The Best Music Videos of the 90s Audio Ink Radio

October 21, 2024

The 1990s were full of fantastic music that spawned many 90s-inspired bands and musicians in the decades to come. The best music videos of the ’90s were all over MTV, which launched on August 1, 1981. MTV truly changed the music industry forever as it evolved from an audio industry to a full-fledged entertainment industry with larger-than-life music videos to go along with pretty much every single that was released. While the 1980s was a popular decade for music videos, the 1990s also had its highlights. We pay tribute to some of the greatest music videos of the ’90s, mostly rock, but also a little pop and metal.

Best music videos of the 90s

2Pac with Dr. Dre, “California Love”

Rapper 2Pac scored in 1995 with his hit “California Love” with producer Dr. Three great successes. The song was 2Pac’s comeback single after his release from prison and showed that he was back and better than ever. The beat of “California Love” is simply iconic and the song even has two music videos: one inspired by the 1985 film “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” and the other following the remixed version of the song from the record “All Eyez on Me.” .”

Beastie Boys, “Sabotage”

The Beastie Boys’ breakthrough came in the 1990s with stormy radio hits that made them one of the biggest acts of the decade. Their brand of rap-rock was very new at the time and inspired many subsequent rap-rock acts and pure rap acts such as Eminem. The Beastie Boys’ music video for their 1994 hit “Sabotage” is nothing short of epic. It is a parody and homage to 1970s crime shows such as Hawaii Five-O and Starsky and Hutch. Each member of the Beastie Boys is introduced as a fictional actor. While the video was widely aired on MTV, some scenes that were deemed too violent were cut, even though it was obvious that the boys were using stunt puppets in the clip. Additionally, the band performed “Sabotage” as their last song ever when they played their last show at Bonnaroo in 2009.

Nirvana, “Smells Like Teen Spirit”

“Smells Like Teen Spirit” certainly doesn’t leave out “Nirvana” in the best music videos of the ’90s. Just as Nirvana changed the sound of the decade and decades to come with their 1991 album “Nevermind,” the music video for “Smells Like Teen Spirit” changed the music video. It was the opposite of the flashy hair metal music video from the 1980s, instead showing Kurt Cobain and the band rocking out with zombie cheerleaders in a high school gym.

Madonna, Vogue

It’s impossible to talk about the 1990s and ignore Madonna. Although the decade was dominated by both the Seattle sound and hip-hop, pop was still an issue. Pop music wasn’t as big as the decade before, but it was still big, and Madonna’s music video for “Vogue” was one of the most iconic music videos and songs of the decade. Released in 1991, the video was black and white and featured iconic images of the singer. It’s from their soundtrack album I’m Breathless.

Metallica, “Enter Sandman”

When grunge took over in the early 1990s, hair metal was pushed aside, but that didn’t mean all metal fell by the wayside. Instead, Metallica experienced their biggest career breakthrough with the release of “The Black Album” in 1991. The album’s dark, moody single “Enter Sandman” was coupled with an intense music video featuring a child having nightmares, images of an old man, and clips of the band’s performance. It’s a spooky video that fits the song’s heavy riffing and dark lyrics.

Soundgarden, “Black Hole Sun”

So many grunge videos could have fit on this list, from Pearl Jam’s “Jeremy” to Alice in Chains’ “Would?” But something about Soundgarden and “Black Hole Sun” transcends the rest. It must be the super creepy faces that everyone in the video ends up making, showing a creepy smile that could give almost anyone nightmares. Chris Cornell and Soundgarden dominated the airwaves in 1994 with “Black Hole Sun,” and the song’s music video is a landmark.

Find Audio Ink Radio’s list of the best grunge songs, mostly from the 1990s. Also check out Audio Ink Radio’s list of the best alternative rock one-hit wonders of the 1990s.

Meet the Expert – Author, Author and Editor Anne Erickson is a Detroit-based reporter and radio host. She has written for the USA Today Network, Consequence.net, Blabbermouth.net and many more. Anne holds a master’s degree from Michigan State University. Contact Anne at [email protected].

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