So many music videos through the years have been quite memorable, but the ones that tend to stick to pop culture’s collective consciousness for years involve iconic dance breaks. Let’s take a look at just a few legendary music videos that feature dance breaks. A few of us probably know these moves by heart!
1. “Hot To Go” by Chappell Roan
The “Hot To Go” music video and its accompanying dance routine a la The Village People has blown up in recent months, as has Chappell Roan. During her lightning-fast catapult to fame, Roan has continued to perform this pop banger live… And there’s nothing like seeing a crowd of thousands perform this super fun dance routine in person.
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2. “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga
Whether you’re a diehard Little Monster or a casual Lady Gaga fan, you can probably recognize this song by the first few notes of its chorus… as well as the iconic dance routine that goes with it. Nobody was doing dance pop quite like Gaga at the tail-end of the 2000s. This particular music video and dance routine have been burned into the minds of fans and haters alike in the years since.
3. “Here It Goes Again” by OK Go
Dance breaks in music videos are usually well-choreographed, but few have involved the use of treadmills. The entirety of this 2006 music video features the band members dancing on treadmills to their chart-topping power pop hit. It’s certainly a low-budget effort, but it paid off. The camera is stationary, and OK Go’s members simply bounce back and forth in one continuous take. Plenty of young kids from the early days of YouTube tried to recreate this iconic dance break with little success. Treadmills can be dangerous!
4. “Dancing In The Dark” by Bruce Springsteen
How about a real throwback? Bruce Springsteen’s hit song “Dancing In The Dark” from 1984 is a great song on its own, but you just can’t beat that music video. The video itself was a simple performance video featuring Courteney Cox, and the two icons break out into a dance on-stage. Alfonso Ribeiro, who played Carlton on The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, said that Cox’s dance moves inspired his character’s own dance moves on the show.
Photo by Paul Natkin/WireImage
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