Music Videos are without a doubt one of the crucial determinants for a song’s success or failure. They have been an essential part of our pop culture. Let’s take a look at 10 Most Iconic Music Videos of All Time…..
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10. November Rain – Guns N’ Roses
‘November Rain’ by Guns N’ Roses released in 1992 from their album ‘Use You Illusion 1’, is probably one of the most well remembered music videos of the rock culture. It was based on ‘Without You’ by Del James. It tells the story of group member Axl Rose as he marries his then girlfriend Stephanie Seymour. The music video is one the most expensive music videos ever made and features various iconic scenes as helicopter shots of group member Slash playing guitar and the expensive wedding dress worn by Seymour. It was ranked by MTV as number 1 on its top 100 videos of 1992.
9. Baby One More Time – Britney Spears
‘Baby One More Time’ was the first single by Britney Spears came in 1998 from her debut album of the same name. The song and the music video was epic in the sense that it introduced to the world one of the greatest popstars of all time. The video features Spears in a school girl avatar, where after she gets bored in her class, she does her dance routine in a gymnasium, a corridor and beside a car. In 1999, the music video received three MTV Video Music Award nominations in the categories of Best Pop Video, Best Choreography, and Best Female Video. In April, 2014, it received 100 million views on VEVO.
8. Like A Prayer – Madonna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDnUIXF2ly8
Madonna released ‘Like A Prayer’ from her album of the same name in 1989. He video was highly controversial and popular, which features Madonna as a woman who witnesses the murder of a young woman, and it follows her action post the incident. It won the Viewer’s Choice Award at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards. It was ranked number one on MTV’s countdown of “100 Videos That Broke The Rules” in 2005, and for the 25th anniversary of MTV, viewers voted it as the “Most Groundbreaking Music Video of All Time.
7. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper
In 1983, Cyndi Lauper released ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ from her album ‘She’s So Unusual’. At the time of its release, it was one the quirkiest music videos ever made. It told the story of Lauper and her father, played by Lou Albano. It was included in Rolling Stone’s list of ‘The 100 Top Music Video’.
6. Alejandro – Lady Gaga
The 2010 song ‘Alejandro’ by Lady Gaga from her album ‘The Fame Monster’ was the first iconic music video of the 2010s decade. IT was inspired by Gaga’s love for her gay friends and admiration of gay love. It features Nazi soldiers, Star of Davis, Sacred Heart, Gaga as Joan of Arc, Gaga swallowing Rosary Beads, homoeroticism among soldiers, bra equipped with AR-15 rifle barrels, a red latex nun outfit, BDSM, polyamory, among others. Need we say more?
5. Wannabe – Spice Girls
‘Wannabe’, which came out in 1996, is the song that made Spice Girls what they are today. Apart from its groovy lyrics and rap and vocal performance, what ‘Wannabe’ relatable to public was the music video. It introduced Ginger Spice, Posh Spice, Scary Spice, Baby Spice and Sporty Spice as we know them today. The video is a one-take shot featuring the group members running, singing, dancing, and creating mischief at an eccentric bohemian party. The video won Best Dance Video at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards. It was also named 41st Best video in Top 100 Pop Videos of all time by Channel 4.
4. That Don’t Impress Me Much – Shania Twain
‘That Don’t Impress Me Much’ is undoubtedly Shania Twain’s most popular song which came in 1998, from her album ‘Come On Over’. Who can forget that hooded leopard skin outfit with matching bra that Twain sassily carried off in the middle of the desert while waiting for a lift, only to refuse to to accept all the lifts. The video won the Video of the Year award at the Canadian Country Music Awards and the Much More Music Award at the 1999 Much Music Video Awards . In 2001, it was the only video that was included in both the VH1’s list of 100 Greatest Videos in Rock and Roll and 100 Greatest Videos in Country Music.
3. Single Ladies – Beyonce Knowles
‘Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)’ from Beyonce’s album ‘I Am… Sasha Fierc in 2008 was THE video that had everyone talking about. The music video was shot in black and white. It features Beyonce as her aggressive and sensual alter ego Sasha Fierce, along with two other look alike dancers, Ebony Williams and Ashley Everett. It has Beyonce in an asymmetrical leotard and high-heels dancing to highly disciplined and intense dance routines of hip hop, tap and jazz. The video won won Video of the Year, Best Choreography, and Best Editing at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. In March 2010, the music video became the second most watched of all time on the Internet with over 522 million views. It also was included in Time Magazine’s 30 All-Time Best Music Videos.
2. Cryin’ – Aerosmith
Aerosmith released ‘Cryin’’ in 1993 from their album ‘Get A Grip’. The video features Stephen Dorff and Alicia Silverstone as boyfriend-girlfriend who engage in several run and chase actions. It won Video of the Year, Best Group Video and Viewer’s Choice Award at the 1994 MTV Video Music Award. Besides, this video is largely responsible for popularising navel piercing to mainstream culture as doe by Silverstone in the video.
1. Thriller – Michael Jackson
In 1984, came out a music video that changed how we look at music videos. It showed how essential role a music video can play in the success of not only a song, but also the whole album. ‘Thriller’ from the album of the same name, showed music video can be turned into short films. In the video, which is set in the 1950s, Michael and his date encounter zombies in a graveyard, were his date is nearly killed by MJ, who himself is a warewolf, but she wakes up to realize that it was a date. However, as the video ends, and as she walks along with him, MJ eerily looks into the camera to reveal that he too is actually a warewolf. The video won Viewers Choice, Best Overall Performance and Best Choreography at the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards. Besides, it has been named the greatest video of all time by MTV in 1999, by VH1 in 2001 and was also declared one of the greatest music videos by Time Magazine in 2011.