A List Of The First 200 Or So MTV Videos.

[Steven]

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

 

[MClark]

If "Video Killed the Radio Star" had not been the first song played (excellent choice I think) it would have been lost to history. But because of being first it is played quite often.

M

 

[Steven]

If "Video Killed the Radio Star" had not been the first song played (excellent choice I think) it would have been lost to history. But because of being first it is played quite often.

M

I never thought of that. You make a good point. It could very well have faded into obscurity had it not been the first. Curious to know how the order of videos were chosen, at least in the beginning. Was it pure chance and a roll of the dice or was it all about being paid for a specific spot?

 

[georgegassaway]

Curious to know how the order of videos were chosen, at least in the beginning. Was it pure chance and a roll of the dice or was it all about being paid for a specific spot?

Payola is illegal (or supposed to be).

And it would not have been chance.

It would have been the director(s) of programming (probably in this case a mix of the VeeJays and some MTV officials). Coming up with a list based on the music out at the time. Well, not exactly, because there were not THAT many videos at the time, certainly not very good ones. I wonder how many great songs didn't get played because their videos sucked? And how many top songs of the day did not have a video to begin with.

So they had to choose among the videos available, that they thought their intended audience would like to see. And while "Video Killed the Radio Star" wasn't the best song, and not that great of a video production, it absolutely fit as the first video, almost like a made-to-order "Mission Statement" .


FWIW - I'm a fan of "The Police". But until recently, I never saw their video of "Walking on the Moon". Didn't know there was one. Well, the video was made in 1979, before MTV, so that's why I never saw it before. The production values are nothing like their MTV-era videos. Although, Stewart Copeland did get to play the most expensive "drum kit" ever.

[video=youtube;ZR9Y_inRNsM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR9Y_inRNsM[/video]

 

[Steven]

I've had one of their Greatest hits on an old VHS tape with this song on it and immediately recognized Copeland tapping on the engine skirts of the shuttle with his sticks before playing it. Guys a real drum kit collector too.

 

[neil_w]

If "Video Killed the Radio Star" had not been the first song played (excellent choice I think) it would have been lost to history. But because of being first it is played quite often.

Possible, but here's a relevant true fact: the Buggles were great. Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes went on to join Yes for an album (Drama), which was controversial among Yes fans but I still love it. Horn most recently produced the last Yes album (Fly From Here) which Downes returned to play on again, and if you like Drama (or maybe even if not) then you should like it. It is hard to acquire however.

Horn and Downes of course did *lots* more but those are the bits I care about.

But to get back to the original point: Buggles were great. "The Age of Plastic" is a really good album all the way through.

 

[Cl(VII)]

There was a disturbing amount of Rod Stewart in that first 200.

 

[MClark]

There was few videos at the beginning, I think the first was picked because of the lyrics. Following that it is like any radio station, there are good songs and not as good. Space out the good ones, fill in between with others.
There was a lot of Rod because he was the one making the most videos.

M

 

[Zeus-cat]

I'm sorry, but Rod Stewart is just butt ugly. Not a nice thing to say, but crimeny, ick.

 

[Steven]

I'm sorry, but Rod Stewart is just butt ugly. Not a nice thing to say, but crimeny, ick.

A lot of women would beg to differ.