MTV is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and Rolling Stone is out with a new list of “The 100 Greatest Music Videos Of All Time,” with “Formation” by Beyoncé taking the top spot. Here’s what they said about giving the video the top spot:
If Beyoncé’s self-titled visual album established her as one of the greatest artists of all time, her surprise-released “Formation” video (and ensuing album Lemonade) marked her as one of the most important. She partnered with directer Melina Matsoukas, who culled inspiration from the likes of Maya Angelou, Octavia Butler, and Toni Morrison in a striking commentary on significant moments in black American history. In under five minutes, Beyoncé moves from a plantation-style house where the black denizens are the masters not the slaves to the top of a sinking police car. Notably, she released the video in the first week of Black History Month 2016, the day in between what would’ve been Trayvon Martin’s and Sandra Bland’s birthdays. Days later, she would perform the song at the Super Bowl, surrounded by dancers in outfits inspired by the Black Panthers. “I wanted to show — this is black people,” Matsoukas told The New Yorker. “We triumph, we suffer, we’re drowning, we’re being beaten, we’re dancing, we’re eating, and we’re still here.” —B.S.
Peep the rest of the top 10:
- Rolling Stone says these are the videos that continue to “thrill us, delight us” and “disturb us.”
- #10 – “Billie Jean”, Michael Jackson
- #9 – “November Rain”, Guns N’ Roses
- #8 – “Sledgehammer”, Peter Gabriel
- #7 – “Untitled (How Does It Feel?)”, D’Angelo
- #6 – “Sabotage”, Beastie Boys
- #5 – “The Perfect Kiss”, New Order
- #4 – “This Is America”, Childish Gambino
- #3 – “Vogue”, Madonna
- #2 – “Hurt”, Johnny Cash
- #1 – “Formation”, Beyonce
If you want to peep the full list on Rolling Stone official website, do you think “Formation” is the greatest music video of all-time?
(Photo Credit: Reuters)
