Top 10 Music Videos Dances We All Tried to Learn
These are the music video dances we definitely all tried to learn! We included dances like the Macarena, Finesse, Bye Bye Bye, Single Ladies, Gangnam Style and more!
#10: “Macarena” (1995) Los Del Rio
From the moment the first note hits your ears it’s a forgone conclusion that dancing is imminent. The “Macarena” burst onto the scene in the mid-90s and has since become a staple at events of all kinds, from weddings to bat mitzvahs and everything in between. Not only did the entire world try to learn this dance when it first came out, they did learn this dance. The “Macarena” isn’t exactly tough to learn, it’s basically all arms with a few hip rotations thrown in for good measure. Of all the songs on our list few are as connected to their corresponding music video dance routine as this one.
#9: “Finesse” (2018) Bruno Mars feat. Cardi B
Bruno Mars certainly knows how to kick off a New Year! Just four days into 2018 he and up and coming rapper Cardi B dropped this deliciously fun throwback song! Dripping in 90s hip hop nostalgia, the music video is a homage to “In Living Color’s” opening theme; so much so that it appears “Finesse” was shot on the exact same sound stage!Of course, the highlight of the music video is Mars’ silky-smooth dance routine. It took us just one viewing to be totally obsessed with it and based on the number of “Finesse” dance routine videos that are currently on YouTube, we clearly weren’t the only ones dying to try our hand at it!
#8: “Stop” (1998) Spice Girls
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When this now-iconic music video first dropped it felt like the whole world was trying to emulate Ginger, Posh, Scary, Sporty and Baby Spice. The moves themselves weren’t terribly complicated nor were they especially impressive; however, attempting to emulate your idols never gets old. Whether you tried to learn this one on your own or with a few gal pals is irrelevant, what’s important is that you joined in! Two decades later and this song is still a total blast to bust a move to; and if you’re like us, you definitely still remember all the moves!
#7: “Rhythm Nation” (1989) Janet Jackson
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Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation” music video is often considered one of the greatest and most influential of the 20th century. It won the Grammy for Best Long Form Music Video and Rolling Stone said it had some of the “most memorable choreography in pop video history.” You don’t garner that kind of praise unless you do something that is both wildly inventive and insanely difficult, of which “Rhythm Nation’s” dance routine is both. Of course, this didn’t stop a plethora of people from trying it for themselves, no doubt looking quite foolish in the process. Trying to beat Jackson siblings at their own game is a fool’s errand.
#6: “Party Rock Anthem” (2011) LMFAO feat. Lauren Bennett, GoonRock
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Despite having been around for ages, the Melbourne Shuffle aka Rocking aka The Shuffle truly reached a fever pitch after LMFAO featured it in their music video for “Party Rock Anthem” back in 2011. The move, which was born out of the rave scenes of the 80’s and 90’s, is nothing more than a rapid succession of heel and toe movements. Simple yet addictive; that’s the best way to describe this music video dance; one that LMFAO continued to use in many of their future videos. There’s no point in lying; we know you tried to learn it!
#5: “Bye Bye Bye” (2000) *NSYNC
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Your best friend, your neighbor and even your little brother tried to learn this dance when it burst onto the scene back in 2000. “Bye Bye Bye” was one of the biggest hits of the year and the music video is now considered one of NSYNC’s most iconic. It featured the boy band suspended from wires and being controlled by an evil puppet master. The best part about this dance was that it was actually not that hard to learn. All you needed was some spare time, a mirror and an empty house… because nothing was more embarrassing than getting caught by your parents trying to pull off an NSYNC routine .
#4: “Oops!...I Did It Again” (2000) Britney Spears
Raise your hand if you ever attempted to pull this dance routine off in a high school talent show…uh, yeah, us neither. While Britney is no stranger to busting some serious moves in her music videos - that drop dead sexy routine in “Slave 4 U” anyone? – she was never better than the time she donned a skin-tight red jumpsuit and strutted her stuff on Mars for the “Oops!...I Did It Again” video. Of course, the crux of the routine is the thumping heart maneuver she does multiple times. Perfection!
#3: “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) (1997) Backstreet Boys
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If you were between the ages of 6 and 16 when this song hit the airwaves you could probably write a 10-page thesis on why its corresponding dance routine was one of the decades best.The music video starts off with the Backstreet Boys forced to spend the night inside of a haunted mansion and in no time at all they find themselves dancing side by side with a host of creepy partygoers. While the routine is full of original moves, the influence of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” cannot be understated. This music video dance is perhaps the groups most memorable, and no doubt caused many a teenager to bust a move back in the day!
#2: “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” (2008) Beyoncé
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While Queen B has offered up no shortage of jaw-dropping dance routines throughout her sterling career you’d be hard pressed to find one that is better than this! “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)” is in a word: amazing. Rocking nothing more than a black leotard and a pair of heels and flanked on either side by a similarly dressed dancer, Beyoncé straight up kills it! According to one of the choreographers the routine was kept simple on purpose, so that people would be inspired to try it for themselves; and boy did they ever! Of course, that didn’t stop “Single Ladies” from winning the MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography! Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: “Gangnam Style” (2012) Psy “Bad Romance” (2009) Lady Gaga “Like I Love You” (2002) Justin Timberlake
#1: “Thriller” (1988) Michael Jackson
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What kind of list would this be if we didn’t include arguably the most iconic music video dance routine of all time?Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” is the ultimate combination of skill and creativity; a dazzling and courageous attempt that thrust the ceiling for what a music video could be high into the stratosphere. “Beat It” is great and “Smooth Criminal” is a freakin’ masterpiece, but neither can hold a nickel up to Jackson’s performance in this one. In 1984, the video earned Jackson six MTV Video Music Award nominations, winning three, and more than 30 years after its release people are still trying to emulate the King of Pop’s creepy, Halloween-inspired moves!
