Creator life · Music videos

Music Videos That Shaped Me

Janet, Planet Janet TV
By Janet
October 16, 2026 · 8 min read
Stills from the music videos for Stacy's Mom, Umbrella, Party in the U.S.A., Overprotected (The Darkchild Remix), So Yesterday and Crush
Stills from the official music videos.

From watching MTV on my little purple TV to working alongside the director behind so many of my favorite music videos.

When I was little, I had this little purple TV in my bedroom.

My mom thought MTV was blocked on our bedroom TVs.

It wasn’t.

And I would wake up SO early just to watch music videos. I could watch the same ones over and over and over again.

But I wasn’t just watching them for the music. I was fascinated by the stories they told. The concepts, the sets, the camera angles, the way everything came together to create this whole little world in just a few minutes.

To me, they were mini movies.

I loved when a music video had an actual storyline, when there were characters, when something unexpected happened, or when you could watch it ten times and notice something new.

And looking back now, I realize I was watching them through the eyes of a storyteller. A director. A producer.

I just didn’t know that’s what I was doing yet.

Fast-forward to today, and I get to work with artists, directors, choreographers, and some of the most talented creative people in the industry. I get to be part of bringing these little worlds to life, from the initial creative conversations to actually standing on set watching an idea become something real.

And one of the people I now get to work side by side with is Chris Applebaum.

Which is pretty incredible when I think about it.

Because Chris directed SO many of the music videos I grew up watching on that little purple TV.

Not just one or two. So many.

And when I started putting together this list of his videos, it really hit me just how much of my childhood and teenage years was shaped by his work.

The Music Videos

Stacy’s Mom by Fountains of Wayne (2003)

The pool. Rachel Hunter. The whole storyline.

This is exactly what I’m talking about when I say music videos were mini movies. There’s a whole story happening, with characters and comedy and an ending. You weren’t just listening to a song, you were watching something unfold.

And that iconic backyard pool scene? Come on.

Umbrella by Rihanna (2007)

The silver Rihanna.

I don’t think there’s anyone who watched music videos during this era who doesn’t immediately picture that shot.

Everything about this video is so visually strong. The lighting, the choreography, the silhouettes, the contrast between scenes.

It’s one of those videos where you could pause it at practically any moment and have an incredible photograph.

Party in the U.S.A. by Miley Cyrus (2009)

The drive-in movie theater, the car, the whole Grease-inspired world.

I’ve always loved when music videos draw inspiration from movies and different eras. There’s something about creating an entire atmosphere around a song that makes it feel so much bigger.

And this one is just fun.

Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield (2005)

I loved the elevator concept in this video.

Every time the doors open, you’re in a different world, with different people and a different experience happening.

It’s such a creative way to tell a story without needing a traditional plot.

And the song still makes me feel like anything is possible.

Closing Time by Semisonic (1998)

This one is SO clever.

The split screen, the two different perspectives, the way you’re following separate stories that keep almost connecting.

I love this kind of storytelling. One simple creative concept that carries an entire video.

It’s one of those ideas that makes you wish you’d thought of it yourself.

So Yesterday by Hilary Duff (2003)

The orange T-shirt!

I love that this isn’t just a video of Hilary singing about a breakup. There’s an actual storyline, and it’s funny and playful.

It’s so perfectly early 2000s.

And I love how something as simple as a T-shirt becomes the whole running joke of the video.

I Love Rock ’n’ Roll by Britney Spears (2002)

The giant speakers, the band, the black-and-white shots mixed with color.

This whole era of Britney was iconic.

I loved how big everything felt. The styling, the attitude, the performance. Even when a video was built around a performance rather than a storyline, it still created its own world.

And of course, this was the Crossroads era.

Stars Are Blind by Paris Hilton (2006)

Everything about this video just feels like summer in Malibu.

The beach, the styling, the whole dreamy, glamorous atmosphere.

Sometimes a music video doesn’t need an elaborate storyline. It just needs to create a feeling.

And this one definitely does.

Potential Breakup Song by Aly & AJ (2007)

The gray sets, the DJ equipment, the styling.

What I love about this one is how much visual identity they created with such a simple environment.

It’s a good reminder that you don’t always need a million locations or a huge production to make something memorable.

Sometimes it’s all about the concept and how you execute it.

Overprotected (The Darkchild Remix) by Britney Spears (2002)

Specifically the Darkchild Remix video.

Britney and her friends sneaking out of the hotel, tricking the bodyguard, dancing through the lobby, and ending up dancing in the rain.

I loved this one.

There’s a whole storyline that leads into these incredible dance sequences. It feels like you’re watching a scene from a movie that just happens to be set to a Britney Spears song.

Come Back to Me by Vanessa Hudgens (2006)

The chandeliers. The glowing red stage.

Such a Disney Channel era memory.

I love how the lighting and the different sets give the video its own personality.

And looking back, I appreciate how much creative thought went into building those environments.

I Wanna Be Bad by Willa Ford (2001)

Please tell me someone else remembers this video.

The nightclub, the DJ, the police car.

It’s dramatic, funny, and completely early 2000s.

This is another one of those videos that really commits to its storyline, and I love that.

Crush by Mandy Moore (2001)

The different rooms, the colors, the styling.

I always loved music videos that moved between different environments, where each space had its own look and feeling.

It’s almost like walking through a collection of little movie sets.

The Impression That I Get by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (1997)

The black suits against the all-white background.

Such a simple but memorable visual.

And I think that’s what makes this one so good. There’s nothing overly complicated about it, just a really strong creative direction.

Sometimes one great idea is all you need.

The Man Behind the Music Videos

Every single one of those videos was directed by Chris Applebaum.

From the Mighty Mighty Bosstones in 1997 to Britney Spears, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, Hilary Duff, Paris Hilton, Mandy Moore, and so many more.

And this list doesn’t even scratch the surface.

He also directed:

And SO many more.

When you look at all these videos together, what’s incredible is how different they are.

Some are funny. Some are cinematic. Some are glamorous. Some are built around choreography or performance, and others tell complete stories.

Different artists, different genres, different eras.

And yet, the same creative mind behind all of them.

From Watching the Videos to Making Them

Here’s the part that really means something to me.

I get to work with Chris now.

Not just meet him or visit a set. Actually work alongside him. Collaborate, contribute ideas, help produce, and learn from someone who has spent decades creating some of the most memorable music videos in pop culture.

And it’s pretty incredible.

I get to see how he thinks through an idea, how he approaches a shot, how all the different elements come together. The things that happen before anyone ever steps in front of the camera, and all the little decisions that turn a concept into a finished video.

And I get to bring my own creative perspective into that process, too.

Which is probably my favorite part.

Because if you could go back and tell little me, sitting in my bedroom watching MTV on that purple TV, that one day I’d be working side by side with the director of so many of the videos I couldn’t stop watching…

I don’t even know what I would’ve said.

I probably would’ve asked if that meant I could meet Britney Spears.

But really, there’s something so special about realizing that all those hours spent watching music videos weren’t just hours spent in front of a television.

I was paying attention.

I was learning about storytelling, even if I didn’t have the vocabulary for it yet. I was noticing how certain creative choices made something memorable, how you could tell a story without dialogue, and how an entire world could exist within a three-minute song.

And now I get to use those instincts in my own work.

I’m still learning. Every production, every artist, every director, every new project teaches me something.

And getting to learn from people whose work inspired me growing up is something I don’t take for granted.

What’s funny is that I still get just as excited about music videos as I did back then.

I still love a good concept. I still get excited about building a set, finding the perfect location, coming up with a creative way to tell a story, or seeing a shot come together exactly how we imagined it.

And I still watch music videos over and over again.

Only now, sometimes, I get to be part of making them.

I think little me with the purple TV would be pretty excited about that.

And maybe a little relieved that Mom never figured out MTV wasn’t actually blocked.

Now I want to know, which of these music videos could you watch over and over again?

And what music videos made you fall in love with the art of making them?

Janet

Janet

Florida mom and the creator behind Planet Janet TV. I share beauty, wellness, family life, and the places I go. Come say hi on Instagram.

Director credits, years and video details checked October 16, 2026 against Chris Applebaum’s IMVDb page and each song’s Wikipedia page.