Top 20 Greatest Music Videos of All Time

From MTV to YouTube, these are the greatest music videos of all time. For this list, we’ll be looking at the most memorable, culturally important, and innovative music videos ever. Our countdown includes "Waterfalls," "Bad Romance," "Formation," and more! What's YOUR favorite music video? Let us know in the comments!

Watch more great music videos here:

Challenge friends and family on our multiplayer Trivia!

Have Your Idea Become A Video!

Subscribe for more great content!

MsMojo is a leading producer of reference online video content of Top 10 Lists, Origins, Biographies, Commentary and more on Pop Culture, Celebrity, Movies, Music, TV, Film, Video Games, Politics, News, Comics, Superheroes. Your trusted authority on ranking Pop Culture.

#MusicVideo #Music #Singers #Songs #Bands

[samprimera]

Bohemian Rhapsody was almost never released.They kept getting told it was too long at over six minutes, but Freddie fought fiercely in his corner, threatening to break his contract.

[DANNYTHEFROG]

November rain was playing when I was leaving my daughter in the hospital. For some reason it comforted me. Everything turned out ok and she got to come home 2 days later.

[patrickfort]

It's hard to beat the sheer sexiness of Chris Isaak's Wicked Game, or the sadness of Drive by the Cars.

[blugreen]

I remember thinking Jamiroquai's "Virtual Insanity" and Missy Elliott's "Supa DuPa Fly" would be the most technologically advanced music videos ever made. 😆

[EdithLee-vypx]

Two of my favourite music videos were missed! Genesis - Land of Confusion and Dire Straits - Money for Nothing

[NeonRadarMusic]

I would personally give Jeremy by Pearl Jam an honorable mention at least. It's dark but extremely powerful and amazingly well directed.

[silviacosta]

I don’t understand why you didn’t consider any Duran Duran video, since they were actually the ones who started the video industry with MTV and still those videos remain iconic and unforgettable. For sure they are above many of these 20 ones considering their relevance.

[DanGamingFan]

Of course "Thriller" would be number one. It's basically it's own short film. Michael spared no expense giving us the thrill of the century.

[abacero]

"Every Breath You Take" by The Police is a masterpiece. With no sophisticated digital visuals, only black and white filming, great camera and editing work, and a wonderful song in the musical sense, at least, it should be an honorable mention

[MsJackieHoliday]

I am really surprised "Smooth Criminal" or "Bad" didn't make it on the list. Iconic music videos.

[toweringinferno]

The amazing video "Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This" from Eurythmisc is very much missing in yr countdown!!! That's a true and unique, unforgettable masterpiece

[fuzzylon]

Of course, Thriller should be no 1, but it's hard to appreciate now how ground-breaking Vogue felt at the time. We would play it over and over and over.

[vizantian]

From historical aspect these are 10 videos that made crucial impact on the video music industry:
01. The Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star 1981
02. Duran Duran - Girls on Film 1981
03 & 04. Michael Jackson - Billie Jean & Thriller 1983
05. Dire Straits - Money For Nothing 1985
06. Aha - Take On Me 1985
07. Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill 1985
08. Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer 1986
09. Madonna - Vogue 1990
10. George Michael - Freedom! '90 1990

[Karafin]

Even if they won't say it, it's nice of them to limit the list to one per artist. Otherwise, the real list would be topped by like 7 straight Michael Jackson videos.

[PamelaEMiller]

Agree with those that say Duran Duran should of been on the list. They won the 1st Grammy’s awarded for a music video( short and long version). Plus many of the videos you talked about the concept had already been done on earlier videos of the 80’s and 90’s

[wowbobwow]

How can there not be a video by R.E.M?
Orange Crush, ITEOTWAWKI, Everybody Hurts, Losing My Religion, The Great Beyond, Electolite and Imitation of Life are all great.

[mbrow]

Ah yes, a trip down memory lane and the days when MTV truly was Music Television. MJ is my all-time favorite, but Rhythm Nation proved that little sister Janet could be just as fierce.

[craiggie]

For entire collections of work in music videos, Annie Lennox/Eurythmics, Kate Bush, and Björk would be definite contenders. They not only helped pioneer the music video genre but they proved to be visual (and even gender) chameleons, transforming into different characters and personas with each song.

[ianitski]

Had a debate with a friend years ago about my listening to songs that weren't current. I asked him if he could remember songs from the 70's, 80's and 90's which he could easily. Then asked him to remember a song from 5 or ten years ago. He couldn't recall anything and I said that's why I am still listening to older songs

[charlotte]

You had hardly any videos from the 80s, the peak of music videos. Cyndi Lauper: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Dire Straights: Money for Nothing, Duran Duran: Hungry Like the Wolf, Run DMC: Walk this Way, The Buggles; Video Killed the Radio Star