55 of the most iconic music videos of all time

kendrick lamar

Kendrick Lamar's "Humble" is an incredible video.
YouTube/KendrickLamarVEVO

Some music videos are more memorable than others.

From Michael Jackson's zombie dance in "Thriller" to Miley Cyrus' naked wrecking ball ride, certain visuals stay with the viewer long after the video has ended.

Here are 55 of the most iconic music videos of all time.

"Life on Mars" by David Bowie (1973)

David Bowie in the video.
Vimeo/Mister Sussec

The "Life on Mars" music video was filmed for the song's release as a single. It's incredibly simple, with David Bowie just standing in front of a white background for most of it, but with his orange hair, powder blue suit, and blue eye shadow, the visuals are vibrant and mesmerizing.

Watch the video here.

"Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen (1975)

Queen in the video.
Queen Official/YouTube

The promotional video for "Bohemian Rhapsody" starts off with the striking, yet simple shot of the four band members sitting in darkness and singing the a capella part of the song. Then it shifts to the musicians performing on stage. The initial image is one that has defined the band since.

Watch the video here.

"Wuthering Heights" by Kate Bush (1978)

Kate Bush in the UK video.
Kate Bush Music/YouTube

Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights" has two iconic videos. The UK version features Bush in a white dress as she dances around a dark room white white mist. The second stars Bush in a red dress doing the same memorable dance moves and emotive faces, but instead of a room, she is in the middle of the woods. More than 300 people dressed as Bush in the red dress recreated her video in a Brighton park in 2013.

Watch the red dress video here the white dress video here.

"Thriller" by Michael Jackson (1983)

Michael Jackson in the "Thriller" video.
Michael Jackson/YouTube

Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video is a cinematic masterpiece. Directed by John Landis, known for "Animal House" and "An American Werewolf in London," the mini-movie has the perfect horror aesthetic. From the movie theater setting that resulted in the popular "Michael Jackson eating popcorn" GIF to the choreographed zombie dance, it's 14 minutes of pure enjoyment. The video won a Grammy for best long-form video.

Watch the video here.

"Take on Me" by A-ha (1984)

The A-ha video was creative.
Rhino/YouTube

A-ha pushed boundaries with their creative video, actually the song's second video, for "Take on Me." The video tells a romantic story through a mix of live-action and pencil-sketch animation. It starts with a woman flipping through a comic book when the character reaches out to her and pulls her in. The comic book character later attempts to join her in the real world and eventually does.

Watch the video here.

"When Doves Cry" by Prince (1984)

Prince in the video.
Prince/YouTube

From the first moment doves fly through a door and a camera zooms in on Prince in a bathtub, viewers know that the video is not going to be simple. The video includes clips from "Purple Rain," too. The video was a bit controversial for its sexual visuals.

Watch the video here.

"Don't Come Around Here No More" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (1985)

Tom Petty as the Mad Hatter.
Tom Petty/YouTube

Tom Petty channeled "Alice in Wonderland" for the "Don't Come Around Here No More" music video. Between his Mad Hatter costume and the trippy adventures of Alice as she tries to escape Wonderland, the video is ful of memorable scenes. Ending with Alice as a cake that the Mad Hatter and friends consume and a small burp from Petty is just the cherry on top.

Watch the video here.

"Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel (1986)

Peter Gabriel in the video.
Peter Gabriel/YouTube

Peter Gabriel's video for "Sledgehammer" was an impressive 16-hour feat. The scenes incorporated claymation, pixilation, and stop-motion animation to come to life. It's trippy to watch and makes the video one of the most recognizable of all time.

Watch the video here.

"I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" by Whitney Houston (1987)

Whitney Houston in the video.
WhitneyHoustonMusic/YouTube

The video starts in black-and-white as Whitney Houston finishes a show and heads backstage. Then the scenes begin to shift between Houston in brightly colored dresses and makeup in various different scenes. She and other dancers groove and show off their moves throughout the video.

Watch the video here.

"Opposites Attract" by Paula Abdul (1988)

Paula Abdul and MC Skat Cat in the music video.
PaulaAbdulVEVO/YouTube

Choreographer and singer Paula Abdul danced alongside a cartoon cat named MC Skat Cat in the video for "Opposites Attract." It may seem odd to have a cat playing her love interest as she sings about loving a guy despite their differences, yet that's the theme of the video. The cat's dance moves even mirror her's. It's hard to forget, and it won a Grammy for best music video.

Watch the video here.

"Like a Prayer" by Madonna (1989)

Madonna in the video.
Warner Bros. Records

The "Like a Prayer" video largely takes place in a church, but there is a subplot where Madonna witnesses a murder and sees a black man arrested for the crime he did not commit. After falling asleep and dreaming that a saint statue turned into the man, she wakes up, goes to the prison, and tells them that the man is innocent. The video also features a striking shot of Madonna dancing in front of burning crosses. Her use of religious symbols caused controversy, and the Vatican even condemned it.

Watch the video here.

"If I Could Turn Back Time" by Cher (1989)

Cher in the video.
Cher/YouTube

Cher's video for "If I Could Turn Back Time" is relatively simple: she performs a concert on the battleship USS Missouri with a ton of US Navy members present. But what truly stands out about the video is Cher's iconic sheer body suit and leather jacket. Much of Cher's body is exposed and both she and the Navy received criticism for it.

Watch the video here.

"Love Shack" by The B-52's (1989)

RuPaul, right, in the "Love Shack" video.
B-52s video/YouTube

The "Love Shack" video was filmed at the home of ceramic artists Philip Maberry and Scott Walker and shows people grooving and having a fun party in this place in the middle of some woods. It was also the first big break for drag queen RuPaul.

Watch the video here.

"Rhythm Nation" by Janet Jackson (1989)

Janet Jackson in the video.
Janet Jackson/YouTube

The black-and-white "Rhythm Nation" video is known for its military-style outfits, warehouse setting, and choreography, which has inspired numerous dance routines since the video was released. The legendary video has been honored countless times. It won a Grammy as part of a long-form video project titled "Rhythm Nation 1814 Film."

Watch the video here.

"U Can't Touch This" by MC Hammer (1990)

MC Hammer in the video.
MC Hammer/YouTube

MC Hammer's video for "U Can't Touch This" is extremely simple. Most clips just show him and a few others doing his signature moves like the running man and hammer dance. And his "Hammer pants" are iconic.

Watch the video here.

"Nothing Compares 2 U" by Sinéad O'Connor (1990)

Sinéad O'Connor in the video.
Official Sinead/YouTube

Most of the video is a close-up shot of Sinéad's face as she sings the song. Two tears roll down her cheeks at the end. The video does feature a couple of clips of her walking through Parc de Saint-Cloud in Paris, but the emotional close-ups are the most striking parts. She was the first woman to win video of the year at the MTV Video Music Awards for the work.

Watch the video here.

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana (1991)

Kurt Cobain in the music video.
Nirvana/YouTube

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" is considered one of the greatest songs of all time, and the video is a testament to the song as a teen rock anthem. The band is performing at a high school pep rally where cheerleaders have the circle-A anarchy symbol on their chests. The students progressively begin to head bang to the music as a riot erupts and the kids destroy the instruments.

Watch the video here.

"Cryin'" by Aerosmith (1993)

Alicia Silverstone in the video.
Aerosmith/YouTube

The first collaboration between Alicia Silverstone and Aerosmith featured Silverstone as a girl who catches her boyfriend cheating. She ends up shoving him out of a car and leaving him in the dust and goes into a rebellious phase. She gets a tattoo and a belly button piercing. Eventually, she stands on the edge of an overpass preparing to jump when her ex shows up with a bunch of cops. She leaps and hang over the cars with a rope and flip her ex off is iconic.

Watch the video here.

"Everybody Hurts" by R.E.M. (1993)

The video has subtitles.
REMHQ/YouTUbe

"Everybody Hurts" is a heavy song, and the corresponding video highlights the emotional lyrics. As the band and hundreds of other people are stuck in a traffic jam, the camera pans to various individuals sitting in their car with subtitles describing their thoughts. At the end, everyone gets out of their cars and walks before mysteriously vanishing.

Watch the video here.

"Buddy Holly" by Weezer (1994)

Weezer in the video.
Weezer/YouTube

Directed by Spike Jonze ("Her"), the "Buddy Holly" video places the band in Arnold's Drive-In from the show "Happy Days." Real clips from the show are also used throughout the video to make it seem like the band is actually on the show. Original cast member Al Molinaro made a cameo.

Watch the video here.

"Waterfalls" by TLC (1995)

TLC in the video.
TLCVEVO/YouTube

Directed by F. Gary Gray, who also directed "Straight Out of Compton" and "The Fate of the Furious," the "Waterfalls" video is emotional. The video shows two stories: one in which a boy is killed in a drug deal after not listening to his mom to stop and another where a man contracts AIDS after having unprotected sex with a woman. The boy returns in ghost form but his mom can't see him, and both the man and woman fade from the video. Also, the group performs in water and in liquefied forms in front of a waterfall. It got video of the year at the MTV VMAs.

Watch the video here.

"Scream" by Michael and Janet Jackson (1995)

Janet and Michael Jackson in the video.
Michael Jackson/YouTube

"Scream," written in response to media backlash Michael Jackson was facing, places the two siblings on a spacecraft. The black-and-white video features various scenes of the siblings together and alone, reacting emotionally and with anger at certain moments. The visuals are striking, and at one point, Janet throws a middle finger to the camera.

Watch the video here.

"Wannabe" by Spice Girls (1996)

The Spice Girls dancing on stairs.
SpiceGirlsVEVO/YouTube

The Spice Girls video for "Wannabe" is entirely one-shot and shows the girls taking over the St. Pancras Grand Hotel in London. Each girl shows off her personality as they move throughout the hotel, making a mess and causing general chaos. The video is as fun as the song itself.

Watch the video here.

"It's All Coming Back to Me Now" by Céline Dion (1996)

Céline Dion and her lover.
CelineDionTV/YouTube

The emotional video for "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" starts with Céline Dion's love leaving their mansion on a motorcycle in a rainstorm before dying in a fiery crash when lighting causes a tree to fall. She has visions of her dead lover in the mansion and remembers moments when they were together. It ends with her holding a photo of them.

Watch the video here.

"Ironic" by Alanis Morissette (1996)

Alanis Morissette in the video for "Ironic."
Alanis Morissette/YouTube

The "Ironic" video stars Morissette getting into her car at a gas station and then driving into a wintery landscape. As the song progresses, multiple Morissettes sing in the car and act as her passengers until the car runs out of gas and she has to walk. Isn't it ironic?

Watch the video here.

"Virtual Insanity" by Jamiroquai (1996)

Jamiroquai's video.
Sony Soho Square

Set in a futuristic looking white room, the video stands out for the illusions it features. The floors appears to move as the walls stand still, furniture seems to glide, and the titled camera makes viewers feel a bit sideways. And there's some weird bugs crawling at various points. The video one video of the year at the VMAs.

Watch the video here.

"Honey" by Mariah Carey (1997)

Mariah Carey in the "Honey" video.
Mariah Carey/YouTube

The "Honey" video starts with Mariah Carey as a Bond-esque spy named Agent M who is being held hostage by an organization known as D.U.N.C.E. She manages to escape and there's a whole action series with her jumping into a pool, riding a jet ski, and making her great escape to an island with her man and dog. But then there's also some random dance scenes with her on a boat. It's all just brilliant to watch.

Watch the video here.

"My Hero" by Foo Fighters (1998)

The "My Hero" video.
Foo Fighters/YouTube

Directed by Foo Fighters front man Dave Grohl, the video follows a man, whose face is never shown, as he rescues a baby, a dog, and grabs a photo from a burning building. Filmed in one continuous shot, the band is also occasionally shown playing in the burning building.

Watch the video here.

"The Boy Is Mine" by Brandy and Monica (1998)

Brandy and Monica in the video.
Atlantic

Brandy and Monica's apartments are right next to each other and the girls are seeing the same man. They talk through their problems with friends and ultimately decide that neither of them will date him. The girls are together when the guy comes knocking and slam the door in his face.

Watch the video here.

"All Star" by Smash Mouth (1999)

"All Star" is full of cameos.
SmashMouthVEVO/YouTube

As fun as Smash Mouth's song is, the video is even more wild. The song is featured in the superhero comedy "Mystery Men," and actors William H. Macy, Ben Stiller, Hank Azaria, Diane Rehm, Paul Reubens, Kel Mitchell, Janeane Garofalo, Doug Jones, and Dane Cook all make cameos. The band's front man lifts a bus up off a girl at some point and saves a dog from a fire. There's a lot to process.

Watch the video here.

"Waiting for Tonight" by Jennifer Lopez (1999)

Jennifer Lopez in the video.
Jennifer Lopez/YouTube

J-Lo brought in the new millennium with her video for "Waiting for Tonight." Taking place on New Year's Eve, the video shows J-Lo and her friends getting ready for a party. They eventually head down a river to a rave in the forest. It even stops briefly for a countdown. But the image forever in people's minds is Lopez dancing around in the forest with green lasers behind her. There's also a memorable scene of her covered in diamonds.

Watch the video here.

"My Name Is" by Eminem (1999)

Eminem in the video for "My Name Is."
EminemMusic/YouTube

Eminem impersonates various TV shows and people throughout the video for "My Name Is." From "Leave it to Beaver" to Marilyn Manson to Bill Clinton to "The Brady Bunch," Eminem doesn't hold back on pop culture references or the barbs he makes in his lyrics.

Watch the video here.

"Bye Bye Bye" by NSYNC (2000)

NSYNC as puppets.
NSYNC/YouTube

Every shot in the "Bye Bye Bye" video is memorable. It starts with the boy band as puppets being controlled by a giant woman. There's running on a moving train, there's dancing in a blue room, there's a dog chase, and a car chase. Could you want anything more in a video?

Watch the video here.

"Survivor" by Destiny's Child (2001)

Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams, and Beyoncé in the video.
Destiny's Child/YouTube

The music video for "Survivor" takes place "somewhere in the South Pacific," as stated in the beginning and begins with Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams, and Beyoncé shipwrecked on an island. There's shots of them on a boat in a "storm," there's memorable camouflage outfits, and a truly special dance break in front of a temple.

Watch the video here.

"Weapon of Choice" by Fatboy Slim (2001)

Christopher Walken in the video.
Fatboy Slim/YouTube

Director Spike Jonze — also on this list for "Buddy Holly" — is behind this truly memorable video featuring Christopher Walken dancing around a Mariott in Los Angeles. He grooves on an escalator, he flies in the air, he shimmies in the lobby. It's an unexpected video in the best way. It won a Grammy for best music video.

Watch the video here.

"Lady Marmalade" by Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mýa, and Pink (2001)

Lil' Kim, Pink, Mya, and Christina Aguilera In the video.
Christina Aguilera/YouTube

Recorded as a cover for the movie "Moulin Rouge," the four women appeared in the video. They are all dressed in lingerie in a cabaret setting resembling the real Moulin Rouge. They won the MTV VMA for video of year. Missy Elliot is also featured in the video and song.

Watch the video here.

"Clint Eastwood" by Gorillaz (2001)

2-D in the video.
Emimusic/YouTube

The Gorillaz are known for their animations, but it all started with their first single from their debut, "Clint Eastwood." The video features a ghost, tombstones rising from the ground, zombie gorillas, and pop culture references including ones to "Resident Evil" and "Braindead."

Watch the video here.

"Work It" by Missy Elliott (2002)

Alyson Stoner was one of the lead dancers in the video.
Missy Elliot/YouTube

The "Work It" video is filled with some interesting CGI work, memorable dance moves, and some wild cameos that include Timbaland and Eve. Disney star Alyson Stoner broke out in the video as the lead child dancer. There are shots of Missy covered in bees and tributes to the late Aaliyah and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes spray-painted on the hoods of cars — it's truly filled with striking visuals. The video won for video of the year at the MTV VMAs.

Watch the video here.

"Complicated" by Avril Lavigne" (2002)

Avril Lavigne in the video.
Avril Lavigne/YouTube

Avril Lavigne's disastrous romp through a mall was every teen's dream in the early 2000s. She ran around with her friends bothering patrons and employees, trying on a bunch of clothes, and making a giant mess. There are also shots of her and her band performing at a skate park. The image of her white tank and black tie is a definitive one.

Watch the video here.

"Hey Ya!" by OutKast (2003)

André 3000 in the video.
OutKastVideoVault/YouTube

Inspired by the reaction to the Beatles performance on "The Ed Sullivan Show," "Hey Ya!" features a band called the Love Below performing on a London show as a bunch of women scream in excitement. André 3000 plays all eight characters featured in the band.

Watch the video here.

"Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence (2003)

Amy Lee in the video.
Evanescense/YouTube

The video features lead singer Amy Lee dreaming of falling from her apartment window. Then she wakes and crawls outside to walk along the ledge. At one point, she climbs up the building to a room where Paul McCoy and the rest of the band are playing music. He opens the window and she almost falls. He reaches out to her but can't pull her back up and she falls. But the video ends with a shot of her in bed. It's dark and striking and fits perfectly with the song.

Watch the video here.

"Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes (2003)

The "Seven Nation Army" video.
XL Recordings/YouTube

The video for "Seven Nation Army" is a kaleidoscopic, trippy series of shots. It continuously shifts through a series of triangles shifting between images of Meg and Jack White playing instruments. The speed of the video shifts with the music resulting in a satisfying video.

Watch the video here.

"Toxic" by Britney Spears (2004)

Britney Spears in the video.
Jive Records

An argument could be made for "...Baby One More Time" to be on the list for the school girl uniform and high school setting, but "Toxic" deserves the title. Between Britney Spears' flight attendant uniform, diamond and nude body suit, and black cat suit, all of her outfits are memorable. And then there's the wild action sequence in a futuristic Paris where she poisons her unfaithful boyfriend. It's hard to forget.

Watch the video here.

"I Write Sins Not Tragedies" by Panic! at the Disco (2005)

Brendon Urie in the video.
Fueled by Ramen/YouTube

Panic! at the Disco's first music video features a wedding where the bride's family is asleep and have their faces and eyelids painted. The groom's family is filled with circus performers who interrupt the wedding. During all the chaos, lead singer Brendon Urie is the ringmaster. The bride leaves the altar, and when the groom follows, he sees her making out with one of the guests outside. It ends with the groom as the actual ringmaster. This brilliant video won the VMA for video of the year.

Watch the video here.

"Sugar, We're Goin Down" by Fall Out Boy (2005)

The antler boy and his girl.
Fall Out Boy/YouTube

Fall Out Boy's video for "Sugar, We're Goin Down" alternates between the band jamming and a love story between a boy with antlers and a normal girl. At one point, the boy tries to cut his antlers off to be accepted, but she stops him. Her father, a hunter, disapproves of their romance and tries to shoot antler boy with an arrow but he's hit by a car. When antler boy runs to his side, he realizes that the man has deer hooves for legs. It's a weird video, but that's why it's unforgettable.

Watch the video here.

"Welcome to the Black Parade" by My Chemical Romance (2006)

Gerard Way in the video.
My Chemical Romance/YouTube

The video for My Chemical Romance's jam featured a main character in a hospital bed who is eventually led by Death to the Black Parade. My Chemical Romance is on a float leading the parade of masked figures in what looks to be a wasteland. The striking video is mostly black-and-white with some of the only color provided by red flowers on the float.

Watch the video here.

"Here It Goes Again" by OK Go (2006)

OK Go on treadmills.
OK Go/YouTube

The video features the four guys of OK Go doing a choreographed dance on treadmills all filmed in one shot. It's simple, yet incredibly impressive. The video even won a Grammy.

Watch the video here.

"Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" by Beyoncé (2008)

Beyoncé in the center.
YouTube screenshot

Every Beyoncé video deserves a spot on this list, but "Single Ladies" has a special legacy. The simple black-and-white video features Beyoncé in a leotard flanked on either side by a dancer in a similar outfit. There's nothing flashy about the video, but the choreography was an instant hit and easy enough for people to learn. In a 2009 interview with Billboard, Bey said she was surprised by the reaction.

"Out of all my videos, it was the least expensive and took the least amount of time. And it ended up being the most iconic," she said. "I absolutely didn't expect that."

She won the MTV award for video of the year. But that night is also known as the night Kanye West got on stage and interrupted Taylor Swift's speech after she beat Beyoncé in the best female video category.

Watch the video here.

"Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga (2009)

Lady Gaga in the video.
Lady Gaga/YouTube

The "Bad Romance" video is artistic and creative yet political in nature. The main point of the video is that Gaga is being sold for sex, and the video switches between various scenes including one where she's dancing in an all-white outfit in a bath house and one where she is dancing for the men bidding as she's dressed in diamonds. The video finishes with the bed being set on fire, burning the man who bid on her. She later lies next to the charred remains. It won the MTV video of the year award.

Watch the video here.

"Runaway" by Kanye West (2010)

Kanye West's "Runaway."
Kanye West/YouTube

Part of a longer movie, the "Runaway" music video features Kanye West playing a white piano as a ballet troupe dressed all in black dance near him. Between the visuals and the overall story, West's artful vision is memorable.

Watch the video here.

"California Gurls" by Katy Perry (2010)

Katy Perry in the video.
Katy Perry/YouTube

Throw Katy Perry and her dancers in clothing covered in sweets, dress Snoop Dogg in a cupcake suit, make the setting a board game called Candyfornia, and you've got yourself the basis of the "California Gurls" video. As Katy Perry makes her way through the board game world, she rescues some girls from candy-related prisons and then defeats Snoop Dogg and his gummy bear army with whipped cream. And then for some reason, she is naked on a cotton candy cloud for certain parts.

Watch the video here.

"Wrecking Ball" by Miley Cyrus (2013)

Miley Cyrus rides a wrecking ball.
Miley Cyrus VEVO/YouTube

There's a lot to unpack in Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball" video. The zoomed in shots of her face and tears are reminiscent of Sinead O'Conner's "Nothing Compares 2 U" video, which is on this list. But the camera also captures a shot of Cyrus licking a sledgehammer and riding a wrecking ball while dressed in underwear, a white tank, and boots. Later, she's on the same ball nude, except for the boots. Cyrus' provocative videos were a shock to people who had watched her on "Hannah Montana."

Watch the video here.

"Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars (2014)

"Fill my cup, put some liquor in it."
Mark Ronson/YouTube

Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson had a hit with "Uptown Funk," and the vibrant, simple video was the perfect fit. It features Mars, Ronson, and their crew dancing through streets with choreographed moves and bright jackets.

Watch the video here.

"Humble" by Kendrick Lamar (2017)

Kendrick Lamar looking at the camera.
KendrickLamarVEVO/YouTube

The imagery in Lamar's "Humble" is evocative and breathtaking. From his Pope outfit to the reenactment of Da Vinci's "The Last Supper" painting, Lamar doesn't shy away from religious visuals. The scene where he's the only man looking at the camera as men around him bob their heads is striking, but even more notable is the scene where his head is on fire as he's surrounded by men with their heads wrapped in burning rope. When he raps about Photoshop, a woman is shown all made up and without makeup. It's full of genius symbolism and won Lamar a Grammy for best video.

Watch the video here.

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