If you're talking music videos in 2007, quantity was not an issue. Label-underwritten clips were just the tip of the iceberg. Bands sponsored contests, and dozens of videos would be made for a single song. Fans would make their own pieces, without being asked, just for kicks. Singers were filmed walking through Paris and riding in a cab and standing on a balcony. Not to mention the army of fans with small portable cameras, preserving surprising show moments and spontaneous performances.

So finding the best of these took some serious sifting. And yet, in a way, it was also easy. An interesting video makes itself known. Whether it's by patiently telling a drawn-out story (DJ Mehdi's "Signatune"), putting a surprising twist on a tired form (Justice's appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live"), getting over on sheer force of personality (Jay-Z: "Roc Boys [And the Winner Is]"), or being just gloriously messed up (Black Dice' "Kokomo" and Lyapis Trubetskoy's "Capital"), these videos immediately jumped to the front of a very long line, demanded our attention, and stayed with us. (Sadly, one of our favorites, the homemade animatronic Showtime Pizza band performance of Huey's "Pop, Lock and Drop It (Remix)" is no longer publically available.) Here they are, in alphabetical order.

Animal Collective: "Peacebone"
Directed by Timothy Saccenti