What better way to spend your time than to go down memory lane?
Lots of great music is turning 10 this year, but music videos are a whole other category of nostalgia. Below, here are just a few of our favorite music videos from 2010 to make you miss the good old days of destroyed denim, the best of Kanye West before his "crazy motherf*cker" days, and Katy Perry wearing a whipped cream bra.
Florence and the Machine, “Dog Days Are Over”
Florence Welch and company set a high bar to pass for themselves when they broke out with "Dog Days Are Over." With an army of background dancers in ornate outfits and bold face paint, the song's music video mirrors its unhinged spirit.
▲Darwin Deez, “Radar Detector”
Dawin Deez became the early 2000's king of quirkiness with his most successful single to date, the peppy love song "Radar Detector." Its music video is rightfully whimsical, with a DIY appeal that's the envy of bedroom pop artists today.
▲Katy Perry ft. Snoop Dog, “California Gurls”
Katy Perry's novelty bras deserve an article of their own, but the pair of cupcakes in her "California Gurls" music video are tough to beat. The Snoop Dogg appearance almost makes us forget that Fergie basically made the same music video four years earlier.
▲Rihanna, “Rude Boy”
Before Rihanna hinted that her as-yet-unconfirmed ninth album would be a reggae record, her dancehall-inspired single "Rude Boy" testified to the singer's range of genre. Inspired by West Indian influences, the music video (and the song's title) pay homage to Jamaican street culture.
▲Duck Sauce, “Barbra Streisand”
The music video for "Babra Streisant," DJ duo Duck Sauce's breakout hit, serves as a brief look into New York City's music scene. Streisand herself doesn't appear in the clip, but pay attention and you'll catch Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, André 3000, Chromeo, Diplo, Questlove, Ezra Koenig, Santigold, and more.
▲LCD Soundsystem, “Drunk Girls”
By the end of LCD Soundsystem's "Drunk Girls" music video, James Murphy and his bandmates are confined by duct tape, embellished with confetti, doused in champagne, and made up in smeared lipstick. It's OK—we've all been there.
▲M.I.A., “Born Free”
We've previously discussed the controversial nature of M.I.A.'s bloody "Born Free" music video, which depicts red-haired people being murdered in a genocide. At the time, many people deemed it too shocking, and it was taken down from YouTube for a time. Had it been released today, the Internet's viral, social media-centric nature might've called more attention to the important video.
▲Best Coast, “When I’m With You”
We all have our vices. Sometimes it's drugs or alcohol. Sometimes it's Animal Crossing. Sometimes it's a particular food, and sometimes you're in love with Ronald McDonald.
▲Shakira, “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)”
I dare you to try to remember another World Cup anthem. You can't? Thought so. Shakira's will remain superior as long as World Cups exist.
▲Adele, “Rolling in the Deep”
Adele was only 21 when she released "Rolling in the Deep." Let that sink in.
▲Kanye West, “Runaway”
A group of ballerinas might not be the first type of dancer you associate with Kanye West music videos, but with a song as melodic as "Runaway," the sea of tutus is fitting. Though we still see Kanye playing around on his upright grand piano, it's nice to see him put the focus on someone other than himself!
▲Lady Gaga ft. Beyonce, “Telephone”
In the best story of two women running from the law since Thelma and Louise, "Telephone" marks one of Lady Gaga's most iconic videos (of which there are many). Complete with a Tarantino-referencing diner scene and plenty of group dance sequences, it's pretty unforgettable.
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