Michel Gondry could be the Rem Koolhaas of music video. Like the Dutch architect, Gondry devises ideas and technique that are never merely modern. For Bjork, Gondry shoots forests dominated by stuffed animals; for the White Stripes, he's high design, but with Legos; for Daft Punk, he stages a variety show with robots. Books could be written about Gondry's pieces, but this former drummer remains a rock & roller at heart. Invariably, his videos are visual invitations to bang your head.

“1999”

“I don’t consider myself a great poet,” Prince told Rolling Stone. “I just know I’m here to say what’s on my mind.” In the case of the apocalyptic party anthem “1999,” he was worried about then-president Ronald Reagan’s foreign policies. The song’s melody is based on a riff borrowed from the Mamas and Papas’ “Monday, Monday,” and Prince originally envisioned the first verse with three-part harmony but later split the vocals between himself and members of the Revolution. Because Warner Bros., with whom Prince was locked in a contractual battle, owned the original’s masters, Prince rerecorded the song and appropriately released that version in 1999.