The Top 10 Most Expensive Music Videos Ever Made

Music videos have been around for a long time. The Beatles made full use of it by incorporating them into its movies, starting with “Can’t Buy Me Love” that was included in the film “A Hard Day’s Night.” As a result, the director of the movie, Richard Lester, was given credit for basically inventing music videos.

Since MTV’s launch in August 1981, the production has evolved from the very crude and basic to the elaborate concepts we have today. The first video shown was The Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star.” It proved to be prophetic as the impact of music videos on the industry has been far and wide. Some of the most memorable videos during these first years were “Mickey” by Toni Basil, “Cry” by Godley and Crème, “Take on Me” by A-ha and the videos of Duran Duran, Michael Jackson and Madonna.

Here is a list of the top 10 most expensive music videos ever made.

10. It’s All Coming Back to Me Now (1996), Celine Dion – $2.3 million

This is a romantic song written by Jim Steinman. The video was directed by Nigel Dick and featured a couple’s image being flashed in photo frames after the guy had died in a motorcycle accident. It was shot in a gothic palace in the Czech Republic. Observers noted the video’s similarity with Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” Via: therichest.org

9. What’s It Gonna Be (1999), Busta Rhymes featuring Janet Jackson – $2.4 million

The song was one of Busta Rhymes biggest hits, peaking at number three in the Billboard charts. The song’s video was full of sexual entendres with the rapper appearing as a sperm-like creature that was slowly moving itself up a liquid tunnel that originally showed Jackson. Women in silver body suits also appear in the video. Via: therichest.org

8. Heartbreaker (1999), Mariah Carey featuring Jay-Z – $2.5 million

 

The song tells of a woman’s love for a partner who always cheats on her. It was written by Mariah Carey and Jay-Z and sampled the song “Attack of the Name Game” by Stacy Lattisaw. It was directed by Brett Ratner and has remained a favorite by fans after several years. The video took inspiration from movies like “Grease” and “Enter the Dragon.” It took a funny approach to the lyrics of the song. Via: therichest.org

7. Too Legit to Quit (1991), MC Hammer – $2.5 million

The song is the title track from MC Hammer’s third album. The video featured hand motions that eventually became popular at that time. James Brown made an appearance in the video and made the same hand motions, as did an impersonator of Michael Jackson. Via: therichest.org

6. Victory (1998), Puff Daddy featuring The Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes – $2.7 million

 

The song featured gangster-type lyrics that were popular at that time and sampled the theme song from the film “Rocky.” Marcus Nispel directed the video that featured the late The Notorious B.I.G. in two rap verses and Busta Rhymes in the chorus part. Dennis Hopper and Danny DeVito appeared in the video set in the year 3002. Via: therichest.org

5. Estranged (1993), Guns N’ Roses – $4 million

The song is part of the band’s “Use Your Illusion II.” It was about couples getting estranged after the breakup of a relationship. Originally written after the annulment of Axl Rose’s marriage to Erin Everly, the video was shot after the breakup of the singer and supermodel Stephanie Seymour. It showed the difficulties encountered after the end of a relationship that resulted in the lead character’s attempted suicide in the video. He was later rescued by a group of dolphins.  The video was the third part of the trilogy directed by Del James, coming after “Don’t Cry” and “November Rain.” Via: therichest.org

4. Black or White (1991), Michael Jackson featuring L.T.B. – $4 million

Michael Jackson wrote this rock dance song about racial harmony in collaboration with Bill Bottrell. It was his fastest song to reach number one, accomplishing the feat in just three weeks. The video was directed by John Landis and featured Macaulay Culkin of “Home Alone,” Tess Harper of “Crimes of the Heart” and George Wendt of “Cheers.” Jackson is shown moving and dancing from one scene to the next with various cultures and landmarks in the background. The latter part showed people of different ethnicities singing along as they morph from one face to another. Via: therichest.org

3. Express Yourself (1989), Madonna – $5 million

 

The song was written by Madonna and Stephen Bray and was meant to be a tribute to the defunct funk and soul band called Sly and the Family Stone. It sang of female empowerment and the need for a woman to express herself. David Fincher directed the video that took off from the design of the 1927 Fritz Lang movie entitled “Metropolis.” It featured Madonna in a gender-bending role as a glamorous, albeit masochist, lady with beefed-up men acting as her workers. One of them was then chosen to be her date at the end of the day. Via: therichest.org

2. Die Another Day (2002), Madonna – $6 million

 

It was the theme song for a James Bond movie. It featured several references from past Bond films, like Honey Ryder from “Dr. No,” the white Persian cat and Rosa Klebb from “From Russia with Love,” Oddjob and Jill Masterson from “Goldfinger,” the metal arm from “Live and Let Die,” the golden gun from “The Man with the Golden Gun” and the space suit and metal teeth from “Moonraker.” It also had a reference to the Kabbalah religion practiced by Madonna. Traktor directed the video. Via: therichest.org

1. Scream (1995), Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson – $7 million

 

In response to allegations of child sexual abuse against Michael Jackson in 1993, the “Prince of Pop’ composed “Scream” that bewailed the sensationalist journalism practiced by the tabloid press. He sang it with his sister Janet. The video was directed by Mark Romanek and lasted 4 minutes and 16 seconds. It was an angry video that featured the siblings flashing the middle finger and Janet grabbing at her breasts and simulating male urination. Japanese anime clips were shown in the background. The video won several awards from the MTV Music Video Awards, the Billboard Music Awards and the Grammy Awards. Via: therichest.org

The Top 10 Most Expensive Music Videos Ever Made

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How to Set The Mood

#12 Light the candles

It’s a tried and true way to set the mood. Candles provide the perfect mood lighting — slightly wavering and dim. Candlelight is extremely flattering, so don’t be afraid to light a few more candles!

#11 Guys, get with it

Gentleman, you always want ladies to dress the part but when will you ever learn that ladies would like to see you do the same yourself? Guys should get with it and invest in some snug and bum-fitting lounge pants for their lady loves to admire.

#10 Music to her ears

Soft, relaxing music is key to setting the mood. Pick the type of music that you both enjoy, but won’t randomly start singing along to. Forgo the cheesy soft music and pick something romantic like bossa nova or whatever strikes your fancy.

#9 Comfy is key

Luxurious-feeling bedding is important for a mood-inducing bedroom. To set the right mood for your romantic evening, opt for soft-to-touch sheets that you and your love will not want to climb out of.

#8 Scent of love

Certain natural scents are mood-inducing, like jasmine, vanilla, and patchouli. Find scented candles that will relax and feel romantic for both you and your special date!

#7 Massage is good

Whether it’s giving each other a nice, relaxing massage or getting a couple’s massage at a spa, massage is always good! This fail-proof activity is sure to relax both parties.

#6 Relaxation is key

Relaxation in general is crucial to setting the right mood. Whether it’s getting a massage or watching a movie together snuggled up on a comfy couch, make sure that you and your partner are both in the right emotional state for setting the mood.

#5 Choose sparkling

Bubbles make any mood feel more special and celebratory. Opt for sparkling water or cider — or wine — to give your evening a dash of elegance and romance. Sometimes there’s no need for a real reason to pop the bubbly!

#4 Sweet nothings

Whispering sweet things into each other’s ears is another key step in preparing the perfect bedroom mood! Whispering is both seductive and tempting, and can help both enhance and relax the mood.

#3 Texture counts

When decorating your bedroom and home, choose textiles with soft-to-touch textures — like high quality faux fur blankets, cashmere slippers, and satin robes. Soft modal-blend sheets can be nice against the skin, too!

#2 Unplug for love

Your mood-setting antics and relationship details are for you and your special someone — not for thousands of people worldwide! Turn off the smartphones and refrain from any social networking activity during this time. Unplugging makes for a healthy dose of intimacy.

#1 Girls, dress up

A little silk and lace never hurts in setting the right mood. Sometimes it helps if the guys would put in the effort to pick something nice out for their girls to wear. It’s a flattering gesture!

How to Set The Mood

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10 Best iPhone Music Apps

The great thing about the iPhone is that while it is an extraordinary phone with some extraordinary features, there are also an umpteen number of super cool third party apps available which can help you do just about anything you can imagine with your iPhone.

This list discusses some of the coolest and mind-boggling music apps that can turn your iPhone into a powerhouse of music. Ranging from apps which stream radio stations to apps which can convert your iPhone into a flute or piano, we’ve got them all covered.

 

1. Last.fm

Last.fm, the immensely popular social music site is on the iPhone too. The Last.fm iPhone app lets you access your Last.fm account on the iPhone and listen to your favorite tracks. You can get the music recommendations according to your taste, add tracks to your playlist, purchase tracks directly from iTunes, tag the tracks, share them with the Last.fm community and much more. Certainly offers great features at a great price – $0.

Download the Last.fm iPhone app.

2. Pandora

The Pandora iPhone app is the iPhone version of the free personalized radio which is completely integrated with your web based Pandora account. It is easy to use and offers all the Pandora features. You can create a station from the current song or artist, tap the album art to get more information, email the station to a friend, bookmark songs and artists, buy tracks from iTunes and get a nice view in the landscape mode by rotating your iPhone.

Download Pandora iPhone app.

 

3. Shazam

Shazam is an innovative iPhone app that cures your ” What was that song ? ” problem. It happens to all of us, isn’t it. We hear a song, love it, know we have heard it before but just can’t recall it. With Shazam you don’t need to. Just hold your iPhone near the speakers of the device playing that music. Through iPhone’s microphone Shazam gets hold of that song and identifies the album, artist and song title for you. Cool, isn’t it ? Oh, and it’s free too.

Download Shazam iPhone app.

4. Ocarina

Ocarina makes one of the most unique uses of iPhone’s and iPod touch’s touchscreen by turning it into a flute which you can play with your fingers. You can blow into the mic and tap the four virtual holes on the screen, all of which give a cool experience of playing a real flute ( atleast to those who have never touched a flute ). In fact users of the Ocarina community can hear what you are playing in the globe mode. The cost of the app – $0.99.

Download Ocarina iPhone app.

 

5. Slacker

Slacker gives you access to unlimited free music on your iPhone. It is easy to use and has an elegant user interface. It can stream music from millions of songs from a huge number of artists in its library. You could also listen to over 100 expert programmed radio stations or create your own custom station. The sound quality is great and it certainly emerges as a tough competitor for Pandora. It’s free to download.

Download Slacker iPhone app.

 

6. Tuner Internet Radio

Tuner Internet radio is another brilliant iPhone radio app which gives you access to 1000′s of radio stations from all around the world. You can bookmark your favorite stations, choose from your favorite genres, create your own streams and even get access to premium authenticated streams. Another nice feature is the OpenGL visualizer which adds more value to the app. It costs $5.99.

Download Tuner Internet Radio iPhone app.

 

7. Imeem

Imeem is an app aimed specifically at Imeem users so that they could access their Imeem library on the go. They can access the features of the web based Imeem which includes discovering new music, creating stations with free streaming music from their favorite artists and much more. Like most of the music apps, this also allows you to purchase songs from iTunes. And like its web version, this app is free too.

Download Imeem iPhone app.

8. Midomi Ultra

Midomi Ultra is a pretty cool iPhone app which can identify music in a snap. You just need to take your iPhone near a speaker and it can identify a song in as fast as 5 seconds. Hence it works like Shazam, identifying music through the iPhone’s microphone and naming the song, artist and other stuff. But there are some differences and as the iPhone blog points out, Midomi takes music identification to the next level. That’s why it costs $4.99.

Download Midomi iPhone app.

 

9. PocketGuitar

If you love playing guitar, you’d love PocketGuitar too. It turns your iPhone into a guitar, rather a virtual guitar which you can actually play like a real guitar. Yes, you could press & strum strings and get the real guitar feeling. Choose sounds from 6 different instruments like Electric Guitar, Classical Guitar, Electric Bass and more. Also choose effects like Chorus, Distortion etc. The best part – it’s relatively cheap at $0.99.

Download PocketGuitar iPhone app.

 

10. Chordmaster

Chordmaster is another great app for music ⋆ that puts a huge library of more than 7,800 guitar chords at their disposal. It displays a virtual fretboard complete with notes and fingerings and virtual chords in various positions on the fretboard. You can strum the strings, in fact even tap individual strings to to hear the specific notes just like in a real guitar. It is priced at $1.99.

Download Chrodmaster iPhone app.

10 Best iPhone Music Apps

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