120 Minutes: The Rise & Fall of MTV's Premiere Alternative Rock Show!

[@rnrtruestories]

Here's the Headbangers Ball video I reference. Let me know which other MTV shows you want me to cover. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rKiwfnapYt-mrpY&pp=ygUQaGVhZGJhbmdlcnMgYmFsbA%3D%3D

[@I_Have_The_Most_Japanese_Music]

I would love to know more about the U.K. version of this show.

[@ropemancometh]

How about the Hollywood Tropicana? The mud wrestling mecca was a must for 80's bands. That would be a good video! And the Idiot Box that was on MTV.

[@hulkhatepunybanner]

*Me thinks MTV just didn't want to make more 120 Minutes to save on money because the Grrl Riot scene was going on in 1998. Followed up by the NYC indie scene.* There was more than enough new music to fill up... 120 minutes on Sunday nights. I feel it's MTV kicking out its Gen X viewers for the new shiny Millennial viewers.

[@Large23collectibles]

This one hurts. I loved 120 Minutes. I found sooooo many bands from that show.

[@kyleb8596]

It was the original Pandora!!! So much good music on that show. EDIT - there are full episodes on KZbin if you want to watch again

[@Large23collectibles]

I going down that rabbit hole right now. Thank you!!!!! @@kyleb8596

[@oldboy2399]

I lived for it as a teen....

[@TFEnright5]

Me too. I discovered so many bands through 120 minutes.

[@theoriginaldazza]

Word!

[@AvecPoesie]

I remember being a little girl, unable to sleep, battling ineradicable insomnia after my sweet, beautiful older sister Ingrid Died suddenly, unexpectedly, and tragically. I was up and stumbled upon an episode of 120 minutes. I NEVER FORGOT THIS. Fiona Apple was being interviewed. I hadn't heard of her. She was there to promote her debut album, Tidal. I remember Fiona leaning back as she sat, her legs akimbo, her articulations brimming with self-awareness and HIGH-Intelligence. From then on, I became devoted to her music, which has carried me through every year, particularly, the Painful parts, of my Life. I am grateful for 120 minutes for blessing my Life with that one moment.

[@rnrtruestories]

So sorry to hear about your sister.

[@pbcfisher3206]

" ineradicable" .... Hmm.. you sure bout that ?

[@AvecPoesie]

@@pbcfisher3206 I have been struggling with fairly severe insomnia for much of my Life. Through innumerable attempts at treatment, medications, etc, my insomnia (or more probable, the myriad traumas occupying valuable real estate within the confines of my heart and mind) always prevailed. After all these years, yes, it does feel ineradicable.

[@herbcraven7146]

If you lived in a small to medium sized town in the mid to late 80's without a local college station, 120 Minutes was like a lifeline saving you from the onslaught of vacuuous pop and hair metal.

[@brianc.3607]

couldn't have said it any better, spot on!

[@WesleyGravolet]

Absolutely right

[@cactaceous]

120 Minutes was must see or must record every Sunday at midnight when I was in middle school, high school and college in the late 80’s to late 90’s. That’s where I got most of my music. When bands guest hosted was the best.

[@edwardluna9907]

Growing up as a kid and teen in late 80s and early 90s this was the show that got me out of the mainstream music and introduced me to so many lesser known bands

[@doorlock232425]

Nicely done. It's also worth noting that MTV2 had a similar Sunday night show in the 2000s called "Subterranean". It was a weekly show that would feature new music videos and interviews from bands all across the indie/alternative music landscape. For the first couple of years, it was also hosted by Jim Sheer and then it continued on with either guest hosts or no hosts at all. Some of the highlights include interviewing members of Radiohead, Interpol, The Rapture, Rilo Kiley, Cat Power, and others.

[@HightowerAndJones]

Subterranean was awesome.

[@erinwalker711]

In December of 1989, “120 Minutes “ interdouced us to Trent Reznor and it was his first appearance on TV .

[@AtoZmoms]

120 minutes was one of the best shows on MTV! GREAT video!

[@batticusmanacleas510]

Now I'm waiting for you to complete the trilogy and do a video on Alternative Nation. Good stuff as always

[@rnrtruestories]

thanks

[@Bobbnoxious]

Kennedy was MTV's idea of a cool young Republican. She loved Reagan, had a GOP elephant tattoo on her thigh, and once joked about presenting Rush Limbaugh with a "hummer" backstage at an awards show. No surprise that she moved on to Fox News.

[@miameramusic]

It’s hard to believe people used to sit down for two hours, and just watch videos. This show is how I discovered the Afghan Whigs, My Bloody Valentine & Spinanes. Now anything over 15 seconds is too long even for social media.

[@danielmarquis5258]

One of the most fascinating music related videos I've seen. This is due to the fact that I love Alternative and most of its subgenres.

[@ladariusmcdonald]

I used to watch 120 Minutes at a late stage when it was on its sister channel MTV2. Then it's sequel show "Subterranean" replaced it and that's where I discovered The Dresden Dolls, Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, Regina Spektor, Bloc Party, The Go! Team, etc.

[@kenterminateddq5311]

Matt Pinfield and Henry Rollins are the best hosts of 120 Minutes. I remember Rollins being sarcastic when introducing a music video of an artist that he didn't like. 😅

[@JamesCraigWhoop]

He was kind of a jerk at that time as well

[@ericgaskins571]

Henry Rollins being a jerk on tv? No way ha ha. Yeah he def could be that way from time to time. He was also doing stand up back then as well

[@kenterminateddq5311]

Was he a funny jerk cause I won't lie, Rollins can be funny. @@JamesCraigWhoop Then you get the a-holes like Kid Rock, Fred Durst and others.

[@jeffreekoch9298]

Loved 120 Minutes, Cutting Edge and Alternative Nation ! College rock. Also Headbangers Ball and Yo! Raps. Gen X Stuff. I was a kid and teen, young adult during the 80s and 90s.

[@bleghbabe97]

I wasn’t alive yet when these shows were originally airing, but I love watching Headbanger’s Ball and 120 minutes on KZbin now. Great video as usual!

[@rnrtruestories]

Thanks

[@preziosestelle7368]

Same here Holliee. I love watching old 120 Minutes episodes with Dave.

[@jmason61]

I was living in NJ at the shore at the time, Matt was on WHTG it was a great station & we would all see everyone at the shows in Asbury Park. When he got onto MTV we were home town proud 120 Minutes fully helped the alternative music scene

[@brick_mojo]

120 minutes is how this 90s high schooler in Idaho found good music. Integral to my youth

[@edwardsanchez3708]

What I would give to go back to those days of MTV or just life in general in that time frame

[@hwoods-kg1jf]

Me too! It was a great time to be alive! Especially being a teenager in the 90's like I was! I remember sneaking out of my bedroom when 120 Minutes would come on and watch it in the basement while my mom and stepfather slept and I would record music videos (especially premieres) would come on my VHS tapes. I had BOXES of old 90's MTV VHS tapes that I sadly lost somewhere along the way of moving so many times over the years. Man, what I wouldn't give to have all of those tapes back! I was an only child so my ways of entertaining myself was watching Mtv, listening to music, going to concerts and collecting my favorite band merch!

[@eddiebranden1]

I was a metal guy and 120 Minutes was my window into alternative and college radio.

[@davidcross701]

As one that began watch 120Minutes in 1990, the show was not meant to last, just till the end of the Millennium. The show was great show for the underground alternative music. When Nirvana unleash alternative music to the masses, those videos really made alternative music a community. The tag along was perfect when 1991 happen! Towards the end of the decade the music landscape of 1999 was head back to Pop, like in MTV and Pop Radio. They had enough of it. By the end of 2000, it was back like it had been in 1989. Just an experiment, an accident on their parts. I still watch 120Minutes here in youtube. Great memories of my 20s. Funny thing is that the GEN Z, like my 16 year old son and his friends are 1990s Alternative Music listeners!!!

[@stmn346]

Never forget seeing Joy Divisions Love will tear us apart on 120 minutes in the 80’s. It was fantastic and every time I hear it, it makes me think of that night.

[@jeremysiron9622]

120 minutes was so good, discovered so many bands through that, it’s like the antithesis of what MTV is now

[@MettleHurlant]

Hip hop and rap were the downfall of MTV (and popular music in general).

[@jeremysiron9622]

@@MettleHurlant nah, “yo mtv raps” and “headbangers ball” and/or “120 minutes” were able to coexist just fine….TRL becoming the only outlet for videos, turning MTV into a constant top 10 voting contest….and reality programs filling in the rest of the schedule meanwhile are both what killed it…. Even funny shows like “Tom green” and “jackass”pushed the channel away from music……so I kind of agree with you on the popular music thing because TRL kind of embodied that… But I disagree….I don’t think hip-hop ever had a negative effect…. Like I said, there was programming for metal, alternative, and hip-hop, all able to coexist on the 24 hour music network before it was only TRL videos and reality programming…..

[@kevinroulette]

I loved 120 mins . Was best show on MTV Sunday nights if I remember right

[@Gracklef1int]

Matt Pinfield drove me up a frikin wall. He always had to insert himself into every interview. Every time an artist or band would say where they’re from without fail he would say “Ahhh , my old stomping ground.” Like, mfer, how many cities have you lived in? All of them?! I wanted so badly for my band to make it just so I could be interviewed by him and answer “I grew up in orbit.” Just to see if he’d reply “Ahhhh, the vacuum of space. My old stomping ground.”

[@frog_king8383]

Matt pinfield>you

[@jim2lane]

If you weren't into grunge during the 90's, which I certainly wasn't, then the alternative genre was one of the few places to hear good new music. Living in the Baltimore/DC area, 99.1 WHFS was the station to listen to, and 120 Minutes was where you could actually see these acts. Loved this show, and enjoy watching re-runs to this day.

[@miameramusic]

Amen! I was at the 1st HFS-stival and still listen to WTMD, it’s spiritual successor.

[@hellsunicorn]

I wasn’t into grunge during the 90s, and the alternative genre didn’t really do anything for me either. Most of the interesting stuff in the genre, so-called, peaked in the late 80s. I swore MTV was trying to waterboard guys like me by playing the same hypnotic R.E.M. songs over and over. I suppose it was different strokes for different folks, but MTV lost me when they stopped playing metal and helped astroturf all of the pop and alt. rock that became inescapable by 1995.

[@jim2lane]

@@hellsunicornwell, everyone has their own tastes, but there was a lot more to alternative music in the 90's than R.E.M. that's for sure. And as for MTV, the 90's was when they truly lost their way, and slowly started becoming a channel for "reality" programming and walking away from music almost entirely by the end of the decade

[@hellsunicorn]

@@jim2lane There were a few bands that I found to be fairly entertaining, Everclear and The Cranberries had a few songs I was into, and I always had a soft spot for Nine Inch Nails, but for me it was too soft and stripped down. I like stuff that either has the impact factor or progresses beyond what radio would permit, and MTV had a very brief love affair with death metal and virtually none for bands like Dream Theater and Pain Of Salvation, which were my bread and butter. We’re both in agreement that MTV died in the 90s, and I hated the dumb Reality TV crap they helped to pioneer.

[@ANYHOO0]

I remember when HFS suddenly went Latin, that was quite the switch.

[@attuso20]

I believe Pitchfork is a music review magazine that started back in the day. I think it only came out 4 times a year. They would also feature lesser known bands on the rise

[@MedalionDS9]

120 Minutes sounds like my kind of show... but in Canada, we had the Canadian MTV equivalent "Muchmusic"... and I am not sure what the equivalent segment would be during the time

[@ZyxthePest]

I started watching "The Alternative" on VH1 Classic when I was in high school, that's how I got into acts like Matthew Sweet and Letters To Cleo. I wasn't old enough to appreciate 120 Minutes in the 90s outside of catching clips of it when my older sister was watching, so I'm glad VH1 held the torch for latecomers like me, even if they would mislabel the videos sometimes haha. It seems like the next logical step in doing something akin to what MTV was doing with videos in the 90s is hosting a streaming show with VJs doing interviews between videos or even making playlists with existing videos and putting original content between them.

[@digitaldosage1979]

I echo the sentiments in this chat. Grew up in a quasi-isolated part of the country that wasn't the best place to learn pop culture norms or find new/interesting music. 120 minutes was my portal to the type of music that I grew to love for the rest of my life. Indie music has always been the cutting edge of pop culture ... It saddens me that it's so underappreciated these days, because nobody has access to it the way we did when we were younger thanks to shows like 120 minutes. Sure, people have access to everything much more readily these days, but there's not a lot of people or organizations out there championing the true artists.

[@theglavine]

I remember losing MTVU and CMT PURE on my cable system 4 years ago. MTVU played modern college rock and CMT PURE played the bro & pop country stuff but also Americana and country rock modern videos. I've felt totally disconnected from the music scene since I lost those channels. I never hear new music. I guess I found music the old school way, through radio and videos. Today, music seems to have no real importance in the culture even though billionaires have been made out of the most mediocre major artists by far of any generation!

[@maxwellraboin5345]

I remember in the late 90s when TRL acts such as N Sync and Britney Spears were all over MTV and it seemed like it was almost nothing but pop music when music videos would get played. It seemed like 120 Minutes was the last show still putting out good quality alternative videos(even though they were mainstream at that time). Also, Matt Pinfield hosted another show besides Mattrock and 120 Minutes. It was called MTV Rocks Off where he would sit down with various people such as a member of a band, a record executive, and a music fan and talk about various rock bands. the videos were mainstream but the discussions were quite amazing. One episode I remember in particular was where he had Bruce Dickinson on with two other people and they were talking a bit about Barenaked Ladies. I thought that show had a bit of potential looking back

[@michaelaker1621]

I remember this. I think they had Snoop Dogg and some other folks taking about RHCP. It was mid-1998 right after Frusciante rejoined and everyone accept Snoop was down on them at this point. Then Californication the following spring.

[@joeythomas9062]

Man i loved staying up late watching 120mins and Headbangers ball!!

[@nicoleleckner7902]

Loved this show! What a treat. Back when MTV was exciting!

[@BonnienClydeMiller]

I miss old school MTV! I loved Headbangers ball and 120 minutes.

[@scottwise4013]

Me too!!!!

[@JamesCraigWhoop]

It was a great sampler. REM already had rotation hits like Stand, but songs like Get Up only on the ALT shows. They Might Be Giants, the Madchester bands like Happy Mondays, Charlatans UK, Inspiral Carpets and other bands with really weird names. A lot of it was junk but occasionally had songs that jumped out

[@johnchedsey1306]

I don't know what show it was, but I saw They Might Be Giants' "Don't Let's Start" on MTV at my grandmother's house in 1987 or 88, and immediately fell in love with them. I'm still a fan to this day and play them often.

[@RVZNKaraoke]

I got into James and Catherine Wheel from it...

[@jamesbelljr7987]

I bought so much music and discovered so many great bands watching MTV's 120 Minutes

[@johnchedsey1306]

I know that older people such as myself have a tendency to go down our stupid nostalgic rabbit holes, but I would argue that the late 80s and early 90s were an amazing time to be growing up as a music fan with different paths of discovery for underground music. While I lived in a rural place without cable, there were great weekly radio shows coming from a college town in Wyoming (of all places) where I heard all the killer metal and "modern rock" (as it was called) bands of the era. We're talking Anthrax, Metallica, Black Flag, fIREHOSE, Sonic Youth and pretty much any other notable act you can think of. But I will say today's youth have an amazing, accessible library of music available at their fingertips since the internet has made almost all music ever recorded accessible. Some outcast kid in North Dakota can discover anything they desire and have a musical connection. I think that's awesome. I'm not sure there's so much of an underground anymore as "just not as discovered". The most important thing is that we can still find great music that is meaningful to us.

[@reallyretro]

Matt Pinfield was the perfect choice to be the host of 120 Minutes.

[@metamorphicblood]

The most knowledgeable VJ ever.

[@waynepalmer1709]

During the 80s Matt was a DJ at Rutgers' WRSU in New Brunswick and quite the driving force for the Hub City music scene as well as a DJ for the iconic Melody Bar. Probably the most knowledgeable person about music I have ever met. I enjoyed just shooting the breeze with him talking about music at Patti's, one of the bars be both hung out in.

[@claymccoy]

Loved 120 Minutes, used to watch it in the late 90s through 2000s. It got frustrating because it would constantly get preempted by reruns of lame MTV original TV series (Undressed, for example).

[@AvecPoesie]

Undressed was the bane of my existence back then. It was so cheesy, it hurt. I never met nor heard of a single Soul that proclaimed any enjoyment or appreciation for that show.

[@infamousrob08]

Matt Pinfield was my music loving uncle from TV and I loved watching 120 minutes for new bands for my teen ears that wasn't on the prime time stuff.

[@cloudbloom]

My parents were hardcore Christians (ironically i am too now lol) and they didn't allow me to watch MTV so even though i grew up in this golden age of the channel i unfortunately missed out on a ton of it

[@CheapSushi]

Thank you so much for this and Headbangers Ball! That's nostalgia for me, including what VH1 & Fuse TV, The Box and some local cable access shows were like (JBTV). I'm actually trying to recreate the vibe of the shows on Twitch for the Punk-o-Matic game series (OfficialPunkoMaticTV).

[@HightowerAndJones]

The Box!!! I went to a JBTV taping a few years ago for Failure and felt like a teen again. Even met Jerry Bryant

[@CheapSushi]

@HightowerAndJones that's so awesome!!

[@kyleb8596]

Every Sunday night at midnight!!!

[@stevedietlein4189]

Ill never forget the first time hearing and seeing Paranoid Android. Matt came on and described how it was a 3-part song... I was mesmerized by the track. Made me a lifelong fan. Thanks Matt Pinfield!!!

[@ExtraordinaryMachine333]

I loved 120 minutes back in the 90s! Thanks for this. Speaking of Kennedy, I'd always wondered how you go from Alternative Nation to Alternative Facts (Fox). It would be interesting to know where the hosts went after MTV (or why, Kennedy)

[@rnrtruestories]

You’re welcome! Some people said she’s a libertarian.

[@maverick_trail]

Everything you see on TV is scripted, with varying degrees of truth.

[@jessebaker2769]

Kennedy was always open about being conservative/libertarian. IIRC she openly bragged about voting for Bob Dole in 1996 and one of the chief reasons she left the network a year later was due to her wanting to get more involved in politics as MTV was still relatively apolitical in the 90s.

[@HatTrick69]

After her gig at mtv she went to UCLA and majored in philosophy. She had a few different jobs at radio stations until landing a job with fox. Her FBN show recently got canceled although she remains with fox doing shows like outnumbered and the five from time to time.

[@kdrkdr5123]

Kennedy rocks!

[@bernicia-sc2iw]

That show was so important to me in the mid nineties . I discovered so much new music through it.

[@rugbyd]

120 Minutes was my favorite show on MTV. I watched it like it was church.

[@jamesbelljr7987]

Matt Pinfield was an encyclopedia of Alt,indie, and underground rock music.

[@frankperricone2065]

The problem with 120 minutes where i live it came on so late, way after 12:00, maybe even 2:00 am

[@VIGLounge]

The website for 120 minutes sounds interesting. Growing up in Canada, I aws not exposed to 120 minutes, but we had the alternative shows like Going Coastal and Much Music's answer to Headbangers' Ball, Much Loud. I genuinely wish Loud had a website like 120 minutes because I'd love to go back and revisit some of those old playlists.

[@rnrtruestories]

Fellow Canadian here too!

[@nwerd7584]

Didnt Much Music become Fuse? Fuse had Uranium which was the best metal show I've ever seen on television.

[@rnrtruestories]

@@nwerd7584I cut cable a while back but I thought much music was still around. There’s actually. A documentary out about muchmusic I’m going to see in a few weeks

[@nwerd7584]

@@rnrtruestories Oh that sounds interesting. after looking in to it wiki says this "Fuse is an American pay television channel owned by Fuse Media, LLC, that launched in 1994. It was originally known as MuchMusic USA, a localized version of the Canadian cable channel Much, and was dedicated to music-based programming" So it was the version we got here in the US when digital cable took over.

[@jessebaker2769]

Sort of@@nwerd7584. Much Music sold it's US affiliate to another company which turned it into Much Music USA around 2003; they stopped playing anything MM related during the week and instead did a bunch of super crappy prepackaged blocks of videos that didn't feature ANY Canadian acts that were heavily featured on Much Music and were mainly no-name indie acts and on a blue moon occasion, a "big name act" like Thursdays or White Stripes or Strokes. But in general, a bunch of no-name hipster acts and NEVER anything old. Along with a bunch of crappy pre-recorded pre-KZbin try-hard viral video segments that were crappy as hell. Within a year Much Music USA cut the last remaining trace of the real Much Music (IE the weekend feeds) and started rolling out original programming and UK crap they licensed (like several rip-offs of Jackass). The only good show of this period (Whitest Kids You Know) jumped ship to IFC after the first season and by that time the network rebranded to Fuse and pretty much abandoned all music for sitcom reruns and origina programming. Sadly, Much Music went the way of MTV after losing it's US distribution. No longer shows music videos, fired most of their hosts (including Bradford Howe and Ed the Sock) and now is a dumping ground for MTV/Comedy Central shows in Canada.

[@scottbubb2946]

120 was the first place I heard STP and Bush. That's about all I can remember about it.

[@tigercap100]

I was a late-teen and loved 120 minutes! I wish it was still a thing

[@matthewsommerville88]

FYI you can find playlists on youtube with tons of early 1990’s full episodes of 120 minutes -- commercials and all. Pretty awesome

[@Charterstone]

I also remember how They Might Be Giants and Dave Kendall always seemed to bunt heads, making fun of each other, there was some tension in the air, Dave calling them sell-outs - unless it was all just a joke? "I'm Dave Kendall. I'm John Kendall. And I'm MC Search."

[@bldallas]

I was in college when MTV rolled out (early 80s) and The Cutting Edge was right up my alley. Loved it so much and it turned me (and my friends) on to some killer new music. After college, 120 Minutes rolled out and I really dug that, too. I didn’t get my first VCR (a three head stereo unit) until around 1987, but after that I started recording those shows religiously. I was a young engineer, making good money by then so I also bought a pretty killer stereo system which I connected to that VCR. Watching those stereo recorded shows and cranking the audio thru my Boston Acoustic A100s was a new twist on the MTV experience. No clue what happened to those old tapes. Sure miss those days though, in so many ways, and MTVs hipper side of music programming was definitely part of our continuous music consumption.

[@genghis_connie]

Did anyone else get ‘Rock Over London’ on the radio on Sunday nights! WXRT Chicago played it, but I assume it was syndicated.

[@travisthornton1792]

Matt Pinfield was great as you could tell he 1) had specific tastes, 2) knew what he was talking about, and 3) still gave artists respect. He made the show personable for me

[@PinkyJujubean]

My friend still has an old.videotape of the episode hosted by Ween. Taping MTV was quite common back in the olden days

[@hwoods-kg1jf]

I used to have multiple boxes of VHS tapes of 90's MTV but sadly I lost it over the years from moving so many times. Man, I would give ANYTHING to have those tapes back! I was an only child so I spent A LOT of my time sitting in my room, killing time watching and recording everything on MTV. Music videos, band specials, band interviews, the VMA's, concerts, unpluggeds. When I think about how much MTV used to be on the pulse of new music/trends and I think about how bad it is now (it doesn't even play music anymore! I don't even understand why they still call it MTV. MTV stands for "Music Television". All it is now is shows about being a teenager and pregnant and reality tv last I watched anyways. Which it's been a long long time since I've even attempted to watch MTV. I can't stomach their programing anymore and haven't for many years now.)

[@PinkyJujubean]

@@hwoods-kg1jf he only has it because he found it in a box when he helped his parents clean out their house when they moved. He also found this really cool Skinny Puppy shirt with an alien fetus on it

[@MarsHottentot]

It seemed like on the early to mid 90s, there wasn't much difference between Headbanger's Ball and 120 Minutes. Same problem though: the weird shit was always in the last 10 minutes

[@AnAdorableWombat1]

I used to love 120 minutes! I was about 10-14 years old and used to watch it on Vh1 classic back in the early 2000s.

[@Sinistar8u]

I loved 120 minutes one of my all-time favorite music video shows! I discovered so many great bands from it.

[@harrygaydosz73]

120 Minutes was required viewing for myself in my high school and college years during the 90s and early 00s. I grew up in the Pittsburgh area where the alternative music scene was poor and this is where i discovered tons of bands. I used to simultaneously watch and record each Sunday night.

[@mattmiller4821]

I missed this alot cause it was on Sunday night really late, and had school. Feel like I missed a bunch of bands that I discovered later in life cause of that

[@mfsuperstar]

Thanks! Love you man

[@rnrtruestories]

Thanks

[@LetsGoMetsGo33]

I watched both Headbanger’s ball and 120 minutes. Some of favorite bands could be played on both shows. It’s like how I subscribed to both Fangoria and Starlog, and some of my favorire movies and tv shows could be covered in both.

[@dano_the_collector8421]

I had a few of those 106.3 stickers. Huge station in my area (Asbury Park) back in the day

[@fakshen1973]

Before Nirvana, Information Society lit up 120 Minutes so hard that they spilled over to the regular rotation and even got national airplay. We were gobbling up the cassettes at the time.

[@stephenbarone4053]

I know it’s not Rock, but you have to finish the trifecta - Yo’ MTV Raps.

[@quinnrollen]

As time went.on,.I started changing my core-metal tastes to more chill music. 120 Minutes and Alternative Nation (especially with the magnificent Kennedy hosting) was a nice segway.

[@maria.maverick]

I love Matt Pinfield man. That guy’s dedication and pure love to/for music has always been hardcore.

[@maxwellraboin5345]

One of the best things about Matt Pinfield, was the fact that even if he wasn't so much into the act he was interviewing, he was still intrigued to know more about them and would even get fascinated by the history of their music. I also remember him having Lou Reed on 120 Minutes and he even said that while Lou was never a big fan of doing interviews, he enjoyed the interview that Matt did with him on there because it wasn't like all the others. Matt was also quoted in saying that Lou enjoyed being interviewed so much, he didn't want it to end.

[@maria.maverick]

@@maxwellraboin5345 Yeah, that’s what I’m saying: his pure love of music doesn’t discriminate by genre. He’s fascinated by the creative process of all songs of all genres and the people behind the craft. And that’s dope that he made Lou, a reclusive introvert, feel that way. It just shows how awesome he is at his job and what an overall awesome human being he is!

[@seanmarcum2516]

120 minutes was such a great show! I found so many bands from it. MTV was really good at first and had some great music shows. But as usual, MTV ruins everything it touches. MTV should write a book on how to destroy a music station.

[@Glopdemon]

I was more of an Alternative Nation kid and only watched 120 Minutes every once in a while. I would do things very differently if I had a do over

[@ratmachine87]

Matt Pinfield was also the host of the Farmclub.

[@rnrtruestories]

that was the show he was on after he left 120 minutes.

[@dramos2072]

120 mins reruns are on MTV Classic at 12:00 on Sundays

[@jessebaker2769]

It's not real reruns. It's a two hour block using the name but has no host or studio segments and is just randomly thrown together alt-rock videos.

[@dramos2072]

@@jessebaker2769 You are right. But in the time that it is on you can feel greatness of it all

[@3DPT]

120 min concerts are cool to find on YT. Their was another Alt music show called"Mhz" (yes, that Mhz) on PBS in the 90's that feature a lot of underground and indi artist. I don't know if it was a regional show or a 120 min clone from PBS, it was great for insomniac college students.

[@BobSteven-ks3in]

120 was keeping me in the loop in the day and lead to great bands , somehow I found Deftones, Taproot and more through this and it put me to sleep a few years.

[@lLushKitty]

120 Minutes was brill with Kevin Seal. But I always ended up switching to TBS/WTBS Night Tracks until Night Flight popped on on the USA network with the latter show being the superior one in terms of showcasing underground alternative bands that Mtv would never air. Also, Night Flight showed music based films that are must-see like, Ladies and Gentlemen The Fabulous Stains (Diane Lane), Suburbia, Smithereens, and many B Horror and campy films by John Waters.

[@pathevermore3683]

J men forever and dynaman.

[@BrettHue-pz4fb]

I lived for Nightflight on USA network when I was in jr high. So much cool shit on that show! My favorite was the punkrock bands like FEAr&DK's that would appear on a show called New Wave Theatre that was occasionally featured on NightFlight!!! goodtimez😁

[@vandavis000]

Enjoyed 120 minutes and headbangers ball. Also i watched lots fuse tv

[@kenterminateddq5311]

Rock N Roll, have you thought about making a video on the short-lived MTV show, Super Rock? Obviously, the show failed when it replaced Headbangers Ball.

[@rnrtruestories]

I briefly mentioned it in the headbangers ball video I did

[@kiernanthomas6006]

I swear to you that The Cutting Edge went off the air in 1989. I have seen that on line in "print" that they ended in 1987 but this is not true! They changed the name of the show to :The Cutting Ege Happy Hour" in '87. I still have video tapes from '88 and 89 of the show !

[@rodroller6634]

Found so many great bands watching this show. But I loved all of them. MTV raps. Headbangers ball. But 120 mins was the best by far.

[@New_Jax_City]

Bro!!! You found the WINNER of the Contest!!! I hope u saw my reply to your comment from the other day. Also i hope you saw the form i filled out on your website. I think it would make a good idea for an episode!! Let me know!! 🤘

[@rnrtruestories]

Yes I found the winner with a short newspaper interview with her.

[@New_Jax_City]

@@rnrtruestories bro awesome! Please let me know you saw my form on your site about MICHAEL DAMIAN

[@64TMS]

Your volume was turned down too low. Turn it up. We can turn it down. Thx

[@antreynolds9775]

Man just like Headbangers ball I discovered so many awesome bands like Easterhouse, and Faith No More and for the record I thought Matt Pinfleld was awesome as host thanks for this one as a misfit kid of the early 90's early 80's this show was my home

[@hwoods-kg1jf]

I also liked Matt Pinfield! He was very knowledgeable about music and I just liked his vibe/personality. He also always had great questions for the bands he interviewed!

[@antreynolds9775]

@@hwoods-kg1jf same here I loved his vibe and his personality he always seemed like a cool cat

[@choppers1036]

This and headbangers ball were the best

[@Zippy994]

I loved 120 Minutes! Recorded it every Sunday at midnight on my DVR. Pinfield was great! Edit: I went down a major rabbit hole a couple years ago, reading all the playlists and watching those archived episodes mentioned in this clip. Good stuff!

[@akmt9114]

I dont get all the Matt Pinfield hate in the comments. Always came across as a genuine guy and was an encyclopedia of music. Hard to agree he was pretentious too as I remember an episode where Jimmy Pop from the bloodhound gang came on as Pat Minfield (get it? 😄) with a skin wig and did a pretty great Pinfield impression. Matt seemed to love it.

[@jeffjunge7663]

I watched 120 Minutes almost as much as I watched the Headbangers Ball. It was very good.

[@michaelaker1621]

Great show! I have fond memories of the Largeant and Pinfield Eras. Monday mornings were always a little rough in middle or high school. Can you do one of Jackie Farry/SuperRock to complete the trilogy? She’s had quite an interesting life.

[@XxLIVRAxX]

120 minutes shaped my musical tastes, 1998 and 1999 were formative years for me. I miss content like that.

[@timwhite5562]

I remember the first time I ever heard Alice in Chains was when I saw the Man in the box video on 120 Minutes.

[@CtDawG77]

I still have that copy of research magazine that peter Zeremba in cutting edge clip

[@blackphillip8486]

Omg I forgot all about Alternative Nation. Many impure thoughts about Kennedy when I was a teen, lmao. I was a death metal kid but had a soft spot for nerdy looking girls. 😂

[@HomelandConspiracy]

I remember seeing Cro-Mags & Bad Brains on 120 mins

[@maxwellraboin5345]

those bands were also featured on Headbangers Ball

[@mohammedganai9636]

MTV also had the nightly "Modern Rock" from 1988 to 1990, a precursor to "Alternative Nation". Also, rhe fall of '87 marked the debut of the "Buzz Bin" video rotation tier (later known as Buzz Clips and Buzzworthy), which mostly spotlighted alternative acts, giving them extensive airplay and often eventual heavy rotation. Indeed it was when acts like REM and the Cure had their first big hits. Headbanger's Ball played a lot of hair bands that were in heavy rotation in its pre-Nirvana days.

[@DroomSpook]

I remember when Radiohead was on among many others. Such a great show. I watched religiously.

[@Andrew-bn7rr]

I think it's worth noting Subterranean basically carrying the 120minutes torch throughout the 2000s. I stayed awake for it in HS. And for a while once a month Subterranean U.K. would double down. Wish there were some way to have this type of programming for new music, even if its curated youtube videos.

[@maplesyrup76]

Still watch the Tori Amos 120 minutes performances (94 &96) every once in a while. They are so good.

[@JaysonBucy]

Used to love 120 minutes. I would spend the night at a buddies house in the summer every Sunday because he had cable and his parents would let us watch it.

[@humongousfungusamongus3871]

I loved 120 minutes! I even remember the very 1st video played on Mtv...The Buggles - Video killed the Radio Star.