BANANARAMA
Posted on 07/31/2014 10:52:24 PM PDT by beaversmom
On this day in 1981, MTV: Music Television goes on the air for the first time ever, with the words (spoken by one of MTV’s creators, John Lack): “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll.” The Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star” was the first music video to air on the new cable television channel, which initially was available only to households in parts of New Jersey. MTV went on to revolutionize the music industry and become an influential source of pop culture and entertainment in the United States and other parts of the world, including Europe, Asia and Latin America, which all have MTV-branded channels.
In MTV’s early days, its programming consisted of basic music videos that were introduced by VJs (video jockeys) and provided for free by record companies. As the record industry recognized MTV’s value as a promotional vehicle, money was invested in making creative, cutting-edge videos. Some directors, including Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich, Three Kings) and Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), worked on music videos before segueing into feature films. In the 1980s, MTV was instrumental in promoting the careers of performers such as Madonna, Michael Jackson, Prince and Duran Duran, whose videos played in heavy rotation.
By the late 1980s, MTV started airing non-video programming, geared toward teenagers and young adults. Its popular reality series The Real World launched in 1992 and was followed by such highly rated shows as The Osbournes, Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica, Laguna Beach, My Super Sweet 16 and The Hills. MTV also debuted animated series including Beavis and Butthead and Celebrity Deathmatch, as well as documentaries, news, game shows and public service campaigns on topics ranging from voting rights to safe sex. MTV developed a reputation for pushing cultural boundaries and taste; the airing of Madonna’s 1989 “Like a Prayer” video is just one famous example. In 1984, the channel launched the MTV Music Video Awards, which were followed in 1992 by the MTV Movie Awards. Today, MTV’s music-video programming is largely confined to one show, Total Request Live.
I enjoyed Daria because it skewered lefties without mercy.
I guessed that as a trivia question once. Wrong. The 2nd video played on MTV was Pat Benetar - You Better Run.
Couldn’t be too hard to get out of that comic world as his jacket didn’t have to fight to get out. Look at the floor near the end of the video.
Reading yours and Salamanders conversation. Very interesting. Dancing in the Dark. I am not a Springsteen fan eitehr, but I really liked this song. Sometimes a song speaks to you, and this one did to me. The lyrics were what I was feeling about myself and my life at that time. As the saying goes - I can relate.
Yep, entering senior year in college.
Yeah. But before it did when there were accusations that MTV didn't play black videos, I always loved watching Rick James bitch and complain that MTV wasn't giving him enough air time.
Man I forgot about the Producers. I just went in and bought that song on Itunes. It takes me back to my freshman year of college. Thanks for the reminder. I already had Martin Briley purchased. Great tune also.
Wouldn’t admit it back in the day, but really liked “Send Me an Angel”.
The black guy died.
I think that was the first version of the Who’s farewell tour in 82. It was worth it to see Pete Townsend windmilling. Daltry still had a voice and the Ox was still on bass. My ears rang for 3 days after that
I saw The Who on that tour in the Cotton Bowl, Dallas December 1982. I was amazed they could be so loud in an outdoor stadium. My ears rang for several days after that, as well. I went to numberless concerts in those days, but that was the best.
But darn....that lady reporter is smoking hot
I loved Martha Quinn. What a cutie.
There's a huge difference between a musician/singer, and just a singer, and a video. It's one of the reasons I will watch 'unplugged'. There's a huge difference between those who do their own material and those who do only staged videos or sound tracks and sing other folks' stuff.
The latter might have a good voice, but they are essentially quality karaoke singers as opposed to being musicians. And then there are those song and dance and drama routines that never see an unplugged stage.
The truth is that you don't really know if they can even sing.
Very nice!
First time I've seen it.But hey...you've gotta give a fella a little warning so he can take his blood pressure meds before viewing it! ;-)
Never seen it before...God that's funny.
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