Earlier this week, PUP dropped a new tune, "Anaphylaxis," and an accompanying music video, which had us thinking — damn, PUP have put out a lot of great music videos over the years! From enrolling in demolition derbies to plenty of gratuitous blood, guts and violence to a rich, ever-expanding mythological world, the Toronto quartet put as much care to each clip as they do to their hook-crammed pop-punk tunes. Since all we can do right now is watch their clips over and over and over again, here's our rankings of every single PUP music video.
16. "My Shadow" (Jay Reatard cover) (2014)
It's a simple, black-and-white performance video of a cover song. Look, all these videos are great but something's gotta come in last.
15. "Back Against the Wall" (2015)
Same deal as "My Shadow," but bonus points for being an original (and for the ketchup costume).
14. "Morbid Stuff" (2019)
Another live video, but this one features footage shot by fans from the crowd which best captures what it's like to be in the pit during PUP's massive, intense live shows. The real question is, when will they release the orchestral version of the track that soundtracks the video's intro?
13. "Free at Last" (2019)
The band made the lyrics and chords to their single "Free at Last" available before they released the song, and challenged their fans to create their own renditions of the tune before having heard it. The result is a sweet and creative showcase of the band's dedicated fan base, with plenty of shenanigans courtesy of the PUP lads.
12. "If This Tour Doesn't Kill You, I Will" (2016)
The PUP lads resolve their intraband tension by (how else?) beating the shit out of each other, and are forced to deal with the repercussions of their actions while held captive in a hospital in this short but sweet (and impressively gruesome) clip.
11. "Anaphylaxis" (2020)
The band's latest video might be their outright funniest, as a young boy is terrorized by a swarm of bees after he accidentally(?) whacks their nest. Remember Grizzly Bear's trippy-ass claymation video for "Ready, Able"? This is like that video's snotty younger brother.
10. "Lionheart" (2014)
PUP couldn't just shoot a party video — they had to throw the best house party ever captured to tape and do it in one take. It's quite the rager: There's a game of Edward Fortyhands, strobe lights, an R/C helicopter, a passed-out dude turned into a TP mummy, keg stands, a castle made of beer cans, sparklers, a dude who hogs all the pizza and that couple that won't stop making out. It might make you anxious if you're watching while physically distancing, though (as if the live footage wasn't bad enough).
9. "Mabu" (2014)
The Babcock family car, the song's namesake, gets a fitting sendoff in a demolition derby. It's a simple, sweet and hilarious video that serves more as a funeral to Stefan's beloved Camry than a standard music video, but few things beat the sight of watching Stefan gleefully ramming into his competitors (the band bashing in the car windows is a close second).
8. "Sibling Rivalry" (2019)
Stefan's been sharing his comics and drawings on Instagram over the past few years, and this clip levels up his stick figure drawings with Martin MacPherson's clever animated pamphlets, as the story of Stefan and his sister's road trip turns into a heartwarming ode to the bonds between siblings both familial and otherwise (if only to not exclude only child Steve).
7. "Reservoir" (2013)
The band's first music video already nails their flare for fun storytelling, gory humour and uplifting endings while capturing the intimate, violent intensity of their live sets, as a typical PUP set quickly devolves into a violent, bloody disaster. Bonus points for the cameo by legendary Toronto promoter Dan Burke.
6. "Dark Days" (2015)
PUP typically use music videos to escape their reality, but this animated clip best captures the stark truths of PUP's relentless touring schedule. The video's unsparing depiction of all the lows — sparsely attended shows, fights, crashes, ill-advised drug trips, miscommunications — will have you exhaling with relief during the highs.
5. "Kids" (2019)
After two videos about the band's fictional pasts (we'll get to those soon), the band peek into the future to find Nestor as an exasperated parent of a rebellious teen, Zack on the streets, Steve as a Mugatu-esque fashion impressario and Stefan having mysteriously disappeared. With so many Easter eggs and heartwarming little details (Nestor naming his child after his bandmates? Adorable!), it's a love letter to the band's rich mythology.
4. "Guilt Trip" (2014)
Yes, it's the video that helped launch the career of the new face of '80s nostalgia, but Finn Wolfhard is just one part of a stellar ensemble cast. Beyond the loving tribute to Stand by Me and expertly cast teen stars lies a touching story of young friendship and a riveting narrative bolstered by heart-pounding action sequences. It was the first major example of how PUP used narratives to heighten their music videos from visual delights into cinematic storytelling.
3. "DVP" (2016)
Easily the greatest lyric video ever created, featuring pixel-perfect renditions of the world's most iconic video games, soundtracked by PUP's most critically acclaimed song. It's less cerebral than the band's standard fare, but who gives a shit? It's just as fun, high-octane and deceptively thoughtful as the song it's set to.
2. "Sleep In the Heat" (2016)
The rare sequel that's better than the original, this "Guilt Trip" follow-up foists the spotlight firmly on Finn Wolfhard — fresh off his star-making turn on the first season of Stranger Things — as he bonds with a dog and (spoiler alert) tragically has to put him down. C'mon, it was supposed to be a lighthearted music video about a boy and his companion, why'd I need to get the tissues out?
1. "Old Wounds" (2017)
This is no mere music video: It's a choose-your-own-adventure video game where you play the band's tour manager trying to guide the band's members through one wild night. It's got endless replay value, tons of little details crammed in each frame and expertly tracked concurrent narratives. It transcends the medium itself.
Full disclosure: I don't have the patience to have ever seen it through to completion, but I've tried it a handful of times over the years and every time I stumble upon something new and hilarious. If anyone ever claims that music videos and/or video games aren't art, just show them this.
16. "My Shadow" (Jay Reatard cover) (2014)
It's a simple, black-and-white performance video of a cover song. Look, all these videos are great but something's gotta come in last.
15. "Back Against the Wall" (2015)
Same deal as "My Shadow," but bonus points for being an original (and for the ketchup costume).
14. "Morbid Stuff" (2019)
Another live video, but this one features footage shot by fans from the crowd which best captures what it's like to be in the pit during PUP's massive, intense live shows. The real question is, when will they release the orchestral version of the track that soundtracks the video's intro?
13. "Free at Last" (2019)
The band made the lyrics and chords to their single "Free at Last" available before they released the song, and challenged their fans to create their own renditions of the tune before having heard it. The result is a sweet and creative showcase of the band's dedicated fan base, with plenty of shenanigans courtesy of the PUP lads.
12. "If This Tour Doesn't Kill You, I Will" (2016)
The PUP lads resolve their intraband tension by (how else?) beating the shit out of each other, and are forced to deal with the repercussions of their actions while held captive in a hospital in this short but sweet (and impressively gruesome) clip.
11. "Anaphylaxis" (2020)
The band's latest video might be their outright funniest, as a young boy is terrorized by a swarm of bees after he accidentally(?) whacks their nest. Remember Grizzly Bear's trippy-ass claymation video for "Ready, Able"? This is like that video's snotty younger brother.
10. "Lionheart" (2014)
PUP couldn't just shoot a party video — they had to throw the best house party ever captured to tape and do it in one take. It's quite the rager: There's a game of Edward Fortyhands, strobe lights, an R/C helicopter, a passed-out dude turned into a TP mummy, keg stands, a castle made of beer cans, sparklers, a dude who hogs all the pizza and that couple that won't stop making out. It might make you anxious if you're watching while physically distancing, though (as if the live footage wasn't bad enough).
9. "Mabu" (2014)
The Babcock family car, the song's namesake, gets a fitting sendoff in a demolition derby. It's a simple, sweet and hilarious video that serves more as a funeral to Stefan's beloved Camry than a standard music video, but few things beat the sight of watching Stefan gleefully ramming into his competitors (the band bashing in the car windows is a close second).
8. "Sibling Rivalry" (2019)
Stefan's been sharing his comics and drawings on Instagram over the past few years, and this clip levels up his stick figure drawings with Martin MacPherson's clever animated pamphlets, as the story of Stefan and his sister's road trip turns into a heartwarming ode to the bonds between siblings both familial and otherwise (if only to not exclude only child Steve).
7. "Reservoir" (2013)
The band's first music video already nails their flare for fun storytelling, gory humour and uplifting endings while capturing the intimate, violent intensity of their live sets, as a typical PUP set quickly devolves into a violent, bloody disaster. Bonus points for the cameo by legendary Toronto promoter Dan Burke.
6. "Dark Days" (2015)
PUP typically use music videos to escape their reality, but this animated clip best captures the stark truths of PUP's relentless touring schedule. The video's unsparing depiction of all the lows — sparsely attended shows, fights, crashes, ill-advised drug trips, miscommunications — will have you exhaling with relief during the highs.
5. "Kids" (2019)
After two videos about the band's fictional pasts (we'll get to those soon), the band peek into the future to find Nestor as an exasperated parent of a rebellious teen, Zack on the streets, Steve as a Mugatu-esque fashion impressario and Stefan having mysteriously disappeared. With so many Easter eggs and heartwarming little details (Nestor naming his child after his bandmates? Adorable!), it's a love letter to the band's rich mythology.
4. "Guilt Trip" (2014)
Yes, it's the video that helped launch the career of the new face of '80s nostalgia, but Finn Wolfhard is just one part of a stellar ensemble cast. Beyond the loving tribute to Stand by Me and expertly cast teen stars lies a touching story of young friendship and a riveting narrative bolstered by heart-pounding action sequences. It was the first major example of how PUP used narratives to heighten their music videos from visual delights into cinematic storytelling.
3. "DVP" (2016)
Easily the greatest lyric video ever created, featuring pixel-perfect renditions of the world's most iconic video games, soundtracked by PUP's most critically acclaimed song. It's less cerebral than the band's standard fare, but who gives a shit? It's just as fun, high-octane and deceptively thoughtful as the song it's set to.
2. "Sleep In the Heat" (2016)
The rare sequel that's better than the original, this "Guilt Trip" follow-up foists the spotlight firmly on Finn Wolfhard — fresh off his star-making turn on the first season of Stranger Things — as he bonds with a dog and (spoiler alert) tragically has to put him down. C'mon, it was supposed to be a lighthearted music video about a boy and his companion, why'd I need to get the tissues out?
1. "Old Wounds" (2017)
This is no mere music video: It's a choose-your-own-adventure video game where you play the band's tour manager trying to guide the band's members through one wild night. It's got endless replay value, tons of little details crammed in each frame and expertly tracked concurrent narratives. It transcends the medium itself.
Full disclosure: I don't have the patience to have ever seen it through to completion, but I've tried it a handful of times over the years and every time I stumble upon something new and hilarious. If anyone ever claims that music videos and/or video games aren't art, just show them this.
