The most expensive music video of all time
For decades, music videos have operated as the ultimate marketing tool. It was a worthy investment if it could help enhance the chances of gaining rotation time on MTV and other music channels. Record labels were previously willing to write obscene cheques to create the perfect visual accompaniment for their artist’s new release.
Music videos still play a role today and can help an artist ‘go viral’ after a section of the film is clipped up, such as what happened with Billie Eilish’s ‘Bad Guy’. However, videos no longer guarantee more interest in a track, and it’s not uncommon for songs to successfully raid the charts without having a video. While YouTube has half-kept the medium alive, its influence on popular music is decreasing every year.
Additionally, record labels have never been in such a tumultuous position in modern history. Therefore, they are unwilling to inject millions of pounds into a music video by one artist when it’s unlikely to earn a tangible short-term return. Unsurprisingly, only one of the ten most expensive music videos of all time was made in the last 20 years.
However, during the 1980s and ’90s, it seemed like the money would never run out. If their superstar came calling, no expense was spared, and in 1995, there was still nobody bigger than Michael Jackson. The former Jackson 5 member was the most recognisable man on the planet, and his success was partly due to the brilliance of his past music videos.
Therefore, when Jackson staged his grand comeback in 1995 with ‘Scream’ featuring his sister Janet Jackson, Epic Records provided the singer with a blank cheque for the music video. Director Mark Romanek was hired as the director, and the total cost of the project was $7million.
While it wasn’t a number one single in the United States or the United Kingdom, it topped the charts in many countries and was a hit in almost every imaginable territory. The video for ‘Scream’ first aired on MTV and was also shown during Jackson’s interview with Diane Sawyer on ABC, which was viewed concurrently by 64 million.
Additionally, the clip was nominated for 11 awards at the MTV VMAs in 1995 and was victorious in three categories. The experience was fun-filled for Romanek, who told EW after Jackson’s death: “Being a huge fan, I was – of course – extremely nervous to meet him. Michael was unquestionably eccentric, but to my surprise, he was warm, curious, amusing, and un-temperamental. I was particularly struck by how this legendary megastar became just another affectionate, playful, protective big brother whenever Janet was around.”
He added: “I took the opportunity to chat with him between takes, and he always skewed the conversation away from himself. He asked about my childhood, my favourite films, if I knew how to swim, my religion, etc. My mother visited the set, and Michael immediately charmed her, asking her to hold his jacket while he filmed, giving her a warm hug and kiss as he left the set each day. My mom felt like she had a new best friend.”
Romanek concluded: “The chance to experience the phenomenon of his gift from only a few feet away was the treat of a lifetime. Over those ten days of filming, I felt like I had the single greatest job in the world. And I think, perhaps, I actually did. I’m sorry his life became so horrendously complicated. As a person, he didn’t actually seem that complicated to me.”
Watch the video for ‘Scream’ below.
