Best music video of 2014: lavish, all-star BBC cover of Beach Boys' classic God Only Knows

The video is filled with symbolism, but the snarky eggheads at The Guardian have figured it all out for you, and yes there's more to it than just an imitation of a John Lewis ad:

Beneath the production wizardry and celebrity spotting, perhaps the best way to read the God Only Knows video is as a veiled premonition. It’s the ghost of BBC future. Look at those derelict, deserted surroundings: the pantheon of culture in ruins. The BBC empire has fallen, brought low by austerity cuts and broadcasting deregulation. We can but ponder its past triumphs with awe and despair. Our cherished popular entertainers have forsaken us. They’ve gone to a better place – we call it heaven, but in entertainment circles it’s commonly referred to as “Sky”. The BBC’s real subtext is: “God only knows what’ll happen if we don’t get our licence fee.”

(Via JMG)

Here's a list of the stars of the ad hoc "impossible orchestra":

1 Dave Grohl; 2 Alison Balsom; 3 Lorde; 4 Pharrell Williams; 5 Zane Lowe; 6 Sam Smith; 7 Paloma Faith; 8 Eliza Carthy; 9 Nicola Benedetti; 10 Chris Martin; 11 Jaz Dhami; 12 Martin James Bartlett; 13 Danielle de Niese; 14 Stevie Wonder; 15 Florence Welch; 16 Lauren Laverne; 17 Brian Wilson; 18 Jake Bugg; 19 Katie Derham; 20 Gareth Malone; 21 Kylie Minogue; 22 Chrissie Hyde; 23 One Direction; 24 Emeli Sande; 25 Elton John; 26 Baaba Maal; 27 Ethan Johns; 28 Jools Holland; 29 Jamie Cullum; 30 Brian May; 31 Tees Valley Youth Choir; 32 BBC Concert Orchestra

Click photo to enlarge. The BBC provided thumbnail sketches of all participants.