Videos Poll Analysis

This page includes the results, and analysis, of polls to find the best promotional video. As with many polls, they are dominated by tracks from recent years, which then fall spectacularly in subsequent polls. Hence, by considering numerous polls, a more accurate result can be obtained.

VH1 Poll, 1998
VH1 Poll, 2001/2
Channel 4 Poll, 2005
Comparison Table
Analysis


VH1 Poll, 1998

  1. Thriller - Michael Jackson
  2. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
  3. Take On Me - A-Ha
  4. My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion
  5. Virtual Insanity - Jamiroquai
  6. Vogue - Madonna
  7. Fastlove - George Michael
  8. Say You'll Be There - Spice Girls
  9. Earth Song - Michael Jackson
  10. Sledgehammer - Peter Gabriel

VH1 Poll, 2001/2002


This poll was chosen by a panel of industry experts. The year is unknown, but the most recent video is from 2001, so it is most likely to have been 2001 or 2002:
  1. Weapon Of Choice - Fatboy Slim
  2. Sabotage - The Beastie Boys
  3. Virtual Insanity - Jamiroquai
  4. Coffee And TV - Blur
  5. Street Spirit - Radiohead
  6. Thriller - Michael Jackson
  7. It's Oh So Quiet - Bjork
  8. Vogue - Madonna
  9. She's The One - Robbie Williams
  10. Sledgehammer - Peter Gabriel
  11. Let Forever Be - Chemical Brothers
  12. Scream - Michael & Janet Jackson
  13. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
  14. Teardrop - Massive Attack
  15. Everybody Hurts - REM
  16. Praise You - Fatboy Slim
  17. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
  18. Justify My Love - Madonna
  19. Californication - Red Hot Chilli Peppers
  20. Take On Me - A-Ha

Channel 4 Poll, 2005


In this poll, members of the public could vote for their favourite videos from a pre-chosen list of 125.
  1. Thriller - Michael Jackson
  2. Sledgehammer - Peter Gabriel
  3. Take on Me - A-ha
  4. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
  5. Like a Prayer - Madonna
  6. Rock DJ - Robbie Williams
  7. Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
  8. Bittersweet Symphony - The Verve
  9. Vogue - Madonna
  10. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
  11. The Scientist - Coldplay
  12. Scream - Michael & Janet Jackson
  13. Another Brick in the Wall - Pink Floyd
  14. Dirrty - Christina Aguilera
  15. Everybody Hurts - REM
  16. Hey Ya - OutKast
  17. Coffee And TV - Blur
  18. Crazy in Love - Beyonce
  19. Material Girl - Madonna
  20. Clint Eastwood - Gorillaz
  21. I Want to Break Free - Queen
  22. Cry Me a River - Justin Timberlake
  23. Baby One More Time - Britney Spears
  24. No Surprises - Radiohead
  25. Baggy Trousers - Madness
  26. Waterfalls - TLC
  27. Ashes to Ashes - David Bowie
  28. Learn to Fly - Foo Fighters
  29. Gay Bar - Electric Six
  30. Buddy Holly - Weezer
  31. Stan - Eminem
  32. Wicked Game - Chris Isaak
  33. The Sweetest Thing - U2
  34. Fell in Love with a Girl - The White Stripes
  35. Nothing Compares 2U - Sinead O'Connor
  36. Give It Away - Red Hot Chilli Peppers
  37. November Rain - Guns N Roses
  38. Weapon of Choice - Fatboy Slim
  39. Common People - Pulp
  40. Get Ur Freak On - Missy Elliot
  41. Wannabe - The Spice Girls
  42. It's Oh So Quiet - Bjork
  43. Money for Nothing - Dire Straits
  44. Can't Get You Out of My Head - Kylie Minogue
  45. Crazy - Aerosmith
  46. Prince Charming - Adam & the Ants
  47. Firestarter - The Prodigy
  48. Hurt - Johnny Cash
  49. Virtual Insanity - Jamiroquai
  50. You Can Call Me Al - Paul Simon
  51. Walk This Way - Run DMC & Aerosmith
  52. Teardrop - Massive Attack
  53. Club Tropicana - Wham
  54. Around the World - Daft Punk
  55. Praise You - Fatboy Slim
  56. Without Me - Eminem
  57. I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That) - Meat Loaf
  58. Close to Me - The Cure
  59. Knowing Me - Abba
  60. Sweet Dreams - Eurythmics
  61. Smack My Bitch Up - The Prodigy
  62. Parklife - Blur
  63. Outside - George Michael
  64. Human Behaviour - Bjork
  65. Windowlicker - Aphex Twin
  66. Subterranean Homesick Blues - Bob Dylan
  67. Sabotage - The Beastie Boys
  68. Ray of Light - Madonna
  69. Two Tribes - Frankie Goes to Hollywood
  70. Every Breath You Take - The Police
  71. All Is Full of Love - Bjork
  72. Addicted to Love - Robert Palmer
  73. Where's Your Head At? - Basement Jaxx
  74. Gravel Pit - Wu-Tang Clan
  75. Rio - Duran Duran
  76. Strawberry Fields - The Beatles
  77. U Can't Touch This - MC Hammer
  78. Cry - Godley and Creme
  79. True Faith - New Order
  80. Just - Radiohead
  81. Vienna - Ultravox
  82. In Da Club - 50 Cent
  83. Stay - Shakespear's Sister
  84. I Don't Like Mondays - The Boomtown Rats
  85. My Way - Sid Vicious
  86. Fit But You Know It - The Streets
  87. Once in a Lifetime - Talking Heads
  88. I Want Love - Elton John
  89. Tonight Tonight - Smashing Pumpkins
  90. Go West - The Pet Shop Boys
  91. Ghost Town - The Specials
  92. Rockit - Herbie Hancock
  93. We Love You - The Rolling Stones
  94. Total Eclipse of the Heart - Bonnie Tyler
  95. My Favourite Game - The Cardigans
  96. 21 Seconds - So Solid Crew
  97. Brimful of Asha - Cornershop
  98. Smalltown Boy - Bronski Beat
  99. Pumping on Your Stereo - Supergrass
  100. Pass the Dutchie - Musical Youth

Comparison Table


The following table shows all of the tracks which have appeared in the top 20 of any of the 3 polls listed above. The tracks are arranged by their average position across the polls:

  Song (Artist) 1998 Poll 2001/2 Poll 2005 Poll Average
1 Thriller (Michael Jackson) 1 6 1 2
2 Sledgehammer (Peter Gabriel) 10 10 2 7
3 Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen) 2 17 4 7
4 Vogue (Madonna) 6 8 9 7
5 Take on Me (A-ha) 3 20 3 8
6 Coffee And TV (Blur) NYR 4 17 10
7 The Scientist (Coldplay) NYR NYR 11 11
8 Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana) -- 13 10 11
9 Scream (Michael & Janet Jackson) -- 12 12 11
10 Like a Prayer (Madonna) -- -- 5 12
11 Rock DJ (Robbie Williams) NYR -- 6 13
12 Billie Jean (Michael Jackson) -- -- 7 13
13 Bittersweet Symphony (The Verve) -- -- 8 13
14 Everybody Hurts (REM) -- 15 15 13
15 Dirrty (Christina Aguilera) NYR NYR 14 14
16 Another Brick in the Wall (Pink Floyd) -- -- 13 15
17 Hey Ya (OutKast) NYR NYR 16 16
18 Material Girl (Madonna) -- -- 19 17
19 Crazy in Love (Beyonce) NYR NYR 18 18
20 Weapon Of Choice (Fatboy Slim) NYR 1 38 19
21 Virtual Insanity (Jamiroquai) 5 3 49 19
22 Clint Eastwood (Gorillaz) NYR NYR 20 20
23 It's Oh So Quiet (Bjork) -- 7 42 20
24 Sabotage (The Beastie Boys) -- 2 67 26
25 Teardrop (Massive Attack) NYR 14 52 33
26 Praise You (Fatboy Slim) NYR 16 55 35
27 Street Spirit (Radiohead) -- 5 -- 39
28 My Heart Will Go On (Celine Dion) 4 -- -- 42
29 Fastlove (George Michael) 7 -- -- 43
30 Say You'll Be There (Spice Girls) 8 -- -- 43
31 Justify My Love (Madonna) -- 18 -- 43
32 Earth Song (Michael Jackson) 9 -- -- 43
33 She's The One (Robbie Williams) NYR 9 -- 55
34 Let Forever Be (Chemical Brothers) NYR 11 -- 56
35 Californication (Red Hot Chilli Peppers) NYR 19 -- 60

Analysis