Happy Birthday MTV...I Guess...
By ZombiePie 26 Comments
On August 1, 1981, at 12:01 a.m. viewers were greeted by John Lack and his words "Ladies and Gentleman, rock and roll." Then there was an MTV montage video spliced with images of the Apollo Moon 11 landing. Immediately after this viewers were treated to their first music video, The Buggles's aptly titled "Video Killed the Radio Star." After this over sixty more music videos would then play, one after the other, all the while viewers would occasionally be treated with the voice of a Video Jockey, latter called VJs.
This first broadcast was only seen by a few thousand, but latter a few million would watch this same very channel. Many would consider these first few hours as one of the most important moments in television since the switch to color. As many consider MTV the "killer-app" for cable television. With numerous teens begging their parents to subscribe to television and pay for a service that numerous households thought was a free commodity, cable TV had become an acceptable form of television delivery. And for that MTV, maybe we all should thank you.
However, to many you have become an abomination. For with the advent and growing popularity of reality television you have become something that you were never intended to become. To others your founding was detested since your inception.
However for a select few we will merely watch you with the tinge of nostalgia, realizing that you have moved on. On the same hour you aired your first broadcast MTV, you now will air a documentary detailing the life of Michael Jackson, times have surely changed since your first days. Today you now have grown larger and now with numerous tentacles, and you even have become involved in the video game industry. So I'll re-watch your first broadcast one more time--for old times sake.
For those interested in joining me, here's MTV's first broadcast listed in chronological order (I'll also help you with your first music video below):
1. "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles
2. "You Better Run" by Pat Benatar
3. "She Won't Dance With Me" by Rod Stewart
4. "You Better You Bet" by The Who
5. "Little Suzi's on the Up" by Ph.D.
6. "We Don't Talk Anymore" by Cliff Richard
7. "Brass in Pocket" by The Pretenders
8. "Time Heals" by Todd Rundgren
9. "Take It On the Run" by REO Speedwagon
10. "Rockin' the Paradise" by Styx
11. "When Things Go Wrong" by Robin Lane and the Chartbusters
12. "History Never Repeats" by Split Enz
13. "Hold On Loosely" by 38 Special
14. "Just Between You and Me" by April Wine
15. "Sailing" by Rod Stewart
16. "Iron Maiden" by Iron Maiden
17. "Keep On Loving You" by REO Speedwagon
18. "Message of Love" by The Pretenders
19. "Mr. Briefcase" by Lee Ritenour
20. "Double Life" by The Cars
21. "In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins
22. "Looking For Clues" by Robert Palmer
23. "Too Late" by Shoes
24. "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" by Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
25. "Surface Tension" by Rupert Hine
26. "One Step Ahead" by Split Enz
27. "Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty
28. "I'm Gonna Follow You" by Pat Benatar
29. "Savannah Nights" by Tom Johnston
30. "Lucille" by Rockestra
31. "The Best of Times" by Styx
32. "Vengeance" by Carly Simon
33. "Wrathchild" by Iron Maiden
34. "I Wanna Be a Lifeguard" by Blotto
35. "Passion" by Rod Stewart
36. "Oliver's Army" by Elvis Costello
37. "Don't Let Him Go" by REO Speedwagon
38. "Remote Control/Illegal" by The Silencers
39. "Angel of the Morning" by Juice Newton
40. "Little Sister" by Rockpile with Robert Plant
41. "Hold On to the Night" by Bootcamp
42. "Dreaming" by Cliff Richard
43. "Is it You?" by Lee Ritenour
44. "Tusk" by Fleetwood Mac
45. "He Can't Love You" by Michael Stanley Band
46. "Tough Guys" by REO Speedwagon
47. "Rapture" by Blondie
48. "Don't Let Go the Coat" by The Who
49. "Ain't Love a Bitch" by Rod Stewart
50. "Talk of the Town" by The Pretenders
51. "Can't Happen Here" by Rainbow
52. "Thank You for Being a Friend" by Andrew Gold
53. "Bring It All Home" by Gerry Rafferty
54. "Sign of the Gypsy Queen" by April Wine
55. "The Man with the Child in His Eyes" by Kate Bush
56. "Ashes to Ashes" by David Bowie
57. "Just Between You and Me" by April Wine (was both the 14th and 57th video on MTV, making it the first video to be shown more than once, so yes you have to watch it twice!)
58. "Rat Race" by The Specials
59. "Once in a Lifetime" by Talking Heads
60. "Victim" by Bootcamp
61. "Tonight's the Night" by Rod Stewart
62. "Cruel to Be Kind" by Nick Lowe