Skip to playerSkip to main content
  • 4 months ago
Get ready to bust a move! Join us as we count down the dance crazes that had everyone from your grandma to your little cousin trying to nail the choreography. These aren't just songs - they're full-body experiences that transformed dance floors, school gyms, and living rooms into stages for everyone to shine!
Transcript
00:00If you like it then you shoulda put a ring on it. If you like it then you shoulda put a ring on it.
00:05Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the music videos best known for their iconic choreography.
00:18Number 10. Crank That Soulja Boy. Soulja Boy Tell'em.
00:21What was Soulja Boy? What in the heck is that dance?
00:24Soulja Boy, before he dropped the Tell'em, told us all how to crank that with his self-release debut track.
00:29I got a new dance for y'all called Soulja Boy.
00:32You just gotta punch that crank back three times from left to right.
00:36From middle school dances to 106 and Park, this song was absolutely everywhere.
00:40John Jergensen from the Wall Street Journal even called Crank That Soulja Boy, quote,
00:44the biggest dance fad since the Macarena.
00:52The song itself got nominated for a best rap song at the 50th annual Grammy Awards.
00:57While Good Life by Kanye West featuring T-Pain took home the trophy that night,
01:01Crank That Soulja Boy remains a staple on DJ playlists to this day.
01:12Number 9. Hot To Go. Chapel Roan.
01:15After Chapel Roan took us all to the Pink Pony Club, her next big hit gave us a beat anyone can dance to.
01:31The last single from her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,
01:35this infectious track was inspired by her desire to be a cheerleader in high school.
01:46Roan made a dance in the tradition of YMCA by the village people.
01:49It's easy to see its influence. The dance is simple but fun, primarily using your arms and little else to spell out the song's title.
02:10And now you're gonna have it stuck in your head for the rest of today. You are welcome.
02:14H-O-T-C-O-G-O. You can take it hard to go.
02:21Number 8. Rhythm Nation. Janet Jackson.
02:30It is impossible to talk about iconic music video choreography without talking about Janet Jackson.
02:35From Miss You Much to If and Beyond, there's no shortage of tracks we could have put on this list.
02:40However, there's probably none quite as influential as Rhythm Nation.
02:51The choreography was done by Jackson with Anthony Thomas and is performed with what has been described as, quote,
02:56militaristic precision. And we couldn't have said it better ourselves.
03:00Produced by legendary hit-making team Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis with Jackson,
03:05this track envisions a world united by dance. And Jackson is the fearless leader.
03:15Number 7. Party Rock Anthem. LMFAO.
03:17Ever since that song came out, every day they've been shuffling.
03:22Is it possible to not get up and shuffle when this song comes on?
03:32Acting as the continuation of Sorry for Party Rocking,
03:35the Party Rock Anthem music video showed Red Foo and Sky Blue in a 28 Days Later inspired post-apocalypse.
03:41While they try to resist the zombie-like shufflers, the song is just too infectious.
03:47The iconic choreography from this song references the Melbourne Shuffle,
03:56an Australian rave dance that developed during the late 80s and early 90s.
03:59Every day I'm shuffling.
04:05Fittingly, Party Rock Anthem became a favorite during the flash mob craze of the early 2010s.
04:10Maybe LMFAO were onto something with that music video.
04:13With as much fun as we have with this song, we think we can forgive them for party rocking after all.
04:25Number 6. Watch Me Whip Nay Nay.
04:27Silento.
04:28You just had to be there when this song came out.
04:36At just 17 years old, Silento's debut single, Watch Me Whip Nay Nay, hit number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
04:43While Silento is no Ray Charles, the song recalls the tradition of tracks like Shake a Tail Feather where the singer showcases trending dances of their time.
04:57Here, the title directly features the whip and the nay-nay, but also highlights several other contemporary dances.
05:09If you want to learn how to bop, break your legs, stanky leg or even Soulja Boy, Silento has you covered.
05:15Number 5. Bye Bye Bye.
05:25NSYNC.
05:26Late 90s boy band lovers, please rise for your national anthem.
05:35When NSYNC released the kiss-off anthem of the decade with Bye Bye Bye,
05:39they did so with dance moves you could probably pick up with one watch.
05:47Even if you can't, there's no shortage of tutorials online to help you out,
05:51including by choreographer Darren Henson.
05:53Its staying power was cemented in 2024,
05:57when the creators of Deadpool and Wolverine incorporated the choreography into the opening credits.
06:09While there were several songs in the running,
06:12one of the film's editors, Dean Zimmerman, described NSYNC's hit as, quote,
06:15the hands-down favorite.
06:16Number four, single ladies put a ring on it, Beyoncé.
06:32What's better than getting rid of a useless man?
06:34Flaunting your new, better man in front of him.
06:37And there's no one better to lead the charge on that than Beyoncé.
06:40Cause if you like it, then you should've put a ring on it.
06:43If you like it, then you should've put a ring on it.
06:45Don't be mad what you're seeing, I see you on it.
06:48This immediately iconic choreography was heavily influenced by the Gwen Verdon-led performance
06:52of Mexican Breakfast on The Ed Sullivan Show,
06:54but also includes inspiration from African gumboot dancing.
06:58Shortly after its release,
06:59everyone from the Jonas Brothers to the cast of Glee
07:02was doing the single ladies dance.
07:11While the complex footwork and tight coordination were impressive,
07:14there was no move more ubiquitous than Bey and Her dancers
07:17flaunting the bare ring fingers on their left hands.
07:24Number three, Gangnam Style, Psy.
07:29Before groups like BTS and Blackpink became the go-to reference
07:37for K-pop to Western audiences,
07:39the door was kicked in by Psy with his 2012 hit, Gangnam Style.
07:49While Gangnam Style boasts a fun beat and effortless charisma,
07:53it's the dance that really caught on worldwide.
07:55Psy described the idea behind the dance as quote,
08:04dress classy and dance cheesy,
08:06fitting how it satirizes the posers and wannabes
08:09of South Korea's opulent Gangnam district.
08:11The easily replicated horse-trop move in particular
08:14made the song accessible for fans of all ages.
08:16It became widely covered and parodied,
08:19further boosting its profile as a viral phenomenon.
08:21Number two, Vogue, Madonna.
08:34Category is Timeless.
08:39In 1990, Madonna didn't just debut her soon-to-be iconic cone bra.
08:44She brought her love of New York nightclubs and ballroom culture
08:47to mainstream audiences for the Vogue music video.
08:50House of Extravaganza family members and Vogue-ing trailblazers
08:53Luis Camacho and Jose Gutierrez came up with the choreography for the video,
08:57but their influence does not stop there.
08:59Makes no difference if you're black or white
09:03If you're a boy or a girl
09:06They were prominently featured dancers
09:08whose house was featured in the landmark documentary
09:11Paris is Burning,
09:11which came out six months after Vogue
09:14and explored the very communities that Madonna drew from in greater detail.
09:25Before we unveil our top pick,
09:27here are some honorable mentions.
09:29Here It Goes Again
09:30Okay Go
09:31Treadmill choreography in one continuous take
09:34made this song legendary.
09:35Here it goes, here it goes, here it goes, go
09:38I should've known, I should've known, I should've known again
09:43Busy Earnin'
09:44Jungle
09:45We're never too busy to get up and dance.
09:54Shake It Off
09:55Taylor Swift
09:56Swift showcases numerous styles of dance to one sick beat.
10:01Bad Romance
10:08Lady Gaga
10:08Ritchie Jackson's cinematic choreography
10:11had everyone dancing in their bedrooms.
10:20Before we continue,
10:22be sure to subscribe to our channel
10:23and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
10:26You have the option to be notified for occasional videos
10:29or all of them.
10:30If you're on your phone,
10:31make sure you go into your settings
10:33and switch on notifications.
10:45Decades after its original release in 1983,
10:49there is not a music video that comes close to this classic.
10:52Directed by John Landis,
10:53the original video is a veritable short film
10:56with its focused narrative and nearly 14-minute runtime.
10:59No wonder it's the only music video to be inducted
11:02into the United States National Film Registry.
11:04But its most iconic scene is undeniably the zombie dance sequence.
11:08Michael Peters' choreography is intricate but simple
11:20and has been replicated several times over the years.
11:22From the 2004 film 13 Going on 30
11:25to the viral Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center video
11:29and beyond,
11:30it really is true that no mere mortal
11:32can resist the genius of the thriller.
11:35Did your favorite music video make our list?
11:46Let us know in the comments
11:46and we'll see you next time.
11:48He's the lover boy I play
11:50he don't play my rules
11:52Oh, oh
11:52We'll see you next time.
Be the first to comment
Add your comment

Recommended