The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Royal Oil (Music Video)

What this video is

Released in 1997 at the apex of the third wave ska movement's mainstream penetration, 'Royal Oil' appeared on Let's Face It — the Bosstones' commercially peak album, certified platinum and reaching No. 27 on the Billboard 200. The song carried an explicit anti-heroin message, positioning it within the mid-90s cultural anxiety around drug use amplified by grunge-era losses. The video's outdoor, naturalistic…

Why it matters

Represents a critical document of third wave ska's mainstream commercial zenith. The Bosstones were among the few ska-punk acts to achieve genuine Billboard and MTV crossover. 'Royal Oil' as a single (No. 22 Modern Rock Tracks) demonstrates the genre's pop viability in 1997, while the video's…

The director

Born 1970 in Los Angeles, Applebaum studied film at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, where he began directing indie rock music videos. He became the youngest director signed to Satellite Films (a Propaganda division), directing over 250 music…