Once upon a time, TV was considered the inferior version of film – less classy, less cultured, and altogether just not as good. Nowadays, that perception has changed, and we saw the tide of good quality TV turning when it became acceptable for legitimate movie stars to make the move to the small screen. It seems that the same phenomenon could be happening to music video, with the last ten or twenty years giving us a few examples of some genuine stars appearing in clips. And yes, I’m aware my penchant for listicles is turning this blog into a Buzzfeed for music video but I’m OK with that!

1. Fatboy Slim’s Weapon of Choice starring Christopher Walken

Christopher Walken is one of the most highly-regarded actors of our time, making it all the more hilarious to see him prancing about a hotel lobby. This video has gone down in history as one of the greatest cameos of all time and it still stands up today.

2. Ed Sheeran’s Lego House starring Rupert Grint

Proving once and for all that all gingers look alike, this creepy-but-kinda-sweet video from Ed Sheeran features fellow redhead Rupert Grint as a Sheeran fan who uses his physical similarity to the star to enhance his fanboy experience. Grint does an excellent job of toeing the fine line between humour and sweetness in this clip, appealing not just to his extensive Harry Potter fanbase but to your regular Ed Sheeran aficionado.

3. Mumford & Sons’ Hopeless Wanderer starring Ed Helms, Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Will Forte

This brilliant music video was brought to my attention by classmate Ella, who did her project brief two presentation on it. Having already set a precedent for star cameos with their previous video Lover of the Light, which featured British heartthrob Idris Elba, Mumford & Sons here create the ultimate self-parody by casting four well-known funnymen as themselves. The video lovingly mocks Mumford & Sons’ American vintage aesthetic and slowly builds to a ridiculous climax of instrument-bashing and intense bromance.

4. Weird Al’s Tacky starring Jack Black, Eric Stonestreet, Kristen Schaal, Margaret Cho, and Aisha Tyler

It’s a testament to Weird Al’s comic genius that when he puts out the call other comedians flock to get involved in his work. His brilliant parody of Pharrell Williams’ Happy stars a slew of recognisable comedians all doing their best to dance like fools and be as ‘tacky’ as possible. In the realm of Hopeless Wanderer, the comedic ensemble works fantastically to make a funny idea even funnier in practice.

5. Sia’s Elastic Heart starring Maddie Zeigler and Shia Labeouf

Let’s be honest: if a Sia video wasn’t completely out there we’d be disappointed. Having said that, this video certainly caused its fair share of controversy. Sia had already established a working relationship with pint-sized performer and Dance Moms star Maddie Zeigler, but the addition of eccentric actor Shia Lebeouf raised eyebrows as many found the video somewhat predatory and inappropriate. Personally, I think that’s reading too much into what is essentially a well-choreographed dance routine between an adult and a child, but I can understand why the video’s bleak tone might put people off.

Honourable mention: Carly Rae Jepsen’s I Really Like You starring Tom Hanks

You’ve got to hand it to Hanks for making a right fool of himself in this video. The video is just as annoying as the song but somehow it just works and I do get a few laughs out of it.