Most Expensive Music Video Ever

Written by: Administrator Filed Under: Art, Fashion, Music, World on December 20th, 2005

When MTV first went on air in 1981, music videos became an important part of promoting an artist. Nowadays, hardcore fans will even buy DVDs featuring all of their favorite artists’ videos. The most memorable music videos, of course, are usually the most expensive. These are the most expensive music videos in the world.

Most Expensive Music Video - Puff Daddy's Victory

5. Puff Daddy (featuring The Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes) – “Victory”
$2.7 million

Taking place in the year 3002 CE, this video features Puff Daddy as Contestant #5. Dennis Hopper and Danny DeVito both make cameos—as a dictatorial president and a live action reporter, respectively—as Contestant #5 is chased through dark streets and rooftops by the armed forces of Chase TV.

Most Expensive Music Video - Madonna's Bedtime Story

4. Madonna – “Bedtime Story”
$5 million

An experimental video set to an equally experimental song, the “Bedtime Story” video consists of surreal, dreamlike images. Throughout the video, Madonna floats, gives birth to doves and ends up having her eyes and mouth transposed.

Most Expensive Music Video - Madonna's Die Another Day

3. Madonna – “Die Another Day”
$6 million

Another song by the pop diva, this one was released alongside the James Bond film of the same name. The video shows Madonna being tortured in a number of ways while Good Madonna and Bad Madonna duel with a variety of weapons—from fencing foils to harpoon guns—in her subconscious. After its release, “Die Another Day” became the most successful 007 theme since the 80s.

Most Expensive Music Video - Michael Jackon's Scream

2. Michael Jackson (featuring Janet Jackson) – “Scream”
$7 million

One of Michael Jackson’s most successful videos, “Scream” is a black and white science fiction/pop masterpiece that has both Jacksons dancing along the walls and ceilings of a spaceship while anime and pop art are featured on various displays throughout. The video received widespread approval, including several MTV Video Music Awards and even a Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video.

Most Expensive Music Video - 30 Seconds to Mars' From Yesterday

1. 30 Seconds to Mars – “From Yesterday”
$13 million?

The first American music video to be shot entirely in the People’s Republic of China, this expensive music video has 30 Seconds to Mars transported to ancient China where they play for a child emperor. The video features more than 300 extras and was directed by Bartholomew Cubbins, an alias for actor and Mars frontman Jared Leto. However, the $13 million figure is disputed—is this the world’s most expensive music video?


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(7) Comments

7 comments...What do you think?

  1. Posted by edgar 18th December, 2006 at 8:06 pm

    why mariah’s video is one of the most expensive when it seems so simple?

  2. Posted by Kexy 14th June, 2007 at 6:06 pm

    Michael Jackson is the greatest Entertainer ever and seeing him get the most expensive video in the world and all those numerous awards is not a surprise. Infact in the world of Music there is Rock, Pop, Hip-pop, Soul and there is Michael Jackson, Michael jackson is a music genre on his own.

    Concerning mariah careh’s video, it is so god damn simple I dont see why it is so expensive, even an amateur filmmaker can make that video. I guess the director of the video cheated her.

  3. Posted by LuLu 22nd March, 2008 at 8:43 am

    Mariah’s was so expensive b/c of all the demands she was making, the hairstyling bill alone was $60,000

  4. Posted by Joel 28th March, 2008 at 6:42 am

    yes this is to the publisher/writer of this blog. will you please change “jacko” and “the Elephant Man’s bones, and an entire plastic surgery team in his mansion”.

    those remarks are inappropriate, false and show signs of immaturity beyond whats needed.

    thank you

    -joel.

  5. Posted by NVG 23rd August, 2008 at 10:04 pm

    The money spent on ‘Scream’ was well worth it. The vision is completely futuristic, the video and the song hasn’t aged; it;s also much better produced than videos today. I watched it again 13 years after it was made, and I think it will still be ‘modern’ enough after 10-20 more years.

  6. Posted by linda 21st September, 2009 at 6:48 pm

    scream is the most expesive video

  7. Posted by Juliet 1st October, 2009 at 10:05 pm

    The video “From Yesterday (The Wish)” by Thirty Seconds To Mars was not $13 million dollar. They shoot it there ’cause the resources in there r a lot more cheep.

    But they think is great that people think that they spend a lot of money in the video!!!

    Provehito In Altum

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