The Top 10 music videos of all time

Feeling too lazy to type up my reasons, but will give it a shot, in no order

Thriller
Moonwalker
Ghosts
Bad
Black or white
Like a prayer
Love will never do without you
If
Scream
Bedtime Story
Single Ladies

So hard to pick just 2 MJ ones, but I'm going with:


1. MJ - Smooth Criminal
2. MJ - Bad
3. David Bowie - Blackstar
4. Janet - If
5. Janet - Rhythm Nation
6. Guns N Roses - November Rain
7. Prince - Face Down
8. Kylie Minogue - Can't Get You Out Of My Head
9. Tori Amos - Spark
10. Kate Bush - King of the Mountain

Surprised myself picking Bad as my #2 MJ one, but it's just so cool and fun, plus I don't think Ghosts really counts as its more of a mini-movie.

Some of my other choices are more because I love the artists and those songs and the visual accompaniment is just well done and an extension of that. Nov Rain for example - even though it regularly makes the lists for best music videos, I could probably name a dozen music videos that are far superior objectively, but I don't enjoy the song/artist as much. For example, I recognise that Lady Gaga/Beyonce's Telephone is a fantastic video, but I'd rather watch a Prince or GNR video because I prefer their music.

Was tempted to include a Madonna one - probably Human Nature or Frozen - but again, I don't like her music enough for her to get a top ten slot.

I ended up with 11 from the top of my head and then felt I couldn’t exclude any of them. 


MJ Smooth Criminal
I got up for school, my brother said “I taped MJ’s new video for you, and nothing would every be the same again! And not for the first time where MJ was concerned. Completely obvious but wonderfully magnificent and magical.

MJ Earth Song
I think this is phenomenal and the imagery perfectly captures the message. I could have easily gone with Thriller, Bad, Black or White, Remember The Time, Scream, TDCAU, but I wanted something more contemporary from MJ and feel this was one of MJ’s last truly great iconic moments and it took me completely by surprise as he’d done so often before, to me and the rest of the world, and I particularly liked the Christmas Charts in Ireland/UK that year. It had The Beatles: Free As A Bird at #2, Bjork: It’s Oh So Quite, Everything But The Girl: Missing, Coolio: Gangstas Paradise. Really great times and the song really brings MJ’s message home.

A-Ha Take On Me
I believe it was the first of its kind to use animation in this particular way? I could be wrong. It reminds me of being a kid swept up in pop music and watching Top of The Pops. Love the synth hook of the tune as well.

Fatboy Slim Weapon of Choice
Christopher Walken! Enough said! If you haven’t seen it, you’ve missed half your life! Remarkable video and possibly the greatest thing ever created. I particularly liked the You’ve Come A Long Way Baby album at the time but didn’t really give Halfway Between the Gutter And The Stars much of a go but this video is classic Fatboy Slim. I have great memories of it. 

Pet Shop Boys West End Girls
I don’t think this would be regarded as a particularly great video by anyone but the imagery and aesthetic is etched on my memory because if shot in London and I was in London as a child when I first saw it -and heard it- on TV. Neil & Chris being all moody and not smiling as they effortlessly belt out their first classic tune. It’s simple but brilliant, and very effective.

BTS Blood Sweat & Tears
These guys came along -for me- at a time when LN was released via the shock and awe method which hurt a lot and made my MJ fandom feel hopeless, pointless and futile. This video and song made me feel pop music could still be unique and effect the world in a positive way, and I think much of their work before the American label got to them did that. I might have put Black Swan here instead but this reminds me of how intrigued and uplifted it made me feel when I discovered it.

Bjork It’s oh So Quite
1995, Christmas time, Earth Song is #1, I drank a bottle of Malibu in my friend’s house and puked up all over his mums lovely carpet. This was playing! Wonderful memories! I’ve gone off Malibu and drink since then but remain captivated by this video and song. 

Red Hot Chilli Peppers Californication
I just love it. I was big on the Chilli Peppers at this time and saw them in Dublin in Lansdown Road stadium. I also loved video games so this was the perfect everything. Great track, fun video.

Janet Rhythm Nation
It’s Janet 2:0! It was a coming of age track/album/video for her. A new horizon. The potential to almost touch MJ greatness.

Madonna Vogue
Another very stylish black and white video but a cracking track from Mage and Shep Pettibone, and great choreography. It’s iconic and if I ever see it, no matter what I’m doing, I stop cold and stare at it.

Peter Gabriel Sledge Hammer
This one is quite obvious in terms of all time greatest video lists but I saw this on a small little portable TV in a motel in either Fort Lauderdale or Miami. I can never quite remember as I was 7 but like many music videos I love, it’s not always particularly the artist I’m taken with but the memory of the moment I saw it and the way it hit me and the impact it had on me. Leave Me Alone is very reminiscent of this video also and I find they both keep their charm despite special effects and animation having evolved in leaps and bounds this style is great fun. 


I’ll give honourable mentions to Sia’s Chandelier, BTS’ Black Swan and the fabulous Weezer video for Buddy Holly.

Anyway, if I really sat down and thought about it I’m sure there’s lots more and obviously I could do a Top-10 on MJ alone.

Right Here Right Now is another cracking video from Fatboy Slim aka Norman Cook. He’s had a really interesting career. He was in a group called The Housemartins with Paul Heaton who went on to form The Beautiful South; this could be Rotterdam or anywhere, Liverpool or Rome….. Anyway, Norman released a bunch of singles under the name Pizzaman at the hight of Dance Pop in the 90’s. He was in a few electro groups aswell; Beats International and some other stuff. 

I wouldn’t be a super fan or anything but I sort of admire him for being a bit of a maverick and I think he struck a chord with those Fatboy Slim music videos. The tunes vary from really good to ok to average but the combo of the tune with the music video was where he hit gold. Praise You is probably the one he’s most known for but Weapon of Choice and Right Here Right Now are just wonderfully imaginative and fun viewing. 

Another one I love is Janet’s The Pleasure Principal. It’s typical 80’s but it’s Janet looking cute or hot dancing around in something reminiscent of Flashdance.

I sort of see what you mean but for me -growing up in the 80’s when all of this was quite new- a good video was something to behold. On the other hand you can have a great song with an average video and in my honest opinion Prince made a lot of them; that is great songs with average videos. So for me at least it can sort of work both ways. 

I mean surely you can appreciate something like Weapon Of Choice or Right Here Right Now just for their originality and quirkiness? At the very least they appeal through novelty, but is that necessarily a bad thing? If a video can change your mood then that’s pretty effective and impactful.

Single Ladies is a good example of great video, average song. But all in all it’s pretty iconic as far as Beyoncé goes. 

I’d prefer to listen to Prince also but I felt if I listed off my usual favourite artists it sort of defeated the purpose? 
I suppose on top of that I’m a huge fan of visual presentation, aesthetic, choreography and something that can stand on its own as a representation of something original and eye catching. 

Do me a favour, if you have a set of headphones give Sledgehammer a listen. It’s a really great track from a rhythmic perspective.