The Best Rock Music Videos of All Time

In this blog post, we’ll be counting down the best rock music videos of all time. From classics like Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” to more modern videos like Foo Fighters’ “Everlong,” we’ll be looking at a wide range of videos that have helped define the genre.

Nirvana- “Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Released in 1991, Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is widely considered to be one of the most influential rock songs of all time. The accompanying music video was directed by Samuel Bayer, and features the band performing in a high school gymnasium that is filled with rowdy teenagers.

The video became an instant classic, and has been cited as an inspiration by numerous other artists. It was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2017.

Radiohead- “Paranoid Android”

Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android” is one of the best rock music videos of all time. The music video was directed by Magnus Carlsson and is a continuation of the band’s “Let Down” video. “Paranoid Android” was released in 1997 and is six minutes and 23 seconds long. The video features the band performing in a warehouse with strobe lights and specters appearing throughout the performance.

The White Stripes- “Seven Nation Army”

“Seven Nation Army” is a song by American rock duo The White Stripes. It was released as the lead single from their fourth studio album, Elephant, in 2003, and reached number one on the Alternative Songs chart, which remains their only single to do so. The song’s signature riff was written by Jack White before he joined The White Stripes. Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Al Alburquerque uses an instrumental version of the song as his entrance music.

Muse- “Knights of Cydonia”

In 2006, Muse released their fourth album Black Holes and Revelations, which contained the song “Knights of Cydonia”. The song is an electronic rock and progressive rock track with influences of space rock, and features a guitar solo from Matt Bellamy. The music video for “Knights of Cydonia” was directed by Jonas Åkerlund, and was inspired by spaghetti westerns and Japanese samurai films. It tells the story of a lone gunslinger who travels to a dusty town to face off against a group of outlaws.

The video was nominated for four MTV Video Music Awards, winning three of them. It was also nominated for Best Rock Video at the MTV Europe Music Awards. “Knights of Cydonia” has been ranked as one of the best music videos of all time by several publications, including NME, Time, and Rolling Stone.

Queen- “Bohemian Rhapsody”

Released in 1975, “Bohemian Rhapsody” is a rock opera by the British band Queen. The song is a six-minute suite, consisting of several sections without a chorus: an intro, a ballad segment, an operatic passage, a hard rock section and a reflective coda. The single was accompanied by a groundbreaking music video, directed by Bruce Gowers. It was shot in one continuous take using multiple cameras, and was queen’s first music video.

The video features Freddie Mercury performing the song in front of a live audience. He is shown in close-up for the majority of the video, with occasional shots of the other band members. The video becomes more chaotic as it goes on, with shots of the audience becoming more frenzied and the camera angles becoming more extreme. By the end, Mercury is shown alone in close-up, bathed in spotlight and visibly exhausted from his performance.

The “Bohemian Rhapsody” video is widely considered to be one of the greatest rock music videos of all time. It has been praised for its innovative camerawork and editing, as well as Mercury’s magnetic performance.

The Rolling Stones- “Gimme Shelter”

The Rolling Stones- “Gimme Shelter” is widely considered one of the best rock music videos of all time. Released in 1969, the video was directed by Robert Frank and features footage of the band performing live at the Altamont Speedway in California. The video is dark and gritty, which perfectly reflects the mood of the song.

Pink Floyd- “Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2”

There is no doubt that Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2” is one of the best rock music videos of all time. The song is an anthem for anyone who has ever felt oppressed or controlled, and the video takes that message to a whole new level.

The video begins with a group of schoolchildren marching in unison towards a gigantic concrete wall. As they march, they sing the famous lyrics: “We don’t need no education / We don’t need no thought control.” The children are clearly fed up with the oppressive regime that they live under, and they’re ready to take a stand.

As the children reach the wall, they begin to chip away at it with their bare hands. It’s a slow and painstaking process, but eventually they create a huge hole in the wall. The video ends with the children marching through the hole in triumph, as Pink Floyd’s classic song plays in the background.

Led Zeppelin- “Stairway to Heaven”

Led Zeppelin – “Stairway to Heaven” is widely considered to be one of the best rock songs of all time, and the music video is just as iconic. The video features the band members walking around a rural English countryside, and the song itself has been described as “a journey to heaven.”

The Jimi Hendrix Experience- “All Along the Watchtower”

The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s 1967 cover of Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” is widely considered to be one of the best rock songs of all time. The song’s popularity was only further boosted by the release of its accompanying music video, which quickly became a fan-favorite.

The music video for “All Along the Watchtower” was directed by Joe Boyd and features Hendrix and bandmates Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding performing the song in a desert landscape. Throughout the video, shots of various desert animals are intercut with the footage of the band playing, giving the video an otherworldly feel.

Despite its low budget and simple production, the “All Along the Watchtower” music video is an iconic piece of rock history that perfectly captures Hendrix’s raw talent and unlimited potential.

AC/DC- “Highway to Hell”

AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell” video is one of the best rock music videos of all time. The video features the band performing in a dusty, barren wasteland, with occasional shots of them driving down a highway to hell in a convertible. The video is simple but effective, and it perfectly captures the raw energy and attitude of the song.