20 Music Videos That Changed The Industry!

Get your ear buds ready and your screens brightened! We’re watching music videos!

Once in a blue moon, a music video comes along that completely captivates EVERYONE’s attention. It becomes culture by changing culture! A lightning rod for conversation, whether positive or negative. People just can’t seem to stop talking about it! If you’re ready to take a dive, then read ahead.

Thriller (1983)

Starting off the list, we present a visual — nay, a short film — that truly needs no introduction. This is THE music video! Michael Jackson forever changed what was considered possible for the art form in 1982 with Thriller! He gave a once-in-a-generation song the cinematic treatment, elevating it to a 14-minute short film. He turned it into an EVENT with an irresistible dance that’s still iconic to this day! Watch (below):

The music video propelled the song’s legend status to unbreakable heights. To this day, Thriller is regarded as the #1 Halloween song thanks to its haunting sound and chilling visuals. This is THRILLER! 

Related: Michael Jackson’s 95-Year-Old Mom Katherine Seen Of Michael Biopic Premiere!

Like a Prayer (1989)

Madonna has never been shy to subvert culture, but she REALLY sparked controversy with Like A Prayer in 1989. Lyrically, Madge merges themes of religion with sexuality. But she really ruffled feathers with the music video, which unforgettably depicts a group of white men attack and kill a white woman. In the story, a Black man witnesses the evil act, and becomes the person wrongly arrested for the crime. Madonna is also a witness, but she’s scared, so she flees to a church where she falls asleep and dreams of a saint — played by the same actor (Leon Robinson) who portrayed the Black man wrongly accused of the crime. When she awakes, she realizes she must overcome her fear and speak out for what’s right. So she goes to the police station to give her statement about the real murderers. All throughout the music video shows burning crosses, an image often associated with terrorizing hate group, the Ku Klux Klan. Depicting systemic racism pushed the boundaries of what could be considered acceptable by mainstream audiences at the time. It was so controversial that Pepsi cowardly pulled their ad with the song, which had debuted a day before the music video premiered.

Vogue (1990)

One year after turning heads with Like A Prayer, Madonna once again made culture her own in 1990 with Vogue! With this one, she brought Black and Latino LGBTQIA+ ballroom culture into the mainstream, iconically merging it with 1920s Hollywood glamour. The song holds up SO well that it was even just used in the first trailer for The Devil Wears Prada 2 — a movie released 36 years after the song!

Waterfalls (1995)

When TLC dropped Waterfalls in 1995, it totally changed the game. Not only did the lyrics tackle sensitive real-world issues like the AIDS crisis and drug abuse, but it cost a whopping $1 MILLION to produce the video! Which was rare at the time! And to cement its place in pop culture, it went on to win Music Video of the Year at the ‘96 MTV VMAs, making Rozonda Thomas, Tionne Watkins, and Lisa Lopes the first ever Black artists to win the award!

…Baby One More Time (1998)

BRITNEY SPEARS, y’all! Need we really say more? …Baby One More Time marked the iconic pop legend’s breakout all the way back in 1998. And she just went on to dominate the pop world from there! Without this video, Britney probably wouldn’t have had the career she did!

Waiting For Tonight (1999)

Not only is Jennifer Lopez’s 1999 hit Waiting for Tonight a dance floor classic, the video DEFINED the turn of the millennium and marked — no, DESIGNED — the emergence of the y2k aesthetic!

Stan (2000)

If you want to talk about long-term cultural impact, look no further than Eminem’s Stan music video. You know the gen-z slang term “stan” used online to describe intense fandom for celebrities? Well, did you know it stems from this music video? Stan tells the dark tale of an overzealous fan named Stanley who becomes so obsessed with being recognized by Eminem, it drives him mad. It’s a dark, twisted tale that cautions against the dangers of parasocial relationships.

Lady Marmalade (2001)

In 2001, Christina Aguilera, Pink, Lil’ Kim, and Mya came together for a massive pop culture collab! The first of its kind! Against a Moulin Rouge backdrop in tandem with the release of the Nicole Kidman film, the pop legends collaborated to evolve the song from its 1974 origins and to highlight female empowerment — and they totally brought it with the sexiness, too! But not without a little drama! CLICK HERE to read about that. 

Toxic (2004)

Other than Brit’s breakout hit with …Baby One More Time, what’s the other classic song in her catalog that comes to mind? Honestly, there’s no right answer because they’re ALL so good! But Toxic definitely rises to the top of the list, and the music video certainly helps make sure of it! From the unforgettable costuming including the sheer, bedazzled bodysuit, the red wig and black leather outfit, the flight attendant getup, and the spy-thriller aesthetic, Toxic will forever be a must watch!

Single Ladies (2008)

Beyoncé’s entire catalogue of music is iconic, there’s no debate there. But Single Ladies? You can’t even say the name without picturing THAT dance! That’s what a great music video does! Single Ladies also benefited by the emergency of modern social media platforms, where the dance went viral with eager fans replaying its YouTube vid wanting to give it a try!

But we can’t talk about Single Ladies without mentioning its inspiration, the Bob Fosse choreographed Mexican Breakfast routine from 1969:

Bad Romance (2009)

When Lady GaGa debuted in the late 2000s, she changed pop music forever! And we should know, since we were there reporting on her talent before she became a mainstream sensation! But if we had to pick just one music video of hers for this list, it’s gotta be Bad Romance. In this one she seamlessly blends her signature high fashion proclivities with modern, 21st century visuals to elevate the game. Rather than simply singing and dancing to lyrics, GaGa, in a similar way to MJ or Madonna, told a cinematic story — hers about being kidnapped by supermodels, drugged, and sold off. It’s what many consider a metaphor for the often exploitative nature of the industry — fitting, since the song came from The Fame Monster album. Bad Romance marked the first music video from the 2000s to reach 1 BILLION views on YouTube!

S&M (2011)

Rihanna shook things up in the NSFW way only she can when she dropped her 2011 music video for S&M! She changed the perception of the relationship between celebs and the press by flipping the script — in this video, she’s the one launching attacks against members of the media — featuring an iconic collaboration between RiRi and Perez Hilton!

Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) (2011)

Katy Perry has SO many iconic music videos, but Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) was such a bash! When this one dropped in the summer of 2011, it was all ANYONE could talk about! So many celeb cameos! It became the official anthem for kicking off the weekend! The song also scored her a fifth number-one single from her album Teenage Dream, tying MJ’s long-standing record!

Gangnam Style (2012)

Where Single Ladies walked, PSY’s Gangnam Style RAN! The music video, which marks the first video overall to ever reach 1 billion views on YouTube, sparked a fan frenzy online, where the viral dance spread like a wildfire. And when Vine launched the following year, fan recreations of the dance were ALL you saw on the app! Love it or hate it, you can’t deny it was huge at the time. You just had to be there!!!

Wrecking Ball (2013)

In 2013, Miley Cyrus changed what Disney Channel child stars could be forever! With a short, bleached hairstyle and an array of construction equipment, Wrecking Ball propelled Miley from TV star to global pop SUPER star! Not to mention EVERYONE was digging into the pointed lyrics off her first split from Liam Hemsworth!

Hold Up (From Lemonade) (2016)

2016 was an iconic year for many reasons, but Beyoncé really set the stage early on with the release of her absolutely UNFORGETTABLE visual album for Lemonade. Not since Prince‘s Purple Rain had audiences been so entranced with a visual album. From its vulnerable lyrical content, to its next-level visuals, people ate this up! Especially since it finally told Bey’s story of heartbreak after cheating. Rumors of adultery on JAY-Z‘s part had plagued the celeb couple for years, finally reaching a climax with that infamous 2014 Met Gala elevator fight between Jay and Bey’s sister Solange. Bey always kept a tight lip, but with Lemonade she was finally free to tell her story. In what might be the album’s most cathartic video, Hold Up, Bey walks down stairs HIGHLY similar to the Met Gala’s, smashes cars with baseball bat, and really just goes all out with female rage. It’s a bop.

Famous (2016)

Kanye West polarized fans (something he would go on to become a pro at for all the wrong reasons) when he dropped the music video for Famous in 2016. For those who don’t know, THIS is the song that sparked the nasty feud between Kim Kardashian and Taylor Swift over the grabbing lyrics:

“I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / I made that bitch famous”

But beyond the inflammatory tune, Ye took things a step further with the lengthy video, which includes wax figures of the rapper himself and Kim, Taylor, Rihanna, Chris Brown, Ray J, Amber Rose, Donald Trump, George W. Bush, Anna Wintour, Caitlyn Jenner, and Bill Cosby, all naked in a white bed together. Defenders of the video consider the whole thing a commentary on celebrity culture and voyeurism, but BOY did it cause a lot of conversation! Taylor Swift even liked a social media post saying it was a form of “revenge p*rn”! See (below):

Look What You Made Me Do (2017)

And speaking of Tay…

When you’re talking about unforgettable Taylor Swift videos, all you really have to do is close your eyes and pick because they’re ALL so good! But in 2017, Taylor returned to the spotlight after having her shining reputation tarnished off the feud with Kimye. But she took those “snake” allegations and used them for fuel to propel her next move. The Look What You Made Me Do video symbolizes the death of the “old” Taylor and the birth of the new, modern Taylor! It also introduced the concept of her eras — featuring a Taylor in each era from her career up until that point.

This Is America (2018)

Donald Glover, AKA Childish Gambino, shook the industry in 2018 when he released This Is America. Together, the lyrics and music video offer a no holds barred examination of gun violence, systemic racism, and voyeurism in the US, and how entertainment is used as a distraction from such. Truly chilling. Truly must-watch.

Thank U, Next (2018)

To conclude our list, we present one of Ariana Grande’s most famous songs! Hot off her whirlwind engagement to Pete Davidson and the tragic passing of ex-boyfriend Mac Miller, Ari dropped Thank U, Next as an ode to her past lovers and commitment to focus on herself. The music video is a complete nostalgia fest, with scenes recreated from beloved 2000s movies like Mean Girls, Legally Blonde, 13 Going on 30, and Bring It On. The video also completely SMASHED YouTube records at the time, breaking the platform’s 24-hour debut record with 55.4 MILLION views in just one day! It also revolutionized the way music videos could be released, taking advantage of the platform’s live streaming function for the premiere. And who could forget the amazing cameos from Jonathan Bennett, Jennifer Coolidge, and THE Kris Jenner?

So, what do YOU think of our list, Perezcious readers?? Are there any iconic music videos we missed? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments down below!

[Images via Ariana Grande, Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Childish Gambino, Kanye West, Katy Perry, Lady GaGa, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Rihanna, & Taylor Swift/YouTube]