This intoxicating music video adds a new spin to Madison Beer’s 2024 single “Make You Mine,” which has both pop and EDM tones that drew audiences in on first listen. Directed by Beer and Aerin Moreno, the music video pays homage to the iconic 2009 horror movie Jennifer’s Body, with Beer playing the part of Jennifer, originally portrayed by Megan Fox in the film. With 62 million views, Beer’s music video was undeniably well-received by audiences.

The music video, uncannily drawing inspiration from Jennifer’s Body, the cult classic 2000s movie makes viewers wonder if Beers’ song “Make You Mine” was actually featured in the original movie which came long before Beer rose to stardom. The music video’s setting at a high school campus gives the song an unexpectedly nostalgic feel, and drawing inspiration from Jennifer’s Body complements the song’s lyrics about infatuation turning dark all the better.

“Upside Down & Inside Out” from the Chicago-based rock band OK GO, composed of Damian Kulash, Tim Nordwind, Dan Konopka, and Andy Ross, and directed by Trish Sie. This fun and colorful music video breaks away from the norm, earning the video over 28 million views. “Upside Down & Inside out” focuses on visual elements rather than the song, offering a fresh take on what a music video can be. 

This music video was filmed in a zero gravity setting, which had never been done before, mixing physics with music. While singing, the band members float around the cabin and create more and more chaos as the video goes on, releasing balloons and soaring through hoops. This fun, colorful, and chaotic music video makes for an exciting watch.

The excellence of this fast-paced pop song from Sabrina Carpenter’s deluxe version of her 2022 studio album emails i can’t send is solidified by its Vevo music video, which has garnered 102 million views. Directed by Mia Barnes and starring Carpenter, the “Feather” music video effortlessly brings Carpenter’s rhythmic lyrics to life. 

Throughout the music video, Carpenter is portrayed as naive and self-confident, and as men around her vie for her attention, she couldn’t care less. Carpenter at first appears in a church and later avoids fighting men in a gym setting, full of satirical gore; these dramatic visuals only add to the excitement of the music video. While the music video shows some graphic violence and touches on issues of workplace harassment, its lasting message remains upbeat and empowering

Eminem is known for going outside of the box when it comes to music, and this video is no different. Directed by Joseph Kahn, the music video for Eminem’s hit song “Without Me” has collected over two billion views, and for good reason. This clever and comical music video follows a format representing a comic book, including captions embedded throughout the video to aid in bringing viewers through a captivating tale. 

The superhero “Rap Boy” played by Eminem attempts to save a young boy who has purchased a copy of the Eminem Show containing adult material. Together, Rap Boy and his partner, Bat Man, played by Dr Dre, go on many wild adventures to “save” this young boy. Dressed in full superhero uniform  “Without Me” is a frenzied, chaotic music video as the viewer jumps between different and sometimes crude storylines, making for an entertaining watch.

It’s an oldie but a goodie. The “Thriller” music video brings Michael Jackson’s hit song to a whole new level of spooky and scary. Commonly associated with the Halloween season, the “Thriller” video, starring Jackson and directed by John Landis, has collected just over one billion views on YouTube and is a spine-chilling success. 

The narrative follows the storyline of a young couple on a date night at the movies. After Ola Ray, playing  Jackson’s girlfriend, becomes too scared during the movie, they both leave and begin the walk home. Jackson keeps the mood light until they encounter a group of eerie zombies crawling out from their graves. The zombies filed out onto the street with ripped clothes and gory exposed insides. This lengthy video doesn’t spare any details, from a zombie dance number to a cliffhanger ending, keeping viewers at the edge of their seats.

The music video for Dove Cameron’s hit 2023 pop song “Breakfast” is empowering, taking on an overarching feminist lens. Artfully directed by Lauren Dunn, the video’s commentary on gender roles and dynamic visuals quickly gained 19 million views. Filmed in a corporate-style workplace, Cameron crafts a world within the music video where women have power and men are overly emotional, swapping typical gender stereotypes. To add visual interest to the music video Cameron incorporates 1950s style commercials to further unpack the song’s empowering message.

As Dove and her fellow female colleagues become rulers of the corporate world, the music video quickly moves beyond simply portraying “Breakfast’s” lyrics to share a larger message about the double standards women face within the workplace. Later, the music video also addresses women’s reproductive rights. When the screen fades to black, Cameron ends on a positive yet ominous note as the screen reads, “Not the End,” to close out the music video with a duration of four minutes and 31 seconds.

This iconic music video from 15 years ago was directed by Roman White and stars Taylor Swift playing multiple roles throughout the high school girl next door romance plot. Swift takes on the persona of a shy high school student who develops a crush on the boy next door, who already dates the cool girl at her high school (also played by Swift). The music video has a nostalgic quality, with a well-deserved 1.6 billion views. Swift throughout the music video shyly interacts with her crush next door as they write each other thoughtful notes. With subtle references to classic romance movies, including A Cinderella Story and Love Actually, Swift’s song’s message is perfectly captured in this sweet 2000s music video with a Disney-esque ending.

This complex yet powerful music video invites viewers into a thoughtfully daring experience, leaving them to contemplate its true meaning. The music video for “CHIHIRO,” a song from Billie Eilish’s newest album Hit Me Hard and Soft, garnered over 64 million views and was written, sung, and directed by Eilish. The video begins with Eilish walking down a dark, eerie hallway, opening and closing doors to symbolize various opportunities to go along with the lyrics, “Open up the door, can you open up the door?” 

As she continues down the hallway, she encounters a mysterious man, whose identity is never revealed. The two seem to have a complicated relationship, as the narrative shifts from violence to affection and back again as they navigate their tense and unpredictable environment. “CHIHIRO” is a captivating tale of love and hate, leaving the viewer wanting more.

When thinking of a classic music video, Britney Spears quickly comes to mind. Inspiring generations of Halloween costumes for years to come, Spears’ “Toxic” music video is a quintessential 2000s pop masterpiece. Directed by Joseph Kahn, the music video has 692 million views and is full of upbeat choreography. 

Spears takes on the role of flight attendant and superhero in this ahead-of-its-time music video. The chaotic nature of the video might have been overpowering without its stylistic editing, making the hectic feel add to the video’s charm instead of distracting viewers from Spears’ singing. Her well-executed choreography and the video’s retro style make for a classic music video.

This teen pop classic written and sung by Katy Perry from the album Teenage Dream released 2011 follows the storyline of a stereotypical “nerdy” girl Kathy, played by Katy Perry, as she navigates her way through a dramatized high school party. This music video pulls from the Cinderella story, showing how Kathy, usually categorized as a “nerd” wearing glasses and headgear can transform into the person she’s always dreamed of being for just one night, the life of the party with boys grappling for her attention. 

Busy and colorful, representing a high school party from the 80’s, this music video creates a fun lens into the complicated mind of a teenage girl. With a whopping 1.5 billion views, this classic, theatrical music video offers an amusing view into a teenage world.