10 Most Revolutionary Rock Music Videos

This Is America is unmistakably the most controversial entry on this list. The song, by Donald Glover, under his stage moniker Childish Gambino, became the 31st single in history to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It is a startling creation which merges rap, contemporary R&B, gospel and electronica to deliver a powerful message about the challenges which African-Americans face in modern America.

Far more startling and memorable, however, is the accompanying video – an undeniably stylish and harrowing piece, packed full of subtle details and replete with meaning.

Directed by Hiro Murai, a Japanese-born filmmaker who has also worked with St. Vincent, Bloc Party and Queens Of The Stone Age, the video requires repeat views to properly unpack all of its messages, visual clues and detail. It addresses the issues of gun violence, social inequality and systemic racism, and it does so through a series of short, interlinked sections which are as memorable for their arresting dynamics as for their, at times, shocking and casual violence.