For the RPF younglings, the launch of MTV

Who else remembers this day...?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw6xesXLIAA

Well... Being Canadian we didn't have MTV- so I missed the launch...

But OM (freaking) G! I remember that video by The Buggles!

Guess I'm officially old.


Kevin

SSgt Burton said:

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But OM (freaking) G! I remember that video by The Buggles!

And history repeated...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiB0VgOKojg (very mild not safe for work)

Ah, for the good old days when MTV actually played music

i still love the classic MTV logos

cboath said:

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Ah, for the good old days when MTV actually played music

Hell, Mike! For the good ole days when MTV used to play videos!

i was 11 about to be 12 and I feel this was the perfect age to be at this time. Video games were taking over as well as cable television. There's a theory, the decade and all that it will be, meaning in tone, attitude, and feel are decided within the first two years of the clock of it's arrival. The 90's were the la riots. The terrorist attacks took care of the next ten years. The eighties was chimed in with this clip. What a great time it was then. I really and truly miss it. I don't think I'll ever be as on top of my game as I was in 88 or 89 - remember how the dude fit in during the Iraq war (the first one) - well, i definitely had my spotlight in the late 80's

cboath said:

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Ah, for the good old days when MTV actually played music

I was thinking the same thing.

Ah the heady days of early MTV Europe. Didn't seem that special then, just a bunch of people goofing off, lots of varied music for all tastes, some US shows crossovers. All in all a great mix of music and entertainment.

But somewhere in the tail end of the 90's things changed, reality shows took a bite out of music and it wasn't until other musical channels appeared that I noticed that MTV wasn't about music anymore. At least not about variety anymore. It became one 24-hour wall-to-wall ad for whatever star is high up in the charts. You could make it a drinking game, switch on MTV and have one whenever three clips of Gwen Stefani were shown in a row.

When they had the anniversary program it became blatantly clear that the anarchy and vibe of the early days had given way to careful marketing, faceless VJ's which could have been cardboard cutouts picked only because they are young and beautiful. All those early, now legendary VJ's like Simone Angel, Kristiane Becker, Ray Cokes or Marcel Vanthilt wouldn't even get past the pre-selections.

I was only 3 and don't remember it. Thanks for posting the video though because I always wondered why Mtv used the astronaut.

Rotwang said:

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Kristiane Becker, Ray Cokes

Wow, that's a blast from the past. Ray Cokes was great, and Kristiane Backer... very cute indeed.

Martha Quinn, JJ Jackson, Mark Goodman, Nina Blackwood and Alan Hunter were our VJs here in the US - and I admit - I had a thing for Martha Quinn

We had Much Music up here that debuted in 1984- J.D. Roberts was one of the first VJs (who is now John Roberts- a CNN anchor).


And Jet speaks the truth... The 80s were easily the most "fun" decade I've lived in!


Kevin

Agreed,

Reality shows killed the video star!

Wow that seems so long ago and just like yesterday all at the same time. That was some decade. MTV was always on and always playing videos. Great time to be a teen!

OldKen said:

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Reality shows killed the video star!

I can't call that crap 'reality' either because it's as far removed from reality as a soap opera...I mean they label stuff like survivor a reality show. It's not 'reality', it's a game show. Exact same thing as Wheel of Fortunue or The Price is Right.

I remember when MTV hit the airwaves. I was 16 and I was hooked. I was there when it went on air, but I had to go to a friends house because we didn't have it at our house.

Back then, cable was still in it's infancy and MTV was a premium channel and my Dad refused to pay for more "television".

We eventually got it and it became an integral part of my life. I remember joining the Army and spending all day at the MEPS station and they had it in the day room. When I was finally called to swear in, "Keep Feeling Fascination" was playing in the background.

I used to love Night Tracks on TBS:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5HX2...next=1&index=1

cboath said:

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I can't call that crap 'reality' either because it's as far removed from reality as a soap opera...I mean they label stuff like survivor a reality show. It's not 'reality', it's a game show. Exact same thing as Wheel of Fortunue or The Price is Right.

The first season or two of The Real World were actually pretty interesting as honest-to-god reality shows. After that, they figured out "Hey, let's pick these people who we KNOW are going to fight and stick them in a house together." Then they stuck them in an RV together. Then they had the RV guys fight the house guys for domination of the world, and then had the stars from THOSE series fight each other for domination of the UNIVERSE.

Wait. I think there was music in there at some point, too. Maybe not. I could be mistaken.



Man, if "SyFy" changed its name to finally admit "Ok, we really don't give a ***** about science fiction anymore," maybe it's time for MTV to change it's name to "CTV" (Crap TV) or whatever, just to admit that they really don't give a ***** about music anymore. Hell, I hear they don't even play complete videos of the designated star they're shilling for anymore. It's just a bunch of screaming teenagers saying how much they love the given artist, followed by a 30 second clip or whatever, followed by 20 hours of some scripted "reality" show with manufactured stars.

Yes, I loved the first, second and third Real World. Great cast and to me, very genuine character study of people from different walks of life living together.

I have to admit I miss David Lee Roth/Van Halen videos, Billy Idol, Adam Ant the first pirate in eyeliner Screw Sparrow! Back when Jackson was black what the hell happened man?

When I was little when my mom was home we'd have it on pretty much all day. I really liked ZZ Tops Legs video even though I didn't know why yet. I also remembered liking the Tom Petty song where he drives some kind of futuristic car, can't remember the song. Also that song, forgot who it was, that was electronic and had all kinds of crazy robots walking around.

Ahhh, I can remember a time right when MTV started up during the summer of 81 that myself, my sister and brother pretty much had the cable tuned to this for about 72 hours. THAT was a great summer.

The cool thing about MTV back then was not all the bands had useable videos yet. So some of the stuff they played was really out there and alternative by US rock standards. I can remember songs like "Ghosttown" and Madness' greatest tune "One Step Beyond!" (Weird flashback time when Ghosttown played in "Shaun of the Dead") and that early period was just right for the song "I Ran" by a Flock of Seagulls. Joan Jett and Pat Benatar had some kicking videos though, as did J Giles Band, ELO and a few others.

When the record companies began to have the bands do videos, it started to strangle the magic a little, although those early days still delivered some good stuff. But eventually it became almost like a video version of radio, with top 40 crap playing almost all the time! At least we had the "Headbangers Ball" during my High School years.

Sluis Van Shipyards said:

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When I was little when my mom was home we'd have it on pretty much all day. I really liked ZZ Tops Legs video even though I didn't know why yet. I also remembered liking the Tom Petty song where he drives some kind of futuristic car, can't remember the song. Also that song, forgot who it was, that was electronic and had all kinds of crazy robots walking around.

Tom Petty "You Got Lucky" and the other one I am guessing is Herbie Hancocks "Rockit".

Man! Mentioning all these songs is giving me a flashback!


Kevin