# What is the best Michael Jackson music video of all time?

> From the horror-themed spectacle that changed music television forever to protest films and gravity-defying dance sequences, MJ's catalog redefined what a music video could be. Which short film stands as the King's greatest visual masterpiece?

*By YPB Team · Published April 11, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/what-is-the-best-michael-jackson-music-video-of-all-time*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Thriller**
   A 14-minute horror short film directed by John Landis, featuring MJ transforming into a zombie.
2. **Billie Jean**
   The first Michael Jackson video to air on MTV, featuring iconic light-up sidewalk panels.
3. **Beat It**
   A gang-themed video with Eddie Van Halen's guitar solo and choreographed knife fight.
4. **Bad**
   A street gang showdown directed by Martin Scorsese set in New York subway tunnels.
5. **Smooth Criminal**
   A 1930s-themed video featuring MJ's gravity-defying 45-degree lean dance move.
6. **Black or White**
   A racial harmony video debuting face-morphing technology and featuring Macaulay Culkin.
7. **Remember the Time**
   An ancient Egyptian-themed epic starring Eddie Murphy and Magic Johnson.
8. **Man in the Mirror**
   A compilation of real-world events paired with MJ's call for personal change.
9. **Scream**
   The most expensive music video ever made, a futuristic sibling duet with Janet Jackson.
10. **Earth Song**
   An environmental epic showing war and ecological destruction with a powerful visual climax.
11. **They Don't Care About Us**
   A Spike Lee-directed video filmed in Brazil's favelas delivering a protest message.
12. **In the Closet**
   A sultry desert video starring supermodel Naomi Campbell directed by Herb Ritts.
13. **You Rock My World**
   A 1940s-themed video featuring Chris Tucker as MJ's suave companion.
14. **Blood on the Dance Floor**
   A dark gothic video featuring MJ being seduced by a deadly femme fatale named Susie.
15. **Will You Be There**
   An emotionally charged video mixing live footage with clips from the film Free Willy.

Tags: pop, music, 80s, celebrities, michael jackson