Tell me EVERYTHING about 1981, the beginning of MTV, I mean how did it start out? Like you turned on the tv, and the screen went blank and MTV came on? tell me ANYTHING!

Tell me EVERYTHING about 1981, the beginning of MTV, I mean how did it start out? Like you turned on the tv, and the screen went blank and MTV came on? tell me ANYTHING!
I remember that the first video was the Buggles with Video Killed The Radio Star....I LOVED the old MTV before they turned into CRAP.....also, VH1 Classic is a LOT like the old MTV without the awesome DJ's

They never had commercials in the beginning, which was really cool.  Also, they actually played videos!  And every Saturday night they'd show a concert.

And they always had that dorky guy saying "I WANT MY MTV" ;D

Howard

They never had commercials in the beginning, which was really cool.  Also, they actually played videos!  And every Saturday night they'd show a concert.
And don't forget those Friday Night Video Fights ;)

I was only about 5 then so I have to ask this question. When MTV actaully started, did someone announce that it was on the air and then showed the video, or did it go from black (or snow) straight to the video?

In the beginning MTV played videos all the time and had VJ's who seemed really cool.  We did not have it in our house - no cable - but my grandparents did - and everytime we went over there my brothers and I were glued to the TV.  We thought it was awesome.  Unfortunately, I did not see the first airing. 

Anyone know if they still have the moon guy with the MTV flag?

I absolutely LOVED MTV/VH1 back in the very beginning when they actually played VIDEOS almost all day! Imagine that. It was a treat to  see the artists singing their songs. Most radio stations in the U.S of A do not identify the artists like in the old days so MTV was a way of finding out who sang a song.  I'd have the station on all day on the weekends and listen to the tunes instead of the radio. I have alot of videos on tape from back then including Live Aid in its entirety. Every now and then I'll watch them for a laugh. Back then we didn't think the hair was sooo big and the videos so cheap and cheesy!  8)

I absolutely LOVED MTV/VH1 back in the very beginning when they actually played VIDEOS almost all day! Imagine that. It was a treat to  see the artists singing their songs. Most radio stations in the U.S of A do not identify the artists like in the old days so MTV was a way of finding out who sang a song.  I'd have the station on all day on the weekends and listen to the tunes instead of the radio. I have alot of videos on tape from back then including Live Aid in its entirety. Every now and then I'll watch them for a laugh. Back then we didn't think the hair was sooo big and the videos so cheap and cheesy!   8)


Very true!  Today watching those videos they do look a little cheesy, but back then we thought they were the coolest state of the art we had ever see. 

I am not sure if the beginning of MTV went straight from a blank screen to the "moonman", but I remember that people were just starting to get cable available in their neighborhoods, so some kids at school would have it, and some were still waiting. I was in the 12th grade when we got it in our house, and it was available on the program guide; and I couldn't have been happier! I think I spent evey spare moment of my senior year glued to MTV.

I remember that the first video was the Buggles with Video Killed The Radio Star....I LOVED the old MTV before they turned into CRAP.....also, VH1 Classic is a LOT like the old MTV without the awesome DJ's


Yeah JJ Jackson was cool dude and had an awesome baritone voice.  Mark Goodman would probably be a fun guy to hang out with.  Nina Blackwood was quite sultry.  She was fairly recently a DJ on a radio station here in Denver until that station changed to a Spanish format  :(

BUT.....

on VH1 Classics I totally dig Lynne Hoffman!!!  ;)  She's drop dead gorgeous and seems to have a great personality. 

Anyone know if they still have the moon guy with the MTV flag?

I know MTV Europe still use the moon guy now and then.

* MTV launched on August 1, 1981.  The first video ever played was "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles
* Much Music is Canada's version of MTV.  It launched on August 31, 1984, and the first video ever played was "The Enemy Within" by Rush
* MTV Europe launched on August 1, 1987.  The first video ever played was "Money For Nothing" by Dire Straits

If you want to take a ride to the past just type in youtube "MTV 1981" or "1983" and you can watch 25 parts of everything that happened including music videos from the 1980's.

If you want to take a ride to the past just type in youtube "MTV 1981" or "1983" and you can watch 25 parts of everything that happened including music videos from the 1980's.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq1DfU2UWp8&feature=related

Why talk about it when you can watch it.  :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq1DfU2UWp8&feature=related

Why talk about it when you can watch it.  :)


I've seen it last week and boy was it great,all 13 parts.

I've seen it last week and boy was it great,all 13 parts.


I didn't watch all 13, but I watched the 1st part until the Pat Benatar video finished and I liked it.

I didn't watch all 13, but I watched the 1st part until the Pat Benatar video finished and I liked it.


brought you back to a time when music was cool. :)

Me 'n mah buddies wuz sayin' "why that there Eurythmics chick went 'n shaved her gol durn head...and lookit that there weird feller with the shades 'n the cow! Wut yew s'pose he's doin' with that there cow?", or "them boys done went 'n got womuns makeup on! what the...?!"

Me 'n mah buddies wuz sayin' "why that there Eurythmics chick went 'n shaved her gol durn head...and lookit that there weird feller with the shades 'n the cow! Wut yew s'pose he's doin' with that there cow?", or "them boys done went 'n got womuns makeup on! what the...?!"


I don't know why Annie Lennox wound up with orange hair?http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q_ozasYE1EM/SeWmbsNs52I/AAAAAAAAE0c/hYnmr5hGQlo/s400/annie+1.jpg

I don't know why Annie Lennox wound up with orange hair?http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q_ozasYE1EM/SeWmbsNs52I/AAAAAAAAE0c/hYnmr5hGQlo/s400/annie+1.jpg


I think she looks cool, but I think it would look better on a guy.

Mtv from 1981 to about 1991 was heaven.  http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/11/angel9.gif

I think she looks cool, but I think it would look better on a guy.



Now her hair is white. Maybe it's grey hair.

Now her hair is white. Maybe it's grey hair.


That's normal, she's getting older.

http://cache4.asset-cache.net/xc/82125154.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=77BFBA49EF8789215ABF3343C02EA548D32D7C85F2F7489161AF4EA8A01C2CB36AEDB4FEE13FC757E30A760B0D811297

The original cast of MTV from 1983.

I began watching MTV on Day 1.  I was glued to the TV.  Not only was I seeing bands that I already liked, but seeing bands that were new to me.  MTV changed the way I listened to music.  I was 14 and until that time, I was content with listening to Top 40 music.  After MTV began, I not only heard a lot of new music, but I began to search for a bunch of other music that even they weren't playing.  I scoured record stores for obscure stuff that I never knew existed.  This was pre-internet and you couldn't have about any song within seconds. 

I especially liked watching late at night when they played the stuff they didn't play during the day.  It was also cool to see the Friday night concerts.  Those were good days!

Let's see what they have planned for the 30th Anniversary.

I remember listening to MTV in the morning as I was getting ready for work. It seemed like every morning they would play Hungry Like The Wolf. To this day, I can't hear the song without thinking of listening MTV and getting ready for work in the morning.



Cat

MTV is not the way it used to be.  :(

MTV is not the way it used to be.  :(


It's filled with reality tv shows.

Sometimes I find Jersey Shore amusing, but I absolutely hate Teen mom!  8-P

It's filled with reality tv shows.

Sometimes I find Jersey Shore amusing, but I absolutely hate Teen mom!  8-P


I hope one day MTV will go back to all music videos.

I miss the old MTV from the early 80's.  It was about music now it has nothing to do with music at all  >:(

I miss the old MTV from the early 80's.  It was about music now it has nothing to do with music at all  >:(


Now it's all reality shows and stuff.

Now it's all reality shows and stuff.


And ironically, it's even re-running "That's '70s show!" late afternoons/early evenings! Quite ironic for THE network that put the final nail in the coffin to that decade's style still lingering at the time!

And the 30th anniversary is coming up in August.

The 30th anniversary is tomorrow.  :)

The 30th anniversary is tomorrow.  :)
...with the original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs.

...with the original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs.


http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2011/07/31/2011-07-31_mtvs_notsohappy_30th_birthday.html

From Thriller to Snooki.

It amazes me that some people think that sites like YouTube are an alternative to music TV. I mean, videos there usually are of crappy quality and usually a TV is wider than the PC/laptop screen.
The worst part is that most of the current music sucks anyway, so seeing their crappy videos is lie a pain in the a**. Even as recent as the early 00s we had better music.

I always enjoyed the MTV of 30 years ago,it was better back then.

I just finished watching the very first hour of MTV on VH1 Classic and boy did it bring you back to a time when music was all they played all day and all night and the commercials were retro too including The Atari 2600 and Chewels Bubble Gum.

Does anyone know if there are early MTV DVD for sale anywhere?
I have a bunch of Night Flight (another 80's music show that was originally shown on USA network at night) but would like to get my hands on some early MTV.
I wish I had VH1, I would have copied the last MTV replays they have just shown. Very cool!

Now they play Jersey Shore...Is it just me or is that show borrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrring?

Now they play Jersey Shore...Is it just me or is that show borrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrring?

Don't like Pauly D or J. Wow or Snooki? Me neither. I'm not impressed by the show.

Now they play Jersey Shore...Is it just me or is that show borrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrring?


Jersey Shore is boring as hell,It's now called Moron TV.

They never had commercials in the beginning, which was really cool.  Also, they actually played videos! And every Saturday night they'd show a concert.

Yes it is really sad the trash MTV has evolved into :(

I really loved them...... VH1-Classic is thier only GOOD network now! (Its a wonder they havent trashed that one)

On time i posted my comments about MTV on thier discussion site.. IT WAS DELETED WITHIN MINUTES :D

Yes it is really sad the trash MTV has evolved into :(

I really loved them...... VH1-Classic is thier only GOOD network now! (Its a wonder they havent trashed that one)

On time i posted my comments about MTV on thier discussion site.. IT WAS DELETED WITHIN MINUTES :D


I like VH1 Classic,they always play the good stuff.