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July 12, 2013 12:14 PM   Subscribe

I would like to watch some music videos where it appears that everyone is just having a stupid good time.

There are two that immediately come to mind for me:

The English Beat's Save it for Later

Men at Work's Down Under


Both of these videos look like the band just grabbed a bunch of their friends one slow Saturday and were all hey, let's make a music video. They are stupid, they are full of ridiculous little details, and everyone in them looks like they are just having the most fun ever. People are doing silly things, dancing like idiots, and all I can do is just watch with a big doofy grin on my face. They make me so happy.

I am not interested in "the best" music videos or things with a bunch of special effects or things that are clearly orchestrated to look like a lot of people having spontaneous fun. Bonus points if the music is also great.
posted by phunniemee to Media & Arts (38 answers total) 20 users marked this as a favorite
 
Red Solo Cup by Toby Keith. Goofy, fun, at a party. It immediately came to mind when I read your question.
posted by booksherpa at 12:25 PM on July 12, 2013


Best answer: Been Caught Stealing by Jane's Addiction
posted by seemoreglass at 12:27 PM on July 12, 2013




Best answer: Hey, I was in a video like this: The Hold Steady, "Your Little Hoodrat Friend"

The band did indeed grab a bunch of their friends one slow Saturday and were all hey, let's make a music video. So we did! We assembled at a warehouse in downtown Chicago approximately seventeen thousand summers ago and got it done in a few hours. It might not look like much, but it was SO MUCH FUN.
(I'm the weirdo trying to hold the Super 8 camera.)

And I only know about this one because a few of my besties are in it: Chris Walla, "Sing Again"
posted by divined by radio at 12:43 PM on July 12, 2013 [3 favorites]


Best answer: Men Without Hats - Safety Dance
posted by dfan at 12:51 PM on July 12, 2013 [2 favorites]


Time to Smile (and the song is awesome, too)
posted by jbickers at 12:57 PM on July 12, 2013


Response by poster: Oh my gosh yes! How could I have forgotten about Safety Dance!? Big haired skipping lady is my spirit animal.

These are wonderful.
posted by phunniemee at 1:08 PM on July 12, 2013


Best answer: I'm confused by this stipulation ...

I am not interested in "the best" music videos or things with a bunch of special effects or things that are clearly orchestrated to look like a lot of people having spontaneous fun.


... because all of the videos you link seem to me to be "clearly orchestrated to look like a lot of people having spontaneous fun." So forgive me if I'm off base, but this is my single favorite video in the category that I think you're describing. And all the lights switching on behind the band at 0:43 is perhaps my single favorite moment in all of music video.

"Turn It On" by The Flaming Lips.

Also, that Hold Steady video is pretty awesome, and I had never seen it before.
posted by Mothlight at 1:26 PM on July 12, 2013


I Love LA by Randy Newman.

Do You Want to Hold Me or I Want Candy by Bow Wow Wow

California Girls by David Lee Roth (shitty, shitty version, goofy assed video)

California Girls-Katy Perry

Cuando Calienta el Sol by Luis Miguel.

Dancing in Heaven Q-Feel (Cheesy '80s song, a GREAT Cheesy '80s song)

And for a complete goof on the genre, Pop Goes My Heart-Hugh Grant from the movie Music and Lyrics.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:34 PM on July 12, 2013


Best answer: Rock Lobster and Love Shack--B-52s.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:36 PM on July 12, 2013 [2 favorites]


Best answer: House of Fun, Madness. Chirpiest song about buying condoms EVER!
posted by scody at 1:36 PM on July 12, 2013


Response by poster: I'm confused by this stipulation ...

I guess what I mean is that you can see in the faces of everyone that they're just enjoying themselves and not taking it too seriously. Compare to something like this where everything just seems really choreographed and aware, like, "oh man, now we're dressed up like nuns and oh man some balloons this is so random!"
posted by phunniemee at 1:39 PM on July 12, 2013


I LOVE This
posted by bobdow at 1:43 PM on July 12, 2013


Best answer: Heart it races by Architecture in Helsinki.
posted by vrakatar at 2:09 PM on July 12, 2013


phunniemee: Safety Dance
posted by Leon at 2:10 PM on July 12, 2013


Best answer: an oldie but a goodie: Small Faces, Lazy Sunday Afternoon
posted by scody at 2:13 PM on July 12, 2013


Response by poster: I almost put Lazy Sunday Afternoon up top. :)
posted by phunniemee at 2:16 PM on July 12, 2013 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: Also I would like you all to know that I've gotten absolutely no work done today but I am in THE BEST mood. Thank you!
posted by phunniemee at 2:17 PM on July 12, 2013 [1 favorite]


A couple totally different versions of the "let's hang out, chill, and shoot a video" thing:

Nuthin' But A G Thang

Freak Scene

Neither of these are completely on-the-nose, high-tempo fun but everyone is definitely having their brand of fun here and that's pretty much all that's going on and I completely feel it any time I watch either of these videos. I'll see if I can think of any other good ones.
posted by furiousthought at 2:33 PM on July 12, 2013


The only friend grabbed was Jack Black, but otherwise you've got plenty of ridiculous details, silly things, dancing like idiots, and ... well... just watch.
posted by drlith at 3:36 PM on July 12, 2013 [1 favorite]


Great Big Sea — Ordinary Day fits this, for me.

Oh, and definitely The Real McKenzies — Mainland. Sea! Sand! Half-nekked band members in kilts! Raggle-taggle pirates! Heck, they were dancing so uninhibitedly that the singer tripped over the drums and broke his foot in the process. Hence the ambulance attendants carrying him off in a stretcher at the end.
posted by Lexica at 3:39 PM on July 12, 2013


R.E.M.'s Stand is definitely constructed goofy nonsense but fits most of your criteria.

And it isn't a concept video, but the "recording session" version of O Mary, Don't You Weep by Bruce Springsteen and the Seeger Sessions Band is pretty joyful.

...and how could I forget Nature Anthem by Grandaddy? Costumes! Kids! A grand old time.
posted by dhartung at 4:03 PM on July 12, 2013




It's not a music video per se, but you have seen the videos at Where The Hell is Matt, right?

Definately a "stupid good time".
posted by NoraCharles at 8:13 PM on July 12, 2013 [1 favorite]


REM - Shiny Happy People, notably at the end: www.mtv.com/videos/rem/9814/shiny-happy-people.jhtml
posted by NikitaNikita at 8:19 PM on July 12, 2013


Silly bunch of musicians marching down a hall, mugging and grinning and making a happy noise!

Cover Tune Grab Bag - "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"
posted by a humble nudibranch at 8:38 PM on July 12, 2013


Berserk Warriors - Mental as Anything
posted by h00py at 2:26 AM on July 13, 2013


Heart It Races - Architecture in Helsinki
posted by h00py at 2:45 AM on July 13, 2013


It's 5 - Architecture in Helsinki
posted by h00py at 2:47 AM on July 13, 2013


The Police - Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic. (For all I know, the guys could've wanted to kill each other after the shots in the studio were over, but it sure looks like they're having fun.)
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 3:13 AM on July 13, 2013 [1 favorite]








Madness - Night Boat to Cairo

(Because not every Madness song has to have the word "house" in the title)
posted by Grangousier at 6:11 AM on July 13, 2013


Live performance with unscripted attendees?

Wet and Rusting, by Menomena.

The participants who show up at 2:35 are clearly having fun.
posted by Gorgik at 6:56 AM on July 13, 2013


Sexy and I Know It

(The video actually completely changes the meaning of the song, changing it from something incredibly annoying to something kind of awesome.)
posted by rkriger at 7:41 AM on July 13, 2013


The Pumpkins' 1979
posted by Rash at 2:06 AM on July 15, 2013


I am listening to this right now: GIRS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN! Tell me those aren't her buddies.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 3:32 PM on July 15, 2013


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