Television Remember When MTV used to actually Play Music Videos?

[skillzdadirecta]

Prepare to go back in time...

 

Quote

People love to say “Remember when MTV used to play videos?” but there was a time when MTV would seemingly play ANY video. The first couple years of Music Television really was the wild west, where just about any band that had videos could get them played on the fledgling cable channel that made a big deal about being “The World’s First 24-Hour Stereo Video Music Channel,” even if in those early days you had to have satellite TV or be in an area that had a FM radio simulcast to get it in stereo. Those years, with original VJs Nina Blackwood, Mark Goodman, JJ Jackson, Martha Quinn, and Alan Hunter were loose, raw and fun. One Internet Archive user has been uploading VHS recordings of MTV’s early years and has amassed a pretty amazing collection, much of in complete with the network’s promos and commercials. You can watch the first four hours of MTV from August 1, 1981, which famously began with The Buggles‘ “Video Killed the Radio Star” (Pat Benatar and Rod Stewart were up next).

 

More: MTV’s 1982 New Years Ball with Duran Duran, A Flock of Seagulls and more; “MTV Presents The News That Rocked 1982 with Mark Goodman”; guest VJ hours with Eddie Murphy, Phil Collins, Billy Idol, KISS’ Paul Stanley, Huey Lewis, Dan Aykroyd, Falco, and more; the “IRS Records Show with Jools Holland”; Dee Snyder hosting “Twisted Christmas” in 1984; “Heavy Metal Mania” with Twister Sister and The Scorpions; and MTV’s all-day Live Aid coverage in 1985; plus random multi-hour blocks someone taped.

There’s also later ’80s and ’90s stuff, like video countdowns with smartass VJ Kevin Seal, old 120 Minutes with Dave Kendall and Headbangers Ball episodes with Riki Rachtman, “Spring Break 1987″ with The Beastie Boys; and tons more, all in their squidgy “someone fix the tracking” VHS glory. And they’re they’re still adding to the archive. It’s a hole that is easy to fall down, and chances are these days you have a time to do so. If you have Apple TV or Chomecast, you can watch it on your TV, too.

 

[Jason]

 

[SoberChef]

Meanwhile, Kurt Loder turned 75 today ... so now I feel as old as he probably does just knowing that information.

[skillzdadirecta]

40 minutes ago, SoberChef said:

Meanwhile, Kurt Loder turned 75 today ... so now I feel as old as he probably does just knowing that information.

Well to be fair, Kurt Loder was in his thirties when MTV started so...

[Keyser_Soze]

MTV is the reason I pretty much have Livin on the Edge memorized.

[Remarkableriots]

[Kal-El814]

MTV used to play music videos, the Food Network used to play instructional cooking shows, and Bravo used to play operas. What a world.

[ort]

Remember when everyone was annoyed that they never played videos, so they started MTV2 to play videos and now that doesn't play videos anymore either... instead it plays Martin like 12 hours a day.

[Bloodporne]

MTV Europe was a whole different animal in the 90's and they had shows supporting anything from experimental electronic music to extreme Metal to underground Hip Hop. They had shows like Space Night that would play ambient music, electronic and so on for two hours, before that Headbangers Ball which in Europe didn't just consist of shitty Hair Metal and on and on, great stuff.

[number305]

4 hours ago, Kal-El814 said:

MTV used to play music videos, the Food Network used to play instructional cooking shows, and Bravo used to play operas. What a world.

The History Channel used to not be all about aliens and Bigfoot.  

 

 

[Dre801]

Kurt Loser is 75, Bill Bellamy is approaching 60, Idalis is 50+. . .wow.

[SuperSpreader]

17 minutes ago, Dre801 said:

Kurt Loser is 75, Bill Bellamy is approaching 60, Idalis is 50+. . .wow.

Who you calling a loser, chump!?

[Dre801]

5 minutes ago, SlipperySlope said:

Who you calling a loser, chump!?

Blame predictive text and working 12+ hours days.

[SuperSpreader]

39 minutes ago, Dre801 said:

Blame predictive text and working 12+ hours days.

[skillzdadirecta]

7 hours ago, ort said:

Remember when everyone was annoyed that they never played videos, so they started MTV2 to play videos and now that doesn't play videos anymore either... instead it plays Martin like 12 hours a day.

What channel ISn'T Martin on for god's sakes! VH1 plays it all the time too... do does B.E.T. That dude's residual checks must be CRAZY.

[skillzdadirecta]

1 hour ago, Dre801 said:

Kurt Loser is 75, Bill Bellamy is approaching 60, Idalis is 50+. . .wow.

 WTF?! Bill Bellamy is pushing 60?! 

[EternallDarkness]

I remember when there was no MTV 

[Keyser_Soze]

23 minutes ago, EternallDarkness said:

I remember when there was no MTV 

 

[Dre801]

51 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

 WTF?! Bill Bellamy is pushing 60?! 

Well, he's 55 so not that far off.

[ort]

I also remember a world without MTV.

 

I was watching it when it first started with the countdown and the rocket and Video Killed the Radio Star. It was pretty cool.

 

 

[Bitgod]

They didn't even mention you can find a bunch of 120 minutes and Remote Control on the Internet Archive too.  Maybe AMP too, don't remember if that was there or if I found it elsewhere.