The 10 Best Music Videos of the ‘90s, Ranked

Published Sep 26, 2026, 8:46 AM EDT

Audrey Connelly is a writer living and working in Boston, MA. Music is and has always been one of the most important parts of her life. While rock & roll is her true love, Audrey's taste runs the gamut. Deep cuts, overplayed Billboard Hot 100 hits, trip hop, reggae, musical theater. It's all fair game. However, if she's being totally honest, she is not a huge fan of (most) country music, but she is (mostly) willing to give anything a listen or two.
She has previously contributed to Atwood Magazine and has brought her passion for writing and music – specifically classic and alternative rock – to Collider. 

The ‘90s was the prime decade for innovation in music videos. Fresh ideas and concepts were developed across all genres, elevating both the videos and the music itself to new heights. From grunge to pop to R&B, exciting sonic and visual developments were popping up like whack-a-moles. Music videos are still a big deal to this day, but with such a saturated market when it comes to content, they do not have the same impact as they did thirty-odd years ago. There was something special about the ‘90s, a certain feeling of excitement and possibility that is still palpable while watching these magical music videos. While there are countless unforgettable videos from this era, there are a few that undoubtedly reign supreme – let’s take a look at some of the best the ‘90s had to offer.

10 "...Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears (1999)

There had to be at least one Britney song on this list, and it doesn’t get more quintessential '90s pop than “...Baby One More Time.” Britney Spears’ schoolgirl look in this video remains a Halloween costume mainstay and the over-the-top choreography is still performed to this day. Awarded three nominations at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards, “... Baby One More Time” is a legendary moment in pop culture. This music video puts the viewer right smack in the middle of a classic ‘90s high school rom-com, complete with longing looks at handsome basketball players and popular girls strutting down hallways. The dancing in this video is nonstop, much of it performed by Spears herself – although a body double was used for her double back handspring on the basketball court. Just saying.

9 “Loser” by Beck (1994)

Beck’s “Loser” music video is peak low-budget awesomeness. It feels exactly like a home video you might make with some friends on a long, boring summer afternoon. We see Beck in a variety of whacky outfits (including a Stormtrooper mask that was eventually blurred out due to copyright infringement) singing a variety of whacky lyrics. The grainy quality mixed with the bizarre, psychedelic imagery feels playful and artsy – it looks like it was a blast to film. There is also a lot of stop-motion going on, which is super entertaining. This is a video (and a dude) that clearly doesn’t take itself too seriously, which ups the charm factor by a factor of a million. This is the kind of video that makes the viewer appreciate the song all the more. Directed by Beck’s friend Steve Hanft, it was originally shot on a budget of $300. Later on, when Beck signed with a well-known label as opposed to one of his own making (Bong Load Records,) Hanft was given more money to process and edit the video into the version that is available today.

8 “Gin and Juice” by Snoop Dogg (1994)

In the “Gin and Juice” music video, teenage Snoop’s parents are ready for him to fly the coop. His father makes this clear when he addresses a disheveled Snoop Dogg: “Snoop Doggy Dog, you need to get a Jobby Job!” Following this epic line and the abrupt departure of his parents, Snoop goes full Macaulay Culkin: hands on his cheeks and eyes wide open, he screams at the camera as the words “Home Boy Alone” appear on the screen. We follow Snoop through his day until he eventually does what any teenager might do when their parents give them free rein over the house: he throws a massive rager. There are many iconic cameos, including producer Dr. Dre and Lil Bow Wow, who plays Snoop’s baby brother. Eventually, Snoop Dogg's parents return home to see his party in full swing, and they quickly shut it down. An iconic ‘90s video for an iconic ‘90s hip-hop anthem.

7 “Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden (1994)

Soundgarden was and still is the epitome of ‘90s grunge, and “Black Hole Sun” is their signature track. A song this iconic demands an equally impactful video, and this one surely delivered. The music video is set in a cookie-cutter suburban neighborhood– full-blown Stepford Wives vibes. The people living in the creepily well-manicured neighborhood sport disconcertingly large grins and empty eyes, going through the mundane motions of living in this bedroom community. A full immersion into apocalyptic psychedelia, the video was unlike anything viewers had experienced. The video becomes progressively more disturbing and distorted, until the neighborhood is ultimately swallowed up by a giant black hole in the sky. A poignant commentary on the emptiness, consumerism, and vanity that haunt suburban American life, the video is not one anyone is soon to forget.

6 “Waterfalls” by TLC (1995)

The real meaning behind American girl group TLC’s “Waterfalls” – which, upon first listen, sounds like a catchy, lighthearted groove – is deceptively dark and heavy. The music video reveals the depth of meaning behind the song’s lyrics as sad scenes of loss play out on screen, intercut with the members of TLC dancing in the water. One of the earliest scenes depicts a mother trying to stop her son from meeting up with a group of guys on the street. The boy quickly becomes a victim of street violence, and the mother is haunted by his ghost. Later on, the scene changes to a couple in a bedroom. We see the woman grab a condom out of the man’s hand and throw it on the floor. Post-coitus, the man looks at himself in the mirror in horror: he has contracted AIDS. Just like the boy on the street, he passes away. These disturbing scenes have a lasting impact on the viewer, especially as the AIDS epidemic was reaching its peak at the time of this video's release. The extremely heavy subject matter portrayed in these scenes is bizarrely contrasted by the carefree dancing of the members of TLC, who inexplicably turn completely into water. There is a lot that could be said pertaining to this video, but it is certainly memorable.

5 “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana (1991)

“Smells Like Teen Spirit” is an iconic anthem of the ‘90s, made all the more legendary by the pep-rally-gone-wild music video that accompanied it. Directed by Samuel Bayer (a name we will see on multiple occasions on this list,) the music video is set in a school gymnasium filled with all the usual high school suspects. Cheerleaders, athletes, and burnouts fill the bleachers, initially looking bored to tears before Nirvana kicks it into high gear. Soon enough, the whole school (including the janitor) is up out of their seats, moshing on the gym floor and bridging the frenetic, chaotic energy that became synonymous with Nirvana (both in their careers and personal lives.) Allegedly, this chaos was sparked by real boredom: the extras had been sitting around all day and genuinely needed to let loose. The video captures the authenticity of their rebellion – as well as a copious amount of awesome hair whipping.

4 “No Rain” by Blind Melon (1992)

It would be a shame to not include the iconic “Bee Girl” on a list of this nature. This video was also directed by Samuel Bayer (again!) and famously stars Heather DeLoach as a young tap dancer in a bee costume. The video begins with the Bee Girl getting laughed off the stage. She then walks around LA, performing her adorable tap routine to random people on the street. Like her initial audience, these people were unimpressed with her performance. These scenes are intercut with shots of Blind Melon performing in a field, surrounded by blue sky, green grass, and yellow flowers – the colors are oversaturated and dreamy, in stark contrast to the grey of the concrete jungle that is LA. In fact, the Bee Girl is the only bright spot against the dull city background. Eventually, Bee Girl stumbles upon the meadow where Blind Melon is performing, and lo and behold — a whole group of dancing Bee People is awaiting her. She can finally be herself and receive the appreciation for which she has long been searching.

3 “Everlong” by Foo Fighters (1997)

“Everlong” is surely one of the most hilarious music videos of the ‘90s, thanks to Dave Grohl and the rest of the Foo Fighters’ goofy sense of humor. While the budget was considerably larger, it has the same lack of inhibition as Beck’s “Loser” video. The video features a man (Dave Grohl) and a woman (drummer Taylor Hawkins, who is not a woman) asleep in bed. Suddenly, we are within their dreams. The dreams are loaded with allusions to music and film: there are parody scenes from the Evil Dead Movie, Teddy Boy costumes, and Grohl and Hawkins dressed up as Sid and Nancy. Grohl and Hawkins must defeat their band members – Nate Mendel and Pat Smear, who in this video play generic villains – in various scenarios throughout their dreams. In many of these scenarios, Grohl’s hand becomes wildly enlarged in order to defend Hawkins and defeat their enemies. Perhaps the best scene in the video is the end: the band members wake up, shed their costumes, and start going absolutely nuts on their instruments.

2 “Zombie” by The Cranberries (1994)

Another one from the creative mind of Samuel Bayer. The "Zombie" music video was filmed in Belfast in the middle of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, including documentary-style footage of British soldiers and children play-fighting in the area. They were allowed to film under the false pretext that they were shooting a documentary about peace in Ireland – a revolutionary approach to a music video that has never been attempted since. The black-and-white real life scenes are interspersed with shots of Dolores O’Riordan, painted in gold from head to toe. She is standing in front of a cross, surrounded by silver-clad children holding bows and arrows. The intensity of the song comes through in each and every shot of this video. "Zombie" was written by O’Riordan in reaction to a tragic bombing in England that took the lives of multiple children. The authentic social commentary portrayed in this video sets it apart from the rest, offering the viewer a window into the violence taking place in Ireland and England during this time period.

1 “Doo Wop (That Thing)” by Lauryn Hill (1998)

This video is the peak of ‘90s creativity – few videos share the vision and execution that Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing)” brings to the table. The music video features a split screen, one side set in 1967 and the other in 1998, with two versions of Lauryn Hill performing at a block party in Washington Heights. The '60s version sports a beehive hairdo and a zebra mini dress, while '90s Hill rocks a jean jacket and big silver hoop earrings. The song and video bring together hip-hop, classic R&B, and (as the title suggests) Doo-wop. This video is a showcase of Black American culture through the decades, incorporating music, fashion, and culture into one cohesive piece. The video won four awards at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards: Best R&B Video, Best Art Direction, Best Female Video, and Video of the Year. It was the first hip hop music video to ever win Video of the Year, emphasizing how groundbreaking Hill’s creative vision truly was. The song itself, off of Hill’s debut studio album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It is a captivating, cinematic video that will forever set the bar for what can be achieved through the music video format.