MTV debuted just after midnight on August 1, 1981, with the broadcast of “Video Killed the Radio Star” by the Buggles. Following the format of Top 40 radio, video disc jockeys (or “veejays”) introduced videos and bantered about music news between clips. After an initial splash, the network struggled in its early years. The music video reservoir was then somewhat shallow, resulting in frequent repetition of clips, and cable television remained a luxury that had not quite found its market. MTV expanded its programming to include rhythm and blues artists, and the network took off. Singles such as “Billie Jean” and “Beat It” from Michael Jackson’s Thriller (1982) not only showcased the strengths of the music video format but proved that exposure on MTV could propel artists to superstardom.
The network brought success to such newcomers as Madonna and new wave icons Duran Duran, who used increasingly sophisticated techniques to make the visual elements of the video as important as the music. MTV also gave renewed life to veteran performers such as ZZ Top, Tina Turner, and Peter Gabriel, each of whom scored the biggest hits of their careers thanks to heavy rotation of their videos. By the mid-1980s, MTV had produced a noticeable effect on motion pictures, commercials, and television. Continue reading from the Encyclopaedia Britannica
No one knew quite what to expect at the first MTV Video Music Awards, which was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Sept. 14, 1984.
The show seemed likely to have a younger, hipper vibe than the Grammy Awards or the American Music Awards. But no one could have predicted that Madonna would steal the show with a daring performance of “Like a Virgin” that would have broken the Internet if such a thing had existed back then.
Dan Aykroyd and Bette Midler co-hosted the show. That may seem like an odd choice, but it made sense in the context of the times. Aykroyd appeared in Ghostbusters, which was the year’s top-grossing film. Midler’s 1983 album No Frills had emphasized her rock side, with its covers of songs by the likes of The Rolling Stones and Marshall Crenshaw.
Cyndi Lauper had the most nominations – nine – but won just one award, best female video for “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” Even so, the exposure on the show no doubt helped her go on to win the Grammy for best new artist the following February. Continue reading from Billboard
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