I came across a video on YouTube that stunned me – it reveals the first 12 minutes of MTV's debut on August 1, 1981, and it reminds me why I still want my MTV (the early 1980s version).
Starting of with a rocket liftoff, the channel was meant to break the music world by reinventing it. For a long time, we listened to music, stared at the album covers, and imagined visuals for the song in our minds.
MTV changed all that. Video would subsume the radio monopoly on how we enjoyed music. And, instead of imagining what our D-jays looked like, MTV gave us video disc jockeys to introduce the songs, banter, and bring us music news. Oh, I must admit, I fell in love with Martha Quinn.
I am sharing this time capsule for your enjoyment. Imagine coming home after a long day of work or school and being able to put on the TV and watch videos for all your favorite tunes.
If a singer or group's video was in the rotation, it was almost a sure bet that it would become a hit. Duran Duran, Culture Club, Madonna, Billy Idol, The Eurythmics, Sinead O'Connor, and many others have MTV to thank for their success.
The first video played on the channel was "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles. Looking at it now, perhaps it was more profound than we realized at the time; however, as the years went by MTV killed their own concept by killing the V-jay stars by veering away from its original format.
So, yeah, I want my MTV in its original format but know that it is never coming back. Watching this will give you an idea why it was so popular. Alas, it was not to last. RIP MTV!
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