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.
If MTV could go back to being a purely music video channel existing on free content provided by the record companies, they'd do so in a second.
It were the record companies that drove MTV away from the music video business.
Well. I’m a bit of an anomaly because I like both. ;)
“...And all the world is football shaped...”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0invUXXsRAQ
Been a big XTC fan ever since.
I loved that album. I thought they were going to be huge.
Saw Adam Ant, but I really went to see the opening act, The Romantics.
Can’t have an early 80s MTV thread without The Fixx.
Stand or Fall
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM6Ilhqms_8
Yeah, as soon as I posted that, I looked it up and saw I had the wrong song. Dangit, I hate it when I do that! :-)
I remember that one. Seems like the The Knack disappeared for the entire 80s. Their next hit wasn’t until 1991. Was their second biggest;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgm2J0ZEb_U
Do love a video with a babe on my favorite missile.
Hard to top “My Sharona” or even come close. “Good Girls Don’t” didn’t get much airplay as the radio edit wasn’t as good as the album track.
The story is that Michael Jackson's record company bullied MTV into playing "Billie Jean" by threatening to withhold some of their other major artist's (which Michael Jackson was not , yet)videos. MTV didn't want to as they were a rock channel, but they folded, and that was the end.
Wow. I saw that tour. I would have been about 13. Went with older cousins. Radio City Music Hall, believe or not!
Wow. Saw the Fixx open for - and this is the most embarrassing admission of my life - A Flock a Seagulls. Also age 13, also Radio City . Thank God I discovered hard rock a few short years later.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.