Music is awesome. Movies are also awesome. So by the laws of mathematics, music videos should be doubly awesome. At least that’s the prevailing theory at What Hi-Fi?.
Which is why, during our latest Home Cinema Week special event, we’ve taken the time to create this list, detailing our favourite examples of the art form.
From golden oldies that have been given a new lease of life via a remaster, to new classics from cutting-edge artists in their prime, as well as sounding and looking great, every entry on this list also offers a great way to test at least one part of your home cinema setup.
As always, the list currently only includes the What Hi-Fi? team’s personal favourites. We have a separate list detailing our picks of the best music videos of all time. If you think we’ve missed any, make sure to get involved in the conversation using the comments section below or our social media channels and forums.
We’re always interested to hear from you, our ever-discerning readers!
Peter Gabriel – Sledgehammer (4K remaster)
Words by Alastair Stevenson
Peter Gabriel is one of the biggest names in music, with a decades-spanning career that started with prog rock legends Genesis, before blossoming into one of the most experimental solo acts to grace the latter quarter of the 20th Century. And while he’s still pumping out tunes to this day, there’s no denying that Sledgehammer from his 1986 album So, is still one of his most recognisable.
That’s as true of its music video as it is of the song itself. Made using claymation and stop motion techniques, the video required Gabriel to lie under a glass table for 16 hours, as they shot parts frame-by-frame. 40 years on, it’s also had an amazing remaster on Apple Music, bringing it up to 4K.
The mix of updated visuals acts as a wonderful accompaniment to the stellar track, which has aged like fine wine. Expertly blending a smorgasbord of genres, including pop rock, dance-rock, funk rock, and blue-eyed soul, Sledgehammer’s music video makes for a compelling listen and watch. We would challenge any hi-fi fan to hear one note of the track’s syncopated bassline and not immediately recognise it. Our only minor qualm is its subject matter (it’s about his crown jewels).
Watch Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer in 4K on Apple Music
Alanis Morrisette – Ironic (4K remaster)
Words by Alastair Stevenson
Ah, Alanis Morrisette. If you grew up during the late 90s and early 2000s, there’s a strong chance that at least one of her multitude of self-aware tracks featured in your formative years.
Which is why her classic hit, Ironic, isn’t just one of my favourite tracks; thanks to a 4K remaster, it’s also one of his favourite music videos. Sure, the video is basic, showing Morrisette driving a 1978 Lincoln Continental Mark V in the snow, singing to various versions of herself.
But the upgrades are welcome, adding more vibrancy to the colours, a welcome dose of extra detail thanks to the higher resolution.
However, most importantly, the track remains a masterpiece with Morresette's vocals, which flip from booming, life-affirming bellows to subdued, vulnerable pleas over its four-minute run time, are a delight – one that will give any speaker a run for its money when it comes to dynamics.
Ah-ha – Take on Me (4K remaster)
![a-ha - Take On Me (Official Video) [4K] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/djV11Xbc914/maxresdefault.jpg)
Words by Dan Furn
We could hardly write a list of visually complex, system-testing music videos without Take On Me. Luckily, A-ha have seen fit to spoil us with a 4K remaster so you can really push your setup and enjoy the many, many hand-drawn sketches in glorious Ultra HD.
If somehow you haven’t seen this early music video masterpiece, the premise is simple – a young woman reading a comic book in a café is invited into the comic by its rather suave hero, where the two get chased by thugs in a black-and-white, pencil-sketch world.
This was, in fact, the second music video for the song, and catapulted the track to the top of several worldwide charts and created a pop culture phenomenon. It’s a music video that still resonates today – it’s clocked up well over two billion views on YouTube, has been referenced by everyone from Paramore to Family Guy and even saw a recent resurgence during the FIFA World Cup after being adopted by Norwegian fans.
The pencil-sketch scenes are ideal for testing fine detail, contrast and, of course, motion, as the 3,000 rotoscoped frames should be displayed without judder or blur – the chase scene in particular is an excellent stress test, and, to be honest, just a delight to watch.
Pink Floyd – Money (from Pink Floyd At Pompeii MCMXLII, 4K Blu-ray)
Words by Alastair Stevenson
Pink Floyd is one of the most iconic bands in the world, especially if you’re a hi-fi or prog rock fan. And if you’re after an audio/visual tour de force to push your home cinema setup, we’d strongly suggest checking out the Pink Floyd At Pompeii MCMXLII 4K Blu-ray.
Yes, we may technically be pushing the definition of what counts as a music video, but the remaster is an amazing achievement. The entire set, which saw the band play to an empty amphitheatre, has been expertly remastered to offer 4K visuals and Dolby Atmos. And honestly, they've done such a good job that, if you have the hardware to do it justice, the upgrades really do make you feel like you’re there, at the gig, watching it all live.
You can see cuts of the set, like the one above, online, but the Blu-ray is what you need if you want to get the ultimate experience. If you’re short on time, the performance of Echoes Part 1 and 2 are a particular highlight that theWhat Hi-Fi? team, myself included, keep returning to.
Featuring a magnetic performance from the band against a stunning backdrop, you really want a big screen TV, or even a projector, to do it justice. The Atmos mix of the live performance then brings it to life, offering a unique dome of sound capturing screaming guitar and making it feel like the band’s psychedelic tour de force is marching straight through your living room.
Buy Pink Floyd At Pompeii MCMXLII at Amazon
Steven Wilson - Drive Home (4K remaster)
Words by Alastair Stevenson
Steve Wilson is a huge name in hi-fi circles. First, as the frontman of prog rock legends Porcupine Tree, second as a regular attendee and speaker at hi-fi shows across the globe, where he’s championed new technologies and the need for “good sound” for decades.
He’s also made a number of pretty awesome music videos over the years. But for What Hi-Fi?’s purposes, the 4K remaster of Drive Home is a particular favourite. The remaster was released in 2023 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Wilson’s third solo album, The Raven that Refused to Sing. The video is a work of art, with characters designed by Hajo Mueller and then animated by Jess Cope into a dark, evocative video that beautifully complements the track – especially with the new colouring by colourist Mozart Gabriel for the remaster, which helps evoke a true sense of melancholy and sadness.
The song itself is also incredible. Written after an intense period Wilson spent remixing classic prog bands’ work, it intentionally channels the spirit of King Crimson, Yes, Gentle Giant, and Jethro Tull. It’s a detached, haunting piece mixing flute, string and acoustic guitar parts with Wison’s vocals that slowly builds, only adding electric instruments much over halfway through its eight-minute, 20-second playtime.
My only bit of advice, outside of listening to it as soon as you can, is to jump over to Wilson’s website and invest in the Headphone Dust edition for the ultimate experience. The investment nabs you the Hi-res Atmos and 5.1 cuts of the song alongside an MKV file of the 4K video. Make no mistake, the stereo cut on the above video is good, but the Atmos and 5.1 versions are mind-blowing if you have the hardware to do them justice.
Buy the Headphone Dust edition of The Raven that Refused to Sing at Steve Wilson's website
Gunship – Dark All Day
![GUNSHIP - Dark All Day (feat. Tim Cappello and Indiana) [Official Music Video] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/60ruvzfXQoE/maxresdefault.jpg)
Words by Alastair Stevenson
Our editor (me) is a big fan of two things: classic horror movies and synthwave. So, when a band creates a music video that combines both elements, well, you can imagine how excited they get.
Enter Gunship’s Dark All Day. The song merges the band’s iconic sound, which uses old synths to create a mesmerising, retro vibe, with a saxophone part from Tim Cappello and vocals from pop sensation Indiana.
Not sure who Cappello is? You’ll almost certainly recognise him either as the main saxophonist from Tina Turner's backing band during the 80s or the muscly front man wailing on his sax during the boardwalk scene of cult classic vampire film The Lost Boys. And the theme of vampires neatly brings us on to the video itself.
Available in 4K on YouTube, it starts with an animated segment, showing iconic vampire hunters from the 80s and 90s cinema battling a horde of the undead before flipping to a visually stunning live section halfway through. The second half, showing Indiana, Capello and the band playing in a pitch-black room with visceral, red blood pouring from the ceiling like rain – a clear homage to an iconic scene from a certain Wesley Snipes 90s vampire movie.
The result is a roller coaster ride that will test everything from your sound system’s rhythmic precision to your projector or TV’s motion handling and dark detail.
Avenged Sevenfold – Nobody
Words by Harry McKerrell
Look, I completely understand that this type of music isn’t to everyone’s taste. Heavy metal, progressive metal, metalcore, whatever you want to call it – it’s something of a niche within this world of Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter. In fairness, I actually quite like Sabrina Carpenter.
Even if this kind of thing isn’t your bag at all, please give Nobody a try. In abstraction, the track might take a few goes to get into, relying more on epic, pulsating soundscapes over catchy, refined melodies, but once it clicks, this is the sort of music that gets deep into your bones. Add the video into the mix, and it’s practically a spiritual experience.
I refer to bones quite deliberately. The accompanying video to Nobody is a miraculous masterpiece, wherein a man’s skeletal ‘soul’ leaves his body and begins wandering through the chaotic cosmos in search of matter, meaning and, you would hope, a bit of epidermis to cover his naked frame.
The result is mind-blowing, with Chris Hopewell’s spectacular stop-motion visuals giving the protagonist’s movements a charmingly comical clunkiness when set against awe-inspiring vistas of the shimmering cosmos. Just wait until you get to the 3:15 mark, where siren-like guitars accompany one endless tracking shot of skeletons fighting on some strange, semi-apocalyptic battleground. Goosebumps.
Avenged Sevenfold have gone all existential during the course of their last few albums, and it doesn’t get more Camus than this. I think the point of the whole thing is that we’re all already dead, like those monks who live with decomposing corpses to remind them of their own mortality. Cheery.
Pomme – Un Million
Words by Robyn Quick
You might not have heard of French artist Pomme, but she is one to watch.
Un million from the album Consolation is one of my favourite tracks from her, and not just because of the magical vocals and mesmerising instrumentals. The accompanying music video continues the minimalist approach of the song, as it is filmed in black and white, all on one spinning stage.
This setup could have resulted in an uninspiring final look, but there is beauty in the small details that make for a hypnotic watch and a great test for your TV or projector screen.
Pomme is dressed as a clown, complete with a ruffled neck collar and frilly sleeves. The intricate textures of the ruffles and a single tear running down her face call for a good level of detail without looking over-etched. As others join her on the spinning stage, this also challenges your system’s motion handling. There’s a delicate balance to strike between movement looking too smooth and juddery, and the swirling stage makes for a great test.
A bright sphere is the centrepiece of the video, which creates a gradual fade from white to black. With the right system, this gradient should look seamless, but there is the risk of banding where you can see the steps obviously between shades.
Talking Heads – Life During Wartime (from Stop Making Sense 4K remaster)
Words by Ioan Hazell
Few bands manage to pack all-out eccentricity into as digestible and catchy a package as Talking Heads. There is so much to talk about in this performance, from David Byrne’s wiry, maniacal dance moves to the contagious excitement of the band, who must have been aware of being at the height of their powers.
This performance of Life During Wartime from their 1984 concert film, Stop Making Sense, was blessedly remastered in 4K and for Dolby Atmos by 4AD back in 2023. At the time, I went to watch the re-release in an IMAX cinema and was astonished by the public response. Some people danced in the aisles; others wept in their seats. Nobody sat still.
While the purpose of resolution is always, to some extent, to revitalise the past, never before had I seen such a vivid example of its power. Coming away from the screening, my legs ached as if I had been at the real concert. My cheeks ached from an irrepressible grin.
With some of the downright coolest backing vocals, strangest gyrations, and grooviest basslines out there, this performance has to be seen to be believed. “This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco” – yeah, right!
Buy Talking Heads, Stop Making Sense on 4K Blu-ray at HMV
MORE:
These are the best songs for testing hi-fi
We rank the best surround sound systems
Our picks of the best projectors
