5. The Sound
Now, before I even get onto the actual videos, I am going to briefly mention the importance of 'Thriller' and 'Bad Romance' as SONGS. While it's no secret that a pop star's song doesn't have to be Grammy-material to be a hit I, at least, think it has to have a certain something to make it, and its video, memorable. It could simply be catchy (Carly Rae Jepson's Call Me Maybe), funny (The Proclaimers' 500 Miles) or just plain terrible (Rebecca Black's Friday). Whilst these songs may have held a certain type of cache at one point or another, they aren't exactly the show-stopping media events that will stick in the minds of music lovers for decades to come. Now there are plenty of songs that are loved, the world over, and also many videos which are adored but I, honestly, believe there are very few example of a great song that also has a great video. Seldom will we see a song and a video which are a perfect pop culture compliment and have the potential to elevate the significance of each other. Now, in terms of the music, there have been a plethora of rumours concerned with how Thriller was recorded; mics were apparently attached to creaky door hinges; the producer locked his Great Dane in a room to try and get it to howl and, even, that the backing vocals were recording in the bathroom in order to achieve the right acoustics. The production techniques behind the video have become wrapped with a veil of mystique.
Regardless, it is fair to say that Thriller was a experimental video through and through, sound and image alike. Most notable was the involvement of Vincent Price, an actor known for his distinctive horror-movie voice, and his sinister monologue in the video. Thriller itself is actually a mid-tempo, funk song but the inclusion of sound effects into a music video was practically unheard of at the time, especially ones which denoted a specific movie-like theme (horror, in this case). Whilst by 2009, sound effects were nothing extraordinary and are ubiquitous in music videos, Bad Romance can be credited with being a bit more inventive than your average run of the mill venture. Inspired by Gaga's time touring in Eastern Europe, Bad Romance is a foot-stopping dance anthem with strong European house and techno influences. Much like Thriller it has been credited as experimental and a departure from the mainstream sound of the time. Gaga herself is often credited for reintroducing dance-pop sounds back into the pop music sphere, which had become hip-hop and R&B heavy.