I Want My MTV

It’s a day that changed the way we got our music. It was this day in 1981, as the words “Ladies and gentlemen: Rock and roll,” MTV (“Music Television”) makes its broadcast debut.

An introductory sement – using a photo of the famous moon landing, with an astronaut standing near the American flag (with the stars and stripes replaced with the new MTV logo).  We are introduced to the new “VJ’s” and the first music video plays – “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles.

It’s followed by Pat Benatar’s “You Better Run,” Rod Stewart’s “She Won’t Dance with Me,” The Who’s “You Better You Bet,” and “Little Suzi’s On the Up” by the rather less-remembered British duo Ph.D.

MTV changes the way we get our music. Who didn’t love watching your favourite bands to see what their next video would be like?

I miss the days of MTV.  When it was all about the music.  Artists would stop by the studios for interviews.

Listening to your favourite bands was one thing.  To see them on the screen in a music video was different.

Do you remember the days of MTV?  Later Canada would get it’s own version with Much Music – with more of a focus on Canadian artists and their videos.

The countdowns. The interviews.  It was a great time for music.

It’s changed a lot since then.  The 90’s saw more programming come into play.  We were introduced – maybe for the first time – to reality tv.  Which changed MTV completely.

I miss the days of all music videos.  Those were the best.

Categorised in: Afternoons

This post was written by Carrie Buchanan