The Buggles - "Video Killed The Radio Star" (1981)
Quote:
Famously known as the first video to be played on MTV, the Buggles song title boldly referenced the movement their video was spearheading. Did the video kill the radio star? Rolling Stone certainly thought so when it denounced music videos as "Orwellian" contraptions that were sucking the real artistry away from music and instead supplanting it with ADD-inducing clips filled with sexual stereotypes.
Michael Jackson - "Thriller" (1983)
Quote:
MTV transformed dancing into a form of pop cultural currency. When you think of songs today you don't just think of the songs, you think of the dance moves that go along with it. And that is mostly due to Michael Jackson's historic, 13-minute video. Unprecedented in its merging of film-making and music, it is almost impossible to think of the song "Thriller" without thinking of the dance moves, the outfits and the narrative of the video itself.
Madonna - "Like a Prayer" (1989)
Quote:
Remember when Madonna was cool and subversive? You probably don't but it was during the time of this video. Combining sex, racial politics and religion all in one, it garnered so much controversy that Pepsi walked away from its contract with the singer.
Nirvana - "Smells like Teen Spirit" (1991)
Quote:
The anthem of apathetic youth in the '90s, "Smells like Teen Spirit" paved the way for alternative rock at MTV. The video ushered in an era for the network that was filled with the sounds of Pearl Jam, Nine Inch Nails and Tori Amos. To this date, the video remains the iconic portrait of teen angst.
Britney Spears - "...Baby One More Time" (1999)
Quote:
In addition to introducing the Catholic schoolgirl uniform as the risqué Halloween costume of choice for every American teenager, "...Baby One More Time" launched the career of the legendary and infamous Britney Spears. In its final episode, TRL (Total Request Live) declared "...Baby One More Time" as the most iconic music video of all time and played it as the countdown's last video.
Finally an accurate and credible list of iconic music videos
