“We’re doing for TV what FM did for radio,” Mark Goodman explained when MTV first went on the air 25 years ago. We gave you the heads up that VH1 Classic is airing MTV’s first 24 hours today. I hope you’re getting to watch some. It’s fascinating if you’re a music buff.
We all know the Buggles had the honor of being the first video played. And Cheyenne protegé Pat Benatar was the second. But I always wondered what the third was. (Yes, I’m a dork.) Well, now I can sleep at night. Watch.
I’ve seen a lot of music videos in my day (spent two summers logging tapes at MTV, and six years at VH1 … you know, before I was a mogul), but today’s 1981 nostalgia trip is introducing me to clips I’ve never seen before.
Of course, we’d have to wait a few years before MTV allowed black artists on the channel and we finally got the best video of all time.
My earliest music video memory was Starship’s “Sara.” And being too scared to watch “Thriller.” What’s yours?
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The one video that blew me away in that first hour of MTV was Cliff Richard’s “We Don’t Talk Anymore”. The video is pure genius and full of cheese. A major guilty pleasure and catchy tune.
SHIT! I knew there was a reason for me to call in sick to work today. I too was scared of MJ’s “Thriller.” When I was little I remember begging my parents to get cable so I could get MTV. I miss cheesy music videos.
i must be that old then ‘coz i vividly remember that “sara” video featuring rebecca demornay! i was scared of “thriller” too but i never failed to watch it every time it came on. one can’t just ignore the dance thing they do towards the end. madonna’s “like a virgin” was something hard to forget too. man, say what you will about her but 25 fruitful years proves she’s a living legend.
unless you consider a large portion of those years to be anything but fruitful.
My earliest MTV memory was seeing Patrick Swayze’s “She’s Like the Wind” at my friend Rose’s house when we were six. Awesome.
my earliest video memories include Peter Gabriel’s “Shock the Monkey” (it freaked me out big-time), and Eddy Grant’s “Electric Avenue.” those were the days.
man, i forgot my video memories….
cris cros maybe with ‘jump’….
I totally remember willing the Waitresses to come on next at the end of every video. I remember being unable to eat while AC/DC videos were on. They totally made me lose my appetite.
I started watching some of the videos last night. While it is cool that VH-1 Classic is doing this, I was under the impression that they were rebroadcasting the original day with the VJs and all. I am kind of disappointed to see the lame-o current VH-1 Classic woman coming up and saying irrelevant things like “Where’s The Beef?” in between videos. It’s really poor presentation.
VH1 really could have handled it better. They’ve really gone downhill since Scott left them.
I remember getting cable when I was in Junior High School. [1995-1998, I am a youngin] What video remains in my head from those years specifically? Bone Thugs N Harmony “Tha Crossroads” Why? Why was my deepest foray into MTV during the Puff Daddy No Way Out years? Why?
not sure what this says about me, but i have a very distinct memory of my first exposure to mtv: the jets’ video for “you got it all.” i couldn’t have been more than 5 or 6 – definitely the work of a babysitter. i still think about it sometimes.
My earliest video memory is of the Police’s “Roxanne” when I was about four.
seven years old, sunday morning before getting in the car to go to hebrew school: billy idol’s “flesh for fantasy” b/w “i was in jeopardy” by greg kihnspiracy band. that shit was evil and fascinating and went well with learning the story of sodom and gomorrah.
My first music video memory was trying to plan how to run away from home with my best friend because we thought the kids in “Runaway Train” got to meet the guys in Soul Asylum. We were about six years old.
I remember being at my babysitter’s house watching MTV and listening to her two teenage kids have this fight:
“That’s a girl.”
“No, that’s a boy.”
“No, that’s a girl.”
“No! It’s a boy! His name is ‘Boy George!’ That means it’s a boy!”
scott stereogum worked at vh1? so did ultragrrl right? is there a series of indie rock blogger incubator at vh1? kinda like a hipster matrix?