Paramore, Muse Lead VMA Noms for Best Rock Video

Green Day walked away with the award for Best Rock Video at last year's MTV Video Music Awards, and today Rolling Stone can exclusively reveal who's in the running for the Moonman at the 2010 ceremony, which goes down September 12th in Los Angeles. 30 Seconds to Mars' nine-minute epic "Kings and Queens" is up against Muse's post-apocalyptic nightmare "Uprising," MGMT's British-culture tribute "Flash Delirium," Paramore's nightmarish "Ignorance" and Florence and the Machine's arty "Dog Days Are Over." British pop star Florence also scored nominations for Video of the Year, Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography. To gear up for this year's VMAs, check out clips of the nominees below and leave your pick for the winner in the comments:

Look back at the '09 VMAs' most memorable moments, from the Michael Jackson tribute to Kanye's stage invasion.

30 Seconds to Mars' "Kings and Queens"

Muse's "Uprising"

MGMT's "Flash Delirium"

Paramore's "Ignorance"

Florence and the Machine's "Dog Days Are Over"

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Song Stories

“Help Me”

Joni Mitchell | 1974

Joni Mitchell wrote and recorded this song for her album Court and Spark, but she had to switch from her regular band to make the song sound exactly the way she wanted. "I had attempted to play my music with rock & roll players," she told Rolling Stone. "They’d laugh, 'Awww, isn't that cute? She's trying to teach us how to play.'" Mitchell switched to a jazz band, Tom Scott’s L.A. Express, and scored the biggest hit of her career in the process.

More Song Stories entries »

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