- 9 minutes ago
He was the undisputed King of Pop, and his music videos were in a league of their own. Join us as we count down our picks for the most impressive and iconic music videos from the legendary Michael Jackson! Our countdown includes "Thriller," "Smooth Criminal," "Beat It," "Bad," "Billie Jean," and many more! Which is your favorite MJ music video of all time? Let us know in the comments!
Category
🎵
MusicTranscript
00:07Welcome to WatchMojo, and today, we're counting down our picks for the top 20 most impressive
00:12and iconic music videos from the legendary king of pop himself, Michael Jackson.
00:2520. Jam What do you get when you combine two of the
00:30biggest cultural icons of the 20th century? A pair who just so happened to share the same initials?
00:4320. Jam Michael Jackson and Michael Jordan were as dominant as ever in their respective fields
00:48when the decision was made to team them up for music for the song, Jam. Directed by David Kellogg,
00:55the video mixes industrial street aesthetics, aggressive choreography,
00:58and playful competition between music and sports greatness.
01:10It's a video that stands on its own two feet,
01:13beyond the novelty of these legendary MJs sharing the screen together.
01:17Both are masters of their craft in their own way, and this video illustrates that well.
01:3119. In the Closet In the 90s,
01:35Jackson reached a level of fame and prominence that he could basically do whatever he wanted
01:39when it came to his music videos. Collaborators included Oscar-winning directors, actors, star
01:53athletes, and, in the case of In the Closet, supermodels. Naomi Campbell was another hugely
01:59famous cultural presence in that decade, and this music video ranks among MJ's most risque and
02:05unapologetic. The intimate choreography that the two share does most of the storytelling here.
02:18Combined with the song's whispered vocals and hypnotic groove, the video became one of the
02:23defining sensual pop visuals of the 1990s.
02:3418. Man In The Mirror
02:36Despite being one of the most magnetic and recognizable figures of the last century,
02:41Jackson also understood when he didn't need to be placed front and center of the camera lens.
02:5119. Man In The Mirror
02:53In the 1987 music video for Man In The Mirror, instead of centering on Jackson himself,
03:00the video uses historical footage of poverty, war, civil rights,
03:04struggles, and humanitarian leaders to get its point across.
03:0719. Man In The Mirror
03:14We already knew that Jackson could deliver a theatrical performance better than
03:18almost anyone in the game. However, in the case of Man In The Mirror,
03:22the video was credited as coming across as far more sincere
03:25when the man delivering the vocal lines is absent from the visuals.
03:3717. Who Is It?
03:39In the long list of incredibly influential artists who have worked with Jackson,
03:4318. David Fincher is yet another surprising but truly awesome inclusion.
03:4818. He took the directorial
03:58reigns for Who Is It? and the video ends up feeling more like an arthouse psychological drama
04:03than a traditional pop visual. The story explores betrayal, loneliness, obsession, and emotional
04:09emptiness through moody lighting, fragmented editing, and symbolic imagery.
04:1319. Is it my brother?
04:1619. Who Is It?
04:1819. Somebody hurt my soul now.
04:2019. Who Is It?
04:21Remember, this is the same David Fincher who directed Fight Club and Seven in the same decade as this.
04:28A truly bizarre but brilliant music video.
04:3119. A truly bizarre but brilliant music video.
04:3320. Let it doesn't seem to matter. Let it doesn't seem to matter.
04:3816. Captain EO.
04:41Okay, technically, this one is a short film, but for our money, it's close enough to a music video that
04:47it
04:47deserves an inclusion. In 1986, during the peak of his post-thriller fame, Jackson, just prior to the
04:53release of 1987's Bad, decided to do something quite unique.
05:00A revelation of the truth and chapters of our minds.
05:05Enlisting the help of Hollywood royalty in Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas,
05:09he produced a 17-minute short film, designed to be shown at Disney theme parks. The sci-fi film has
05:15Jackson playing the titular lead role, with several music numbers included throughout.
05:27The film was groundbreaking for being what they called a 4D movie. Basically, a 3D movie that
05:33utilizes elements within the theater, like lasers and smoke machines, to add to the experience.
05:4715. The Way You Make Me Feel
05:58Considering the wide range of themes and genres that Jackson had depicted in his music videos over the
06:04years, there was something truly refreshing about The Way You Make Me Feel. There were no pyrotechnics,
06:10elaborate costumes, or fantastical elements. The video was simple, and Jackson's swagger and
06:15inimitable dance moves were pushed right back to the forefront.
06:27The chemistry between MJ and model Tatiana Thumson gave the video energy and tension without
06:33overshadowing the music. It remains one of the clearest demonstrations of how effortlessly Jackson
06:38could command attention with movement and attitude alone. In other words, in this video,
06:44he uses the skills that got him to the top in the first place.
06:5614. Don't Stop Till You Get Enough
06:59Although it was released with a fairly simple production style,
07:02the music video for Don't Stop Till You Get Enough was a huge moment for Jackson. On its surface,
07:08it's an infectiously fun video that displays the king of pop pivoting from acting bashful to being
07:13full of adult confidence. At the time, the general public weren't exactly sure what to expect as he
07:25attempted to navigate the tricky transition from child star to fully grown artist.
07:37In 1979, he gave the world their first real glimpse of him as a mature and independent musician.
07:44In many ways, this was Jackson introducing himself all over again, and for that reason,
07:49it's a very special milestone.
07:5913. They Don't Care About Us
08:02What's better than one Michael Jackson music video? Two, of course. In the case of They Don't Care
08:08About Us, he enlisted Spike Lee to direct a pair of very different videos for the song.
08:13The song deals with issues of discrimination and injustice. One of them takes place in a Brazilian
08:19favela, becoming iconic for its high energy and clear balance between protest and celebration.
08:32The second video takes place in a prison, addressing the same themes with a very different visual style.
08:38Jackson specifically asked Lee to direct it because he wanted someone who would bring an edge to what
08:44he hoped would be a fitting video for his protest song.
08:53It's pretty safe to say it was a successful decision.
09:0312. You Rock My World
09:06What other pop star could ever stand a chance of getting Marlon Brando to do a cameo in his music
09:11video? That's before we even get into the performances from Chris Tucker and Michael
09:16Madsen in the same 13-minute clip. Directed by Paul Hunter, the epic video blended comedy,
09:28dance, romance, and gangster film aesthetics into one polished production. It was almost closer to
09:34a mini-movie than a regular video, but it still managed to fit the style and tone of the song
09:39perfectly.
09:47As one of his final major artist statements in the music video medium,
09:51this one always tends to have some added weight for his fans.
10:0211. Rock With You
10:04During that period of time when MJ was still transitioning out of his Jackson 5 roots into
10:09solo superstardom, Rock With You was a big moment.
10:20If the previous off-the-wall single, Don't Stop Till You Get Enough, introduced us to a new Michael,
10:25then Rock With You gave us a much clearer look at his potential. It wasn't an overblown production or
10:31anything, just Jackson in a sparkling silver suit, dancing and singing one of his strongest ever singles.
10:44If the world needed any further proof that Jackson had well and truly arrived as a major sensation,
10:50this video likely gave it to them… and then some.
11:0210. Scream
11:10When it comes to awe-inspiring music videos, The King of Pop was always ahead of his time.
11:16But when MJ teamed up with director Mark Romanek and his own sister,
11:19the trio created a timeless, interstellar production with a little attitude.
11:2410. Scream
11:32By utilizing a black and white tone, the futuristic concept of Scream further highlighted the lyrics of
11:38social alienation and frustration. And with passing references to Japanese anime, MJ established a
11:44dreamlike effect, thus creating a symbolic distance between the siblings and the general public,
11:49leading up to the song's killer breakdown.
11:599. Earth Song
12:01Years before words like hashtag and trending inspired people to conveniently align themselves
12:07with particular issues, Michael Jackson was already thinking ahead by highlighting global problems,
12:13while imagining a distant past.
12:23Just as the concept of Earth Song was a lofty vision, the visuals from English director Nick
12:29Brandt were equally ambitious through a variety of shooting locations ranging from Tanzania,
12:33Croatia, the Amazon Rainforest, and Southwest New York.
12:46In fact, Earth Song led Brandt to embark on a photography career strictly in Africa,
12:51and he was just one of many that began to see the world in a different light thanks to Michael
12:56Jackson
12:57and his remarkable music video.
13:068. Billie Jean
13:09As technology continues to rapidly change the world in which we live, it's easy to look back at the
13:14dawn of music videos and snicker. But the backstory of Billie Jean is no laughing matter.
13:199. People always told me, be careful what you do. Don't go around breaking young girls' hearts.
13:26In a time when rock stars and their party-happy productions were deemed perfectly appropriate for
13:31MTV, Michael Jackson could hardly get executives to listen. Well, at least the powerful ones,
13:37and simply because of his skin color.
13:399. Billie Jean
13:48Reigned supreme, as both the fashion and dance moves of Billie Jean became ingrained in pop culture,
13:55making Jackson the unrivaled king of pop.
14:049. Black or White
14:07Revolutionary technology, a Black Panther and Macaulay Culkin. One of these three did not make
14:13the final approved cut as we see it today. When Black or White originally premiered on television,
14:18it was the 90s version of something going viral.
14:29Everybody knew who the Home Alone kid was, and the worldly visuals offered plenty of charm,
14:34but it was the groundbreaking morphing sequence that not only introduced Tyra Banks to the world,
14:39but proved where technology was heading.
14:48The extended version had MJ performing sexually suggestive dance moves while vandalizing property,
14:54and somehow it all came together under the direction of John Landis.
15:056. Leave Me Alone
15:08It's the job of entertainers to, well, entertain us. But for a megastar like Michael Jackson in the 80s,
15:15the collective amusement often came from rumors about his personal life, and obviously continued till the end.
15:216. Leave Me Alone
15:27For the Leave Me Alone music video, MJ acknowledged the haters, and with some brilliant stop-motion
15:32aesthetics, he navigated viewers through a perceived personal playground.
15:377. Leave Me Alone
15:585. Remember the Time
16:02MJ enlisted the help of comedian Eddie Murphy and a recently retired Magic Johnson for an epic
16:07nine-minute video that received critical acclaim.
16:107. Do you remember how it all began? It just seemed like heaven's…
16:17And by injecting a little humor into the contained Egyptian setting,
16:21Michael Jackson delivered perhaps the most entertaining music video of the 90s.
16:25Early on, a wizard hopes to avoid imminent death by capturing the attention of a queen,
16:30played by the Somali-American model Iman, and MJ proceeds to steal the show while confusing the curious
16:36king.
16:44The defining moment of the John Singleton-directed video came during the iconic breakdown,
16:48and by the end, Jackson left everyone speechless.
16:584. Bad
17:01To fully understand this 18-minute short film and the shortened 4-minute music video,
17:06one must understand the influence of its director, Martin Scorsese.
17:105. Bring your head, say nothing. There's a way till I get to do because I'm bad, I'm bad.
17:16While dancing tough guys in a Brooklyn subway may seem random to some, Bad is actually based in the
17:231961 musical West Side Story, and featured Michael Jackson as a character named Daryl. Early on,
17:29a young Wesley Snipes calls his badness into question, and naturally a dance-off is in order
17:34to prove who's really bad, even if MJ's nemesis wasn't exactly impressed.
17:40And I hope that I have to answer my heart, cause I'll tell you once again,
17:43Who's bad?
17:44Who's bad?
17:45Who's bad?
17:46Who's bad?
17:47Of course, MJ and the supporting cast brought their A-game, but it was Scorsese's direction
17:52that ensured a heightened sense of artistry.
18:013. Beat It
18:03You might not realize it, but this MJ classic is closely connected to the origins of hip-hop,
18:08and it's also the production that truly heightened the possibilities of music videos.
18:164. Beat It
18:17Filmed in the Skid Row section of downtown Los Angeles, Beat It brought dozens of actual
18:22gang members together for a group choreography sequence that has become a fixture of modern
18:27music videos.
18:295. Beat It
18:35Just 15 years after the death of Martin Luther King Jr., Michael Jackson transcended racial barriers
18:41while building on the recent trend of rival street factions coming together for the music,
18:46the same concept that led to the formation of hip-hop music.
18:495. Beat It
18:51Beat It
18:52Oh, I wanna put the beat, beat, beat, oh no!
18:562. Smooth Criminal
18:58Like many of the individuals he worked with, Jackson was a history buff, a smooth criminal in the aesthetic
19:04sense.
19:056. He could see she was a neighbor
19:07So she ran into the bedroom
19:11Not only did he channel tropes of 40s-era film noir,
19:15but he also touched on classic Hollywood elegance with Fred Astaire moves.
19:19Of course, nobody in the golden age of Tinseltown ever saw dance moves like this,
19:24as MJ introduced the anti-gravity lean, which was surely gangster in itself.
19:296. Smooth Criminal
19:37Smooth Criminal solidified Michael Jackson as the boss of the 80s music industry,
19:42and the music video was leaps and bounds above anything you'll see today, both in style and
19:47substance.
19:551. Thriller
19:58Thriller
19:59Just this one word alone speaks volumes across the world. It transcended the concept of the music video
20:05upon release, along with the very idea of what it means to be a musical icon.
20:10And you start to freeze, and so it looks you right between your eyes, you're paralyzed.
20:18When Michael Jackson dropped Thriller in 1983, the world recognized MJ as something more than a musician.
20:24He was a true artist in the classical sense. His artistic vision was unparalleled in the early 80s,
20:31and by creating a short film music video in collaboration with John Landis,
20:35he influenced a new generation of horror filmmakers as Thriller was nothing short of creepy.
20:402. Thriller
20:47While the previous entries on our list all shaped how artists produce music videos today,
20:54nothing will ever compare to this iconic production that forever changed pop culture.
20:582. Thriller
21:06But what do you consider to be Michael Jackson's greatest ever music video?
21:11Let us know in the comments below.
Comments