The MTV Music Television logo circa 1982. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
On this date 45 years ago, popular music changed forever. Whether it changed for the better or the worse is a generational battle for the ages. No matter what, though, it is hard to overstate the impact felt by the music industry when MTV broadcast its first video.
Big picture view:
On August 1, 1981, MTV was launched, literally. The first moments of the channel began with the space shuttle lifting off from the launch pad before cutting to a clip that is forever etched on the brains of anyone of a certain age: an astronaut planting a flag on the moon. With that, MTV planted its flag in the hearts of a generation.
The backstory:
As the 1980s filled with neon colors, power suits, and acid-washed jeans, MTV was along for the ride, often steering the direction of popular music. Older acts reinvented themselves for the new medium. Other acts may not have reached the heights of success they did without being able to do so with their videos.
The early days of MTV were not without controversy, though. There were criticisms of the content of the music and/or videos that seems like a battle that stretches back to Elvis Presley and the founding days of rock and roll.
However, fans, reviewers, music industry leaders, and artists like David Bowie took aim at how nearly all performers in those first years were white. In response, MTV started playing more Michael Jackson and other Black artists. Jackson, particularly, embraced the medium, creating groundbreaking videos like "Thriller." "Yo! MTV Raps" premiered in the U.S. in 1988 and was celebrated for highlighting what was then a subculture, but has now grown into a cultural force.
MTV continued to grow in relevance. "I want my MTV" became a catchphrase. The channel launched the MTV Video Music Awards, created special spring break coverage, and even formed its own studio. TRL, or Total Request Live, grew in popularity. Beyond "Yo! MTV Raps" were genre-specific shows like Headbangers Ball, which was geared toward heavy metal, and "120 Minutes," which catered to the alternative set. MTV even set up MTV News to cover the industry.
Dig deeper:
MTV’s impact on television went beyond music. It spread across the television dial onto channels like VH1 and Comedy Central. Several shows like "Beavis and Butt-Head" and "Daria" broke into the mainstream. Plus, the network played a large part in the eventual rise of reality television, airing one of the forerunners of the genre, "The Real World," as well as the breakout "Jersey Shore."
What's next:
Through the decades, MTV started to rely more and more on scripted or reality programming as longtime viewers looked back fondly on the time when the channel mainly showed videos. It eventually reached the point where the main network seemed to be nothing more than an endless stream of "Ridiculousness."
There were secondary channels that showed videos, emphasis on the word were. Its music-only channels went dark at the end of the year. MTV Classic still remains for people who want to watch videos, but MTV and MTV2’s schedules are packed with syndicated reruns and movies.
What you can do:
Nearly everyone who would care knows that the first video played on MTV was The Buggles’ appropriately named "Video Killed the Radio Star." So, it is hard to impress many people with that bit of trivia. What you can do is respond with the lesser-known fact that the second video was Pat Benatar’s "You Better Run."
The Source: Information for this article was taken from The Associated Press. This story was reported from Orlando.