| Year | Winner | Nominees | Ref. |
| David Bowie — "China Girl" |
| |
| Bruce Springsteen — "I'm on Fire" | Glenn Frey — "Smuggler's Blues" Don Henley — "The Boys of Summer" David Lee Roth — "California Girls" David Lee Roth — "Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody" | |
| Robert Palmer — "Addicted to Love" | Bryan Adams — "Summer of '69" Phil Collins — "Take Me Home" Bruce Springsteen — "Glory Days" Sting — "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" | |
| Peter Gabriel — "Sledgehammer" | David Bowie — "Day-In Day-Out" Robert Palmer — "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On" Paul Simon — "You Can Call Me Al" Steve Winwood — "Higher Love" | |
| Prince — "U Got the Look" | Terence Trent D'Arby — "Wishing Well" George Harrison — "Got My Mind Set on You" Bruce Springsteen — "Tunnel of Love" Steve Winwood — "Back in the High Life Again" | |
| Elvis Costello — "Veronica" | Bobby Brown — "Every Little Step" Lou Reed — "Dirty Blvd." Steve Winwood — "Roll with It" | |
| Don Henley — "The End of the Innocence" | Billy Idol — "Cradle of Love" MC Hammer — "U Can't Touch This" Michael Penn — "No Myth" | |
| Chris Isaak — "Wicked Game " | Jon Bon Jovi — "Blaze of Glory" Gerardo — "Rico Suave" George Michael — "Freedom! '90" | |
| Eric Clapton — "Tears in Heaven " | John Mellencamp — "Get a Leg Up" Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers — "Into the Great Wide Open" Bruce Springsteen — "Human Touch" "Weird Al" Yankovic — "Smells Like Nirvana" | |
| Lenny Kravitz — "Are You Gonna Go My Way" | Peter Gabriel — "Steam" George Michael — "Killer/Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" Sting — "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You" | |
| Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers — "Mary Jane's Last Dance" | Beck — "Loser" Tony Bennett — "Steppin' Out with My Baby" Bruce Springsteen — "Streets of Philadelphia" | |
| Tom Petty — "You Don't Know How It Feels" | Chris Isaak — "Somebody's Crying" Elton John — "Believe" Lucas — "Lucas with the Lid Off" | |
| Beck — "Where It's At" | Bryan Adams — "The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You" Coolio — "1, 2, 3, 4 " R. Kelly — "Down Low " Seal — "Don't Cry" | |
| Beck — "Devils Haircut" | Babyface — "Every Time I Close My Eyes" R. Kelly — "I Believe I Can Fly" Will Smith — "Men in Black" | |
| Will Smith — "Just the Two of Us" | David Bowie — "I'm Afraid of Americans " Busta Rhymes — "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See" Eric Clapton — "My Father's Eyes" Brian McKnight — "Anytime" | |
| Will Smith — "Miami" | Eminem — "My Name Is" Lenny Kravitz — "Fly Away" Ricky Martin — "Livin' la Vida Loca" | |
| Eminem — "The Real Slim Shady" | D'Angelo — "Untitled " Kid Rock — "Cowboy" Ricky Martin — "Shake Your Bon-Bon" Moby — "Natural Blues" | |
| Moby — "South Side" | Eminem — "Stan" Lenny Kravitz — "Again" Nelly — "Ride wit Me" Robbie Williams — "Rock DJ" | |
| Eminem — "Without Me" | Craig David — "Walking Away" Enrique Iglesias — "Hero" Elton John — "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore" Nelly — "#1" Usher — "U Got It Bad" | |
| Justin Timberlake — "Cry Me a River" | 50 Cent — "In da Club" Johnny Cash — "Hurt" Eminem — "Lose Yourself" John Mayer — "Your Body Is a Wonderland" | |
| Usher — "Yeah!" | Jay-Z — "99 Problems" Prince — "Musicology" Justin Timberlake — "Señorita" Kanye West — "All Falls Down" | |
| Kanye West — "Jesus Walks" | 50 Cent — "Candy Shop" Beck — "E-Pro" John Legend — "Ordinary People" Usher — "Caught Up" | |
| James Blunt — "You're Beautiful" | Busta Rhymes — "Touch It " Nick Lachey — "What's Left of Me" T.I. — "What You Know" Kanye West — "Gold Digger" | |
| Justin Timberlake | Akon Robin Thicke T.I. Kanye West | |
| Chris Brown — "With You" | Flo Rida — "Low" Lil Wayne — "Lollipop" T.I. — "No Matter What" Usher — "Love in This Club" | |
| T.I. — "Live Your Life" | Eminem — "We Made You" Jay-Z — "D.O.A. " Ne-Yo — "Miss Independent" Kanye West — "Love Lockdown" | |
| Eminem — "Not Afraid" | B.o.B — "Airplanes" Jason Derulo — "In My Head" Drake — "Find Your Love" Usher — "OMG" | |
| Justin Bieber — "U Smile" | Eminem — "Love the Way You Lie" Cee-Lo Green — "Fuck You" Bruno Mars — "Grenade" Kanye West — "All of the Lights" | |
| Chris Brown — "Turn Up the Music" | Justin Bieber — "Boyfriend" Drake — "Take Care" Frank Ocean — "Swim Good" Usher — "Climax" | |
| Bruno Mars — "Locked Out of Heaven" | Kendrick Lamar — "Swimming Pools " Ed Sheeran — "Lego House" Robin Thicke — "Blurred Lines" Justin Timberlake — "Mirrors" | |
| Ed Sheeran — "Sing" | Eminem — "The Monster" John Legend — "All of Me" Sam Smith — "Stay with Me" Pharrell Williams — "Happy" | |
| Mark Ronson — "Uptown Funk" | Nick Jonas — "Chains" Kendrick Lamar — "Alright" Ed Sheeran — "Thinking Out Loud" The Weeknd — "Earned It" | |
| Calvin Harris — "This Is What You Came For" | Drake — "Hotline Bling" Bryson Tiller — "Don't" The Weeknd — "Can't Feel My Face" Kanye West — "Famous" | |
