Continuing our series (click to view all in the series), we’re ranking the music videos of artists or bands that were created during the height of the MTV music video era. Today we’re looking at the short-lived Australian pop duo of Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones, who you’ll remember as Savage Garden. Savage Garden formed in 1994 and got their first dose of success in 1996 after the release of their single “I Want You.” But, after just two albums, the band would split up by the end of 2001 so Hayes could work on his solo career and Jones could step out of the limelight, which he didn’t enjoy. It’s not clear how much possible drama was going on behind the scenes, but in 2007 Hayes said that he would never work with Jones again unless it would cure cancer. Damn!
We could go on, but let’s get to what you came here for — our ranking of all of Savage Garden’s music videos.
10. Affirmation
It seems like every band has a video like this — a collage of concert footage. These types of videos are honestly just super boring. This is probably fun for the actual bands themselves to watch to give themselves some nostalgia for their live performances, but damn, kinda boring for fans.
9. Universe
This video isn’t on the band’s official YouTube channel, and it’s no wonder why, it’s pretty boring. Darren and Daniel sit on a fancy couch while Darren looks through a viewfinder and Daniel takes pictures with a polaroid camera. These shots are interspersed with shots of random people dancing. Just. What? Sadly, a lot of these videos are pretty underwhelming, so this video is just a harbinger of the rest!
8. Break Me Shake Me
This video features the guys riding in a car, then shots some shorts of some various girls doing random stuff, and then finally the band performing in some desert-looking place interspersed with some random concert footage. The only fun thing about this video is that Darren serves some serious lewks and does some intense jamming.
7. The Animal Song
Apparently this song was featured in the movie The Other Sister, as this music video features shots of the movie throughout. Other than that, the video features the guys at some sort of parade, with Darren walking amongst various performers. This song is actually pretty catchy if you don’t remember it!
6. Hold Me
This video begins with Darren and a girl both walking alone down cold streets. The footage switches to Darren watching sad people cry in a diner as he writes down song lyrics on a napkin. Finally, it shifts to shots of naked people caressing each other, ending up with Darren and the girl from the first shots becoming one of those naked caressing couples. Okay!
5. To The Moon and Back
Though this song is pretty awesome, the video itself is kind of blah. The video features footage of a young person walking around town mixed in with shots of the band playing the song and Darren walking around some museum-looking space. You might think they would go more literal with a song called “To the Moon and Back” or something, but no. In the end, the sad person (honestly not sure if it’s a boy or a girl — was that the point?) finds some people they seem to fit in with? Sure.
4. Truly Madly Deeply
If you watch all of these videos, you’ll notice that many of them feature Darren walking around while singing the song. Does he love walking? Aside from his walking, this video features something of a story with a guy sitting forlornly at a cafe, checking his watch, clearly waiting for someone. Meanwhile, a girl is running around, looking like she’s late — to meet the guy?! Eventually, the two meet up at the end of the video in a random park, and all is apparently well. Great.
3. Crash and Burn
Okay, this video is wacky, which is better than boring, that’s for sure. In many ways, this video reminds you of something like Saw as it’s very dingey and looks to take place in some kind of tiled bathroom. Not only do you have the band performing in this weird space, you also have shots of people as weird animal-hybrid things, including peacocks, flamingos, and lightning bugs. It’s super disconcerting and strange, especially when the song is about being there for someone when they’re having a hard time. Darren even starts signing some of the lyrics at the end. What that has to do with anything is unclear, but at least it’s somewhat entertaining.
2. I Knew I Loved You
What’s this? A celebrity cameo? Indeed, Kirsten Dunst is in this video. This one takes place on a subway, with Darren and Kirsten sitting across from each other as the train goes. Eventually, the train breaks down, and the two finally lock eyes and grab each others’ hands across the aisle. When they touch, suddenly he (or both of them?) see a life together, hanging out in a park. In the end, the subway restarts, they let go, and seem to go their separate ways. Do they ever get together or was it just a vision of what could be? Apparently that’s up to us to decide!
1. I Want You
Funnily enough, their first hit song has their most interesting video. Darren has long, wet hair in this video, and seems to spend most of the video in an optometrist eye checking contraption. Is it supposed to be some futuristic recording device? Meanwhile, Daniel plays the guitar while it’s attached to some kind of metal bar, and also plays the piano. In some other place, a girl watches them play through some strange television, with the signal constantly getting lost. At one point, the POV’s reverse and the guys are watching her sing part of the song. It’s so strange! I really don’t remember this video being so weird, but here we are.
Which is your favorite music video from Savage Garden? Let us know in the comments!
- Technically there is another version of the “I Want You” music video that was recorded solely for Australian markets in 1996. But, the version above is the most widely known, and was released in 1997 for all markets.
- The “Truly Madly Deeply” music video was recorded in Paris, and features some landmarks like the Place de la Concorde, the Jardin des Tuileries, and the Tour Saint-Jacques.
- There are actually three different versions of the “To the Moon and Back” music video — the one we’ve featured above is the most well-known. The other versions feature the guys performing in some kind of space vehicle, and another in a Malibu apartment.
- The “Universe” music video wasn’t released commercially until 2015 when it was included on the DVD component of The Singles compilation.
- The band’s name came from a line in The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice: “Beauty was a Savage Garden”.
- Technically there is another version of the “I Want You” music video that was recorded solely for Australian markets in 1996. But, the version above is the most widely known, and was released in 1997 for all markets.
- The “Truly Madly Deeply” music video was recorded in Paris, and features some landmarks like the Place de la Concorde, the Jardin des Tuileries, and the Tour Saint-Jacques.
- There are actually three different versions of the “To the Moon and Back” music video — the one we’ve featured above is the most well-known. The other versions feature the guys performing in some kind of space vehicle, and another in a Malibu apartment.
- The “Universe” music video wasn’t released commercially until 2015 when it was included on the DVD component of The Singles compilation.
- The band’s name came from a line in The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice: “Beauty was a Savage Garden”.
