50 of The Best Music Videos of All Time

Are you a fan of music? Have you ever wondered what the best music videos of all time are? Then you should check out these amazing music videos that made a significant impact in the music industry. Music videos are an excellent way for the artist to show what their songs mean and how they want to represent them. Sometimes, these music videos will have nothing to do with the song, while others perfectly represent what the artist is looking to do. Ever since humans could record sound and video, they have experimented with different ways to utilize the art forms by bringing them together to create something spectacular.

Artists have now perfected how these music videos are produced and have looked to movie producers for help. With all the special effects and crazy dance moves, these have become one of the most popular ways to enjoy music and a perfect way for artists to get their songs out. If you want to find out what the best music videos are, then be sure to check out this list of the Best Music Videos of All Time.

Michael Jackson’s "Thriller" is undoubtedly the most famous music video globally and changed how they were looked at. The music video was released in 1983 and was directed by John Landis, who was one of the most prominent directors in Hollywood. The music video was unforgettable, but the song is what made this music video number one on the charts. 

Guns N’ Roses was one of the top bands during the 90s. In 1992, they released the music video for the song "November Rain," which wasn't their most popular song at first, but it rose to the top of the charts once the music video was released. The music video was directed by Andrew Morahan, who was famous for making music videos throughout the 80s. 

One of the few music videos that feature a famous actor is the song "Weapon of Choice." The song was written by Fatboy Slim, a musician from England who focuses on big beat music. He wanted to have a unique-looking music video and decided to work with Spike Jonze, a clever director. 

"Gangnam Style" is another popular song that took the world by surprise, and the music video really took it to another level. Psy, the song's artist, is the Korean pop singer who created this dance move and included it in his music video. People started mimicking his dance moves, and the music video became popular globally. 

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" is one of Nirvana’s most popular songs, and because of this, they wanted to make a music video that would fit the song. They went with director Samuel Bayer, and this would be his first music video that would start his career. Lucky that he chose to work with Nirvana as the music video became one of the most popular at the time. 

"Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel is a unique music video that was released in 1986 and is still ranked as one of the best. The music video was directed by Stephen R. Johnson, who wanted to make a claymation stop motion film that would go along with the song. This was something that was never seen in a music video and was the first to experiment with such an idea. 

"Everybody Hurts" by R.E.M. is one of the top songs that the band released, and the music video makes you visualize the song perfectly. The music video was released in 1993 and was filmed in San Antonio, Texas, on the I-10 Interstate. The film features the band holding up a traffic jam on the interstate and shows people’s thoughts in subtitles that are stuck in it.

"One" by Metallica was the first song they made a music video for and it's a good thing that they did because it became one of the most popular metal music videos out there. The song is about the struggles of war and is based on the film Johnny Got His Gun. The music video features shots from the film that plays perfectly along with the song and was released in 1989. 

"Jeremy" is undoubtedly the most popular song that Pearl Jam produced and the music video created a lot of controversy due to the nature of the song. The music video received a lot of clouts because it was about a teenage boy that deals with depression from bullying and ends up shooting himself. The message is pretty powerful in this music video and is the reason why it won four VMAs in 1993. 

When people think of the early days of Green Day, a couple of songs come to mind, one being "Basket Case," which perfectly described the band at the time. The music video for "Basket Case" helped the band with its fame as it was full of exciting scenes. The director, Mark Kohr, wanted to base the music video on the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and nailed it perfectly as it was littered with mental hospital scenes. 

One of the most creative music videos is "Buddy Holly" by Weezer, which features the band in the hit TV show Happy Days. The director, Spike Jonze, knew precisely what he was doing when it came to this music video, as you can't even tell that the band was edited in. The song fit the music video perfectly and was an excellent way to pay homage to the cast of Happy Days, as most of them were featured in the video. 

Another incredibly famous music video is "Take On Me" by Ah-ha; the song was released in 1985 and was the most popular that they released, which they can thank for the music video for that. The director, Steve Barron, wanted to make a unique music video in every way and decided to create a pencil sketched animation that would go along with the singer in real life. 

"Hey Ya!" is a catchy song that everyone sings along to and the music video was the perfect addition it needed to become one of the band’s top hits. Outkast hired director Bryan Barber to help produce this music video that became the winner of the 2004 Video of the Year. The music video was inspired by The Beatle's debut on an old show called The Ed Sullivan Show. 

Spike Jonze is at it again with this music video for the song "Sabotage" by the Beastie Boys. This is one of the best, if not the best, music videos that the band released. The music video makes reference to cop movies and shows such as Starky and Hutch and S.W.A.T. as the band members portray cops throughout the video. 

"California Love" is a great song, but watching the music video just makes this song more enjoyable. 2Pac released the music video in 1996 and it became instantly popular and was played on MTV all the time. The director, Hype Williams, was inspired by Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, as the music video has a similar look. 

Most of Missy Elliott’s music videos are unforgettable as she was one of the leading female rappers at the time and one that sticks out is "Work It!" which was released in 2003 and ended up winning Video of the Year. Timbaland, Eve and Halle Berry are featured in the music video and it was also the first time Alyson Stoner, a young dancer at the time, starred in a music video as the lead dancer. 

"Hurt" was Johnny Cash’s last music video that he released, he was 71 years old when it was produced. This beautiful music video encapsulates the life of Johnny Cash as during this time he was battling serious health problems and knew that his time was coming to an end. 

When it comes to more recent music videos, "Bad Blood" is ranked one of the best. Taylor Swift had a plan to make a music video with several singers and actors and was able to pull it off. The music video was released in 2015 and was nominated for eight VMAs, and ended up winning The Video of the Year. 

The 90s was full of weird music videos, but that is what made 90s music so interesting. One that became pretty popular was "Black Hole Sun" by Soundgarden, which was surprising since the music video was so simple. Soundgarden was one of the top grunge bands during the 90s, and this song became one of their most popular because of the music video. 

Lady Gaga has always been an interesting artist and her music videos fit her personality pretty well. "Bad Romance" was one of her top music videos since it was directed by Francis Lawrence who also directed all three of The Hunger Games films and several other Hollywood films. 

"Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" by Beyonce is one of the most memorable songs, and like most of her music videos, it was an ultimate hit. Beyonce is a dancing machine, and it shows during this music video, which was released in 2009 and ended up being nominated for nine VMA’s. The music video was awarded three VMAs, including Video of the Year, which wasn't a surprise since the music video was so awesome. 

Director Michael Gondry took on the monumental task of producing the music video for the song "Fell In Love With a Girl" by The White Stripes. The music video was hard to create because it was all shot using stop motion frames with legos.

When it comes to one of the highlights in Nicki Manaj’s career, the "Anaconda" music video is at the top as it made her world-famous overnight. The music video was directed by Colin Tilley, who filmed it in Los Angeles. The music video featured Drake and broke several records on streaming services. 

Twisted Sister’s "We're Not Gonna Take It" music video was one of the best hair metal music videos that were released during the 80s. This was the perfect music video to capture what Twisted Sister was all about, from the crazy makeup to the loud music. Every teenage boy during that time wanted to go against authority, and this song encapsulated it. 

Childish Gambino has risen to fame in recent years, and that is due to the powerful lyrics and dope beats that he produces himself. His music videos are just as good as his music. The music video for "This Is America" is a powerful message that Gambino wanted to make since times in America were not the best in 2018. 

"The Story of O.J." is a great music video directed by Jay-Z and Mark Romanek, who is known for making exciting music videos. The music video was released in 2017 on Vevo and instantly became a hit among Jay-Z fans.

Kendrick Lamar is one of the best rappers out there, and his music videos are always something to look forward to. The music video for "Alright" was filmed in both Los Angeles and San Francisco and was shot in black and white, giving it a unique look. 

Another great music video is for the song "Dani California," which is by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The band has been one of the most popular to come out of the late 80s and since then has become a band that everyone wants to see in concert. Watching some of their music videos is a great way to see these guys in action without paying a ridiculous amount for tickets. 

Of course, Britney Spears would be on the list for best music videos as she was another great singer that knew how to dance. In her music video for the song "Toxic," things got pretty spicy, and she was getting all of the guys' attention when the music video would come on. 

"Jump" came off Van Halen's most successful album, 1984, and was number one on the Billboards. Pete Angelus and David Lee Roth directed the music video, and it was the ultimate hit with rock n roll fans. The music video was simple as it was just a stage performance, but that was enough for it to be nominated for three MTV Music Awards and win Best Stage Performance. 

"Bohemian Rhapsody" is one of Queen's number one hits and was even ranked the UK's Best Selling Single of All Time. What made this song even better was the music video that was made for it. The video was directed by Bruce Gowers, who knew that the song needed an epic music video to go along with it, and in the end, he created a simple but impactful video.

"When Doves Cry" is the number one single that came off Prince's album Purple Rain and is one of the songs that he is remembered for. Prince was always a great performer, and his music videos were just a glimpse at what dance moves this man had in store. The music video was directed by Prince, who prided himself on doing all of his own work himself and released the video in 1984 on MTV. 

"Waterfalls" was the number one single that came off of the album CrazySexyCool and was ranked the number 2 song of the year on the Billboard charts. It was also nominated for three Grammy Awards, which says a lot. The music video was the perfect way to display what TLC wanted the song to represent. 

"Beautiful" is another classic song that came out during the early 2000s and was one of Christina Aguilera's best singles that she released. The music video was a perfect way to visualize what the song was all about. The video was directed by Jonas Åkerlund and was released in 2002, and it was one of the first to highlight the issues of racial division and gay rights. 

"Runaway" came off of Kanye West's album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and was the second single off of that album. The music video was directed by Kanye himself, who always loves to be in control and the music video ended up coming out pretty well. It was released in 2010 and became one of Kanye's most popular music videos. 

Probably one of the wildest music videos out there is "What's My Age Again" by Blink-182, which features the band playing and running around the town naked. The song was the lead single off of the album Enema of the State and became even more popular when the music video was released and played on MTV. 

"Fantasy" is one of Mariah Carey's songs that boosted her popularity when she was younger. The song came off of the Daydream album, which was released in 1995, and the music video was the perfect way for people to find out about Carey and her incredible voice. Amazingly, Carey herself directed this music video, which ended up being a huge success.

"Sensual Seduction" is the first title off of Snoop Dogg's album Ego Trippin' which was his ninth album. Along with the song came a fantastic music video that is still ranked as one of the best that Snoop released. The music video was directed by Melina Matsoukas, who wanted to make a video that looks like it was shot during the 70s, and Snoop was totally on board. The video was released in 2007 and featured Lil' Kim. 

"Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" first debuted in a Super Bowl commercial and created a lot of controversy due to the nature of the video. The man behind it all is Lil Nas X, who is known for pushing the limits to the edge and enjoys being the center of attention. 

"Everlong" was ranked number three on the US Billboard Alternative Songs chart and is one of the songs that the band is known for. The music video was a big help in promoting the song and ended up being nominated for Best Rock Video at the MTV Music Awards in 1998. The video was directed by Michel Gondry, who based it on the film The Evil Dead.

"Blinding Lights" came off The Weeknd's album After Hours and had an epic music video that was released along with it in 2019. The Weeknd is known for making cinematic music videos and takes pride in making them as unique as possible.

Of course, Michael Jackson would have two spots on this list as he was one of the best dancers in the world and the music video for "Billie Jean" was another classic that will always be remembered. The music video was directed by Steve Barron, who is known for several Hollywood films and was the perfect match for Jackson as the music video became one of his best.

"Bark at the Moon" came off of Ozzy Osbourne's album Bark at the Moon and became one of his most famous songs during the 80s. The song reached the nineteenth spot on the Billboard list and was aided by the music video played all over MTV. The video was released in 1983 and featured Ozzy dressed up as a werewolf, which goes along with the song's lyrics. 

"Around the World" is the number one song that Daft Punk released during their career and was able to make them popular worldwide. The music video was directed by Michel Gondry who is known for making the strangest music videos and he didn't let us down with this one. The video was released in 1997 along with the song and became one of the most famous club songs played worldwide. 

"Vogue" was the first single off Madonna's album, I'm Breathless, released in 1990. The song became the top single in 1990 and got help from the fantastic music video that went along with it. David Fincher directed the music video and decided to make the whole video black and white, which went along with the song. 

Drake is undoubtedly one of the best rappers around, and his song "Hotline Bling" became an ultimate hit when released in 2015. The single reached number two on the Billboard Top 100 and is one of his most recognizable songs. Director X directed the music video and was inspired to make a rap video that included a lot of dancing, which Drake is known for. 

"Wrecking Ball" came off of Miley Cyrus' album Bangerz, which was released in 2013 and made it on the Billboard Top 100 in fiftieth place. The music video became one of the most popular during that time as Cyrus is seen on a huge wrecking ball naked. The music video was directed by Terry Richardson, who wanted to capture the sexy look of the young artist. 

"Bitch Better Have My Money" is a single that was released by Rihanna in 2015. The music video made for the song is fantastic and is one of the best Rihanna has released. Rihanna and Megaforce directed the music video which starred a couple of actors such as Mads Mikkelsen, Eric Roberts, and Sita Abellá. 

"Somebody That I Used to Know" is the single off Gotye's album Making Mirrors, released in 2011. The song became one of the best songs released in 2011, and the music video was a success in every way. The music video was directed by Natasha Pincus, who wanted to make an artistic music video that would go along with the song.