El 1 de agosto de 1981, MTV debutó en la pantalla chica y, desde ahí, cambió el negocio del cuarto arte para siempre, no solo por dar comienzo con la era de música las 24 horas del día en la televisión, sino porque popularizó los videos musicales e hizo conocidos a miles de artistas de todo el mundo.
En los 39 años que lleva la señal al aire, cientos de miles de clips han pasado por allí, pero en 1999 el canal que hoy forma parte del conglomerado ViacomCBS seleccionó los más destacados y publicó su listado de los mejores 100 videos musicales.
Para sorpresa de no muchos, el primer puesto lo ocupó Michael Jackson con su eterno y post-apocalíptico corto de “Thriller”, seguido de “Vogue”, de Madonna, y “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, de Nirvana, dos clásicos de los 90 que se quedaron con la plata y el bronce, respectivamente.
El resto del top ten quedó así: “Sledgehammer”, de Peter Gabriel (4); “Walk This Way”, de Run-D.M.C. (5); “Sweet Child O’ Mine”, de Guns N' Roses (6); “Sabotage”, de Beastie Boys (7); “Addicted to Love”, de Robert Palmer (8); “California Love” de 2Pac & Dr. Dre (9), y “Express Yourself”, de Madonna (10).
Podés ver el listado completo de los mejores 100 videos musicales de la historia según MTV a continuación.
100. "Basket Case" – Green Day
99. "Parents Just Don’t Understand" – DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince
98. "Everybody Hurts" - R.E.M.
97. "Don’t You Want Me" - Human League
96. "Bastards of Young" – The Replacements
95. "Faith" – George Michael
94. "Gone Till November" – Wyclef Jean
93. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" – U2
92. "Going Back to Cali" – L.L. Cool. J.
91. "1999" - Prince
90. "Are You Gonna Go My Way" – Lenny Kravitz
89. "Don’t Let’s Start" – They Might Be Giants
88. "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" – Janet Jackson
87. "Firestarter" – The Prodigy
86. "Cradle of Love" – Billy Idol
85. "Don’t Come Around Here No More" – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
84. "I’ll Be There For You" – Method Man & Mary J. Blige
83. "Cry" – Godley & Creme
82. "Pour Some Sugar On Me" – Def Leppard
81. "We’re Not Gonna Take It" – Twisted Sister
80. "Close To Me" – The Cure
79. "Criminal" – Fiona Apple
78. "Goody Two Shoes" – Adam Ant
77. "Fake Plastic Trees" - Radiohead
76. "Whip It" - Devo
75. "Fight The Power" – Public Enemy
74. "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" – C+C Music Factory
73. "Do They Know It’s Christmas?" – Band Aid
72. "Setting Sun" – The Chemical Brothers
71. "U Can’t Touch This" – MC Hammer
70. "True Faith" – New Order
69. "1979" – The Smashing Pumpkins
68. "Girls On Film" – Duran Duran
67. "The Boys of Summer" – Don Henley
66. "(You Gotta) Fight for your Right (To Party!)" – Beastie Boys
65. "Stupid Girl" - Garbage
64. "Loser" - Beck
63. "Wild Thing" – Tone-Loc
62. "Where The Streets Have No Name" – U2
61. "Right Now" – Van Halen
60. "Voices Carry" – Til’ Tuesday
59. "My Lovin' (You’re Never Gonna Get It)" – En Vogue
58. "Ashes To Ashes" – David Bowie
57. "It’s Oh So Quiet" – Björk
56. "Enter Sandman" - Metallica
55. "Just A Gigolo/ I Ain’t Got Nobody" – David Lee Roth
54. "The Beautiful People" – Marilyn Manson
53. "Our House" - Madness
52. "Everything is Everything" – Lauryn Hill
51. "Twilight Zone" – Golden Earring
50. "Lucky Star" - Madonna
49. "Straight Up" – Paula Abdul
48. "Janie’s Got A Gun" - Aerosmith
47. "Once in a Lifetime" – Talking Heads
46. "Praise You" – Fatboy Slim
45. "November Rain" – Guns N’ Roses
44. "Rhythm Nation" – Janet Jackson
43. "Gimme All Your Lovin'" – ZZ Top
42. "Ironic" – Alanis Morrisette
41. "Wanted Dead or Alive" – Bon Jovi
40. "Waterfalls" - TLC
39. "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" – Cyndi Lauper
38. "One" – Metallica
37. "Bittersweet Symphony" – The Verve
36. "Give it Away" – Red Hot Chili Peppers
35. "Billie Jean" – Michael Jackson
34. "Nothing Compares 2 U" - Sinead O’Connor
33. "Jump" – Van Halen
32. "Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang" – Dr. Dre with Snoop Doggy Dogg
31. "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" - Eurythmics
30. "Freak on a Leash" - Korn
29. "Money for Nothing'" – Dire Straits
28. "Rockit" – Herbie Hancock
27. "Mama Said Knock You Out" – L.L. Cool J.
26. "Welcome to the Jungle" – Guns N’ Roses
25. "You Might Think" – The Cars
24. "Virtual Insanity" - Jamiroquai
23. "No Money, Mo Problems" – The Notorious B.I.G.
22. "No Rain" – Blind Melon
21. "I Need You Tonight/ Mediate" - INXS
20. "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See" – Busta Rhymes
19. "Jeremy" – Pearl Jam
18. "Freedom" – George Michael
17. "Closer" – Nine Inch Nails
16. "Every Breath You Take" – The Police
15. "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" – Missy Elliott
14. "Take on Me" – a-ha
13. "Losing My Religion" – R.E.M.
12. "Beat It" – Michael Jackson
11. "Hungry Like The Wolf" – Duran Duran
10. "Express Yourself" - Madonna
09. "California Love" – 2Pac & Dr. Dre
08. "Addicted to Love" – Robert Palmer
07. "Sabotage" – Beastie Boys
06. "Sweet Child O’ Mine" – Guns N' Roses
05. "Walk This Way" – Run-D.M.C.
04. "Sledgehammer" – Peter Gabriel
03. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana
02. "Vogue" - Madonna
01. "Thriller" – Michael Jackson
