Prince, ‘When Doves Cry’ vs. Michael Jackson, ‘Thriller’ — Greatest Pop Video Of The Modern Era [First Round]

Last year, we ran a super-sized competition to determine the greatest pop song in modern history, from the ’80s to today. And now, we’re back — and this time, it’s all about honoring the best and boldest in music videos.

Prince's self-directed video for "When Doves Cry" garnered its fair share of criticism for being too sexual and unfit for television when it was first released. And by '80s standards, the first half of the video is pretty provocative, featuring Prince basking shirtless in a bathtub, crawling on the floor shirtless, and engaged in some "steamy" make-out sessions, all interspersed with iconic footage from the film Purple Rain. The remainder of the video is comprised of trippy scenes of Prince performing with his band The Revolution in a white room, eventually concluding with a final shot of the singer exactly where he began: shirtless in the bathtub (this time with some fierce white neck wear).

Michael Jackson's "Thriller" is iconic in almost every way, especially because of its impeccable choreography, monstrous imagery and costuming, and sheer length. Clocking in at well over thirteen minutes, "Thriller" pushed the boundaries of what a music video could be and could do, proving that, as a genre, they were valuable for more than cheap entertainment on MTV. The video's horror-inspired romance narrative rings undeniably autobiographical in hindsight. Jackson's admission to his girlfriend that he is "different" than other guys and subsequent transformation into a werecat speaks volumes to how the media relentlessly portrayed him throughout the remainder of his career.

And now, it's time to decide: Which video ultimately moves forward in our competition?

You can vote once per hour until the poll closes on Nov. 11 at 5 PM ET.

Make sure to vote in the other matches in this round so far...

Madonna's "Like A Prayer" vs. Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want To Have Fun"