"The 100 Greatest Music Videos of All Time" is a recurring ranking of the best music videos of all time, compiled by the American magazine Rolling Stone. The first list was published in October 1993 in a special issue of the magazine, with Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer" (1986) topping the list.[1] A revised version was published in July 2021 in celebration of MTV's 40th anniversary, with Beyoncé's "Formation" (2016) being named the greatest music video of all time.[2][3]
Top 10 music videos
[edit]- 1993 edition[4]
| Rank | Artist | Music video | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peter Gabriel | "Sledgehammer" | 1986 |
| 2 | Nirvana | "Smells Like Teen Spirit" | 1991 |
| 3 | R.E.M. | "Losing My Religion" | 1991 |
| 4 | Neil Young | "This Note's For You" | 1989 |
| 5 | Sinead O'Connor | "Nothing Compares 2 U" | 1990 |
| 6 | Van Halen | "Right Now" | 1992 |
| 7 | Bob Dylan | "Subterranean Homesick Blues" | 1967 |
| 8 | Michael Jackson | "Leave Me Alone" | 1989 |
| 9 | a-ha | "Take On Me" | 1985 |
| 10 | Madonna | "Express Youself" | 1989 |
- 2021 edition[5]
| Rank | Artist | Music video | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beyoncé | "Formation" | 2016 |
| 2 | Johnny Cash | "Hurt" | 2002 |
| 3 | Madonna | "Vogue" | 1990 |
| 4 | Childish Gambino | "This Is America" | 2018 |
| 5 | New Order | "The Perfect Kiss" | 1985 |
| 6 | Beastie Boys | "Sabotage" | 1994 |
| 7 | D'Angelo | "Untitled (How Does It Feel?)" | 2000 |
| 8 | Peter Gabriel | "Sledgehammer" | 1986 |
| 9 | Guns N' Roses | "November Rain" | 1992 |
| 10 | Michael Jackson | "Billie Jean" | 1983 |
Statistics
[edit]Artists with multiple music videos (2021 edition)
[edit]4 videos
3 videos
2 videos
See also
[edit]- Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
- Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums All Time
- Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time
- Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time
- Rolling Stone's 200 Greatest Singers of All Time
References
[edit]- ^ "The Top 100 Music Videos". Rolling Stone. No. 667. October 14, 1993.
- ^ Vozick-Levinson, David Browne,Mankaprr Conteh,Brenna Ehrlich,David Fear,Maria Fontoura,Jon Freeman,Elisabeth Garber-Paul,Andy Greene,Kory Grow,Brian Hiatt,Christian Hoard,Jeff Ihaza,Jason Newman,Angie Martoccio,Jerry Portwood,Claire Shaffer,Rob Sheffield,Hank Shteamer,Brittany Spanos,Simon (July 30, 2021). "The 100 Greatest Music Videos". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Melas, Chloe (August 2, 2021). "Beyoncé's 'Formation' named best music video of all time by Rolling Stone". CNN. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
- ^ "The 100 Top Music Videos". Rock on the Net. Rolling Stone. October 14, 1993.
- ^ Devin. "Beyoncé's 'Formation' Named Best Music Video of All Time by Rolling Stone". Rap-Up. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
External links
[edit]100 Greatest Music Videos of All Time (2021 edition) by Rolling Stone