Top 10 Michael Jackson Music Videos of All Time

Are you looking for the top 10 best Michael Jackson music videos? Michael Jackson created some of the most groundbreaking music videos of all time and was the first black artist to have a music video (Thriller) aired on MTV in the 80's.

Michael Jackson set the music world alight from the young age of 5 years old when he started performing with his brothers as part of The Jackson 5. As he matured so too did his musical style and with the release of his fifth solo album, Off The Wall, Michael was already experimenting with new sounds and visual effects for not only his music but his music videos as well.

It's difficult to create a list of the best Michael Jackson music videos simply because they're all fantastic. I've judged the following videos based on their groundbreaking visual styles and the effect they had on pop culture as a whole as a showcase for Michael's talent as a singer, dancer and all round creative genius.

Although not a Micheal Jackson music video per se, this performance of Billie Jean is one of Michael's most memorable video appearances.

Michael Jackson was invited by the head of Motown Records, Berry Gordy, to perform at the 25th anniversary celebration of the record label that catapulted Michael and his brothers to fame many years earlier.

He chose to perform Billie Jean for his solo act, a song from his then newly released album, Thriller. Michael gave an electrifying performance that would spark a worldwide phenomenon by performing a dance move that would later come to be known as the moonwalk. According to Michael, it was a last minute decision to include the moonwalk into the performance. He practiced the move the night before the show in his kitchen wearing a pair of socks and the rest as they say, is history.

The Way You Make Me Feel originally appeared on the album BAD, Michael's seventh solo studio album and the follow up to the uber-successful Thriller.

Earth Song appeared on the album History, a double disc set that was one part greatest hits collection and one part new studio album. The song is very much a spiritual successor to Heal The World from the Dangerous album, once again allowing Michael to showcase his humanitarian side.

The video features spectacular visual effects and a powerful message about our destructive impact on the environment.

The father of the modern long-form music video, Thriller was a groundbreaking piece of work featuring cinematic visuals, choreography and special effects that had never been seen in a music video before.

Directed by John Landis (An American Werewolf in London) and featuring make-up and effects by the legendary Rick Baker, Thriller was the first music video by a black artist to be played on MTV. In fact the video was so well received upon its release that MTV played it every ten minutes.

Thriller went on to become the best selling album in music history and still holds that title today.

Smooth Criminal, from the album BAD, was one of many music videos from the album to be featured in the film Moonwalker, a part documentary, part science fiction film released into theatres shortly after the albums release.

Again, Michael Jackson stunned audiences with a dance move that created the illusion of him and his backup dancers leaning forward at an impossible angle without falling over. In reality, Michael had invented and patented special dance shoes for the move that hooked into pegs on the floor that supported his weight as he leaned forward.

Black or White was the first single to be released from the Dangerous album and debuted to rave reviews. The song itself seemed to address the public's perception of the changes in Michaels appearance, specifically his lightening skin tone and allegations by the media that he wanted to be white. Michael was assuring fans and his detractors that he was still the same person and it didnt matter if he was black or white.

The video, directed by John Landis, features Michael dancing and singing with people from different cultures around the world. Macauley Culkin, a close friend of Michael, also makes an appearance in the intro and the rap verse of the song and music video.

Scream, the first single from the History album, was the most expensive music video ever made. Although it was shot in black and white, the video features cinematic visual effects and cgi to bring the futuristic setting to life. 

The song is a duet with Michael's sister, Janet Jackson, and can be summed up as a rant against the media and the prosecutors who persecuted Michael during his trial for child molestation, a case which was eventually settled out of court.

Directed by none other than Martin Scorsese and featuring a young Wesley Snipes, BAD, the title track from Michaels follow up album to Thriller, was a short film and music video rolled into one. Most commerical broadcasts of the video only feature the song portion, but for the full experience, get a copy of the video on DVD or Blu-Ray.

Another single from the Dangerous album, Remember The Time featured guest stars Eddie Murphy, Iman and Magic Johnson in the Egyptian themed, visually stunning video directed by John Singleton.

Also featured in the movie Moonwalker, Leave Me Alone was Michael's way at poking fun at himself and the living caricature the media made him out to be, addressing many of the tabloid rumours about him at the time.