"Smooth Criminal" was so bad ass! The moonwalk and the anti gravity lean! Really that, "Thriller"- which has been remade by prisoners performing in jail, and "Bad"- which features actual rivaling gangsters recruited by MJ to perform in his music video. Actual Rivaling Gangsters! MJ at number one either way...
My list 1. Thriller 2. Smooth Criminal 3. Black or White 4. Remember The Time 5. Beat It 6. Bad 7. Jam 8. You Rock My World 9. Billie Jean 10. The Way You Make Me Feel
Thriller had to be Number 1! Anyone alive when it came out will remember, and understand how important it was. Nobody can underestimate the impact this video had...
Thriller will always be my fav and the best/ most iconic video ever. It solidified Michael Jackson’s career and really gave him the biggest boost to becoming a mega star so you tell if it’s the best or not ;)
I remember being a little kid in the early days of MTV and watching it all day for a chance at seeing “Take on Me” come back on. Can’t believe it’s on demand so easy now
I can’t imagine a list of best music videos without Soundgarden’s Black Hole Sun, it’s truly unique and has a actual message. It’s my favorite of all time.
Thriller is more than a music video; it's a short film. As a pure music video, Take On Me will always be the video that moved the needle forward for me. Among the also-rans should have been Total Eclipse of the Heart.
@@goldbrickstudios6903 You're very correct. But I think that was just a bit before it's time. Ppl weren't ready to watch their music. I've watched my music since 1980. 😁
Everytime I hear that song today it flashes me back to 1986, 8th grade and seeing the hand pulling the woman into the comic book. Sad yiu rarely see music videos these days..the 80's were all about them. Basically kids of today who think minecraft is so advanced -- we had that type of graphic in Money For Nothing in the mid 80s
Yep. Probably my all-time favorite. I couldn't imagine what would be #1 after Take on Me but forgot about Thriller. I have to say they got it right with this one. I remember the night Thriller premiered, they were counting it down on news stations and everything. It was a huge phenomenon, absolutely huge.
My list: 10. Vogue - Madonna 9. Heart Shaped Box - Nirvana 8. A Farewell to Kings - Rush 7. Jailhouse Rock - Elvis Presley 6. Around the World - Daft Punk 5. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen 4. Buddy Holly - Weezer 3. Take on me - a-ha 2. Thriller - Michael Jackson 1. I Am the Walrus - The Beatles
MJ made some really great videos. I especially love Beat It and Smooth Criminal but also will always remember Earth Song, Heal The World and Black Or White
😃 "Take On Me" by AhHa has always been on the TOP on my vid list, followed by "Addicted to Love" by Robert Palmer... I loved the Aerosmith/Beastie Boys "Walk This Way" mashup. Inspired, and a whole lotta fun. "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen. I was unfamiliar with Daft Punk's "Around the World," but I enjoyed it a lot.
@@alfredolarsi5600 HA! Of all the things I've lost, I've missed my mind the most. Run-DMC. Too much headbanging when I was a child. XD Either that, or it might have been something I smoked.
I stayed up late to watch the premier of Thriller on Friday Night Videos! Fell in love with it immediately. With the spoken parts by the iconic Vincent Price. Awesome!
Same here. There were some of us in certain parts of the country where MTV was not carried by local cable companies. So we got our Thriller premiere a few months later on NBC Friday Night Videos after Tonight Show.
I'm probably one of the few people who prefer Smooth Criminal over Thriller. And don't get me wrong, Thriller is awesome, but I prefer Smooth Criminal due to the atmosphere, the song, the choreography, etc.
Good list. I would add Owner of a Lonely Heart by Yes and If I Can’t Have You by the Rubinoos as worthy considerations. But there are certainly plenty of others too.
November rain should have been on the list. I’m thankful it had an honorable mention, but come on! It’s one of the most iconic and greatest music videos ever made!!
Actually, David Bowie's song "China Girl" won the MTV Awards among the best video clips. Thriller MJ was also among the nominees. It's not fair that no Bowie music videos have been to the top.
Duran Duran were hugely influential in the MTV’s establishment and the subsequent “British Second Wave Invasion” due to their arresting visuals shot by some future film directors.
I'm sitting here wondering how such a list can be compiled without the band that made MTV and music videos a feast for the ears and eyes cementing this new genre's place in music history! OF course I'm speaking about the iconic DURAN DURAN! So underrated and shown no respect whatsoever. I mean why aren't they in the R & R Hall of Fame?
Amen! They don't get the respect they deserve at all!!! I saw them in concert in Camden NJ about 6 years ago and they STILL got it! The only thing that was disappointing was Nick wasn't there.
No way!! No Ashes to Ashes? Imagine? Addicted to Love? Jump? Hey Ya? Wuthering Heights? Somebody that I Used to Know? Sinead should have been included in the list too.
Some thoughts: 1) Who DIDN'T see #1 coming a mile away? 2) I was happy to see "Virtual Insanity" get a nod, as it was a real visual treat - even if I didn't particularly like the song itself 3) It's a Goddamn tragedy that "Weapon of Choice" by Fatboy Slim and "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails didn't even make it to "honorable mention" status.
Came here to make sure "Thriller" was #1. Well done. Excellent list overall. Would've liked to see 1980's "Coming Up" by Paul McCartney on there as a mention, as well as "Tell Her About It" by Billy Joel. Both were incredibly influential: McCartney for playing a dozen roles and adding comedic elements (rather than just a video of the song being played), and Joel for having a little story line, including dialogue scenes before and after the music. Other favorites from my youth -the first days of MTV - include "You Got Lucky" by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, "Say, Say, Say" by MJ & McCartney, "Burning Down the House" by The Talking Heads, "Every Breath You Take" by the Police, "Our House" by Madness, and "Whip It" by Devo.
Seven Nation army is an amazing song but a pretty basic MV. In the WS videography, i would chose "the hardest button to button" as the MV is spectacular and very recognisable and it appeared in the Simpsons (which kinda establish it as a pop culture reference). On the other hand there is already a Michel Gondry video on the list
Different videos are great for different reasons. Some of my favorites from the early days of MTV are Van Halen's Hot for Teacher and ZZ Top's Rough Boy. I also agree with others' comments on Land of Confusion.
Other great music videos: - Freak on a Leash - Korn; - Tonight, Tonight - Smashing Pumpkins; - One - Metallica; - Fell in Love with a Girl - The White Stripes; - Into the Void - Nine Inch Nails;
So glad someone mentioned a Metallica song, and Korn's Freak On A Leash I didn't even think of but you are so right. This list is a load of safe songs that people just simply know and takes little chance on an edgier option.
It was 1984. I was with my best girlfriend, Esther. She was a photographer and art history graduate. I didn't like Michael Jackson. I didn't like pop music in general, and he was the King of Pop. But she said I had to see Thriller. It was playing at the Beaux Arts gallery, which at the time was in Clearwater. A dance performance preceded the film. I was impressed. I didn't become an overnight fan, but it was a good production.:)
Agreed. Not even an honourable mention for it, but Vogue and Buddy Holly are in the Top 10 and Jamiroquai gets an honourable mention? This Top 10 was way off.
Duran Duran was pivotal for MTV, period. Good looks, good music, changing styles of wardrobe, and Mulcay (?) as the creative force behind their videos...why wasn't there a Duran Duran video in here? I would have expected"Nightboat" or "Wild Boys", at least.✌🏻🐱
It all comes down to preferable opinion, say Someone saw the music video for Thriller but doesn’t agree it should be #1. It all comes down to their opinion.
@@cynthiajordan8751 lmao... just because made the list, or didn't, doesn't make it so... it's a fantastic song, and the video was good for it's day, but one of the criteria really should have been, does the video stand the test of time... it doesn't. Sorry. Queen had about 10 videos that were better that the video for Bohemian Rhapsody. Remember, it's VIDEO, not SONG.
Best music videos in my opinion... Im not sure if I did forgot a good video.. 10. Michael Jackson - Jam 9. Michael Jackson - Scream 8. Michael Jackson - Earth song 7. Michael Jackson - Billie Jean 6. Michael Jackson - Beat it 5. Michael Jackson - Bad 4. Michael Jackson - Black or white 3. Michael Jackson - Leave me alone 2. Michael Jackson - Smooth criminal 1. Michael Jackson - Thriller
What!? Bugles "Video Killed the Radio Star" doesn't even get an honorable mention? Its certainly better than some of these and most definitely more iconic.
#10: Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen #9: Walk This Way by Run-D.M.C. and Aerosmith #8: Buddy Holly by Weezer #7: Around the World by Daft Punk #6: Vogue by Madonna #5: Sabotage by Beastie Boys #4: Money for Nothing by Dire Straits #3: Sledgehammer by Peter Gabriel #2: Take on Me by a-Ha #1: Thriller by Michael Jackson Honorable Mentions: - Hurt by Johnny Cash - Here It Goes Again by OK Go - Virtual Insanity by Jamiroquai - Praise You by Fatboy Slim - Nothing Compares 2 U by Sinéad O'Connor - November Rain by Guns N' Roses
I think people have forgotten what a cultural moment the release of the Thriller video was. All across the country, millions gathered around TVs to witness it. I was in college, and we weren't allowed TVs in our dorm rooms so a huge group of us were in the main lobby watching. Remember: these were the days before gigantic flat screen TVs too. I think our dorm had a cheap 19" model, but it didn't matter. We were awestruck. Say what you will about MJ, this is one #1 that's well deserved. I'm not sure there will be another video to debut in such a mammoth way ever again (mainly because videos are not the phenomena that they were in MTV's hey-day). Maybe a VR/interactive video release could break that revolutionary barrier (you listening, Daft Punk?).
this is my top 10: 1. Thriller 2. Smooth Criminal 3. Ghost 4. They Don't Care About Us (both Brazil & Prison versions) 5. Scream 6. Earth Song 7. Black or White 8. Bad 9. Billie Jean 10. and other short films by MJ! (Beat It, Jam, Remember the Time, Childhood, Stranger in Moscow, You Rock My World, ...)
Mine Michael Jackson Music Videos 1. Thriller 2. Smooth Criminal 3. Billie Jean 4. Jam 5. Beat It 7. Black Or White 8. The Way You Make Me Feel 9. Remember The Time 10. Bad ( all the rest of his short films
Pre-MTV era short films too!! Those from Off The Wall Album still is a great one even in 2022 and 2023. Like "Don't Stop 'Til It Get Enough" short films proves MJ short films is made like God-Level mode in those days, even still beats most (like more than 98% of the music videos) in 2022.
A good chunk of this list has literally not changed since 1987. MTV top 100 videos, Sledgehammer, Money for nothing and Take on me at #2 and Thriller #1. 31 years ago lol.
im trying :( its harder than you think to kill myself! hold on *Grabs shotgun puts shotgun to his head and then pulls trigger* shut pellets went right through but missed everything! the pellets somehow went back into the shotgun!
Walk this way didn't accomplish as much as they gave it credit for since Black and White cross over music was fairly common by then soooooo bittersweet seems like a better contender to me since all it really did was revitalize a almost dead group's career
I knew the number 1 before clicking on the video 🙌😉 but how could you miss out on Scream by MJ and JJ and The Earth Song and They Don't Care About Us and Remember The Time and Black and white and Bad.. I think I'm gonna cry now 😢
Heart-Shaped Box? Each frame was hand tinted by Anton Corbjin, and the video has some of the most haunting messages from any video that I've ever seen. Life and death, childhood, racism, tree of life, having an old mind with a young body (old man hanging on the cross). Heart-Shaped Box belongs in the top 3
Why no Red hot chili Peppers songs? They have so many gr8 music videos -cant stop -dani california -scar tissue -sould to squeeze -otherside -and more!
10: Eminem - Stan 9: Smells like Nirvana - Weird Al 8: Thriller - Michael Jackson 7: Buddy Holly - Weezer 6: Sabotage - Beastie Boys 5: Californication - Red Hot Chilli Peppers 4: Foo Fighters - Walk 3: Jeremy - Pearl Jam 2: Just - Radiohead 1: Heart Shaped Box - Nirvana
so many Michael's MV are iconic, like Black or White, Bad, Smooth Criminal, Beat it and many more. Michael's MV can make a list alone cause they're iconic.
"Bohemian Rhapsdy" the first video - I would say ABBA S.O.S. was a month earlier. But that's a hard question Queen and ABBA were on the same pace and both the starters of a new media. With the first three I go with, but for example Lady Gaga and "Paparazzi", Genesis and of course DJ Shadow feat. Run The Jewels - "Nobody Speak" are absolutely missing.
It’s the first music video made for commercial purposes (there’s a background story to it) and it popularised the purpose of music videos, which is promoting records. Without the BoRhap music video, we might not have the modern professional music videos, including the ones on this list.
@@stellaphantom366 ABBA made their videos earlier, because they don't like to travel and it was easier to send the videos. So it was clear commercial purposes (and there is also a backstory of it, read it). I could name a few other videos, but this was the first with more than just singing and playing instruments. In August 1975 ABBA made four videos of the new album and send them to countries outside Europe. In Australia the video of "Mamma Mia" created so much reactions, that they released the Single afterwards on 19h of September 1975, what was intentiionally not planned. So with that it was the first real commercial success of a video. (see Wikipedia) But like I said two great groups came up with the same idea at the same time and changed the market.
@@LiebensteinMovies you’re right, ABBA was defo one of the first few artists to make promotional music videos. But I just searched up on the internet and what you meant by “a month earlier” is the release date of the song, not necessarily the music video. BoRhap was released on October 31st, but the music video was released on November 10th. I can’t find the specified date of the SOS music video release other than it was released in 1975, so that’s probably why it isn’t on this list. Regardless of the dates, BoRhap definitely deserved to be on this list as its music video did have more impact. I feel like back then it wasn’t that surprising that ABBA made promotional videos to minimise travelling; they’re a Swedish group and Sweden didn’t have many mainstream platforms to promote music globally compared to Britain and the US. Back in the 70s even before MTV, Britain and America had many mainstream global platforms to promote artists, especially Top of The Pops. That was why British and American artists didn’t have to worry about traveling or making music videos to promote their songs globally. The Beatles got super popular because of the Ed Sullivan show and Queen’s “Killer Queen” got popular because Queen performed it in Top Of The Pops. Queen made the BoRhap music video because the song is very hard to sing live and so they wanted to avoid having to sing it in Top Of The Pops. The real game-changer was when they found out that making the promotional music video proved much more commercially effective than having to perform it on a platform, even with the presence of all those popular platforms. It’s also probably because BoRhap was a much bigger success than SOS and rock was more popular than pop in the 70s, but I’m not sure. But yes, they’re both legendary groups and I love both :)
My List: 1. Love Is a Stranger/Eurythmics 2. Mr. Brightside/The Killers 3. Open Your Heart/Madonna 4. Love Will Never Do Without You/Janet Jackson 5. Losing My Religion/R.E.M. 6. Simply Irresistible/Robert Palmer 7. Toxic/Britney Spears 8. Single Ladies/Beyonce 9. Maybe/Emma Bunton 10. And She Was/Talking Heads
Never Gonna Give You Up. I know people call that Rick-Rolled to direct you to this video, but I personally like it. It's got a great rhythm, visuals, and dancing.
Who else can move his both arms, hands in that way? Robotic. And I read that the video's director was hired the night before the shooting started. Rick Astley has a great voice, and I expect he was just one hair from being an operatic singer. And, in that video... Watch closely to his feet/legs. Several times, it looks like he's about to break out and dance well. But, he was meant to be "as smooth as any other white guy, no better."
Pink Floyd - Another Brick In The Wall Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Want To Have Fun Janet Jackson - Rhythm Nation Michael Jackson - Black or White Michael Jackson - Bad Britney Spears - Toxic Pixies - Here Comes Your Man White Stripes - Seven Nation Army Backstreet Boys - Everybody Blur, - Coffee & TV Queen - I Want to Break Free The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony R.E.M - Imitation Of Life Depeche Mode - Enjoy The Silence Björk - All Is Full of Love David Bowie - Lazarus Britney Spears - Oops I did it Again Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse Of The Heart Coldplay - The Scientist Radiohead - Karma Police Billy Joel - Uptown Girl Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever Madonna - Like A Prayer Placebo - Pure Morning The Smiths - Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before Smashing Pumpkins -1979 Nirvana - Heart Shaped Box New Kids on the Block - Step by step M.I.A - Born Free (Explicit) Radiohead - Just Bloodhound Gang - The Bad Touch
Michael Could Of Had All Ten Spots 10. Dirty Diana 9. Beat It 8. Black Or White 7. They Don't Care About Us 6. Bad 5. Smooth Criminal 4. Scream 3. Remember The Time 2. Billie Jean 1. Thriller
Remember, vids, not songs, not all of those were brilliant, as good as the music was. Also I think it was limited to 1/artist, that's why queen she said they chose...
Brenda AKA The Real Grammy I know you made this comment a year ago which is also around the time that God dam song got stuck in my head because of the store radio playing it twice an hour and it repeats in my head at least once a bloody day.
I knew Michael Jackson would be number one but I didn't know what song. he has a lot of great music videos but for me its always between Thriller and Smooth Criminal.
Don Henley's awesome video for The Boys of Summer needs to be on this list. Take On Me should be #1 considering the ground breaking production and detail involved.
Don Henley's video is a bit different in that it doesn't have any groundbreaking technical tricks which seems to be the focus of most 'best of all time' music videos. It's an iconic video that totally fits the song. That said, I think the video for Don Henley's End of the Innocence is even better. The last shot reversing the hero riding into the sunset' with Henley unsucessfully trying to hitchhike and then walking off into dark clouds is as iconic as any technical video trick.
Don't miss these other great videos, Top 10 Animated Music Videos Top 10 Greatest Live Musical Performances Top 10 Controversial Music Videos Top 10 Rock and Roll Documentaries
i dont know how is 10 9 8 7 music VIDEOS they good and popular song but were is the video come on tell me music Video with no video watchmojo you fail today
***** Johnny Cash is above michael jackson level in impact and influence. He's the most important country musician of all time. Michael is NOT the most important pop artist. And other list DO have hurt as number one and watchmojo isnt professional or anything like tha
***** 65 millions and thats one album. Beatles are far superior to michael JACKSON in term of sales. They sold 200 million more than jackson. So how much has beatles sold all over the world huh? thriller was.big but you cant survive with one card. Beatles got way more great albums hence why they sold more and are the.greatest artist of all time. Not MJ the beatles. Elvis sold more than MJ to with over 100 millions more. 1:Beatles (600m) 2:Elvis (500m) 3:MJ (400M)
Andy Dany I was actually just watching smooth criminal and was like wait I bet this is number one on Watch Mojo. But still I think Thriller was a great choice
Michael Jackson is the king of music videos at least 5 of his videos should've been in the top 5 5: BAD (long version) 4: Thriller 3: Ghosts (Long version) 2: Black or White 1: Smooth Criminal
kostas sardelis But then again MJ was on a far above and another level then all of these other "singers" he didn't even make music videos he made short movies
Yes! I remember it so well. Major television networks that don’t even play music videos streamed the premieres of MJ’s music videos. The videos were watched SIMULTANEOUSLY by over 500 million people worldwide. Even MJ’s tv commercials had a special premiere! No other artist was like that. MJ was everywhere. From music, fashion, TV commercials, sports, etc. He just revolutionized pop culture.
I remember being at a friend's Birthday Pool party and they rolled a TV out so we all could watch it. Yes it was the 80's. TVs were on carts with wheels because you couldn't afford more than one.
"iconic" but not because of anything inherent to the video itself, rather the context and legacy of its participants. was it really that innovative? in and of itself? i'd say no.
heresynco These lists are subjective opinions. It's not most innovative, it's the greatest music videos. I recall how popular Smells Like Teen Spirit was. The timing of it was perfect because the track pretty much shifted rock music. Me personally, Enter Sandman belongs on this list. They got number one right and like others pointed out, there could be other Michael Jackson vids on this list
