We’ll be the first to say it: 2010 was not the best year for music videos. It seemed the overarching theme throughout the clips bubbling up this year was the re-appropriation of old footage, edited as the director/artist saw fit. And that’s all well and good, but it certainly doesn’t make us go ‘Wow!’ The videos on our 2010 favorites list were made of authentic, inspiring, funny, touching, grotesque, strange, and beautiful pictures, and were apparently born of truly original ideas. We may not be nearly as into the music accompanying the pieces (personally, we thought “Drunk Girls” was one of the worst songs this year), but that’s not what this is all about, now is it?

10. Gatekeeper “Chains”

9. Rainbow Arabia “Holiday in Congo”

8. Flying Lotus “Kill Your Co-Workers”

7. HEALTH “We Are Water”

6. Caribou “Sun”

5. Chromeo “Hot Mess”

4. James Blake “Limit to Your Love”

3. LCD Soundsystem “Drunk Girls”

2. Hot Chip “I Feel Better”

1. El Guincho “Bombay”