The 10 Worst Music Videos of 2015

One fan’s trash may be another’s treasure, but when it comes to music videos, even our favorite songs can be ruined by awkward acting, poor production, derivative themes, dorky dance moves, or simply dreadful ideas. In 2015, we saw all of the above and then some, often by big stars, which meant that in many cases the worst were also the most popular. But were they so bad they were good or just bad period? You be the judge.

10. Rihanna, Paul McCartney & Kanye West, “FourFiveSeconds”

They were clearly going for a stark, serious feel for this acoustic mega-collab, but this black-and-white washout was a disservice to everyone involved, turning a somewhat interesting track and opportunity for crossover into a cheesy, over-acted denim disaster. It’s hard to make Rihanna look bad, but the stylist here did it; she’s a bulky, near-boob-baring mess, complete with greasy hair and Vaseline’d eyelids. Kanye comes off as struggling for attention throughout (no surprise), and Sir Paul just looks lost. It took a little more than four-five seconds to know we never need to watch this awfulness ever again.

9. David Guetta, “Hey Mama”

Guetta has become somewhat of a joke in dance music thanks to alleged fake-DJing live at clubs and stealing art from Burning Man for a live performance of this track. And yet, this was one of the biggest hits of the year. However, this one doesn’t live up to the vibrancy of the song at all. The drab, sepiatone Mad Max homage also seeks to evoke a Burner feel via desert steam-punk fashion, and maybe even the Coachella festival, with a weird, glitchy hologram of Minaj. Lacking the energy and excitement of this year’s Fury Road, this one stalled by comparison. Lucky for Guetta, that didn’t stop it from getting a ludicrous 500 million hits on YouTube.

8. J Cole, “G.O.M.D.”

Depicting a slave uprising on a Southern plantation, J. Cole’s video for “G.O.M.D.” isn’t bad in of itself. The production is decent and the acting, though not on Roots level, is believable. The problem with this one is the song itself. G.O.M.D., which is an acronym for “Get Off MY D—,” isn’t about racism, oppression, or unity, as depicted in the clip – it’s a vehicle for the usual rapper bravado, referencing “bitches” and “n—-s” who block his shine. Lyrically and sonically, this is just the wrong song for this message.

7. Father, “Everybody in the Club Getting Shot”

The mainstream has yet to get turned on to Atlanta’s Awful Records, but for underground hip-hop fans their edgy roster has won a loyal niche following. Referencing J-Kwon’s “Tipsy” this shameless dance floor joint, Father glorifies guns, objectifies young girls (and little people), and uses way too much Pepto-Bismol pink throughout. From beginning to the bloody end, this one ain’t pretty in the least.

6. Martti Sewell, “Let the Sun Shine”

Vice called it “the worst video of all time,” and that makes for a great headline, but it’s not that bad. Still, this low-budget rap jam does deserve mention as a 2015 stinker thanks to bad angles, disinterested dancers, most notably, an overcast look to the whole thing that, ironically, leaves little room for the artist to shine.

5. Eden xo, “The Weekend”

We expected a fluffy, femme-y video for this saccharine sweet dance jam but this one takes the tired “squad goals” idea established by Taylor Swift and her girls, a bit too far, depicting Disney princesses as party girls out to get loaded and scam on boys. OK, the concept isn’t entirely uninteresting, but truth be told, it’s just not very well done here. Swift- or Perry-level budgets might be another story and make for a happier ending, too.

4. PSY, “Daddy”

A pathetic attempt to recreate the success of “Gangnam Style,” this ode to dad bods is colorful and slick, but it’s also creepy, bringing to mind that weird “My Idol” app that everyone loaded onto their phones this year. Like the app, PSY’s head is seen on an array of weird ill-fitting bodies, all of which dance around badly and make his Gangnam moves look like transcendent choreography. It’s all pretty watchable – once – but view it more than that and its pretty clear this daddy was way too desperate for another YouTube hit.

3. Britney Spears and Iggy Azalea, “Pretty Girls”

If one mini-movie failed to reach its potential this year when it came to bodacious beauty shots and pure poptastic video bliss, it was this awful affair inspired by the campy ‘80s cult movie Earth Girls Are Easy. Both Britney and Iggy have proven themselves video queens in the past, so we’re not sure what happened here, but the terrible styling is a start. These looks are '80s, al right – '80s don’ts! Maybe Brit herself (who’s never really been known for her fashions sense) had a hand? The concept was cute, but hamming and glamming it up at the same time isn’t actually that easy, for earth girls or pop stars, apparently.

2. Miley Cyrus, “BB Talk”

Cyrus just released this month, but this bizarre contender from her experimental project with the Flaming Lips, Miley Cyrus & her Dead Petz, earns a spot here thanks to its creepy costumes and concept, which seem tailor-made for the baby-fetishist crowd or worse, Web-surfing pedophiles. Miley wears a diaper here, folks, and poses in it crotch-front-and-center, a lot. There’s also a baby bonnet, a thigh-baring leotard, pigtails (worn inside a crib), a giant baby bottle (used as a bong) and… just watch it if you haven’t yet. What did we expect from a ditty with a chorus like “F— me till you stop baby talkin,” right? (Video below contains profanity, of course.)

1. Tyga, “Doped Up”

In an obvious bid for Web hits, Tyga released two videos featuring his nubile reality TV star girlfriend at the time, Kylie Jenner, this year. The sex-charged “Stimulated” got the most attention for obvious reasons, and it was dismal in a late-night Cinemax-ish kind of way. But the video for “Doped Up,” which also features the lip-enhanced dear in headlights, is guilty of a far bigger offense: attempting to rip off (OK, maybe “pay homage,” but still) one of the biggest and best music videos of all time… and failing miserably. Tyga’s no Michael Jackson, and this is no “Thriller.” Even with animation and references to other horror fare like American Horror Story and Walking Dead, this one’s a total gross-out nightmare, and not in the way it was intended.