‘Vous Avez Dit Bizarre’ N°92 – Vintage 90s Music Videos

1 . Aqua – Barbie Girl

Released in 1997, Aqua’s “Barbie Girl” takes the Europop genre to its most kitschy and unapologetically exaggerated extreme, blending relentless bubblegum beats with lyrics that parody materialism through the lens of Barbie and Ken dolls.

The track, penned by Søren Rasted, Claus Norreen, René Dif, and Lene Nystrøm, isn’t just a song—it’s a wink, a nudge, and a shameless embrace of playful absurdity that also invites listeners to scrutinize the plastic perfection it mocks.

Topping charts across Europe and landing in the U.S. Billboard Top 10, this sugary anthem couples Aqua’s high-speed energy with a theatrical dialogue between Lene’s cartoonish falsetto and René’s caricatured baritone, creating a sound as polarizing as it is unforgettable.

The accompanying music video, directed by Peder Pedersen and Peter Stenbæk, cranks up the camp factor, dressing the band in hyper-stylized plastic costumes while holding a mirror to late-’90s pop culture’s love affair with surface-level glam.

“Barbie Girl” faced its share of legal drama when Mattel sued for trademark infringement, only for the courts to declare the satire protected, much like the song’s status as a critique disguised as a novelty hit.

Its rebirth in 2023, helped along by Greta Gerwig’s *Barbie* film and a remix with Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice, shows how Aqua’s peculiar brand of kitsch continues to resonate in a world that hasn’t quite let go of the ‘90s.

Whether you view it as a pop masterpiece, a guilty pleasure, or an over-the-top earworm, “Barbie Girl” lives on as a polarizing yet unmistakable cultural marker in the pop music landscape.

Featured on the 1997 album “Aquarium”.

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2 . Sin With Sebastian – Shut Up [And Sleep with Me]

Released in May 1995, “Shut Up (and Sleep with Me)” by Sin With Sebastian stands as one of the more peculiar gems of the Eurodance era.

With its intentionally blunt lyrics and over-the-top production, the track teeters between audacious novelty and an oddly compelling pop statement.

The monotone male vocals, courtesy of Sebastian Roth, repeatedly demand the listener’s attention, offset by Donna Lynn Bowers’ operatic flourishes that border on self-parody.

Its campy approach is deliberate, reveling in its own absurdity, wrapped in thumping beats and a glossy, synthetic veneer.

Chart performance tells the story of its cultural impact, hitting number one in Austria, Lithuania, and Finland while carving its place in Top 10 lists across Europe—not bad for a song with such unvarnished candor.

Its accompanying music video offers no reprieve from the flamboyance, featuring ostentatious costumes and a cheeky irreverence that doubles down on the song’s provocative nature.

While mainstream American audiences didn’t fully bite, with the song peaking at number 26 on the *Billboard* Hot Dance Club Play chart, it found enduring recognition through its nightclub ubiquity and inclusion in compilations that defined mid-90s Eurodance.

Co-written and produced by Inga Humpe, the track invites both amusement and second-hand embarrassment, a rare concoction that keeps its slight ridiculousness oddly endearing.

Its nomination for Best German Dance Single at the 1996 Echo Awards might not have turned into a win, but the track’s longevity as an irreverent Eurodance relic arguably feels like a greater victory.

Its presence in soundtracks and commercials only further cements its status as a cultural time capsule of 90s pop decadence, where shamelessness was more feature than flaw.

Featured on the 1995 album “Golden Boy”.

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3 . Green Day – Basket Case

“Basket Case,” released on Green Day’s 1994 album *Dookie*, is a sharp, relentless account of mental instability wrapped in a deceptively upbeat punk rock package.

Written by Billie Joe Armstrong during his pre-diagnosis struggles with a panic disorder, the song feels like a confession set to a frenetic, three-chord progression that recalls Pachelbel’s Canon—though stripped of its classical serenity and pumped full of anxious adrenaline.

The lyrics don’t dance around their subject; they plunge into the heart of alienation and self-doubt, posing the now-iconic question: “Am I just paranoid, or am I just stoned?”

This isn’t a straightforward lament—it’s brash, self-aware, and unflinchingly direct, qualities that are mirrored in Armstrong’s snarl and the song’s breathless tempo.

Mark Kohr’s music video, a fever-dream set in a dilapidated mental institution, brilliantly amplifies the chaos, juxtaposing garishly saturated colors with the bleakness of the setting.

The imagery—ripped straight from *One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest*—solidifies the track’s status as both a probing self-portrait and a nod to the punk ethos of rebellion against societal norms.

Critics have since showered “Basket Case” with accolades, with Rolling Stone ranking it among the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” and BBC Radio 1 listeners dubbing it the “Greatest Punk Song of All Time.”

Despite its subject matter, the song never veers into melodrama; instead, it strides confidently between vulnerability and defiance, making it as relatable as it is cathartic.

The track not only underscores *Dookie*’s role in catapulting pop-punk into mainstream consciousness but remains an enduring anthem for anyone who’s ever questioned their grip on reality.

With over 300 million YouTube views and a cultural significance that spans decades, “Basket Case” is a reminder that punk rock’s greatest gift lies in making chaos feel communal.

Featured on the 1994 album “Dookie“.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

4 . Peter Gabriel – Steam

Peter Gabriel’s “Steam” is a 1993 single that radiates charisma and swagger, blending rock, funk, and pop with a touch of offbeat humor.

Debuting as a follow-up to his chart-smashing *Us* album, it manages to hit No. 10 in the UK and No. 32 on the US Billboard Hot 100, all while monopolizing the top spot on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.

Its sonic DNA shares hints of “Sledgehammer” but cranks the funk quotient into overdrive, layering bass grooves, sax-rich flourishes, and rolling harmonies with unapologetic exuberance.

Lyrically, Gabriel plunges into the murky waters of male-female intricacy, a favorite playground of his, delivered with the sly confidence of someone who knows his audience relishes the complexity.

What truly cemented “Steam” as a cultural flashpoint, however, is its Grammy-winning music video, a kaleidoscopic visual odyssey masterminded by Stephen R. Johnson.

Surreal doesn’t begin to describe it: Gabriel transforms into a steam train, joyrides through whimsical landscapes, and revels in visual puns and CGI that were cutting-edge for 1993.

Meanwhile, the single’s release on multiple formats, packed with remixes like the Massive/DB version of “Games Without Frontiers,” underscores the era’s obsession with versatility and collectability.

Performed with panache during his “Secret World Live” tour, the song’s live renditions showcase Gabriel’s ability to complement studio wizardry with stage dynamism.

“Steam” is bold without overstating its case, offering a witty counterpart to the weightier themes explored elsewhere on *Us*—more polished than profound but no less captivating.

Featured on the 1992 album “Us”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

5 . Natalie Imbruglia – Torn

Natalie Imbruglia’s “Torn,” a pop-rock classic from 1997, stands as an intriguing case study of transformation in the music industry.

Originally birthed by Scott Cutler, Anne Preven, and Phil Thornalley in 1993, the song journeyed from the raw rock stylings of its parent group, Ednaswap, to a polished, radio-friendly anthem under Imbruglia’s interpretation.

The track’s global success was no accident—it parked itself at No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart, loitered atop the Billboard Adult Top 40 for 14 weeks in the U.S., and earned a Platinum badge in the UK.

Credit either immaculate timing or a perfectly bottled melancholy, but “Torn” nailed broken-hearted wistfulness in a way that felt both intimate and stadium-sized.

The track’s lyrics offer a succinct portrait of emotional desolation, exploring themes of relational decay and personal hollowness—a dichotomy brought vividly to life through Imbruglia’s tremulous delivery.

Its accompanying music video, directed by Alison Maclean, augments the song’s meta-narrative with clever visual disruptions, pulling viewers into an almost voyeuristic relationship with the unfolding heartbreak.

The cultural payoff? A song immortalized in ’90s retrospectives and countless karaoke renditions that hinge on that bittersweet mix of vulnerability and pop sheen.

All this despite the amusing trivia: Imbruglia didn’t write the song, which tends to surprise listeners who associate its lyrical weight with personal authenticity.

While critics often liken the track’s synthetic yet emotive production to works by Madonna or Cher, “Torn” holds its own corner, subtly balancing between a global hit and an artifact of its very specific era.

Peculiarities abound, like its Danish predecessor, Lis Sørensen’s 1993 version, providing a strange prelude that most fans have likely never heard but which underscores the song’s shapeshifting potential.

By the time awards season rolled around in 1998, “Torn” had snagged nods for Grammy and ARIA Awards, sealing its reputation as a quintessential pop juggernaut—ironic for a track born out of someone else’s pen.

For all its polish, the song retains a lived-in quality, proving that immaculate production doesn’t necessarily steal the soul from a shattered tune.

Featured on the 1997 album “Left of the Middle”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

6 . Coldcut – Autumn Leaves

Coldcut’s “Autumn Leaves” strikes a balance between delicate introspection and meticulous production, taking listeners on an auditory journey through its layered textures and melancholic overtones.

Released in 1993 on the album *Philosophy*, the track showcases the duo’s flair for blending trip-hop and ambient elements, cementing their innovative approach to electronic music.

Featuring Janis Alexander’s hauntingly evocative vocals, the song elegantly weaves an emotional narrative without straying into the traditional sentimentality that often accompanies autumn-themed compositions.

This version, however, deviates from the classic jazz standard penned by Joseph Kosma, instead delivering a fresher interpretation tightly bound to Coldcut’s ethos of experimentation.

What elevates the track is its use of live instrumentation—an ambitious orchestral arrangement recorded at Abbey Road Studios under the guidance of Ed Shearmur adds an organic richness rarely achieved in electronic music of the era.

Yet it’s the remix by Mixmaster Morris that fully catapults the song into ambient folklore, creating a version that feels like it unfolds in slow motion, suspending time as it floats effortlessly across soundscapes.

The accompanying music video mirrors this ethereal quality, incorporating hypnotic visuals steeped in abstraction, a bold choice for a track tinged with introspection rather than immediacy.

While the song didn’t climb the charts or reach massive commercial heights, it exemplifies Coldcut’s resistance to conventional formulas, making it less a pop hit and more a reflective piece for niche audiences who revel in cerebral sonic experiences.

If anything feels out of place, it’s Coldcut’s reliance on vinyl scratching, which, while emblematic of their earlier work, momentarily disrupts the otherwise seamless unity of the track’s atmosphere.

Despite its minor flaws, “Autumn Leaves” fuses nostalgia with futurism, offering a listening experience both evocative and quietly arresting—proof that Coldcut thrives in the subtleties rather than the grand gestures of music-making.

Featured on the 1993 album “Philosophy “.

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7 . Shed Seven – Chasing Rainbows

“Chasing Rainbows” arrives as a bittersweet relic of the Britpop era, encapsulating the fleeting ambitions and discontent that defined much of ’90s indie rock.

Released in 1996, the track by Shed Seven stakes its claim with soaring melodies and earnest lyricism, blending wistfulness with a dash of cynicism, served atop the jangling guitars and fervent vocals that have become the band’s calling card.

Lyrically, it taps into the collective malaise of chasing unattainable dreams, a sentiment both metaphorical and uncomfortably grounded.

The music video juxtaposes those themes with dimly lit, brooding performance shots that feel distinctly of-the-era, complete with symbolic flourishes that could pass for profound in dim lighting.

The track’s placement at No. 17 on the UK Singles Chart underscores its mass appeal without tipping into the kind of overexposure that would have made it unbearably self-important.

Not one for dramatic reinvention, Shed Seven instead leans into the familiar, delivering a track that’s as comfortable as it is quietly defiant.

The song lacks the overt pomposity of their peers while still managing to hold its own against their more commercially palpable offerings like “Going For Gold.”

In live settings, “Chasing Rainbows” has endured as a fan favorite, its raw vocals and riff-driven framework seemingly designed to echo through festival fields and aging concert halls alike.

Whether in rain-soaked fields or dive bars awash with nostalgia, the song finds its footing with a surprising sincerity, never trying too hard to chase something it’s not.

By all accounts, it’s less about the flashiness of Britpop glitz and more about the quiet resignation and muted optimism that linger long after the rain has passed.

Featured on the 1998 album “Let It Ride”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

8 . Spice Girls – Too Much

Released in December 1997 as part of the *Spiceworld* album, “Too Much” by the Spice Girls sets itself apart as a polished pop ballad laced with R&B flair and subtle doo-wop influences.

Co-written by the Girls alongside production duo Absolute, the track marries velvet-smooth vocals with lush instrumentation, from brass flourishes to string arrangements, offering just enough retro nods to keep it charming without veering into pastiche.

The song made an explosive entry at number one on the UK charts, securing the group’s sixth consecutive chart-topper and a rare second Christmas number-one streak—because apparently, nothing says holiday spirit like romantic ambivalence sung over a sultry beat.

Across the pond, it climbed to a respectable ninth position on the Billboard Hot 100, proving that America wasn’t completely immune to their Union Jack-clad spell.

The accompanying music video, directed by Howard Greenhalgh, is an extravagant patchwork of cinema-inspired vignettes, conveniently doubling down on each Spice Girl’s carefully crafted persona—Mel B in post-apocalyptic warrior chic, anyone?

Filmed while they juggled shooting their absurdly campy debut movie *Spice World*, the track’s cinematic ties were further cemented as it played right over the film’s opening credits, definitely making a stronger impression than the plot ever did.

While commercially dominant, “Too Much” had some stiff competition that festive season, going head-to-head with the Teletubbies’ cloying jab at music and a star-studded charity single—all of which somehow made perfect sense in late-’90s Britain.

Though its success was no small feat, the charm of “Too Much” lies in its pre-millennial nostalgia: a pop confection that doesn’t overstay its welcome but hints at the meticulously calculated machine behind the Spice phenomenon.

It’s a classic case of high-gloss packaging meeting genuine melodic appeal, a formula they mastered long before the phrase “girl power” became a distilled marketing slogan.

If nothing else, “Too Much” encapsulates a moment in pop history when storytelling-indulgent videos and on-brand theatrics were just as important as the music itself.

Featured on the 1997 album “Spiceworld”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

9 . Cher – I Got You Babe (w/ Beavis & Butt-Head)

When Cher lent her unmistakable voice to the comedic duo of Beavis and Butt-Head, the result was a bizarre yet strangely entertaining rendition of “I Got You Babe,” originally a folk-inspired anthem of youthful defiance from 1965. Written and produced by Sonny Bono in the cramped confines of a basement, the original track became a pop culture milestone, riding the wave of countercultural optimism to the top of the charts in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.

Fast-forward to 1993, and the song takes a sharp left turn into the realm of satire, featured on *The Beavis and Butt-Head Experience*, an album aimed directly at MTV’s irreverent, sarcastic audience. The remix layers Cher’s iconic performance with the impulsive interruptions and adolescent humor of the animated oddballs. On paper, mixing Cher with two disruptive cartoon slackers sounds like a recipe for disaster, but in practice, it’s a strange fusion of nostalgia and absurdity that captured the attention of ’90s pop culture.

The accompanying music video leans heavily into surreal, psychedelic visuals, contrasting Cher’s polished presence with the chaotic antics of her animated collaborators. It’s goofy and irreverent, but it’s hard to look away. Not unlike the rest of its parent album, which sold millions, this version doesn’t aim for timelessness. Instead, it exists as an artifact of its time, one in which pop music wasn’t afraid to poke fun at itself while reveling in its ridiculousness.

Featured on the 1993 album “The Beavis and Butt-Head Experience”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

10 . The Prodigy – Breathe

“Breathe” by The Prodigy erupts with a feral intensity that refuses to be contained, seamlessly blending punk’s raw aggression with the volatile energy of electronic dance music.

Released on November 11, 1996, this track quickly became a defining anthem of ’90s rave culture, showcasing a sound that is as confrontational as it is hypnotic.

The interplay between Keith Flint’s snarling vocals and Maxim Reality’s commanding presence creates an audacious tug-of-war, mirroring the song’s chaotic undertones.

Liam Howlett’s production is a masterclass in sampling, pulling a drum break from Thin Lizzy’s “Johnny the Fox Meets Jimmy the Weed” and sneaking in a sharp sword sound from Wu-Tang Clan’s “Da Mystery of Chessboxin’.”

Its signature bassline rumbles like a seismic event, anchoring an arrangement that catapults between industrial clamor and breakbeat brilliance.

The music video, directed by Walter Stern, amplifies the atmosphere of dread, with an apocalyptic apartment littered with flickering lights, an ominous alligator, and twitching crickets.

Chart domination followed, as the song shot to number one across multiple countries, from the UK to Sweden, proving its global appeal and establishing its place as a cultural marker of the era.

Live renditions often thrum with incendiary energy, cementing it as a cornerstone of the band’s festival sets, including their iconic Glastonbury 1997 performance.

No less striking is the track’s posthumous resurgence in 2019 following Keith Flint’s death, a chilling reminder of the enduring power and charisma he embodied.

“Breathe” isn’t just a song; it’s a visceral experience that drags listeners to the edge of chaos and dares them not to flinch.

Featured on the 1997 album “The Fat of the Land“.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

11 . 808 State – Plan 9

“Plan 9” lands in the midst of 808 State’s 1993 album *Gorgeous*, a record that feels both overstuffed and undercooked in equal measure.

The track itself is an intricate weave of early ’90s electronic textures, borrowing heavily from the intersecting worlds of techno, house, and ambient.

It occupies a peculiar space—too dreamy for the warehouse raves yet too cerebral for casual listening, a contradiction that oddly works in its favor.

This was the first album without founding member Martin Price, and the absence of his influence is palpable, as the group leans into eclecticism while sometimes losing focus.

Unlike some of the album’s more collaborative tracks, “Plan 9” delivers an introspective, standalone moment.

The title, possibly referencing the cult sci-fi disaster *Plan 9 from Outer Space*, adds a wry dash of oddball humor to the track’s mix of brooding synth lines and cascading beats.

Critics have pointed to it as one of the scattered highlights in an otherwise uneven project that tries to punch above its weight.

There’s no official music video, but interpretations of the track’s live performances capture 808 State’s penchant for merging cold, mechanical precision with moments of chaotic, human warmth.

For an album loaded with big ideas and mixed execution, “Plan 9” feels like one of the few moments where their ambition and artistry align, even as it falls just short of brilliant.

Featured on the 1993 album “Gorgeous”.

More by the same : Official Site

12 . Oasis – Some Might Say

“Some Might Say” arrives as a swaggering Britpop anthem, capturing Oasis at the cusp of their commercial prime.

Released in April 1995, the track doesn’t politely knock but confidently kicks down the door to the UK Singles Chart, seizing the No. 1 spot and dethroning Take That’s sentimental reign.

With its grungy T. Rex-style guitar intro married to a Beatles-tinged melody, the song encapsulates the Gallaghers’ knack for transforming borrowed influences into sharp-edged, lyrically mystifying bangers.

The production, helmed by Owen Morris and Noel Gallagher, welds big, ringing chords with a vocal delivery teetering between bored detachment and untamed defiance.

Drummer Tony McCarroll clocks his final minutes on this track before Alan White is shuffled into Oasis’s ever-revolving rhythm section lineup.

The B-sides—”Talk Tonight,” “Acquiesce,” and “Headshrinker”—tell their own story, often stealing a quiet acclaim and finding sanctuary in “The Masterplan” three years later.

Coinciding with Britpop’s preening rise in post-Blur chaos at the Brit Awards, “Some Might Say” feels like a cigarette-scented snapshot of a band embracing both their scrappy Mancunian grit and a new imperial confidence.

The lo-fi rural music video veers slapdash, but its unpolished quality only serves to underline Oasis’s don’t-give-a-damn ethos, as if shot between pints at the nearest pub.

Lyrically, Noel Gallagher remains as elliptical as ever, pairing pastoral absurdities (“the sink is full of fishes”) with philosophical stubs that remain as open-ended as they are infectious.

Performed live at defining gigs like Knebworth, where an estimated quarter-million fans roared the song back to the band, it holds a sacred place in the setlist, bridging the gap between laddish swagger and communal euphoria.

“Some Might Say” isn’t a song that politely fades into Britpop history—it’s the cigarette burn on its upholstery, accentuated by its confident imperfections.

Featured on the 1995 album “(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?“.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site