August 1, 1981, was a historic date in the music industry. On this day, MTV was launched, and though back then not many people expected it, it did change the course of entertainment. While it was not the first channel to show music videos, it defined a lot of new trends, influenced artists, and throughout its lifetime has launched some of the best music videos of all time.
Many consider music videos to be a separate form of art, just like movies. A music video is not only a great promotional tool for the artist to help the song become more popular, but it is also another way to express their creativity. The visuals enhance the song, creating a whole new level of perception for the audience. However, sometimes people question the profitability of making music videos, as musicians can’t sell them the way they sell their music.
Those of you who know how expensive it is to make a film probably also wonder: how much does a music video cost? A lot here depends on how elaborate the idea is, how much time and effort it will take to make it, and even which filmmaker you invite to direct it for you. And while not as expensive as big-budget blockbusters, some artists do invest a pretty penny into their music videos.
For this article, we collected some of the most expensive music videos. Have you seen all of them? What do you think, was the result worth the cost? If you like to watch videos, do you have a video of a musician or band that you like the most? Share with us in the comments.
#1 Michael Jackson “Black Or White” - $8 Million
The second-most-expensive video in Michael Jackson’s career, Black Or White was 11 minutes long and featured a comic skit starring Macaulay Culkin at the beginning. With its estimated 500 million viewers right after the debut, the music video broke all TV records and became the highest-rated Fox special at the time. The video employed some impressive visual effects, especially considering it came out in 1991. The overall budget amounted to $4 million, or $8 million with inflation.
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26points
#2 Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson “Scream” - $12.5 Million
Of course, the most expensive music video to be ever produced belongs to the King of Pop Michael Jackson for his 1995 song Scream, which he made together with his sister Janet. Back then, it cost a mind-blowing $7 million, which in today’s economy would amount to over $12 million. The Jacksons invited famous director Mark Romanek to lead the production. Romanek later revealed that the studio gave them very little time for the production, including the preparation of 13 set pieces, which greatly influenced the cost of the video.
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25points
#3 Madonna “Express Yourself” - $11 Million
When you invite famous movie maker David Fincher to direct your music video, you know you will get an incredible result. That’s why Madonna (and her label) were more than happy to invest $5 million into her Express Yourself music video. And since the video was made in 1989, today it would cost $11 million. Madonna herself contributed a lot of ideas to the script.
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21points
#4 Michael Jackson “Bad” - $5.3 Million
Upon seeing an 18-minute clip, most people would expect it to be a short film rather than a music video. And yet, Bad is a music video for one of Michael Jackson’s iconic songs. It is also one of the most expensive ones in history. But then, it was screenwriter Richard Price and directed by — wait for it — Martin Scorsese! With a whole month of filming on location, including the famous dance-off scene in the subway, it comes as no wonder the video cost $5.3 million.
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20points
#5 Guns N' Roses “Estranged” - $9.4 Million
Estranged by Guns N’ Roses closed the trilogy that included Don’t Cry and November Rain. Axl Rose wrote the script himself that would then be turned into a 10-minute video. Director Andy Morahan, who also directed the previous two videos, followed Axl through several expensive set pieces. The final scene sees Axl rescued by dolphins. As you might imagine, a lot of CGI effects were necessary to complete the video, raising the price to $4 million, or $9.4 million in today’s money, though many claim that it was even more expensive.
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18points
#6 Madonna “Die Another Day” - $9.2 Million
Making a title soundtrack for a James Bond film is no easy task, so it was only natural that the makers of Die Another Day chose Madonna. To promote the song, the Swedish directorial team Traktor was hired to direct the music video, which was largely inspired by the action scenes from the movie itself. Back then, the video cost $6.1 million, which after 20 years of inflation would amount to $9.2 million at the very least.
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17points
#7 Madonna “Bedtime Story” - $9 Million
Madonna has always been known for her love for grand things, so it comes as no surprise that she would have multiple entries on this list. For her 1995 song Bedtime Story, she collaborated with director Mark Romanek. It took them six days to film the video and then several weeks to edit it and add special effects, as Madonna wanted it to have a surrealistic vibe. The entire production cost $5 million ($9 million today), and upon completion, the music video was released in several theaters, just like a movie.
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16points
#8 Aqua “Cartoon Heroes” - $5.6 Million
Compared to the other videos on this list, this one comes as a rather surprising entry. Even though green screens were used throughout the video to set up a story of a one-eyed monster trying to take over the world, nothing in the video seems to explain why it would cost $3 million ($5.6 million today) to produce it. The band never tried to publicly explain this phenomenon either.
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15points
#9 MC Hammer “2 Legit 2 Quit” - $5 Million
“Less is more” was definitely not a concept MC Hammer considered when making the 2 Legit 2 Quit music video. This 15-minute clip with a plot centered around Michael Jackson’s glove featured a plethora of celebrities, including Tony Danza, Jim Belushi, and James Brown to name just a few. Back in 1991 MC Hammer had to cash out $2.5 million, which in today’s economy would turn into $5 million.
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15points
#10 Limp Bizkit “Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)” - $4.7 Million
It is not an uncommon practice to invite actors and other celebrities to appear in your music video. But when it is Ben Stiller and Stephen Dorff, who appeared in the hit movie Zoolander in the same year, the budget of your video will undoubtedly increase. Add here the fact that parts of Limp Bizkit’s Rollin’ (Air Raid Vehicle) were filmed atop the South Tower of the World Trade Center, and the total budget of $3 million (or $4.7 million in today’s money) won’t be so surprising anymore.
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13points
#11 Céline Dion “It's All Coming Back To Me Now” - $4 Million
The author of the song, Jim Steinman, claimed that this song was inspired by the famous novel Wuthering Heights. With such a background and Dion’s powerful vocals, the video had a lot to live up to. It was shot on location in the Czech Republic, where the summer residence of the Austrian emperors was used as the gothic mansion. Eventually, two versions of the video were made: a full version that lasted almost 8 minutes and a single version of about 6 minutes in length. In today’s economy, the entire production would have cost $4 million.
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13points
#12 Michael Jackson “Remember The Time” - $3.9 Million
Throughout his career, Michael Jackson definitely had a soft spot for longer music videos. This one, being nine minutes in length, was even promoted as a short film. Set in ancient Egypt, not only did the video boast groundbreaking visual effects, but it also had a number of Hollywood celebrities play different roles, including Eddie Murphy and fashion model Iman. The label wouldn’t release the video’s budget, but it is estimated at around $3.9 million.
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12points
#13 Mariah Carey, Jay-Z “Heartbreaker” - $4.1 Million
Mariah Carey named movies Enter the Dragon and Grease as inspirations for one of her most expensive music videos, Heartbreaker. Unfortunately, Jay-Z couldn’t participate in the filming due to prior contractual obligations; however, Carey came up with the idea to create an animated section. The entire budget amounted to $2.5 million, which today would turn into $4.1 million.
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11points
#14 Gwen Stefani “Make Me Like You” - $4.6 Million
Having left her previous band No Doubt, Gwen Stefani went on to have a solo career. The music video for her single Make Me Like You that was featured on her third album included several elaborate sets and a number of supporting cast. During the rehearsal, shortly before the filming began, Stefani stumbled and hit her head, thankfully, without any injuries.
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9points
#15 Puff Daddy Feat. The Notorious B.I.G. & Busta Rhymes “Victory” - $4.5 Million
Victory was planned as an homage to Arnold Schwarzenegger-starrer The Running Man. It was also planned that its director Marcus Nispel would remain anonymous when the video premiered. One would think that guest appearances of Dennis Hopper and Danny De Vito would have significantly added to the impressive budget of $2.7 million ($4.5 million with the current inflation); however, they allegedly participated in the filming as a favor to Puff Daddy.
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9points
#16 Janet Jackson “Doesn't Really Matter” - $4.1 Million
Directed by famous music video director Joseph Kahn, Janet Jackson’s Doesn’t Really Matter was also part of the soundtrack for Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, which starred Eddie Murphy. The futuristic, Tokyo-inspired backdrop, moving platforms, appearance of the first consumer AI, experimental outfits, and a group of backup dancers created a very cinematic look but also required a budget of $2.5 million ($4.1 million in today’s money) to complete it.
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7points
#17 Backstreet Boys “Larger Than Life” - $3.5 Million
The music video for Larger Than Life was the band’s second collaboration with director Joseph Kahn. Taking inspiration from Star Wars and Blade Runner, it was set in the year 3000 on a spacecraft. With elaborate special effects and animation, the video entered The Guinness World Records as the 14th most expensive music video, its budget amounting to $2.1 million, or $3.5 million considering inflation.
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6points
#18 Mariah Carey “Honey” - $3.4 Million
Honey was a milestone in Mariah Carey’s career in many ways. The song itself marked her musical transition, while the music video showed a different, less conservative side of the singer. In a James Bond-themed plot, Agent M played by Mariah escapes a mansion and the island it is situated on. She then finds herself on a ship where the male crew joins her dance. There was a lot of speculation around the video that cost $2 million ($3.4 million with inflation), claiming that it was a hint at Mariah’s failing marriage.
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6points
#19 Guns N' Roses “November Rain” - $2.9 Million
November Rain was the second music video in the trilogy that also included Don’t Cry and Estranged. While not as expensive as the third video, a large-scale set piece portraying a wedding and a church building specifically transported for the guitar solo scene, along with other expenses, added up to a total budget of $2.9 million.
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6points
#20 Fugees “Ready Or Not” - $2.3 Million
Not only was Ready Or Not one of the best-selling songs of 1996, but its music video, directed by Marcus Nispel, also became one of the most expensive ones in music history, with an overall budget of $2.3 million. When explaining the cost, band members said that if their audience pays for their music, they definitely deserve to see a good video.
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5points