Videos have been connecting people to music and the artists since MTV first started in 1981 with “Video Killed the Radio Star” by the Buggles. It’s been over 100 years since the first moving animation appeared with a song, long before MTV came along. Pairing visuals with music has been the main way that music has spread culturally.
From Korean pop icon Psy’s “Gangnam Style,” which became the first YouTube music video to hit a billion streams, to ’90s classics from Guns N’ Roses,Britney Spears, Oasis, Mariah Carey and more analog, non-mainstream music from bands like Radiohead and Weezer, videos changed how we listen and think about music forever.
Michael Jackson with Thriller music video
Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” is often called the best music video ever. It’s pure entertainment. John Landis’s “Thriller” video features Jackson trying to scare his girlfriend with the song’s verses before coming across a graveyard full of the living dead. She’s scared but is horrified to discover that Michael has turned into a zombie. The zombie dance sequence is still as good as ever, even though it was made nearly 40 years ago. The dancers are amazingly precise as Vavada casino is, and the choreography is incredible. We can watch it over and over and still love it. When “Thriller” first came out, it was the most expensive music video ever made. It changed the whole genre.
Sinead O’Connor with Nothing Compares to You
By the time MTV reached its first decade, the music video format had already changed a lot. The Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor became a superstar with just her voice and face. John Maybury filmed O’Connor’s cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U.” It shows her walking around Paris parks and casinos with no deposit bonus and looking at the camera against a black backdrop. She sells the emotion of Prince’s ballad until she cries. A simple, no-frills video felt bold and rebellious at the time, especially as MTV was closing in on its first decade. The song became a global one and won Video of the Year.
Madonna with Vogue
In the MTV era, Michael Jackson and Madonna were the artists who best presented their songs visually. Jackson had big sets and fancy shows. Madonna was a provocateur, pushing the limits of what was acceptable and commercial. When the sexy “Justify My Love” clip was too risqué for video networks, she sold it as a VHS video single. “Vogue” is arguably her best video. Shot in black and white by David Fincher, “Vogue” is a classic film-noir look. She nails every pose and dance move. “Vogue” started a dance craze and showed the world what ballroom dancing was all about.
Jamiroquai with Virtual Insanity
“Virtual Insanity” is a rare music video that became a pop culture icon, defining the band. Jonathan Glazer’s video shows Jamiroquai’s Jay Kay dancing in a lounge with sci-fi elements. The furniture moves with him, except when it doesn’t. The “Virtual Insanity” music video made Jamiroquai famous. It also defined the band so much that when they performed it at the Video Music Awards, Kay bounced across moving runways on the stage as if he were in the video. This video is so linked to the band’s identity that they’ve never managed to outrun the iconography of Glazer’s clip. That’s a risk you take when you make a visually outstanding clip.
Britney Spears with Baby One More Time
Britney Spears’ first single became an instant icon. Baby One More Time played with Catholic schoolgirl fantasies, but nothing too intense. It was designed for tweens watching MTV’s Total Request Live. But as soon as the no deposit bonus with the piano starts, it’s all Spears. Her confidence, dance moves, and charisma are on full display. Spears also chose the knotted shirt. It would still be associated as one of her most iconic looks. Baby One More Time was the start of the turn-of-the-millennium teen pop revolution. It was her first video.
Spice Girls with Wannabe
The Spice Girls’ debut single “Wannabe” taught you everything you always wanted to know about Scary, Baby, Sporty, Ginger, and Posh in less than four minutes. Dressed in iconic outfits, the girls walk into a fancy hotel party and cause problems, from stealing hats and glasses to doing backflips on dinner tables. The single take of “Wannabe” was edited from two separate ones. The dance and piano riff worked well together. This was their first time on screen, and it seemed like they’d been friends for years. The song was great, and the video was simple but effective. It made the Spice Girls stars instantly.
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