Though it may not seem movie related, Michael Jackson's music videos were always a cinematic event. Growing up in the 1980s and '90s, I'll always remember huddling around the television for the MTV premiere of another one of Jackson's event-style music videos/mini-movies – all of which took the art form to an entirely different (and historic) level. Throughout his career, Jackson teamed with some of the top filmmakers of our generation on his videos, and the results were always memorable trips to a fantastical time and place, with great music, dancing and visual effects. Here now are what I consider to be Michael Jackson's five greatest music videos:

1. Beat It: Directed by Bob Giraldi, Michael Jackson's Beat It video was his first to feature an ensemble dancing in unison, which would go on to become a Jackson trademark. An interesting stat about this video is that Jackson used 80 real-life gang members and only 18 professional dancers in order to add authenticity to the performance. [Watch 'Beat It' Music Video]

2. Thriller: Perhaps his most famous music video, this is the one that truly solidified Jackson's place in history as a true visionary. Directed by John Landis (Animal House, The Blues Brothers), Thriller – with its 14-minute runtime – was the most expensive music video of its time (it cost about $500,000), and it will always be remembered for its famous ensemble zombie dance scene. [Watch 'Thriller' Music Video]

3. Bad: Though this album wasn't nearly as perfect as Thriller, we'll always remember Jackson's music video for Bad. Directed by Martin Scorsese (and at a whopping 18 minutes in length), Bad also tackled street life, but did so through a private school student who returns to his old neighborhood and wants to prove to his friends that he's still "bad" by robbing an elderly man. The video co-starred Wesley Snipes and Roberta Flack (in a voiceover). [Watch 'Bad' Music Video]

4. Black or White: Also directed by John Landis, Black or White was the first single off Jackson's Dangerous album, and the video will always be known for its freakishly cool special effects featuring several human faces of all different shapes, sizes and colors morphing into one another. The effects, utilized that same year by James Cameron in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, were groundbreaking for their time. [Watch 'Black or White' Music Video]

5. Scream: Directed by Mark Romanek (Static, One Hour Photo), Scream will always be remembered for its clean futuristic look and the pairing of both Michael and his sister Janet. The video, which cost about $7 million to make, showed a visibly angry duo, as the two "screamed" back at an audience that was beginning to turn on the pop star due to allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor. Even with its themes of anger and frustration, the video is beautiful to watch and, like so much of his other stuff, shows Jackson's love of all things science fiction and fantasy. [Watch 'Scream' Music Video]

Now it's your turn: Which Michael Jackson videos are your favorite?