First 2 hours of MTV

[Smax 3,800]

Stumbled across this and man what a time warp. I was young, 8 but I remember this as my older siblings were really excited which meant I was too.

 

 

 

The play list is interesting, some names that stood the test of time and some who most have forgotten or never even heard of 

1:14 “Video Killed The Radio Star” - The Buggles 

5:43 “You Better Run” - Pat Benetar

12:03 “She Won’t Dance With Me” - Rod Stewart

14:31 “You Better You Bet” - The Who 

20:16 “Little Susies’s On The Up” - PH.D.

23:18 “Brass In Pocket” - Pretenders 

26:27 “Time Heals” - Todd Rundgren

29:48 “Take-It-On The Run - REO Speedwagon

31:37 “Rockin Paradise” - Styx

37:21 “When Things Go Wrong” - Robin Lane & The Chartbusters

43:36 “History Never Repeats” -  Split Ends

46:39 “Hold On Loosely” - 38 Special

51:44 “Sailing” - Rod Stewart

58:52 “Iron Maiden” - Iron Maiden

1:03:29 “Keep On Loving You” - REO Speedwagon

1:08:09 “Bluer Than Blue” - Michael Johnson

1:10:59 “Message of Love” - Pretenders

1:14:20 “Mr. Briefcase” - Lee Ritenour

1:17:58 “Double Life” - The Cars

1:21:58 “In The Air Tonight - Phil Collins

1:29:02 “Looking For Clues” - Robert Palmer

1:32:59 “Too Late” - Shoes

1:35:58 “Stop Draggin My Heart Around” - Stevie Nicks

1:39:53 “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?” - Rod Stewart

1:40:19 “Surface Tension” - Rupert Hine

1:43:50 “One Step Closer” - Split Enz

1:46:36 “Baker Street” - Gerry Rafferty

1:53:49 “I’m Gonna Follow You” Pat Benetar

1:58:04 “Savannah Nights” - Tom Johnston

2:04:13 “Lucille” - Rockestra

2:07:12 “The Best of Times” - STYX 

2:11:39  “Vengeance” - Carly Simon
 
2:14:44 “Angel of The Morning” - Juice Newton

[DalTxHornFan 3,097]

Martha Quinn was pretty hot!

[mdmost 42,999]

We didn't get MTV until 1984. I remember watching this and thinking, yeah I want one like her. I was 8. She was transcendent. 

 

Edited September 29, 2023 by mdmost

[tbone_ 14,106]

That’s really cool.

Iron Maiden is a name I did not expect to see on that list.

[ohchaucer 1,443]

Yowza. Carly Simon lookin good. And young Steve Gadd backing her up is pretty rad.

[G650 14,229]

Man this takes me back

[utee94 15,805]

The commercials are almost as awesome as the videos.  Such a time capsule.

[DalTxHornFan 3,097]

Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty together at around 1:36:00

Edited September 29, 2023 by DalTxHornFan

[jimmyjazz 45,880]

I'm not sure when I first became aware of MTV.  It couldn't have been long after the launch, but I don't recall if it was auto-bundled with the very primitive cable packages of the day.

It sure started going downhill by "The Real World".

[Rimbo 25,910]

2 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I'm not sure when I first became aware of MTV.  It couldn't have been long after the launch, but I don't recall if it was auto-bundled with the very primitive cable packages of the day.

It sure started going downhill by "The Real World".

"The Real World" killed Mtv. It's not like the music of the era wasn't one of the more interesting and amazing times for music or anything. But folks' obsession with it meant more air time, which meant less time for videos, and as time went by, reality TV killed off so much.

[BrickHorn 18,216]

9 hours ago, tbone_ said:

That’s really cool.

Iron Maiden is a name I did not expect to see on that list.

My thought exactly. And a badass Dianno-era song, to boot.

[Deej 76,752]

18 hours ago, DalTxHornFan said:

Martha Quinn was pretty hot!

She was pretty cute. Was she hot? Maybe. 

Wood. 

Still wood.

[tbone_ 14,106]

Does MTV still exist?

[squib 1,120]

7 hours ago, Rimbo said:

"The Real World" killed Mtv. It's not like the music of the era wasn't one of the more interesting and amazing times for music or anything. But folks' obsession with it meant more air time, which meant less time for videos, and as time went by, reality TV killed off so much.

“The Real World” killed MTV only because MTV had to move in that direction to survive—as a crappy version of itself. See, the station needed to up its advertising prices. You do that by selling ad spots for different amount of money depending on projected eyes on screen. Super Bowl ad slots sell for more than Price is Right slots because you can predict more eyes on screen (also value of those eyes depending on demographics but I digress). 

When we all just tuned in and out to watch videos (the best days of MTV), it was near impossible for the network to sell Monday at 6 p.m. for any different rate than Thursday at 8 p.m. There was no “scheduled programming” to draw viewers like corn at a deer feeder. So MTV launches a program that has a set time. It becomes very popular and ad space sold during its block is worth many times more than the slot between REO Speedwagon Take it On the Run and McCartney/Jackson Say Say Say. The execs like the money, want more scheduled programming to sell at a premium, and a once-great network is ruined—at least for those of us that lived a life where MTV just played in the background nonstop.  

Now you get to a Yogi Berra conundrum when you think about now and how do you sell any spots when no one watches at all. I guess this is where subscription money and cheap ads barely keep it afloat. 

[jimmyjazz 45,880]

Yep, it's like the difference between the mom 'n pop diner that turns a nice income for decades and the one with owners who try to shoot for the moon.  Money changes everything.  MTV (and VH1) had the market cornered, got greedy, and fucked it all up.  I guess somebody made some coin.

[Pato del Muerto 52,485]

On 9/29/2023 at 7:52 AM, tbone_ said:

That’s really cool.

Iron Maiden is a name I did not expect to see on that list.

Juice Newton is that name for me

[G650 14,229]

2 hours ago, Pato del Muerto said:

Juice Newton is that name for me

She had a pretty strong pop run in the early 80s.

 

Eta: Alright I just made myself laugh. I went to wiki to see what year Angel of The Morning was released, and there is a section titled Early 80s Pop Success. Hat tip to wiki editor who wrote that, I feel you.

Edited September 30, 2023 by G650

[jimmyjazz 45,880]

1 hour ago, G650 said:

Eta: Alright I just made myself laugh. I went to wiki to see what year Angel of The Morning was released, and there is a section titled Early 80s Pop Success.

Ha!  I bought an insurance policy from a friend of a friend whose uncle was Chip Taylor, songwriter of "Angel of the Morning" and "Wild Thing", among others..  Got to go see him with Carrie Rodriguez at SXSW circa 1998-ish.

Crazy family -- Chip is the brother of Jon Voight, uncle of Angelina Jolie, dad Elmer Voight was a pro golfer.

[hullabelew 3,723]

On 9/30/2023 at 4:14 PM, jimmyjazz said:

Ha!  I bought an insurance policy from a friend of a friend whose uncle was Chip Taylor, songwriter of "Angel of the Morning" and "Wild Thing", among others..  Got to go see him with Carrie Rodriguez at SXSW circa 1998-ish.

Crazy family -- Chip is the brother of Jon Voight, uncle of Angelina Jolie, dad Elmer Voight was a pro golfer.

I initially read this as you and Carrie went to see Chip Taylor.  I was extremely jealous there for a bit.  😁

[jimmyjazz 45,880]

1 minute ago, hullabelew said:

I initially read this as you and Carrie went to see Chip Taylor.  I was extremely jealous there for a bit.  😁

Yeah, no, that's a connection that has never gotten close to being made.

[South Austin 52,443]

On 9/28/2023 at 10:42 PM, Smax said:

The play list is interesting, some names that stood the test of time and some who most have forgotten or never even heard of 

1:14 “Video Killed The Radio Star” - The Buggles 

5:43 “You Better Run” - Pat Benetar

12:03 “She Won’t Dance With Me” - Rod Stewart

14:31 “You Better You Bet” - The Who 

20:16 “Little Susies’s On The Up” - PH.D.

23:18 “Brass In Pocket” - Pretenders 

26:27 “Time Heals” - Todd Rundgren

29:48 “Take-It-On The Run - REO Speedwagon

31:37 “Rockin Paradise” - Styx

37:21 “When Things Go Wrong” - Robin Lane & The Chartbusters

43:36 “History Never Repeats” -  Split Ends

46:39 “Hold On Loosely” - 38 Special

51:44 “Sailing” - Rod Stewart

58:52 “Iron Maiden” - Iron Maiden

1:03:29 “Keep On Loving You” - REO Speedwagon

1:08:09 “Bluer Than Blue” - Michael Johnson

1:10:59 “Message of Love” - Pretenders

1:14:20 “Mr. Briefcase” - Lee Ritenour

1:17:58 “Double Life” - The Cars

1:21:58 “In The Air Tonight - Phil Collins

1:29:02 “Looking For Clues” - Robert Palmer

1:32:59 “Too Late” - Shoes

1:35:58 “Stop Draggin My Heart Around” - Stevie Nicks

1:39:53 “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?” - Rod Stewart

1:40:19 “Surface Tension” - Rupert Hine

1:43:50 “One Step Closer” - Split Enz

1:46:36 “Baker Street” - Gerry Rafferty

1:53:49 “I’m Gonna Follow You” Pat Benetar

1:58:04 “Savannah Nights” - Tom Johnston

2:04:13 “Lucille” - Rockestra

2:07:12 “The Best of Times” - STYX 

2:11:39  “Vengeance” - Carly Simon
 
2:14:44 “Angel of The Morning” - Juice Newton

By the early 1990's, a list of videos played over a two-hour stretch would include only about 10 songs.

[South Austin 52,443]

Like many 80's kids, I fucking loved MTV.  

I agree that The Real World greatly contributed to MTV's demise, but I'll admit that I watched the first several seasons, from undergraduate through law school, as entertaining mind-numbing train wreck TV.  But by that time that was the only reason I watched MTV, and I certainly didn't watch it for music, what little of it there was.

[ChuckNorrisActionJeans 2,663]

120 Minutes and The Young Ones were the best shows Mtv carried by far.

[Dennis Taylor 18,808]

Headbangers Ball ftw

 

 

 

Edited October 2, 2023 by Dennis Taylor

[hullabelew 3,723]

The early unplugged with Jules Shear were outstandingly fun.  I think the first one had Syd Straw on it.  

 

 

[ScottS 1,061]

Remote Control was always a good watch when I was home "sick" from school.  Kari Wuhrer was not hard to look at.

[Herpa Derpa 6,123]

Give me Fab 5 Freddy (and later with Dr. Dré and Ed Lover)

[Paul Wesley 3,278]

Am I the only one who didn't know Tesla's "Little Susie" was a cover?

[TwiceHorn 31,438]

On 9/28/2023 at 10:53 PM, DalTxHornFan said:

Martha Quinn was pretty hot!

 

[TwiceHorn 31,438]

Unplugged delivered some great shit.

One of the greatest, to me, was LL Cool J's Mama Said Knock You Out in 1991.  Also featuring De La Soul and Tribe Called Quest.

Apparently, those videos are now being monetized on Amazon and Paramount+ and disappeared/ing from youtubel

[G650 14,229]

8 hours ago, Paul Wesley said:

Am I the only one who didn't know Tesla's "Little Susie" was a cover?

Dude the original is epic.

[nolongerU2horn 758]

On 9/29/2023 at 9:48 PM, squib said:

“The Real World” killed MTV only because MTV had to move in that direction to survive—as a crappy version of itself. See, the station needed to up its advertising prices. You do that by selling ad spots for different amount of money depending on projected eyes on screen. Super Bowl ad slots sell for more than Price is Right slots because you can predict more eyes on screen (also value of those eyes depending on demographics but I digress). 

When we all just tuned in and out to watch videos (the best days of MTV), it was near impossible for the network to sell Monday at 6 p.m. for any different rate than Thursday at 8 p.m. There was no “scheduled programming” to draw viewers like corn at a deer feeder. So MTV launches a program that has a set time. It becomes very popular and ad space sold during its block is worth many times more than the slot between REO Speedwagon Take it On the Run and McCartney/Jackson Say Say Say. The execs like the money, want more scheduled programming to sell at a premium, and a once-great network is ruined—at least for those of us that lived a life where MTV just played in the background nonstop.  

Now you get to a Yogi Berra conundrum when you think about now and how do you sell any spots when no one watches at all. I guess this is where subscription money and cheap ads barely keep it afloat. 

Nice story but MTV had many, many shows in regular time slots well before The Real World. Remote Control, Turn it Up!, ClubMTV, Just Say Julie, House of Style, Ben Stiller Show, Totally Pauly...those are just a few of the hundred or so that are memorable. Not to mention Headbanger's Ball, Yo! MTV Raps....

[smuggs 9,351]

Liquid Television FTW.

 

 

[Cheeseweasel 26,438]

On 10/2/2023 at 3:23 PM, hullabelew said:

The early unplugged with Jules Shear were outstandingly fun.  I think the first one had Syd Straw on it.  

Glenn Tilbrook is so underrated.

[Guest]

Question about those first videos -- were music videos really a thing before MTV? Just wondering how they debuted with enough videos to run 24 hours a day. Were artists already making them? Did MTV let them know their plan ahead of time and told them to produce videos they could air?

[G650 14,229]

1 minute ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

Question about those first videos -- were music videos really a thing before MTV? Just wondering how they debuted with enough videos to run 24 hours a day. Were artists already making them? Did MTV let them know their plan ahead of time and told them to produce videos they could air?

They were, but not nearly as widespread. Which actually is true now as well compared to the heyday of MTV. But yeah, in the 70s there were videos, just on a much smaller scale.

[BonzoMontreaux 1,036]

In my neck of the woods around Waco, MTV was offered as a premium channel with the local cable provider.  You made sure you got in good with the kids that had access to MTV.  Lot's of dates were just hanging out a girl's house and watching music videos.

[Stringer 1,438]

I enjoy checking in on MTV Classic from time to time. Lot of great blasts from the past on there

[Surly Bevo 24,908]

Look at how many of those first two hours of music videos were just recorded concerts.  Yea there was the video medium to accompany the song, but it was a far cry from what it would become in terms of production value.  

[ScottS 1,061]

10 hours ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

Question about those first videos -- were music videos really a thing before MTV? Just wondering how they debuted with enough videos to run 24 hours a day. Were artists already making them? Did MTV let them know their plan ahead of time and told them to produce videos they could air?

If you browse this list you will see a fair number of repeats.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_first_music_videos_aired_on_MTV

[smuggs 9,351]

We didn’t get cable in hour house until 1989 so besides consuming hours of MTV while staying at friends houses, my main source of music videos throughout the 80’s was via Friday Night Videos.

 

[Guest]

On a whim, I just looked at the MTV schedule for today. It's episode after episode of a show called Catfish and then Ridiculousness.

[South Austin 52,443]

On 10/5/2023 at 9:46 AM, FirstTimeCaller said:

Question about those first videos -- were music videos really a thing before MTV? Just wondering how they debuted with enough videos to run 24 hours a day. Were artists already making them? Did MTV let them know their plan ahead of time and told them to produce videos they could air?

In the early 80s HBO would air music videos during the filler time between movies (sidenote: Remember Braingames?).  That's where I recall seeing my first music videos as a kid, and I have a very specific memory of watching Billy Joel's Uptown Girl in my fourth grade year (83-84).  But I think MTV had already started by then, and we just didn't have the extended cable package that included that. 

[G650 14,229]

The Buggles video for Video Killed the Radio Star was already 2 years old when it aired as MTV's first video in '81

[jimmyjazz 45,880]

17 minutes ago, South Austin said:

In the early 80s HBO would air music videos during the filler time between movies (sidenote: Remember Braingames?).  That's where I recall seeing my first music videos as a kid, and I have a very specific memory of watching Billy Joel's Uptown Girl in my fourth grade year (83-84).  But I think MTV had already started by then, and we just didn't have the extended cable package that included that. 

It launched at some point in 1981, because that was my senior year of HS and I remember watching it at a friend's house before starting college.

[Carl Spackler 3,479]

Bit of a necro-bump here, but only because some asshole pointed out to me today that the start of MTV is closer in time to Pearl Harbor than the present day.  Please join me in feeling old.

[Deej 76,752]

Man, fuck you for pointing that out.

[Carl Spackler 3,479]

8 minutes ago, Deej said:

Man, fuck you for pointing that out.

That's pretty much what I said to the guy who pointed it out to me.

The only way to ease the pain was to spread it around.

[dcbc 14,465]

On 9/28/2023 at 10:42 PM, Smax said:

Stumbled across this and man what a time warp. I was young, 8 but I remember this as my older siblings were really excited which meant I was too.

 

 

 

The play list is interesting, some names that stood the test of time and some who most have forgotten or never even heard of 

1:14 “Video Killed The Radio Star” - The Buggles 

5:43 “You Better Run” - Pat Benetar

12:03 “She Won’t Dance With Me” - Rod Stewart

14:31 “You Better You Bet” - The Who 

20:16 “Little Susies’s On The Up” - PH.D.

23:18 “Brass In Pocket” - Pretenders 

26:27 “Time Heals” - Todd Rundgren

29:48 “Take-It-On The Run - REO Speedwagon

31:37 “Rockin Paradise” - Styx

37:21 “When Things Go Wrong” - Robin Lane & The Chartbusters

43:36 “History Never Repeats” -  Split Ends

46:39 “Hold On Loosely” - 38 Special

51:44 “Sailing” - Rod Stewart

58:52 “Iron Maiden” - Iron Maiden

1:03:29 “Keep On Loving You” - REO Speedwagon

1:08:09 “Bluer Than Blue” - Michael Johnson

1:10:59 “Message of Love” - Pretenders

1:14:20 “Mr. Briefcase” - Lee Ritenour

1:17:58 “Double Life” - The Cars

1:21:58 “In The Air Tonight - Phil Collins

1:29:02 “Looking For Clues” - Robert Palmer

1:32:59 “Too Late” - Shoes

1:35:58 “Stop Draggin My Heart Around” - Stevie Nicks

1:39:53 “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?” - Rod Stewart

1:40:19 “Surface Tension” - Rupert Hine

1:43:50 “One Step Closer” - Split Enz

1:46:36 “Baker Street” - Gerry Rafferty

1:53:49 “I’m Gonna Follow You” Pat Benetar

1:58:04 “Savannah Nights” - Tom Johnston

2:04:13 “Lucille” - Rockestra

2:07:12 “The Best of Times” - STYX 

2:11:39  “Vengeance” - Carly Simon
 
2:14:44 “Angel of The Morning” - Juice Newton

 Well, my night is done.  I'm 37 minutes in.  So hooked

 

[utee94 15,805]

They should make a channel or a stream that runs 24/7 and just plays the first 10 years of MTV in exact order from when it started.  With all the old ads and everything.  I'd probably tune in for a ridiculous number of hours per day.