Top 10 Popular Music Videos of All Times
Imagine a life without music! Seems impossible, doesn’t it? Well, there are many singers and rock groups who have made a mark on the music industry whereas a few have sunk without a trace. There were groups that were one hit wonders and then there were music icons! These singers have inspired many new groups and singers to follow their path. New talents continue to make a mark on the music scene… however, some of the music videos from the olden days still continue to rock fans whenever played on the music channels. ‘The Beatles’, ‘Gun N’ Roses’, ‘Bon Jovi’, Madonna, Michael Jackson and many others left an indelible mark on the minds of all music lovers. Superb music, when combined with mind-blowing visuals, only adds to the grandeur of the music track. Let’s take a quick journey back into time and know about top 10 popular music videos that rocked the music world and occupied a permanent place in the hearts of many.
Top 10 Popular Music Videos of All Times
Michael Jackson
-
Thriller
The song ‘Thriller’ was released in the music album of the same name in 1983.
This video was given a creative touch by director John Landis. The video was
directed like a short film and the music clips were edited to blend with the
video. This video shows King of Pop, Michael Jackson in many moods, from a guy
trying to woo his girlfriend to a werewolf! Abandoned houses, foggy streets,
superb dance sequences, zombies… this music video has an excellent combination
of all the elements. ‘Thriller’ is also amongst the most expensive and
successful award-winning videos ever! Michael Jackson has many other amazing
music videos to his credit such as ‘Beat It’, ‘Remember the Time’, ‘Scream’,
‘Smooth Criminal’, etc.
a-ha - Take on Me
This music band has many hit music tracks to its credit! ‘Take on Me’ was yet
another feather in their cap from the album, ‘Hunting High and Low’ which was
released in 1985. (This song was re-released with this album after its initial
failure.) The music video soon raced to the top slot on the Billboard Hot 100.
The music video has a beautiful combination of animation interspersed with
normal situations. Directed by Steve Barron, ‘Take on Me’ is a perfect example
of an excellent score combined with creative visuals.
Madonna - Vogue
Queen of Pop, Madonna definitely needs no introduction! This undisputed singer
has a string of hit tracks and is one of most successful singers till date.
‘Vogue’ is one amongst her many popular music videos. This was the first single
released from the album, ‘I’m Breathless’. It was further released in 1990 in
the compilation of her greatest tracks titled, ‘The Immaculate Collection’.
Directed by David Fincher, this black and white video has some really snazzy
shots and the director created a look of the 1930s films. As always, Madonna’s
video created a controversy and MTV had objections to certain scenes, which
remained unchanged and was aired unedited.
Gun N’ Roses -
November Rain
Gun N’ Roses is amongst the most popular rock bands ever! Their many popular
tracks caused quite a fan following. ‘November Rain’ is a beautiful slow track
with an equally beautiful video. This award-winning video (MTV video for best
Cinematography) is one of the longest tracks by this rock group and also ranks
amongst the most expensive videos ever made. Set against a wedding backdrop and
Slash (lead guitarist) on the guitar, this video was based on a short story that
caught the fancy of lead singer, Axl Rose. ‘November Rain’ continues to
mesmerize fans and was also the most requested track on all the music channels
during the year of its release.
Janet Jackson -
If
Janet Jackson is known as one of the best-selling artistes of all times! She has
many hit tracks that created quite a sensation. ‘If’, from her fifth album,
‘Janet’ released in 1993, is a fast-paced song with amazing dance sequences,
which have a touch of sensuality. Directed by Dominic Sena, the music video
shows highly stylized dance forms, which were edited before the release to suit
the mindsets of the general audience.
Bryan Adams -
Summer of ’69
Bryan Adams surely does know how to bowl his fans over with his beautiful
compositions and renditions! ‘Summer of ’69’ is one of his most popular tracks
which was a smash hit and remained on the 5th position on the Billboard charts,
for many weeks. Directed by Steve Barron, this song remains to be one of the
most requested tracks on all the music channels. Although the album ‘Reckless’
was released in 1984, ‘Summer of ’69’ became popular with the crowds when the
single was released in 1985. The video revolves around Bryan Adams on the guitar
with friends and portrays various situations as he goes across town. Despite all
the number of years since its release, this track continues to rock music
lovers.
Wham! - Last Christmas
When George Michael crooned ‘Last Christmas’, he caused a flutter in the hearts
of many young girls. George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley formed the duo group,
‘Wham!’ ‘Last Christmas’ was released in 1984. Over the years, ‘Last Christmas’
has been sung and remixed by many other artists. The video featured George
Michael singing the song for Andrew Ridgeley’s girlfriend against the backdrop
of beautiful snowy mountains and the warm interiors of a ski resort. It’s one of
the most romantic tracks ever to be sung by George Michael.
Enrique Iglesias -
Bailamos
Enrique Iglesias has created a sensation in the music industry! This singer is
known for his Latino style. ‘Bailamos’ was the debut single and turned out to be
the most popular music video ever! The original video featured shots of Enrique
and beautiful flamenco dancers. The dance sequences were brilliantly composed.
However, this song was also a part of the Will Smith starrer, ‘Wild Wild West’.
Therefore, a second music video was shot in Mexico with Enrique and gorgeous
dancers with clips from the movie, ‘Wild Wild West’. Apart from this, a third
video of this very popular track was released much later, which also featured
dancers and Enrique. Truly, ‘Bailamos’ is one of Enrique’s biggest hits ever!
Aerosmith -
Cryin’
This American group is known for all their hard rock numbers! ‘Aerosmith’ is
reputed to be one of the most popular hard rock groups with many chart-topping
numbers. ‘Cryin’’, from the album, ‘Get a Grip’, is one of their many singles
that spent 20 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song is about a
relationship that has gone sour. It starred Alicia Silverstone who played the
role of a teenager angry with her boyfriend when she realizes he is unfaithful
to her. Acts of rebellion follow with a dramatic ending of Alicia trying to jump
off a cliff! This music video soon earned the reputation as one of the most
requested videos in 1993.
Bon Jovi -
Livin’ on a Prayer
‘Bon Jovi’ is yet another American group that achieved stupendous success as a
hard rock group. The popularity of ‘Bon Jovi’ knows no bounds with 9 of their 10
albums that have gone platinum in the United States! ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ is one
of the many tracks that established this group and caused a large fan following.
From the album, ‘Slippery When Wet’ released in 1986, the video has many snazzy
shots of all the group members performing in front of a crowd. The initial part
of the video is shot in black and white.
These top ten popular videos of all times sure do enjoy a special place in our
hearts. Of course, there were many other groups and singers who did carve a
niche for themselves in the music industry and are still revered!
Eric Clapton,
‘Sting’, ‘The Beatles’,
Elton John, Celine Dion,
Mariah Carey,
‘Def Leppard’,
‘Red Hot Chili Peppers’,
‘Metallica’, ‘ABBA’,
‘Boney M’… the list is endless! We
can only hope for many more great tracks and music videos from such genius
musicians to feed the large appetite of music lovers across the globe.