1001 Music Videos You Must See Before You Die

Created by dirty_score.

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Unofficial list and a personal and ongoing project that showcases the evolution of the medium from the early 60's to the present day.

It's not supposed to be the ultimate list of best videos of all time and some videos will be missing but if you decide to partake on this journey, I hope you have as much fun as I'm having compiling this list.

Note: Television or live performances as well as choreographed performances in films will be avoided. Some tweaks to the list can be made during the process.

Click on the source to go to the youtube playlist, that I've created, if you're having trouble finding a music video.

Includes curated selections from lists (that keep on growing):
1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die (2017);
ARIA Award for Best Video;
AV Club's The 50 best music videos of all time, ranked (2023)
BET Award for Video of the Year;
Billboard 100 greatest Music Video Artists of All Time (2020);
Billboard's 100 Greatest Music Videos of the 21st Century: Critics’ Picks (2018);
Billboard's 100 Greatest Music Videos of the 2010s: Staff Picks (2019);
Brit Award for British Video of the Year;
Channel 4's 100 Greatest Pop Videos Of All Time (2005);
Complex's Best Music Videos of the 2000s (2009);
Crack's Brief history of music videos (2020);
Films Fatale: Best 100 Music Videos of All Time (2021);
Grammy Award for Best Music Video;
Insider's 55 of the Most Iconic Music Videos of All Time (2023);
Juno Award for Video of the Year;
Kerrang! Award for Best Single;
Les Inrockuptibles: 100 best music videos of all time;
Louder's 50 best rock videos ever (2022);
MTV Australia Awards: Music Video of the Year;
MTV's Top 100 Videos of the 1980s (2021);
MTV's 100 Greatest Music Videos Ever Made (1999);
MTV's Top 500 Videos Of All Time (1997/2005);
MTV Europe Music Award for Best Video;
MTV Video Music Award (VMA): Video of the Year;
MTV Video Music Award for Best Dance Video;
MTV Video Music Award for Best Hip Hop Video;
MTV Video Music Award for Best Pop Video;
MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video;
MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video;
MTV Video Music Award for Best R&B Video;
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Music Video;
NME's 100 Greatest Music Videos (2011);
NME's Best Music Video Award;
Parade: 102 Best Music Videos of All Time (2023);
Pitchfork: 100 Awesome Music Videos (2006);
Pitchfork Media's The 25 Best Music Videos of the 1970s (2016);
Pitchfork Media's The Top 50 Music Videos of the 1990s (2010);
Pitchfork: Top 50 Music Videos of the 2000s (2009);
RollingStone's 100 Greatest Music Videos (2021);
Rolling Stone's 150 Greatest Hip-Hop Videos of All Time (2023);
Rue Morgue's 25 Ghastliest Music Videos of the Past 25 Years (2022);
Slant Magazine's 100 Greatest Music Videos of All Time (2003/2021);
Stylus Magazine's Top 100 Music Videos of All Time (2006);
Soul Train Music Award for Best Video of the Year;
TimeOut New York's 13 Best Music Videos Of All Time (2022);
VH1: 100 Greatest Videos (2001);
Victoires de la Musique for Music Video of the Year;
Yardbarker's Top 50 Music Videos of All Time (2023).