A definitive ranking of Annie Lennox music videos

Annie Lennox is easily one of the most iconic women of the music video generation. Although music videos existed before MTV and after YouTube, there was a time in pop culture from 1980 to 2010 where pop lived and died by music videos, with the Scottish singer as the queen of Insomniac Music Theatre, taking us into the wonderful and disturbing worlds of her 5-minute melodramas. Through dance floor bangers and tear-jerking ballads, Lennox oscillates from hyper-feminine to androgynous, but always with enviable style and excellent production value.  Below, we take you through her masterworks—both solo and as half of the Eurythmics—in ascending order, trying our best to judge on visuals alone and not be prejudiced by how much of a bop the song is.

 10. Missionary Man (1986)

Fittingly for our first selection, this video shows the birth of Annie Lennox. She came from a liquid base and emerged into the world as a full grown woman, complete with killer makeup, the perfect platinum blonde hair cut and leather bodysuit. We have absolutely no idea what that machine is, or what it is doing to her face, but we want one. 

9. Whiter Shade of Pale (1995)

For the music video for her cover of the 1968 melancholic ballad, Lennox emerges on a swing in a bear suit—not a sexy Miley Cyrus bear suit, but a large brown onesie. Naturally, she is in a circus with tango dancers, horses, French pantomimes, tightrope walkers and depression-era clowns. 

8. Who’s That Girl (1983)

In an unexpected turn, Annie is giving us a ‘60s vibe with perfect blonde hair and bubblegum pink lips, but despite the feminine look, she’s definitely not demure. She channels a lounge singer who has to watch her lover (played by her real life ex-turned-bandmate David A. Stewart) come in with a harem of ‘80s babes, including Debbie Harry and Meryl Streep lookalikes. But in the end, Lennox has the last laugh as she makes out with herself.

 7. Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) (1983)

Probably her best known hit, the Sweet Dreams video has a fantastic take on office culture.  From Lennox’s iconic red buzz haircut, paired with a smoky eye and power suit, to the cows in the boardroom and low-fi computers, the clip is equal parts bizarre and aspirational.

 6. Here Comes the Rain Again (1983)

Here Comes The Rain Again accurately foreshadows contemporary vacations, when you go somewhere really scenic and your partner spends the whole time filming you. In this case, it is the cliffs and countryside of Britain, where Lennox walks around perfectly swaddled in a white nightgown that just begs to be haunted.

5. Why (1992)

This ballad pulls at every one of our heartstrings as it tells the story of Lennox and Stewart’s break-up, but what makes the video great is how it portrays vulnerability, proving that a fully-fledged showgirl costume with stage makeup can be just as vulnerable as being bare-faced in an old track suit. If you are going to be sad about an ex, then it is probably better to do so in a feather headdress.

4. Love Is A Stranger (1983)

This one is all about the wigs as Lennox rips off her blonde curls to expose a red bob, which she matches perfectly with diamond earrings and a fur.  For the latex look, she goes with a choppy black bang. We still don’t quite get the babydoll and ventriloquist puppet in the video, but that’s OK. 

3. No More “I love Yous” (1995)

This video opens up on a sequence of bearded ballerinas surrounding Annie Lennox during her Belle Epoque performance for wealthy patrons. The men in the audience are then strapped into corsets and have curls put on their heads to join her on stage for what looks like an off-beat rendition of Little Bow Peep that is both decadent and unsettling. 

2.Walking on Broken Glass (1992)

Taking heavy inspiration from the 1988 film Dangerous Liaisons, this music video stars both Hugh Laurie and John Malkovich to tell the story of what happens when you go to your ex’s engagement party with an open bar. There are lots of powdered faces and wigs, as well as a particularly stunning oxblood velvet turbine.

 1. There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart) (1985)

Although it’s impossible to top Walking on Broken Glass in terms of production value and story, there are a few key elements that put There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart) a nose ahead. First of all, the heavily made up French courtiers are wonderful, second, there are men doing prancing choreography in unicorn costumes, and third, we are here for the adult cherubs. And yes, this one does slay the dance-floor.

Honourable MentionLittle Bird (1992)

This video is a reunion of all of our favourite Lennoxes, starting with the cabaret Lennox from Legend in My Living Room, and including the blonde bombshell look from I Need A Man, as well as the showgirl costume from Why and the period costumes from Walking on Broken Glass.