Remembering the Twin Towers' Music Video History

On September 11, 2001 one of the most tragic days in U.S. history unfolded as terrorists crashed hijacked airplanes into each of the World Trade Center towers resulting in the deaths of thousands of people. Decades later, it’s hard to remember that the twin towers were previously skyscraping emblems of New York – ones that appeared in films, TV shows and many major music videos.

As the compilation below from YouTube user @danil6562 shows, a wide assortment of artists from many genres featured the World Trade Center in their music videos, including Madonna, Prince, Public Enemy, Hall & Oates, Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder and many others.

The list of classic rockers who incorporated the skyscrapers into videos includes AC/DC, who had the twin towers in their 1985 clip for “Shake Your Foundations,” and Rod Stewart, who featured them in the opening shot of his 1975 video for "Sailing.”

Watch AC/DC's Music Video for 'Shake Your Foundations'

The Rolling Stones briefly featured the World Trade Center in their music video for “Anybody Seen My Baby” (1997), while the twin towers can also be seen in the clip for R.E.M.’s “Stand” (1988). You’ll have to search hard to find the version of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Mama, I’m Coming Home” music video that features twin tower imagery. Even before 9/11, Ozzy wasn’t a fan of the clip, opting to film and promote a second video instead. The original has largely been scrubbed from the internet.

When Phil Collins put together his globetrotting music video for 1985’s “Take Me Home,” the World Trade Center seemed like the perfect visual piece to represent New York. Starship featured twin tower imagery in their video for "We Built This City." Likewise, director David Fincher was sure to include the skyscrapers in his music video for Sting’s 1987 hit “Englishman in New York.”

Watch Phil Collins' Music Video for 'Take Me Home'

A glimpse of the twin towers can be seen in Guns N’ Roses’ music video for “Paradise City.” During a 2021 performance in Atlantic City, Axl Rose dedicated a different song, “Knocking on Heaven’s Door,” to “the over 3,000 lives lost” in honor of 9/11’s 20th anniversary.

The twin towers are shown prominently in the music video for “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” as Tina Turner gazes at the New York City skyline. Huey Lewis and the News showcase the buildings in the beginning of the music video for “Heart of Rock & Roll,” right before Lewis delivers the opening line: “New York, New York is everything they say and no place I’d rather be.” Even Hulk Hogan featured the World Trade Center in the 1985 music video for his wrestling theme song “Real American” (penned by Rick Derringer).

New Yorkers Whose Music Videos Had the Twin Towers

Unsurprisingly, several famous New York acts used the World Trade Center in their videos. Blondie featured the towering buildings at the opening of their clip for "Heart of Glass,” Jay-Z displayed the landmarks in several of his videos, while the twin towers can clearly be seen in the background throughout much of the Beastie Boys’ 1999 music video for “Alive.”

“I’m not far from where I live. I’m not far from the World Trade Center. So I actually watched a lot of what happened,” Beastie Boys' Mike D said to MTV days after the 9/11 attacks, describing the overall feeling as one of “disbelief.”

Music Videos Shot on Location at the Twin Towers

Some artists didn’t just feature the World Trade Center in the background, they actually filmed at the famous location. In 1990, Depeche Mode shot a special performance of “Enjoy the Silence" atop the South Tower’s observation deck for broadcast on the French TV show Champs-Élysées.

Then there’s the case of Limp Bizkit’s “Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)." Parts of the song’s music video were filmed at the World Trade Center in September 2000. A year later, after it won an MTV VMA for Best Rock Video, the band received a congratulatory fruit basket from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The gift arrived on Sept. 10, 2001, just a day before tragedy struck.

Watch Limp Bizkit's Music Video for 'Rollin' (Air Raid Siren)'

The final music video shot on location at the twin towers was for “Worst Comes to Worst” by hip-hop group Dilated Peoples, filmed on Sept. 7, 2001. The clip even featured a real World Trade Center employee who filled in when one of the actors didn’t show up.

“While we were framing and lighting, I walked over to one of the buildings and leaned against it with my chest,” recalled the video’s director, Jason Goldwatch. “I looked up, all the way into the sky -- which looked like f—ing miles -- perfectly straight, an unwavering monolith. The buildings were arguably the hallmark of Western imperialism. I mean, that's why we were there shooting. Regardless of the symbolism, something else struck me. These two towers were just such a monument to human accomplishment.”

Today, these music videos can feel eerie or even startling to watch, yet they offer a glimpse of the world prior to 9/11. They serve as a timestamp allowing us to look back at what New York looked like before that tragic day, embodying what we had and what we lost.