MTV started in 1981. The television channel was one of the first to show music videos. Think Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” full of Zombies or Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” These short videos weren’t just snips of an artist’s talent, they were full blown productions. Cut to today, and music videos seem like a thing of the past. What happened? Why did radio kill the video star?
The Jingles Used To Go
The Buggles made a song titled “Video Killed The Radio Star.” Coincidentially, this song was the first to appear on MTV with a music video. Back then, television was the thing. There were no streaming services; binge-watching was controlled by cable and physical DVDs.
MTV had a firm grip on society in the 1980s. The channel played artists’ videos non-stop, every day. It was the first of its kind, and like with every new technology, it made teenagers obsessed. The channel’s annual awards, at the time, were given the same musical credit as the Oscars did for acting.
You Were The First One
As the 2000s rolled in, the channel moved away from music videos and into addictive reality TV shows. However, this wasn’t the end for music artists, as Vevo started in 2009. This was (and always will be) the MTV for Gen Z. We were hooked on this channel from our very first clip.
Think of Nicki Minaj’s iconic “Starships” or Justin Bieber’s “Baby.” Giants in the music industry used Vevo as a channel to share their videos with millions. Every time a new video came out, it felt like a mini holiday. We would watch and rewatch them until our eyes hurt. Unfortunately, as time passed, Gen Z grew up and so did the media landscape.
You Were The Last One
In 2025, apps like Spotify and Apple Music are essential. It’s how we listen to our favorite songs to help us get through the day. Rarely, do we stop to look at the 3D visuals applied, much less the artist’s new video. With music as our background, it seems that these once mighty productions have fallen.
Yes, music videos are still being released by artists. Yet, there’s not a single company that brings them all together. Though they still bring in audiences, it seems the urgency has faded into the air. The radio, revamped through apps, has stolen its spotlight back.
What are your thoughts about music videos? Let us know @VALLEYMag on Instagram!
whoah this blog is fantastic i love reading your articles. Keep up the good work! You already know, a lot of persons are looking round for this information, you can aid them greatly.
Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems as though you relied on the video to make your point. You definitely know what youre talking about, why waste your intelligence on just posting videos to your weblog when you could be giving us something informative to read?
But a smiling visitor here to share the love (:, btw great style.
Pretty nice post. I simply stumbled upon your weblog and wished to say that I have truly enjoyed browsing your blog posts. In any case I will be subscribing in your feed and I am hoping you write again soon!
I am impressed with this site, rattling I am a big fan .
Its fantastic as your other content : D, thanks for putting up.
I love your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you create this website yourself or did you hire someone to do it for you? Plz answer back as I’m looking to design my own blog and would like to find out where u got this from. thank you
I don’t even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was great. I do not know who you are but definitely you’re going to a famous blogger if you aren’t already 😉 Cheers!
I do like the way you have framed this specific problem and it really does give me some fodder for consideration. However, because of what I have personally seen, I only wish when the actual responses pile on that people stay on point and in no way start upon a tirade regarding the news du jour. Yet, thank you for this exceptional piece and even though I do not really go along with this in totality, I value the standpoint.
I enjoy the efforts you have put in this, thankyou for all the great posts.