The 18 Most Iconic Music Videos of All Time

From big-budget cinematic spectacles to raw one-take performances, these clips reinvented what a three-minute song could look like across five decades. Which one changed the game for you?

1

Thriller

Michael Jackson's 1983 zombie-dance epic that redefined the music video as an art form.

1000pts

2

Smells Like Teen Spirit

Nirvana's chaotic 1991 pep-rally clip that announced grunge to the mainstream.

875pts

3

Weapon of Choice

Fatboy Slim's 2001 video starring Christopher Walken dancing solo through a hotel.

643pts

4

Formation

Beyoncé's 2016 video blending Southern imagery with pointed political statement.

577pts

5

Somebody That I Used to Know

Gotye and Kimbra's 2011 body-paint video that became a global viral hit.

577pts

6

Losing My Religion

R.E.M.'s haunting 1991 video steeped in religious painting imagery.

577pts

7

Come to Daddy

Aphex Twin's nightmarish 1997 video with a horde of grinning child-monsters.

500pts

8

The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)

Missy Elliott's inflatable-suit 1997 debut that redefined hip-hop visuals.

500pts

9

Hey Ya!

OutKast's colorful, Ed Sullivan-inspired performance video from 2003.

409pts

10

Just

Radiohead's 1996 clip ending on a mysterious, never-revealed secret.

409pts

11

California Love

Dr. Dre and 2Pac's post-apocalyptic Mad Max-styled 1995 anthem video.

409pts

12

It's Oh So Quiet

Björk's exuberant 1995 homage to classic movie musicals.

409pts

13

This Is America

Childish Gambino's unflinching 2018 satire on gun violence and pop culture.

409pts

14

Bad Romance

Lady Gaga's avant-garde 2009 fashion-horror spectacle.

300pts

15

Sledgehammer

Peter Gabriel's 1986 stop-motion claymation showcase that dominated MTV.

167pts

16

Take On Me

A-ha's 1985 clip famous for its pencil-sketch rotoscope animation.

167pts

17

Nothing Compares 2 U

Sinéad O'Connor's raw, single-take close-up performance from 1990.

167pts

18

Like a Prayer

Madonna's controversial 1989 video mixing religious imagery with social commentary.

167pts