The Most Embarrassing Music Videos Ever: Heavy Metal Edition

We all know that heavy metal is full of over-the-top antics and bizarre behavior. But sometimes, things can go too far. Here are some of the most embarrassing music videos ever made by heavy metal bands.

Winger – “Seventeen”

With a concept that includes fully-clothed guys frolicking in fields and playing with puppies (intercut with shots of the band members looking serious and rocking out), Winger’s video for “Seventeen” is pretty much the opposite of what you’d expect from a heavy metal band. It’s so sugary sweet that it’s almost painful to watch, and the hair! Good lord, the hair.

Skid Row – “Monkey Business”

There are a lot of bad music videos out there. But there are few that are as unintentionally hilarious as Skid Row’s “Monkey Business.” It starts with a close-up of singer Sebastian Bach eating a banana while the rest of the band stares at him intently. And it only gets weirder from there.

The video features the band members dressed in monkey suits, jumping around and acting like, well, monkeys. There’s also a random break in the middle for a performance by acrobats. It’s all very strange, and not in a good way.

Bon Jovi – “Keep the Faith”

Released in 1992, “Keep the Faith” was Bon Jovi’s first music video in five years. The video features the band performing in a New York City nightclub, with then-unknown actress Alicia Silverstone dancing in the crowd. The video was panned by critics, who called it “clunky” and “dated.”

KISS – “God of Thunder”

In this music video, the members of KISS don heavy metal armor and then proceed to shred on their guitars in front of a live audience. The whole thing is pretty ridiculous, but it’s made even funnier by the fact that they’re all wearing full makeup.

Def Leppard – “Let’s Get Rocked”

This 1992 music video from Def Leppard is one of the most embarrassing ever made by a heavy metal band. The video features the band members dressed up in ridiculous costumes, lip syncing to the song while playing with toy instruments. It’s clear that the band was trying to be funny, but the end result is just cringeworthy.

Guns N’ Roses – “Sympathy for the Devil”

This is a song about the Devil, so it’s only fitting that the video features Slash walking around with giant Satan horns on his head. That’s not even the most ridiculous part, though – the whole thing is intercut with footage from a Roller Derby match. We’re not sure how that’s supposed to fit in, but it’s just another layer of weirdness on top of an already pretty strange video.

Metallica – “I Disappear”

The music video for “I Disappear” was released in May 2000 and was directed by Wayne Isham. The video features the band performing in a desert setting with special effects used to create the illusion of the band members being invisible. The video was criticized for its use of computer-generated imagery and was nominated for two awards at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards.

Megadeth – “Symphony of Destruction”

Embarrassing? No. Hilarious? Absolutely. This video is the result of some Dave Mustaine-directed late night tomfoolery, as the band parodies Michael Jackson’s “Black or White” video. The concept is as follows: The world is scheduled to end at the stroke of midnight, and it’s up to Megadeth to make sure everyone rocks as hard as possible before the big day. So they set up shop in a dreary cityscape and proceed to thrash the living hell out of their instruments while a bevy of attractive ladies in various states of undress jump around and make devil horns with their hands. There’s even a sweet guitar solo at the 1:30 mark, in case you were worried this was all just a joke.

Ozzy Osbourne – “Mama, I’m Coming Home”

The video for Ozzy Osbourne’s “Mama, I’m Coming Home” is embarrassing for a number of reasons. First, it features Ozzy in full drag, complete with blonde wig, falsies, and red lipstick. He also uses some pretty strange facial expressions throughout the video.

But the most embarrassing moment comes at the end, when Ozzy blows a kiss to the camera and says, “I love you, Mama.” We’re not sure if he’s trying to be sweet or seductive, but it’s definitely cringe-worthy.

Pantera – “5 Minutes Alone”

There are a lot of things that metalheads take seriously – their music, their fashion sense, and most importantly, their image. That’s why it’s so odd to see a band like Pantera stooping to the level of making a low-budget music video like “5 Minutes Alone.”

The video consists of the band performing in what looks like an abandoned warehouse, with post-production effects that make it look like they’re playing in front of a green screen. The whole thing is so cheap and hokey that it’s hard to take it seriously.

It’s not just the budget-friendly production values that make this video embarrassing – it’s also the fact that Pantera looks completely out of place in the setting. They’re wearing their typical stage clothes (leather jackets, jeans, and boots), but they just look out of place in the grungy surroundings.

It’s hard to believe that this video was made by the same band that delivered such visual masterpieces as “Walk” and “ Cowboys From Hell.” This is one metal video that would be best forgotten.