Ten Stunning Fan-Made Music Videos

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Back in the hale 1990s, when MTV and VH-1 played less music videos than they once did but still more than they play today, names like Michel Gondry, Spike Jonze and Dayton/Faris were synonymous with glorious, three-to-four-minute masterpieces set to song. These days, those directors have moved on to bigger screens, but their legacy lives on—if not in pockets like Subterranean and mtvU then definitely online, where the work of professionals and amateurs alike have near-equal standing on sites like YouTube and Vimeo. So eat your heart out, McG—here are ten stunning fan-made music videos. Have a favorite not listed here? Leave a link in the comments.

The Decemberists’ “The Rake Song,” by students at St. Martin’s College of Art (London)
Bonus points for their literal interpretation of the line “until her womb started spilling out babies.”

Death Cab for Cutie’s “Little Bribes,” by Ross Ching
Absolutely brilliant, and weirdly life affirming.

Phoenix’s “Lisztomania,” by thepinkbismuth
A fitting tribute to the band, the movie, and the video that first mashed up the two.

Grizzly Bear’s “Two Weeks,” by Gabe Askew
When gathering suggestions for this list, this was the one most often mentioned. Mindblowingly, the Internet may very well love this video even more than it loves Grizzly Bear.

Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the ”caps">USA," by nycfudge
No matter what you think of the teen diva and her most recent hit, you have to admit that these guys probably had more fun making this one video than you did all summer long.