll likely have the lyrics in your head for the rest of the day purely because I mentioned it here. You’re welcome. The video delivers in so many ways, but most importantly it’s uplifting, which I find myself needing more and more these days. It’s a romantic fantasy set between reality and a pencil-sketch comic where the hero, singer Morten Harket, pulls a woman into his world and they embark on an epic romance which bends reality, space and time. Most importantly though, it will make you smile.
NINETIES
If you’re looking at the nineties and want to see some truly original and frankly rather frightening films, look at anything Chris Cunningham made for Aphex Twin or Massive Attack. Along with Jonathan Glazer, he was the decade’s king of music videos. I haven’t included any Massive Attack videos. I know, blasphemy. To me, along with Oasis, they are the sound of the nineties, so it was a shame not to, but I was limited to two choices. While the eighties went big, the nineties felt more contained, more melancholic and really pushed the boat out on the experimental side of things.
Jamiroquai, Virtual Insanity. Dir: Jonathan Glazer
I’ll admit that I’ve cheated a bit here. This isn’t technically the most narrative video, but it’s one of my favourites and I couldn’t leave it out. It’s the brainchild of lead singer Jay Kay, who woke up one night and saw himself dancing on the spot in a room where the floor was moving like a conveyor belt. Because the budget didn’t allow for a moving conveyor belt floor, they flipped the concept and instead built movable walls around Jay Kay, creating the illusion that the floor was moving. You could accuse me here of being more intrigued by the practicalities of how the video was made rather than the story – and you’d be right. I am a filmmaker after all. Watch it and then watch it again, then perhaps another time, and tell me you can’t see its brilliance.
The Masterplan, Oasis. Dir: Ben & Greg
I don’t know too many people my age who weren’t big fans of Oasis growing up and the extraordinary demand for their comeback tour last summer would suggest that their impact on my generation is, to use Liam’s catchphrase, ‘biblical’. I’m going out on a limb here to say that The Masterplan is the band’s best song, and the music video feels like their most personal. It’s an animation depicting the Gallagher brothers’ journey from the council estates of Manchester to Britpop heroes playing their spellbinding anthems at enormous venues on the world stage. Let the nostalgia wash over you as you settle in and watch them swagger their way to the very top. And if you haven’t already, do yourself a favour and watch the documentary ‘Supersonic’.
NOUGHTIES ONWARDS
Pressure makes diamonds and I believe that music videos from the 2010s onwards prove this. It’s no secret that the music industry has less to spend and music videos are rarely top of the list for marketing an album anymore. Filmmaking teams and the artists contend with extremely tight budgets, shorter turnaround times and fewer days to shoot. However, within those limitations, creativity thrives, and bold, whacky, poetic and in some cases downright bonkers videos are made. Look at Harry Styles awaiting his fate as a squid in a sushi kitchen or Kendrick Lamar using deepfake technology to morph one face into five as just two examples where great stories are told on a much smaller scale.
M.I.A. Born Free. Dir. Romain Gavras
The video follows a group of ginger boys who are rounded up and taken to the desert where they are put to death. It provides a powerful comment on Arizona’s immigration policy at the time that now feels more prescient and disturbing than ever.
Banned from YouTube when it came out, and with threats thrown at the director left, right and centre, the video is nevertheless a masterpiece in immersive storytelling. Gavras draws you in close to this dystopian world, crafting a viewing experience akin to watching Sicario or Children of Men. It’s a true work of art.
Arcade Fire, Afterlife. Dir: Emily Kai Bok
This is the story of a father struggling to look after his two kids after his wife has died. The film transitions between his present reality and the dreamy underworld of the ‘afterlife’ where he visits and finally dances with his deceased wife. He’s grieving, yet the only time he has to grieve is in his dreams. Bok builds two completely separate worlds in one film and transitions between them seamlessly to create a cathartic and poetic experience for the viewer. To me, it’s about the agony of longing and cherishing the memory of someone that you’ve lost.
The comments beneath the video say it all. They’re filled with people who have lost their loved ones finding some kind of solace in the song and accompanying film. If that’s not the power of storytelling at its finest then I don’t know what is.
Virtuous Circle, Jordan Klassen. Dir: Farhad Ghaderi
My sneaky final choice from this century is a particular favourite of mine. Antoine Olivier Pilon, who you may know from Xavier Dolan’s Mommy, leads the cast as a troubled, self-destructive older brother who pushes his younger brother to run every day, training for a race and more importantly, to better himself. There’s so much sadness and joy in the performances that I dare you not to fall in love with it. TIt really speaks to the loyalty, frustration and joy of growing up with siblings.
Splitting his time between Bristol and London, Will Liney is a freelance writer, director and creative producer who’s directed and produced everything from global travel campaigns to fashion films, skincare spots and sports ads. Find his work here.