Let's hear it for the Joy!

July 21, 2008 7:17 PM

Looking for Music Videos that can't help but make you smile.

Inspired by This Post, and This Post, and This Post, and This Post, I'm looking for more music video which will make me simply giddy with glee. Here are some good examples.

I realize that all of these videos essentially involve kids or else people acting like kids, but that's not necessary to the transcendent experience. I guess it's just where my mind is right now.

posted by My Bloody Pony to media & arts (55 comments total)

Resisting my urge to call this "I'll go first" chatfilter, I can't help but think of Weezer's video for "Buddy Holly." It's a fun song, and the Happy Days mashup is great.
posted by sjuhawk31 at 7:25 PM on July 21

Wind Along the Coast (Chick Corea's Sea Journey by Ivan Maximov) is a long smile for me every time I watch it.
posted by spasm at 7:35 PM on July 21

Praise You - Fatboy Slim: Is probably one of my favorite to watch and definitely never fails to crack a smile.
posted by huxley at 7:36 PM on July 21 [1 favorite]

Yeah I want to recommend ANY video from Coheed & Cambria...the top 2 make-you-laugh-videos are:

A Favor House Atlantic
The Suffering

They also have other videos, Devil in Jersey City is their least funny and finally, their disturbing-yet-quirky-funny Feathers...

Hope it helps!
posted by TeachTheDead at 7:36 PM on July 21

There's the all-singing, all-dancing video for Björk's It's Oh So Quiet -- which, like the Fatboy Slim video huxley mentions, was directed by Spike Jonze.
posted by letourneau at 7:38 PM on July 21 [1 favorite]

I didn't click on all your links because there are a lot, but Junior Senior's "Move Your Feet" video is so awesome. I love when the toast pops up.
posted by crinklebat at 7:38 PM on July 21 [1 favorite]

Put Down the Duckie has been my go-to video lately, when I need a dose of glee.
posted by Balonious Assault at 7:39 PM on July 21 [1 favorite]

I know the tide has (probably correctly) turned against Norah Jones, but I love the music video for Sunrise.
posted by kingjoeshmoe at 7:43 PM on July 21

Seconding huxley's recommendation of "Praise You" by Fatboy Slim (Norman Cook). It's just so goofy, I love it. Here's the full version.
posted by amyms at 7:44 PM on July 21

Bjork - Human Behavior

OK Go - Here It Goes Again

Of Montreal - Disconnect the Dots

Wyclef Jean - We Trying to Stay Alive (I don't know, but the dance-off at the end cracks me up)

The screaming animal ad from Bridgestone. Every. single. time.
posted by faunafrailty at 7:45 PM on July 21

Modest Mouse - Ocean Breathes Salty. I think the little kid is absurdly adorable.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 7:53 PM on July 21

Islands - Rough Gem

Just... kinda ignore the lyrics and focus on the puppy-children!
posted by Someone has just shot your horse! at 7:54 PM on July 21

What's the one about the little kid riding with his dad on the bulldozer? There was a post about it when it was in the running to be #1 on Christmas Day in England. That video should make you smile.
posted by marxchivist at 7:56 PM on July 21

MGMT's Time to Pretend.
posted by knave at 7:59 PM on July 21

Weepies - World Spins Madly On.
posted by Liosliath at 7:59 PM on July 21 [1 favorite]

Anything by Herman Dune. For instance.
posted by dobbs at 8:01 PM on July 21

Weapon of Choice by Fatboy Slim. That one makes me giggle every single time.
posted by lilac girl at 8:07 PM on July 21

Also... for smiley music videos, you pretty much can't beat the Japanese.
posted by knave at 8:12 PM on July 21

Marxchivist is talking about Nizlopi's JCB song

Which is awesome. But I would go for Beck - Sexx Laws
posted by Lemurrhea at 8:13 PM on July 21

Perhaps it is the displaced Eastern European in me, but I adore the Cheeky Girls' "The Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum)" video. It makes no sense really, but it's insanely catchy, and despite being the object of quite a lot of hateful jokes, these girls really have a sense of humor and lovely hearts. They're in a new country with a new language and difficult challenges, and they're scraping together a go of it with smiles on their faces. It always cheers me up and makes me laugh.
posted by Dee Xtrovert at 8:14 PM on July 21

You might also try Mika's Grace Kelly
posted by photomusic86 at 8:17 PM on July 21

All of Feist's videos make me smile.
posted by HotPatatta at 8:18 PM on July 21

Feist - 1 2 3 4
posted by Wen at 8:20 PM on July 21 [1 favorite]

Coffee and TV by Blur
posted by elysenavidad at 8:20 PM on July 21 [2 favorites]

Human Behavior by Bjork

What's a Girl to Do by Bats for Lashes

We Know Something by DJ Format featuring Jurassic 5

1234 by Fiest

Through Being Cool by Devo

all make me : )

(YMMV)
posted by Cranialtorque at 8:26 PM on July 21

Some of these may be obvious, but since you enjoyed Matt dancing,

-Did you see Matt's Outtakes?

-Along the lines of the REM muppet video, watching the muppets ride the subway always makes me laugh (if only we could all be so happy riding the subway during rush hour)


-Don't watch too many cute kid videos; there could be dire consequences (funny commercial). Okay this last one is not music, sorry.
posted by Wolfster at 8:31 PM on July 21

the original 'free hugs' video makes me really happy, and so does the showtime project (though it's not exactly a music video).

and some real "music video" videos:

goldfrapp - happiness
the long winters - fire island, ak
R.E.M. - Shiny Happy People
posted by mewithoutyou at 8:45 PM on July 21

Yea Yeah by Matt and Kim. Happy people, happy song, totally fun video.
posted by Schismatic at 8:47 PM on July 21

Weapon of Choice is a classic.

I was pleasantly surprised by Muse's Knights of Cydonia video (disclaimer: full of awesome).
posted by theiconoclast31 at 8:56 PM on July 21

Pick it Up from the kids' show Yo Gabba Gabba always makes me giggle. I"m going to start issuing all my parental dictates in ska form.
posted by bibliowench at 9:00 PM on July 21

What, another Fatboy Slim video? Yes, it's The Joker.
posted by shaun at 9:02 PM on July 21

Off the top of my head:

"Sad Tomorrow" - The Muffs (really fun editing on this one)

"Picture Book" - Young Fresh Fellows

"Mignonette" - April March (yes, the cuter-than-all-fuck former Ren & Stimpy animator)

"Come As You Are" - Peter Wolf
posted by melorama at 9:02 PM on July 21

Y'all are amzing! Thank you so much!

Here's another example of what I'm talking about.
posted by My Bloody Pony at 9:10 PM on July 21

So are you into.... Sesame Street? This clip absolutely makes me happy every time I see it. It's called "Infinity" or "That's about the size of it". Caution: may get stuck in your head all day.
posted by symbollocks at 9:15 PM on July 21 [1 favorite]

Since I Left You - The Avalanches

omG that Muse video!!!!
posted by gnomeloaf at 9:16 PM on July 21 [1 favorite]

Foo Fighters - Big Me
posted by baho at 9:22 PM on July 21

It's old, but I've always gotten a kick out of the Beastie Boys video for Sabotage.

And We Know Something -- with a few previous mentions to its credit.
posted by the luke parker fiasco at 9:58 PM on July 21

Another Sesame Street: Telly Monster singing "Shapes in My Room" ... for a while last year I started each day with this. (I'm 37.)
posted by lisa g at 10:35 PM on July 21

Oh, and another amazingly insane video by the Avalanches: "Frontier Psychiatrist."
posted by lisa g at 10:50 PM on July 21

And Utopia's "Feet Don't Fail Me Now," with that great early-MTV look.
posted by lisa g at 11:36 PM on July 21

My giddifying music video is 'I'm The Man' by Joe Jackson. It's pretty much just him with a moustache.. pulling weird faces. It's pretty stupid, actually, yet I can't help but love it!
posted by Mael Oui at 2:15 AM on July 22

The video on this page always makes ME smile:
Big Red Noses
Please be patient - it seems slow today.

(This is not my own Website!)
posted by JtJ at 2:34 AM on July 22

Almost anything directed by Michel Gondry. A typical example.
posted by zardoz at 3:03 AM on July 22

Although a mash-up of several songs, Extra Golden's promo video has some uber joyful moments.
posted by keith0718 at 3:56 AM on July 22

more crazy African joy here and here
posted by keith0718 at 4:12 AM on July 22

Sledgehammer is a beautiful, joyful video.
posted by Meatbomb at 5:41 AM on July 22 [1 favorite]

The Bumblebeez - Dr. Love.

This video is ridiculous. I've watched it many times, and it still makes me laugh.
posted by Hellgirl at 6:16 AM on July 22

Fiona Apple - Not About Love

Zack Galifinakis being his loveable self, miming the song with Fiona Apple doing her best not to break down laughing next to him. Always makes me smiley.
posted by slimepuppy at 6:57 AM on July 22

Another song by the Islands - Don't Call Me Whitney, Bobby

I've always liked this song, but just came across the video from the related videos section of the link in SHJSYH!'s post.
posted by owtytrof at 8:09 AM on July 22

Where the hell is Matt? made me smile from ear to ear.
posted by Vindaloo at 8:52 AM on July 22

I can't link to it directly because I'm at work, and it's not a "music video" per se, but the video of the Keepon dancing to Spoon's "Don't you Evah" is adorable.
posted by radioamy at 10:22 AM on July 22

Weezer's Pork and Beans, and my wife really gets a kick out of Blind Melon's No Rain for probably the same reason you point out; children.
posted by cftarnas at 11:11 AM on July 22

Bright Eyes' The First Day of My Life always makes me smile.
posted by sara is disenchanted at 3:13 PM on July 22

I love, love this video. It's about nuclear energy! The song is about politics! There are a lot of textbooks involved! Somehow, neither of those is even a little important. It is pretty much entirely full of joy.
posted by aint broke at 6:36 PM on July 22

Doesn't get better than the old Hall and Oates "Jingle Bell Rock" video.
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 10:07 PM on July 22