Iconic Music Videos That Changed the Industry

In 1965, the first music video that’s even slightly comparable to what we know of music videos. Today was released. It was “Subterranean Homesick Blues” by Bob Dylan. This song came from Dylan’s album “Bringing It All Back Home” and fit into the folk rock and blues rock genres. Dylan went on to be an award-winning musician taking home multiple Grammys, a Golden Globe, and more.

The 60s was a magical era for music lovers, thanks to The Beatles. In 1967, they released “Strawberry Fields Forever.” The song fit into the psychedelic rock and art pop genres with vocals and instrumentals from John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. To this day, “Strawberry Fields Forever” is still thought of as one of the best songs to come from this beloved group.

1977 was the year the Bee Gees released the song “Stayin’ Alive.” The song was used in the movie “Saturday Night Fever” and landed in the Disco Genre. As of now, the beat of this song is used to help people stay in tune with CPR motions while saving lives. Back in the 70s, this music video was fun to watch while folks danced the night away with their friends.

“Video Killed the Radio Star” is a song released by The Buggles. It premiered in 1981 on MTV. The song and music video were a pop-culture phenomenon since the lyrics explained just how different things were about to be in the music industry thanks to the introduction of music video. They started serving as a replacement for tuning into the radio.

When Michael Jackson released the music video for “Thriller” in 1983, it was thought of as super iconic. Decades later, people still reflect back on the music video with admiration. The music video was meant to pay homage to several different horror films and it included tons of intricate dance moves from Jackson himself.

Cyndi Lauper released “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” in 1983. It was part of her album “She’s So Unusual” and fit perfectly into the Dance Pop genre. In the video, Lauper is seen wearing eccentric outfits with red lipstick as she parties with all the young women in her local area. As of today, the music video has pulled in more than one billion views on YouTube.

Prince released “When Doves Cry” in 1984. He was certainly confident about this song since he used it as a lead single from his album “Purple Rain.” The song was so successful that it remained in the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 charts for five consecutive weeks. The music video includes Prince dressed up in eccentric suits, pulling off memorable dance moves.

The music video for “Walk This Way” was released by Run-DMC and Aerosmith in 1986. The reason this music, video and song were so iconic at the time is that they helped combine two separate genres. The song appealed to Rock lovers and Rap lovers alike, which was unheard of at the time.

“Like a Prayer” is arguably one of Madonna’s biggest songs of all time. The music video she released with the song is just as respected and revered. Interestingly enough, the music video was edgy enough to ruin her million dollar sponsorship deal with Pepsi. The corporation cut ties with her just one day after the music video was released in 1989!

The music video for “California Love” by 2Pac and Dr. Dre went public for hip-hop lovers in 1995. Although Shakir ultimately died the following year, he left an incredible legacy behind — including the music video for this song.” California love” sugar is seen driving around in his convertible, and enjoying the blessed that comes from living in the state of California.

Pearl Jam released the music video for “Do the Evolution” to MTV in 1998. Pearl Jam is a band with many popular songs under their belt, but this one definitely snagged a lot of attention. The music video is completely animated and doesn’t actually show any of the band members in the flash at any point. Still, it’s super intriguing to watch.

“Toxic” by Britney Spears was released in 2003 with one of the most iconic music videos ever. Spears was iconic in the music video dressed up in three separate costumes that each stood out. The first costume was a sultry flight attendant dress, the second costume was in a glittery bodysuit made of sheer material, and the final costume was a femme fatale look in black leather with bright red hair.

2008 is the year Beyoncé released a music video for “Single Ladies.” This is the music video that started the unforgettable drama between Taylor Swift and Kanye West at the 2009 Video Music Awards. Who could forget the moment the rapper ambushed Swift during her acceptance speech? He claimed that Beyoncé deserved to win for “Single Ladies.” In the music video, Beyoncé is dancing around in a skin-tight bodysuit with two back up dancers who never miss a beat.

“Born This Way” by Lady Gaga was released in 2011 with a jaw-dropping music video that started loads of conversations. The music video changed the industry since it showcased Gaga’s love and support for the LGBTQ community in a way that many other musicians weren’t comfortable doing at the time. Gaga openly embraced the LGBTQ community with this music video and its thought-provoking lyrics. These days, it’s become common for musicians to release music videos showing the LGBTQ community how loved and supported they are.

The music video for “Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus features some scenes that are full of beautiful simplicity — and other scenes that are totally unconventional. When Cyrus came out swinging on an actual wrecking ball (completely nude), it made headlines for weeks. Her bright red lipstick and plain white nail polish inspired beauty trends for months. It’s widely believed the heartbreaking song was meant to describe Cyrus’s failed relationship with her ex-husband, Liam Hemsworth. Back in 2013, they’d just broken off their first engagement

In 2021, Taylor Swift released a lengthy music video for the song “All Too Well.” Originally, Swift wrote the song during her Speak Now World Tour in 2011. The lyrics were inspired by her failed relationship with actor Jake Gyllenhaal. She re-recorded the song and released its short film music video in 2021. She cast Sadie Sink in the role of a younger version of herself.

The music video is much longer than the 10 minute song since it’s full of important scenes depicting what Swift’s relationship was like with Gyllenhaal. They dated when she was only about 20 years old. As of now, it’s pulled in more than 95 million views! On the topic of music that will never be forgotten, click here to find out more about the 25 most iconic musical duos of all time.