10 Most Expensive Music Videos Ever Made

by Jamie Kennedy

1. 'Scream' - Michael & Janet Jackson

Cost: $7m ($11.7m with inflation)

Release: 1995

Michael Jackson began being hounded by child abuse allegations in 1993, and that warped the previously-family friendly singer's career for good. By 1995, he decided to team up with sister Janet and hit back at critics with 'Scream'.

Hit back with a massive $7m production budget that still makes 'Scream' (released as the lead single for Jackson's 'HIStory' album) the single most expensive music video of all time, that is. If adjusted for inflation, the vid would cost $11.7m today. That's enough to make anyone scream, never mind Jacko.

Was it worth it? Well, if you can't get enough of crumbling mid-90s CGI, maybe.

The song is good enough, but the video feels like a waste of everyone's time. It's exclusively monochrome, doesn't really do the heavy theme justice and has some goofy bits - seeing Michael smash vase after vase in the world's worst game of squash is trippy.

What do you think of these super-expensive music vids? For more, check out 10 Things WWE Fans Need To Know About Rob Gronkowski and 10 Wrestlers Who Suffered A Crippling Crisis Of Confidence!

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Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.