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. 1
   Thriller

   Michael Jackson's 1983 zombie-dance epic that redefined the music video as an art form.
   1000pts

   DI
2. 2
   Smells Like Teen Spirit

   Nirvana's chaotic 1991 pep-rally clip that announced grunge to the mainstream.
   912pts
3. 3
   Weapon of Choice

   Fatboy Slim's 2001 video starring Christopher Walken dancing solo through a hotel.
   643pts
4. 4
   Formation

   Beyoncé's 2016 video blending Southern imagery with pointed political statement.
   577pts
5. 5
   Somebody That I Used to Know

   Gotye and Kimbra's 2011 body-paint video that became a global viral hit.
   577pts
6. 6
   Losing My Religion

   R.E.M.'s haunting 1991 video steeped in religious painting imagery.
   576pts
7. 7
   Take On Me

   A-ha's 1985 clip famous for its pencil-sketch rotoscope animation.
   500pts
8. 8
   California Love

   Dr. Dre and 2Pac's post-apocalyptic Mad Max-styled 1995 anthem video.
   500pts
9. 9
   Hey Ya!

   OutKast's colorful, Ed Sullivan-inspired performance video from 2003.
   409pts
10. 10
    The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)

    Missy Elliott's inflatable-suit 1997 debut that redefined hip-hop visuals.
    409pts
11. 11
    Come to Daddy

    Aphex Twin's nightmarish 1997 video with a horde of grinning child-monsters.
    409pts
12. 12
    Bad Romance

    Lady Gaga's avant-garde 2009 fashion-horror spectacle.
    300pts
13. 13
    This Is America

    Childish Gambino's unflinching 2018 satire on gun violence and pop culture.
    300pts
14. 14
    Just

    Radiohead's 1996 clip ending on a mysterious, never-revealed secret.
    300pts
15. 15
    It's Oh So Quiet

    Björk's exuberant 1995 homage to classic movie musicals.
    300pts
16. 16
    Nothing Compares 2 U

    Sinéad O'Connor's raw, single-take close-up performance from 1990.
    0pts
17. 17
    Sledgehammer

    Peter Gabriel's 1986 stop-motion claymation showcase that dominated MTV.
    0pts
18. 18
    Like a Prayer

    Madonna's controversial 1989 video mixing religious imagery with social commentary.
    0pts

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