The 10 Best ’80s Techno Music Videos with Robot Legs

A countdown of the best ’80s techno music videos that feature dancers with robot legs.

’80s Techno Music Videos

Music videos with robot legs were all the rage in the ’80s. Here are the 10 best of them.

“Robot Rock” by Daft Punk

“Robot Rock” is a song by Daft Punk. The music video features the band members in robot suits dancing with robotic legs. The video was directed by Daft Punk themselves and was inspired by the work of Japanese artist Akira Kurosawa.

“Technologic” by Daft Punk

“Technologic” is a song by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk, released on 30 May 2005 as the fourth single from their second studio album, Human After All. It peaked at number 91 on the UK Singles Chart, number 36 in Australia and number two on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart. The song features a sample of “Technologic” by Egyptian Lover.

The music video was directed by Daft Punk and Thomas Bangalter. It features Daft Punk’s trademark robot costumes, and though it lacks a storytelling plot, various Japanese anime, computer graphics, and video game images are displayed throughout.

“Around the World” by Daft Punk

“Around the World” is a song by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk. The song was written by the duo and released as the second single from their 1997 debut album Homework. A top 10 hit in several countries, it features an enduring hook built around a looped sample of Pharaohmon’s voice saying “around the world” in various languages. The music video was directed by Michel Gondry and contains images of Daft Punk dancing robotically with morphing human legs.

“Music Has the Right to Children” by Boards of Canada

This eerie, nostalgic track by Scottish electronica duo Boards of Canada features a music video with creepy, lurching robot legs that will send a chill down your spine. The ’80s were a golden age for strange and innovative music videos, and this one is definitely one of the best.

“Alive” by Daft Punk

This Daft Punk music video is set in the year 2054 and features the band as robots who come to life and perform for a group of people in a club. The video was directed by Daft Punk themselves and is a great example of ’80s techno music videos with its use of special effects and robot legs.

“Da Funk” by Daft Punk

“Da Funk” is a song by French electronic music duo Daft Punk. It was released as a single on 7 October 1996 and later appeared on their debut album Homework (1997). The song gained popularity after it was featured in the 1996 film Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem.

The music video for “Da Funk” was directed by Spike Jonze and starts with a close-up shot of a city nightscape. In the video, a man (played by Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter) is walking down a street in New York City when he is hit by a wayward dog turd. The man becomes enraged, chases down the dog and kicks it. At this point, the viewer realizes that the man has robot legs.

The rest of the video follows the man as he roams around New York City, ending with him lying on the pavement next to his broken robot legs. Throughout the video, various passers-by offer their assistance or just stare at him in confusion. “Da Funk” received critical acclaim from music critics and is often cited as one of Daft Punk’s best songs.

“Rollin’ and Scratchin'” by Daft Punk

This music video is pretty much what you would expect from a Daft Punk video: a lot of close ups of the artists decked out in their iconic robot helmets while they play their music in a dark, neon-lit room. There are also a lot of shots of people dancing in a club, which makes sense given that this is a techno song. One thing that sets this video apart from other Daft Punk videos, however, is the fact that there are a lot of shots of people with robot legs. This is definitely one of the best ’80s techno music videos with robot legs.

“One More Time” by Daft Punk

“One More Time” is a song by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk, first released as a single on 30 November 2000 and later included in the album Discovery. The song was written by the duo and expanded from an initial four-minute, forty-five-second sample they created while working on their debut album Homework. The sample was later edited and cut down to two minutes and thirty-nine seconds for the single release. “One More Time” features a repeated vocal hook which is manipulated with a vocoder, while its music incorporates house elements with a faster tempo than the disco tracks on Discovery.

The music video for “One More Time” was directed by Roman Coppola and choreographed by Karine Ponties. It features Daft Punk performing in front of a giant projection screen showing footage from Orson Welles’ film Touch of Evil. The video became popular in nightclubs and is credited with helping expand the popularity of electronic dance music. In October 2011, NME placed it at number five on its list of the “150 Best Music Videos of the Century”.

“Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” by Daft Punk

This music video by Daft Punk is an excellent example of ’80s techno music videos with robot legs. The video features the two robots dancing and performing various tasks, all while their legs move in a fast, repetitive manner. This video is sure to get your feet moving and your head nodding along to the beat.

“Robot Rock (Maximum Overdrive)” by Daft Punk

“Robot Rock (Maximum Overdrive)” is a song by Daft Punk. It was released as a single on October 10, 2005, and appears on their second studio album, Human After All. The music video for the song was directed by Daft Punk themselves.

The video features the duo performing in a warehouse with a number of robot legs protruding from the floor. The legs spell out the words “Daft Punk” in morse code. As the song progresses, the legs begin to dance along with the music.

The video was nominated for Best Dance Video at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards, but lost to Madonna’s “Hung Up”.