TMS List: The 15 Greatest Music Video Directors of All Time
(via alamy.com / Polygram / pinterest.com)
Whenever we hear about a successful filmmaker’s roots, it’s usually something behind the scenes like editing, camera work, or writing. One past occupation that seems to be a common occurrence with filmmakers is directing music videos. Every couple of years there are listicles on the greatest music videos of all time, a lot of which were made by famous movie directors. But surprisingly, I’ve always struggled to come across articles on the directors who jumped from music videos to film & TV. So, I’ve decided to just put things into my own hands and create a list of the greatest music video directors of all time. Let’s get right to it.
15) Roman Coppola
Beginning his career as 2nd unit director on the productions of his legendary father, Francis Ford Coppola, and equally popular sister, Sofia; Roman ventured into making music videos around the time Sofia was dating her first husband, Spike Jonze. With his family connections now including the hottest music video-maker on the scene, Roman got to collaborate with indie/alt. bands and artists like Ween, Daft Punk, Green Day, Moby, Matthew Sweet, Supergrass, Arctic Monkeys, and of course, Phantom Planet co-founded by Roman’s cousin Jason Schwartzman, and Rooney, fronted by Jason’s brother Robert. Roman has also directed videos for rock bands affiliated with Sofia, including Air, Phoenix and the Strokes. In fact, it was actually Roman’s idea for the video of the Strokes’ biggest hit, ‘Last Nite’ (2001), to be a single live take when the band revealed they weren’t interested in being on camera. Roman tried his hand at directing movies with CQ (2001) and Charles Swann III (2012), but spends most of his time these days as Wes Anderson’s go-to screenwriting and producing partner.
14) Brett Ratner
Before he became one of the most targeted Hollywood figures hit with multiple accusations post-#metoo, Brett Ratner was probably the most reliable gun-for-hire in the industry behind Tony Scott. And before directing the hit Rush Hour action-comedies in 1998, 2001 and 2007; Brett started out with music videos for hip-hop and R&B performers like Run-DMC, Public Enemy, Blackstreet, Mary J. Blige, Foxy Brown and Wu Tang Clan. His most famous videos are probably for Madonna’s ‘Beautiful Stranger’ (1999) and Mariah Carey’s ‘We Belong Together’ (2005), and he even filmed the video of Miley Cyrus’ ‘7 Things’ (2008). Unsurprisingly, Brett has been laying low for the past decade and might not be having a comeback anytime soon.
13) McG
McG—real name Joseph McGinty Nichol—is an interesting case where the director actually started out in the music scene before switching mediums. While growing up in Newport Beach, CA, he was close friends with classmate/future pop-rock frontman Mark McGrath, which eventually led to McG working as a roadie, recording engineer and local label head. McG also wound up directing videos for Mark’s band Sugar Ray, along with SoCal legends Cypress Hill, Sublime, Smash Mouth, Korn and the Offspring. Remember the music video for ‘Pretty Fly for a White Guy’ (1998)? Directed by McG. The modern renaissance man officially jumped from videos and records to feature length movies with my favorite guilty pleasure of all time: Charlie’s Angels (2000). Since then, you may have noticed his name attached to various films such as We are Marshall (2006) and This Means War (2012), and episodes of series like NBC’s “Chuck” (2007) and Freeform’s “Shadowhunters” (2016). You might also remember him name-dropped a few times in that infamous leaked audio where Christian Bale ranted at a cameraguy on the set of McG’s Terminator: Salvation (2009).
12) Melina Matsoukas
These days, music superstar Beyoncé Knowles is known for co-directing her own music videos almost as much as starring in them. And if you’ve browsed her Wiki page, you might notice the name Melina Matsoukas pop up quite often on the list of directors she’s worked with, collaborating on a dozen videos including ‘Upgrade U’ (2007), ‘Sweet Dreams’ (2009), ‘Move Your Body’ (2011) and ‘Formation’ (2016). Melina’s also made videos for popstars featuring Whitney Houston, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Ciara, Lady Gaga, Kylie Minogue, Lily Allen, Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys and Beyoncé’s little sister Solange. On film, Melina made her full length directing debut with the indie drama Queen & Slim (2019), and has directed episodes of HBO’s “Insecure” (2016-2021).
11) Marc Webb
Yes, the man everyone playfully joked about having the last name ‘Webb’ while directing Sony’s ill-fated Amazing Spider-man rebooted franchise (2012-14) also began his career with music videos. If you’re a millennial like me, you may or may not have noticed Marc Webb is behind popular music vids for Maroon 5, My Chemical Romance, Green Day, Aly & AJ, Jimmy Eat World, Hilary Duff, Ashlee Simpson, Fergie, AFI, All-American Rejects and Yellowcard. Would you have guessed the person who directed MCR’s ‘Helena’ (2005) also filmed Fergie’s ‘London Bridge’ (2006)? He also found time in between all these videos to direct one of my favorite romantic comedies, (500) Days of Summer (2009), and is the director of Disney’s live-action update of Snow White (2025) out next year.
10) Jonas Åkerlund
The Swedes are known for their uncanny ear for pop music, and their talent extends to music videos of pop songs as well. Jonas Åkerlund started out locally filming for Swedish pop group Roxette before rising internationally with his uber famous music video for the Prodigy’s hit single ‘Smack My Bitch Up’ in 1997, and then winning Best Music Video at the Grammys a year later for Madonna’s ‘Ray of Light’ (1998). From there, Jonas crafted videos for the Smashing Pumpkins, Moby, Metallica, Jamiroquai, the Cardigans, Lenny Kravitz, Britney Spears, Coldplay and Queens of the Stone Age to name a few. In 2002, he made his film directing debut with the trippy ensemble flick Spun.
9) Marty Callner
Marty Callner is a fascinating figure to me because he has such an eye for filmmaking, yet has never actually directed a feature film. Only commercials, music videos and live concert and stand-up footage. But his work in the music video industry is legendary from working with classic rock stars like Aerosmith, Heart, Fleetwood Mac, Twisted Sister, Bon Jovi, KISS and Whitesnake. Marty’s also filmed many popular TV specials for comedians such as Robin Williams, Bette Midler, Will Ferrell, Sam Kinison, Whoopi Goldberg, Chris Rock and George Carlin. Aerosmith’s ‘Livin’ on the Edge’ (1993) is already a pretty good tune, but Marty’s video for the 6-minute track elevates it to an epic, cinematic level that makes you want to replay it. Heck, it might even be my favorite music video of all time.
8) Jonathan Glazer
One of the recent Best Director nominees at the Oscars this month, Jonathan Glazer notably only shoots a movie every or so decade, and spends a lot of time directing famous commercials for Apple, Levi Strauss, Kodak, AT&T, Guinness and Nike; and music videos for BritPop bands like Blur, Radiohead, Massive Attack, the Verve and Jamiroquai. Jonathan was nominated Best Director at the VMAs in 1996 and 1997 with his videos for Radiohead’s ‘Karma Police’ and Jamiroquai’s ‘Virtual Insanity,’ years before winning an Oscar for Best International Picture with The Zone of Interest (2023). He’s also the director of the critical hits Sexy Beast (2000) and Under the Skin (2013).
7) Hype Williams
If you were a hip-hop and rap fan back in the 1990s, then you definitely recognize the music videos helmed by Hype Williams. Usher, Wu Tang Clan, LL Cool J, Bandy, Notorious BIG, 2pac, Nas, Missy Elliott, TLC, Will Smith, Jay-Z, DMX, Ja Rule, Mya, Ashanti and R. Kelly all have music videos directed by Hype. He’s won many awards for Best Director and Best Video over the years and was singled out at the VMAs in 2006 for his career achievements. ‘California Love’ (1996) by 2pac featuring Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman, Will Smith’s ‘Getting’ Jiggy with It’ (1997), TLC’s ‘No Scrubs’ (1999) and Kanye West’s ‘Gold Digger’ (2005) are some of his more iconic vids. Hype’s directed the cult film Belly (1998) as well.
6) Floria Sigismondi
Floria Sigismondi originally studied painting in high school and photography in college before trying her hand at directing music videos not long into her career. Initially associated with rock acts like David Bowie, Marilyn Manson, Incubus, the White Stripes, Muse, Sigur Ros and Interpol, Floria crossed over to videos for popstars including P!nk, Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry, Ellie Goulding, Rihanna and Dua Lipa. She broke through as a film director on the biopic The Runaways (2010). Nowadays Floria directs most of the videos for her spouse, singer-songwriter Lawrence Rothman. Floria has a uniquely creative mind, and I think her most vivid work is on the music vids for the White Stripes’ ‘Blue Orchid’ (2005), Xtina’s ‘Hurt’ (2006) and Justin Timberlake’s ‘Mirrors’ (2013).
5) Francis Lawrence
These days Francis Lawrence is most recognized for directing nearly all of the Hunger Games movies from 2013-15 plus the recent prequel Songbirds & Snakes (2023); but he also has a wide legacy as a music video-maker with possibly the longest list of artists out there. Akon, Queen Latifah, Monica, Ray J, Coolio, Third Eye Blind, Robyn, Destiny’s Child, Jennifer Lopez, Aerosmith, Backstreet Boys, Lil’ Kim, Britney Spears, Avril Lavigne, Gwen Stefani, Lindsay Lohan, Shakira, P!nk, Lady Gaga, Audioslave, Nine Inch Nails, Pussycat Dolls, et al. The first time I came across Francis’ Wiki page, I did a doubletake at how many directing credits he has on music videos I remember from my childhood. Of Francis’ videography, I tend to gravitate back to Gwen’s ‘What You Waiting For’ and Gaga’s ‘Bad Romance’ the most, maybe unsurprisingly based on my previous articles.
4) Mark Romanek
Like Floria Sigismondi, Mark Romanek has a striking visual style to his music videos that has endured over the decades. Whether it’s his classic alternative videos for Nine Inch Nails’ ‘Closer’ (1994), Beck’s ‘Devils Haircut’ (1996), Fiona Apple’s ‘Criminal’ (1997) and Johnny Cash’s ‘Hurt’ (2003), or more mainstream vids for Lenny Kravitz’s ‘Are You Gonna Go My Way’ (1993), Macy Gray’s ‘I Try’ (1999), No Doubt’s ‘Hella Good’ (2002), Red Hot Chili Peppers’ ‘Can’t Stop’ (2003), Jay-Z’s ’99 Problems’ (2004) and Coldplay’s ‘Speed of Sound’ (2005). Fun fact: Mark got his start as a protégé of filmmaker Brian De Palma way back in 1978. This connection definitely resonates while viewing Mark’s well received films One Hour Photo (2002) and Never Let Me Go (2010).
3) David Fincher
Before his three Oscar nominations for Best Director and before accidentally directing one of the most popular ‘incel’ movies of all time, Fight Club (1999), David Fincher was one of the biggest figures in music videos. We see his name now and naturally think of gritty thrillers like Seven (1995), Panic Room (2002), Zodiac (2007), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) and Gone Girl (2014), as well as producing Netflix’s “House of Cards” (2013-18) and “Mindhunter” (2017-19). But you can find the origin to his aesthetic and technique in plenty of famous videos in the late 1980s to 1990s, a la Steve Winwood’s ‘Roll with It’ (1988), Paula Abdul’s ‘Straight Up’ (1989), Madonna’s ‘Express Yourself’ (1989) and ‘Vogue’ (1990), Aerosmith’s ‘Janie’s Got a Gun’ (1989), Billy Idol’s ‘Cradle of Love’ (1990), ‘6th Avenue Heartache’ by the Wallflowers (1996) and ‘Only’ (2005) by Nine Inch Nails. It’s not a shock David’s most frequent composers for his projects now are Atticus Ross and NIN frontman Trent Reznor. David is also one of the rare film directors of his generation to fully embrace digital equipment and has no problem working full time with streaming platforms. A bit fitting considering his background in video.
2) Michel Gondry
One of France’s greatest artistic exports, Michel Gondry is most known contemporarily for directing the classic fantasy-romcom Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004). But he also spent the first two decades of his career as the most sought-after music video-maker from Europe. If you were aware of alternative rock in the 1990s and 2000s, then you most likely have seen a few of Michel’s artsy videos. Bjork, Black Crowes, Foo Fighters, Chemical Brothers, the White Stripes, Radiohead, the Vines, Gary Jules, Devendra Banhart and Beck are just some of the big names Michel has worked with. Beyond Eternal Sunshine, the filmmaker first worked with the movie’s screenwriter, Charlie Kaufman, two years earlier on Human Nature (2001), and followed up ESotSM with the modest indie successes The Science of Sleep (2006) and Be Kind Rewind (2008). Despite the crazy impressive track record, Michel was hit with ‘director’s jail’ after The Green Hornet (2011) majorly bombed with both critics and audiences, and has been back in France ever since. But there’s no doubt the Frenchman left a huge mark on both film and music.
1) Spike Jonze
Even if Spike Jonze [formerly Adam Spiegel] hadn’t been Mr. Sofia Coppola and crossed over to films, he still would have been a legend for his groundbreaking skateboarding documentaries and becoming the most famous music video director of the 1990s. But thank God he did, because Adaptation (2002) is one of my favorite movies. Before switching to cinema with Charlie Kaufman screenplays like his good pal Michel Gondry; Spike was all over MTV as the director of timeless music vids for the likes of Bjork, the Breeders, Beastie Boys, Pavement, Daft Punk, REM, Weezer, Elastica, Teenage Fanclub, P. Diddy, Ludacris and Dinosaur Jr. His most acclaimed videos are for Fatboy Slim’s ‘Praise You’ (1999) and ‘Weapon of Choice’ (2001), while his videos for Sonic Youth’s ‘100%’ (1992) and the Chemical Bros’ ‘Elektrobank’ (1997) feature ex-wife Sofia. After making his feature film debut directing Being John Malkovich (1999), Spike ventured into acting with David O. Russell’s Three Kings (1999), Bennett Miller’s Moneyball (2011), Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) and Damien Chazelle’s Babylon (2022); co-created MTV’s “Jackass” franchise (2000-2023); and won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay with his film Her (2013). While most would continue to thrive on their artistic success, Spike is now behind the scenes full time as the creative director of Vice Media. Proving it’s okay to take it easy once you’ve reached the top.
Has your favorite film director ever shot a music video? Did anyone in this list surprise you? Do you think there will ever be another prolific era for art+video?