Every year, I use my love of music videos as an excuse to spend way too much time watching music videos from a decade prior and then making a dumb list of some of my favorites. This is that list! It’s crazy to think that breakthrough years for artists like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry are now a decade behind us. Or that 10 years ago, My Chemical Romance was still going strong with one of the most anticipated rock albums of the year.

Then again, time makes almost no sense these days. Seeing as many of us have plenty of times on our hands, I hope you’ll enjoy this list of some of my favorite music videos from 2010. If you feel so inclined, share some of your favorites in the replies!

Circa Survive – “Imaginary Enemy”

The lead single from Circa Survive’s 2010 masterpiece Blue Sky Noise was “Get Out”, but the most underrated track from the album is “Imaginary Enemy”. The video finds the band members running through dark forests and fields on the wrong side of a witch hunt. That imagery is kind of perfect for where the band found themselves around this time, at least until the end of the video when they’re beamed up into a spaceship. Then again, do we have proof this never happened?

Lady Gaga – “Alejandro”

By 2010, new Lady Gaga videos were appointment viewing, much like Madonna’s artistic dominance on MTV in the 80s. You can pick your poison in terms of the best video from The Fame Monster – I went with “Alejandro” for its sheer weirdness and beauty. Inspired by her admiration and love for her gay friends, the video is full of religious imagery and sexual energy. Was there anything more Gaga in 2010 than an AR-15 assault rifle bra?

Bring Me the Horizon – “It Never Ends”

Oh no! Oli Sykes is in the back of an ambulance barreling down the road, driven by a guy whose eyes are covered! And he’s also kinda floating around down the road like a ghost! And there are vampires? This video is weird, but this song is so good. 2010 saw Bring Me the Horizon make a huge artistic leap forward, spearheaded by “It Never Ends” and its manic video which is constantly trying to capture the energy of one of the year’s most aggressive metalcore tracks.

Pierce the Veil – “Caraphernelia”

The video for Pierce the Veil’s “Caraphernelia” serves as an early entry in the “we’re so consumed by our phones!” narrative. Nevertheless, nothing was quite as scene in 2010 as Vic Fuentes and company playing in front of the giant letters “PTV” set aflame. Cool crossover moment: A Day to Remember’s Jeremy McKinnon contributes his vocals in this video via a pay phone, the same manner in which Vic appears in A Day to Remember’s video for “All I Want”.

Kanye West featuring Jay-Z and Nicki Minaj – “Monster”

Remember back when Kanye was enjoyable and we really liked his music? Ah, those were the days. The video for “Monster” was never officially released, because it’s horror movie images were deemed a bit too far beyond the pale. But the video exists online and it’s…good, albeit very creepy. It’s also fun as hell to watch Nicki Minaj own her portion of the video, capping off the best rap verse of 2010.

A Day to Remember – “All I Want”

What Separates Me from You felt like A Day to Remember’s big moment when it dropped, highlighted by lead single “All I Want” – a signature ADTR track complete with a great breakdown and a killer chorus. The video serves as a scene who’s who, with nearly every band imaginable making an appearance. Ten years later, though, it’s pretty dang weird that it’s all dudes. You couldn’t find a single lady to include, guys? Come on.

Kesha – “Take it Off”

Kesha’s run of singles in 2010 rivals that of a few others on this list who had massive years (Lady Gaga and Katy Perry). While there may have been better Kesha singles, I’ve always been partial to “Take it Off” – a song with two different music videos. In this one, clearly the wildest of the two, Kesha and friends find themselves hitting up a rave in a motel pool, but oh wait, it’s actually on another planet, and oh wait, are they all dissolving into dust? Yes. yes, they are.

Travie McCoy featuring Bruno Mars – “Billionaire”

Y’all. In 2010, Travie McCoy of Gym Class Heroes broke out as a solo artist with one of the biggest hits of the year…featuring Bruno Mars. That was a thing that happened. The video finds the two rolling down the highway in a convertible and hitting up a beach and skate park before landing at a party with some cool kids. Travie may have never become a billionaire (I assume), but he definitely left his mark on 2010.

My Chemical Romance – “Na Na Na”

Was it really 10 years ago that My Chemical Romance began what we thought was their final chapter with Danger Days? This first video really set the tone for the band’s new aesthetic, set in a dystopian future with neon laser guns and bright hair colors. The band’s new look went right along with their new sound, telling the story of the Killjoys, a group of rogue do-gooders who take out some bad guys while saving a kid. For what it’s worth, red-hair Gerard Way looked really cool.

Katy Perry – “Teenage Dream”

Katy Perry dominated the airwaves in 2010 like few other have. Five singles from Teenage Dream hit number one on the charts, making her the first female artist to achieve that feat, and the first artist since Michael Jackson. In the video for the album’s title track, a summer joyride with her beau turns into passion. And then, as is customary, the couple follow it up with a dance party in a weird alley with a group of strangers. When in Rome.

by Kiel Hauck

Kiel Hauck is the editor in chief at It’s All Dead. Over the past decade, he has been a contributor for multiple pop culture outlets and was previously an editor at PopMatters. Kiel currently resides in Indianapolis, IN with his wife, daughter, and their imaginary pet, Hand Dog. You can follow him on Twitter.