slipknot, king princess, awsten knight dewayne, ozzy osbourne
[Photos via: Slipknot/Spotify, King Princess, DE'Wayne and Awsten Knight/YouTube, Ozzy Osbourne/YouTube]

10 music videos where artists completely destroyed the set

Chaos and destruction have been a theme in punk and alternative music since the dawn of the genres.

From old-school guitar smashing to intense moshing, punks love to destroy stuff to blow off some steam. The music has always been a gritty, realistic view of the world, including its darkest parts, which leads way to visuals of violence and chaos.

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Outside of live performances, many musicians have taken the theme of demolition and made it central to some of their videos. And it definitely isn’t new—’90s grunge bands started smashing guitars in the same way alt-pop sensations do today. And many artists in between have utilized their videos to have some cathartic fun, even if it involves breaking shit once in a while.

Here are 10 music videos where the set gets destroyed. Because what’s punk rock without a little anarchy?

“Perfume” – DE’WAYNE (feat. Awsten Knight)


DE’WAYNE and Awsten Knight blow off some steam in the “Perfume” video by smashing TVs, throwing paintballs and falling off skateboards. It’s good old-fashioned fun, even if it makes a mess, and was a fitting video for the energetic and highly anticipated collab. 

“Control” – Mannequin Pussy


Mannequin Pussy‘s entire M.O. is causing chaos, so naturally, it translates to their music videos. Their most recent video for “Control” features Marisa Dabice destroying a random bedroom in the middle of nowhere. She goes at it with a sword, a bat and eventually a match to leave nothing behind in this powerful video.

“Duality” – Slipknot


Even though Slipknot wore masks before coronavirus spread rapidly, this video is the antithesis of social distancing. The band perform in a wild house show packed with fans. The music soundtracks total destruction, with fans ripping the chandelier from the ceiling, falling through the floor and literally tearing the house down.

“Up All Night” – blink-182


blink-182 love to include destruction in their videos, and the “Up All Night” visual is probably the most extreme version of that. The video centers around an insane house party, which takes place in a suburban neighborhood. Everything is on fire, people are skateboarding and wrecking furniture in a house and someone drives a car into anything and everything they possibly can.

“Still Waiting” – Sum 41


Sum 41 also know how to throw a good party in their music videos, which often contain plenty of plot and hilarious moments. The video for “Still Waiting” starts with a record company exec trying to get the band to change their name. They end up performing with their “new moniker” in huge lights and let out their frustration by smashing their gear and the entire set to smithereens.

“You Know You’re Right” – Nirvana

Of course the foundational grunge band Nirvana smashed guitars back in the ’90s—not doing so would just be a crime. The video for “You Know You’re Right” is a montage of their past live performances. It features the band smashing their gear, stomping on amps and making their presence known.

“Straight To Hell” – Ozzy Osbourne


Ozzy Osbourne‘s video for “Straight To Hell” is an all-out riot. Osbourne passionately sings the song on a bench while total chaos ensues around him—including tear gas, riot police, explosions and more.

“Heavydirtysoul” – twenty one pilots

twenty one pilots are known for setting a car or two on fire in their videos, such as in “Heavydirtysoul.” First, Josh Dun‘s drumkit catches on fire, which leads to a car burning to a complete crisp.

“New World” – Tom DeLonge 


Tom DeLonge takes out his anger on his gear in the video for “New World.” He smashes a TV, breaks all of his instruments, and even takes a sledgehammer to a piano.

“Ohio” – King Princess


King Princess‘ video for “Ohio” features a truly punk-rock live performance. In this chaotic video, the artist destroys a guitar by crashing it into a drumset, jumping on top of it and throwing it around.

See more: 16 memorable band photos

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