MTV’s 40th Anniversary: How Video (Sort Of) Killed the Radio Star

[OGSB]

At precisely 12:01AM on August 1, 1981, MTV, a.k.a. Music Television, began broadcasting via cable access for the first time. With opening shots of the Space Shuttle Columbia launch from April of the same year and of the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing, the inaugural episode kicked off with co-creator John Lack’s now-famous “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll” introducing the Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star.” And, just like that, a revolution was started. Now, 40 years later, it is nearly impossible to overstate the impact this sea change had and continues to have in both music and TV.

https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/mtvs- ... adio-star/

[gerryb323]

At precisely 12:01AM on August 1, 1981, MTV, a.k.a. Music Television, began broadcasting via cable access for the first time. With opening shots of the Space Shuttle Columbia launch from April of the same year and of the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing, the inaugural episode kicked off with co-creator John Lack’s now-famous “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll” introducing the Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star.” And, just like that, a revolution was started. Now, 40 years later, it is nearly impossible to overstate the impact this sea change had and continues to have in both music and TV.

https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/mtvs- ... adio-star/

And now, good luck finding a music video on MTV!

[OGSB]

BTW, if you watch the first video at the link to the end, a 3rd musician appears playing synthesizer. That’s Hans Zimmer, future Oscar winner and hugely influential film composer.

[PeteRasche]

Flipped on the radio this morning and caught The Buggles halfway through the song. Then went "wait a minute... It's August 1st... It's the anniversary of MTV.". Then went "wait another minute... 2021-1981 = today is the 40th anniversary! No wonder they're playing this."

Sadly, yes, I have 8/1/81 stored in the part of my brain that holds trivia... I can also tell you the 2ND song played (it's a much more obscure song but by a popular artist), name the original 5 VJs, and probably a bunch of other random crap. Too bad I can't purposely replace that with something more useful.

I watched it almost daily from like 1982 (when our local cable company finally added it) until probably 1987ish. Too busy in the later years of high school to watch it much but did on occasion. I completely missed two years of videos my first 2 years at Tulane as there was no cable in the dorms yet. Once in Aron Residences with 3 other teammates as roommates, it was one of like 4 channels that were ever on (MTV, ESPN, VH1, and Comedy Central). I basically stopped watching it for good in the late 90s when they had the first "who wants to be a VJ" contest and the guy who was a complete stoner moron (Jessie) won over the guy who clearly was best for the gig (Dave)... I knew I was getting too old to enjoy it any more. Of course I learned later that Jessie flamed out quickly whereas I believe Dave got hired anyway and had a long run on the channel as one of their main personalities (so at least they got that right). But at that point it was getting hard to even find videos anyway, I'd begun dating my wife, and there was this thing called high speed internet that made videos available without the garbage in between. The only times I tuned in to MTV after that point were to watch the first "Real World: New Orleans", and to watch when they did shows from Tulane for one of their college weeks in 2003, leading up to our homecoming with Outkast performing at halftime. I honestly have not tuned in to MTV since (~18 years?).

[greenguy]

Everyone (including myself) say they quit watching MTV when they replaced music videos with cheap reality shows. Do they really get higher ratings with 'Teenage Mom' or 'Punk'd' or whatever?

[waverider]

I always tell my kids “you know at one time, Music TV actually had music”. There were game shows and the beloved Beavis and Butthead, but even those were music related. As greenguy points out, now they glorify pregnant 13 year olds.

[GretnaGrn]

I always tell my kids “you know at one time, Music TV actually had music”. There were game shows and the beloved Beavis and Butthead, but even those were music related. As greenguy points out, now they glorify pregnant 13 year olds.

Heck, them commenting on the videos is by far the best part of Beavis & Butthead.



YOU TREAT YOUR STEPMOTHER WITH RESPECT, PANTERA!

[PeteRasche]

"That's more like it."
"Yeah, yeah... there ya go."




P.S. I am of the opinion that despite their "dumbest common denominator" reputation, B&B were brilliant commentators on all that was occurring in the music scene and the youth of the time in general.. which of course is all the brilliance of Mike Judge, he of "King of the Hill", "Office Space", "Idiocracy", and the much-overlooked "The Goode Family"...

[ml wave]

I basically stopped watching it for good in the late 90s when they had the first "who wants to be a VJ" contest and the guy who was a complete stoner moron (Jessie) won over the guy who clearly was best for the gig (Dave)... I knew I was getting too old to enjoy it any more. Of course I learned later that Jessie flamed out quickly whereas I believe Dave got hired anyway and had a long run on the channel as one of their main personalities (so at least they got that right).

Ahhh, a modern day tortoise and the hare! #sweetvindication #teamDave #Dave4lyfe #Jessiesucks

[PeteRasche]

ML please tell me you jokingly created those hash tags and they aren't really "a thing".

[waverider]

"Office Space"

He plays a great restaurant manager! There’s a guy I worked with 15+ years ago who’s probably 10+ years older than me, but his birthday is the day before mine so we always text each other Office Space related birthday wishes and throughout the year we randomly send each other a quote from the movie and the other person will reply with the follow up quote or a different random quote from the movie.

[ml wave]

ML please tell me you jokingly created those hash tags and they aren't really "a thing".

How dare you question the sincerity of the #Daveisbetter movement now in its 4th decade! #Jessiestillsucks

[doncecco]

Three memories that stick in my head:

The Police Wrapped Around Your Finger
Van Halen Jump
YES Owner of a Lonely Heart

Great songs, great videos in their own way. I'm sure there are many more, but those three came to mind right off the bat.

A less memorable video, but I also recall spending many mid-days in the Rat playing pool and eating pizza in between early classes and afternoon labs, with MTV on the projection TV and Sowing the Seeds of Love playing over and over and over.

The human brain is a funny machine.

[PeteRasche]

Van Halen Jump

Debuted at midnight on January 1, 1984. I stayed over at a friend's house (7th grade) while our parents went to a New Year's Eve Party at our church. They left us to run around the neighborhood, shoot fireworks, etc., until his parents returned home around 1:30 am. But not until we counted down to midnight while watching MTV in their basement... I remember thinking "this must be important for me to watch if they're interrupting the New Years party to show a premiere video". And of course it was awesome and became iconic so I'm glad I was watching.

The human brain is a funny machine.

Clearly!