Top 10 videos

1. Michael Jackson, Thriller 2. Madonna, Like a Prayer 3. Peter Gabriel, Sledgehammer 4. Nirvana, Smells Like Teen Spirit 5. Guns N' Roses, November Rain 6. Pearl Jam, Jeremy 7. Madonna, Justify My Love 8. A-ha, Take on Me 9. Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson, Scream 10. Herbie Hancock, Rockit

At the time, the Thriller video - which features Jackson transforming into a werewolf - was considered so shocking it was given a UK late-night premiere on Channel 4.

Director John Landis - utilising the same techniques he used in 1981's An American Werewolf In London - showed Jackson's nails and hair growing and his jaw lengthening into a snout.

Later, Jackson is seen as a zombie leading a dance troupe of the "undead" along a deserted street.

Thriller featured Jackson in a scary role

The singer added a disclaimer to the start of the 17-minute video, saying: "Due to my strong personal convictions, I wish to stress that this film in no way endorses a belief in the occult."

The video helped put Jackson's album of the same name at the top of the all-time best-seller list in the US.

Burning crosses

At the number two spot was Madonna's Like a Prayer, which caused a stir for depicting scantily-clad singer kissing a black Jesus figure.

It also featured her cavorting in front of burning crosses, and suffering Jesus-like wounds on her hands.

And her raunchy Justify My Love video - which MTV refused to air in 1990 - came in seventh.

Madonna's videos are often controversial

The top 10's animated videos include Peter Gabriel's stop-motion Sledgehammer and Norwegian trio A-ha's Take on Me, which combined live action and pencil drawings.

At number eight is Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit, which features the Seattle grunge band playing to a hall of college students and cheerleaders.

Kurt Cobain, late Nirvana frontman

The oldest video, Bob Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues dates back to 1967 and features at number 28.

The Buggles' Video Killed the Radio Star - the first video aired by MTV at launch in 1981 - reached number 79 on the list.

VH1 will countdown the 100 clips over five consecutive nights in the US beginning on 7 May. The list was compiled by executives at the network.