# 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?

*By YPB Team · Published August 3, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/the-18-most-iconic-music-videos-of-all-time*

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## Current results (3 votes)

1. **Thriller** — 66.67% (2 votes · score 1000/1000)
   Michael Jackson's 1983 zombie-dance epic that redefined the music video as an art form.
2. **Smells Like Teen Spirit** — 33.33% (1 votes · score 875/1000)
   Nirvana's chaotic 1991 pep-rally clip that announced grunge to the mainstream.
3. **Weapon of Choice** — 0% (0 votes · score 643/1000)
   Fatboy Slim's 2001 video starring Christopher Walken dancing solo through a hotel.
4. **Formation** — 0% (0 votes · score 577/1000)
   Beyoncé's 2016 video blending Southern imagery with pointed political statement.
5. **Somebody That I Used to Know** — 0% (0 votes · score 577/1000)
   Gotye and Kimbra's 2011 body-paint video that became a global viral hit.
6. **Losing My Religion** — 0% (0 votes · score 577/1000)
   R.E.M.'s haunting 1991 video steeped in religious painting imagery.
7. **Come to Daddy** — 0% (0 votes · score 500/1000)
   Aphex Twin's nightmarish 1997 video with a horde of grinning child-monsters.
8. **The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)** — 0% (0 votes · score 500/1000)
   Missy Elliott's inflatable-suit 1997 debut that redefined hip-hop visuals.
9. **Hey Ya!** — 0% (0 votes · score 409/1000)
   OutKast's colorful, Ed Sullivan-inspired performance video from 2003.
10. **Just** — 0% (0 votes · score 409/1000)
   Radiohead's 1996 clip ending on a mysterious, never-revealed secret.
11. **California Love** — 0% (0 votes · score 409/1000)
   Dr. Dre and 2Pac's post-apocalyptic Mad Max-styled 1995 anthem video.
12. **It's Oh So Quiet** — 0% (0 votes · score 409/1000)
   Björk's exuberant 1995 homage to classic movie musicals.
13. **This Is America** — 0% (0 votes · score 409/1000)
   Childish Gambino's unflinching 2018 satire on gun violence and pop culture.
14. **Bad Romance** — 0% (0 votes · score 300/1000)
   Lady Gaga's avant-garde 2009 fashion-horror spectacle.
15. **Sledgehammer** — 0% (0 votes · score 167/1000)
   Peter Gabriel's 1986 stop-motion claymation showcase that dominated MTV.
16. **Take On Me** — 0% (0 votes · score 167/1000)
   A-ha's 1985 clip famous for its pencil-sketch rotoscope animation.
17. **Nothing Compares 2 U** — 0% (0 votes · score 167/1000)
   Sinéad O'Connor's raw, single-take close-up performance from 1990.
18. **Like a Prayer** — 0% (0 votes · score 167/1000)
   Madonna's controversial 1989 video mixing religious imagery with social commentary.

Tags: pop, music, rock, music videos