10 Best Music Videos Of The 90s
6. Smack My B**ch Up - The Prodigy
Released in 1997, Smack My B**ch Up remains The Prodigy's most controversial single and indeed one of the most controversial songs ever released. Band member Liam Howlett said that the decision to make the video was a response to the fact that they knew many radio stations would never play the song, so why not make a video that no one would screen?
The music video infamously depicts drinking and driving, snorting cocaine, violence, vomiting, vandalism, nudity and sex, with the longer, uncut version including heroin use, a hit and run, male abuse, female abuse and a full sex scene. MTV was always going to have an issue with this one.
They initially screened a shortened version, late at night. However, the video was quickly pulled from circulation after dozens of protests were staged about the video, particularly from the US National Organisation of Women, citing the video as encouraging violence against women.
That the first -person viewpoint is revealed to be that of a woman at the end is of little consequence to Howlett. He describes the night out depicted in the video as an example of nights out that many people have experienced, though not many want to view. The video was banned and remained unplayed on MTV until it was aired, in its full edited version, on their Most Controversial Videos special.
While tough to watch, it was an example of music videos pushing the boundaries of what was acceptable or not. Its legacy is that it has remained one of the most talked about videos for over twenty years.