Best Songs With Iconic Music Videos

Why do some music videos become more culturally significant than the songs themselves?

Because a genuinely innovative visual concept, in narrative, choreography, or technical execution, can create a separate cultural artifact that gets referenced and parodied independently of the song's own chart success, effectively becoming a distinct piece of media in its own right that outlives the song's initial commercial run.

If you want a video that revolutionized the format technically

"Thriller," Michael Jackson. Still widely considered the most influential music video ever made, essentially a short horror film that elevated the format's artistic ambitions industry-wide and set a genuine benchmark other artists spent years trying to match.

"Bohemian Rhapsody," Queen. An early example of the format being used for genuine artistic storytelling rather than simple performance footage, well before music videos were a standard industry expectation.

If you want a video built around genuinely inventive choreography

"Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," Beyoncé. Its minimalist, black-and-white choreography became one of the most parodied and referenced dance sequences in music video history, achieved with genuinely simple production values.

"Thriller" again belongs here for its own genuinely iconic dance sequence, distinct from its horror narrative, which has been recreated at events worldwide for decades since.

If you want a video built around a genuinely surprising concept or twist

"Take On Me," a-ha. Combines live action and hand-drawn animation in a way that was genuinely groundbreaking for its era, using a comic-book aesthetic that hadn't been attempted at this scale before.

"Sledgehammer," Peter Gabriel. Used stop-motion and claymation techniques that remain visually striking decades later, becoming one of the most awarded music videos in history.

If you want a genuinely narrative-driven, short-film-style video

"Jeremy," Pearl Jam. Tells a genuinely difficult, complete narrative within its runtime, treated with real seriousness rather than typical performance footage.

"November Rain," Guns N' Roses. A genuinely epic, nearly ten-minute mini-film that helped define the era's ambition for what a music video could attempt.

If you want a video that became iconic specifically through cultural virality

"Gangnam Style," PSY. Became a genuine global cultural phenomenon largely through its music video's specific, endlessly imitated dance and visual comedy.

My honest opinion on why Thriller's influence still holds up decades later

I think it's because Michael Jackson and director John Landis treated the video as genuine short-form filmmaking, with real narrative structure and cinematic ambition, rather than simple promotional content, setting a bar the format has been measured against ever since its release.

Do iconic music videos still matter in a streaming and short-form video era?

Genuinely yes, though the format has adapted. Viral moments and visually distinctive videos still generate real cultural conversation, even if the specific viewing habits have shifted from appointment television, like MTV's original programming, to on-demand streaming and social media clips.

Do artists still invest heavily in music video production today?

Varies considerably by artist and label, though the biggest pop stars still treat music videos as genuine artistic and promotional investments, even as overall industry spending has shifted compared to the format's peak era.

Frequently asked questions

What's considered the most influential music video ever made? "Thriller" by Michael Jackson remains widely cited as the most groundbreaking, treating the format as genuine short-form filmmaking.

What's a music video known for its choreography specifically? "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" by Beyoncé became one of the most parodied and referenced dance sequences in the format's history.

Do music videos still matter in the streaming era? Yes, genuinely, though the specific viewing habits have shifted toward on-demand and social media consumption.

What made "Take On Me" so groundbreaking visually? Its combination of live action and hand-drawn animation was genuinely innovative for its era.

What's a genuinely narrative-driven music video worth seeking out? "Jeremy" by Pearl Jam tells a genuinely complete, difficult story within its runtime, treated with real seriousness.

Do artists still invest heavily in music video production? Varies by artist, though major pop stars still treat videos as genuine artistic and promotional investments.

Want to discover more music with strong visual identity?

Our song recommendation quiz can help you find something new that fits your mood.