Nick Rocks: Video To Go (and Nick Jr. Rocks) - Nick Knacks Episode

[@jcbluejr01]

Ah yes. The turning point of Nickelodeon's look, design and mentality I've been waiting for. Amazing job, dude.

[@Musicradio77Network]

I remember this logo which is far better than the silver ball logo like the one Nick used in the early 80’s. During the segment, he mentioned Eugene Pitt & the Jive Five. As you probably know, Eugene Pitt passed away a year ago, and they were best known for their jingles. Before the group did their station’s jingles, they started as a doo-wop group from the early 1960’s beginning with “My True Story” which was their signature song, and an instant classic that put the group on the map. Then came “What’s Time Is It?”, “Never, Never”, “I’m A Happy Man” and other great classics.

[@MissAshley42]

I can't stop smiling at the thought of a chubby li'l baby pumping his fist to "Rebel Yell."

[@PeaceLoveDisney]

I never expected to find a piece of media that I've been thinking about but couldn't remember for years! Thank you!!!! I knew that there was a video tape that my mom rented out for me at the library growing up and all I remembered about it was it featured a singer that was similar to Raffi and it was a live concert show. The only other thing I remembered was there was a car on stage they were in and as soon as I got to the Nick Jr. section and the bahamas pajamas video popped up - a memory became unlocked. I immediately paused the video and searched for Joe Scruggs where I found the whole concert video. I'm so excited just because I had this video in my head forever and didn't know what it was. Not only am I learning so much about the history of Nickelodeon where I've been going down the rabbit hole watching all the videos to catch up, This was an amazing bonus for me to find too!

[@jaded151]

As soon as I heard "They Might be Giants" in the intro, I got a huge smile across my face!

[@mikesilva3868]

Remember nick rocks junior I remember seeing it on Nickelodeon when I was 7 in 1991 until I was 10 in 1994☻

[@RedKnightKirtro]

So Disney Chanel basically used their library to make AMVs, this probably amuses me more than it most likely should xD

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

Someone had to start it.

[@jwilliams7554]

This is like watching a behind the scenes on how my childhood was framed and constructed. Good job!

[@derekwilliams1660]

After other networks saw the popularity of MTV,it's influence was all over the place. Look at "Miami Vice" , Brandon Tartikoff literally wrote on a napkin "MTV cops" . So it natural that Nick did a music video show.

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

It's why kids my age were referred to as the MTV Generation.

[@unowen253]

3:20 lmao i had no idea Disney made their own AMVs before AMVs were a thing, but i love it

[@maieen2665]

UN Owen It certainly did! I remember one “AMV” for Snow White Set to Pat Benetar’s (sp) “You Better Run”.

[@Musicradio77Network]

That was DTV, the first Disney music show for the Disney Channel, and it was the precursor to the AMV videos where you can see it today. Now it’s just AMV Disney videos where they took the concept and idea from DTV to make it more modern.

[@SpikeShooter92]

Surprised you didn't mention Joe Piasek. A former DJ from New York (I believe from WPIX-FM) who ended up at Nickelodeon as one of the original announcers after the 1984 relaunch and the host of Nick Rocks. Even after the show's cancellation he still stuck around as the voice you'd hear during closings credits saying what's coming up next or discussing a special episode of a show that would air later in the day up until 2001. Nowadays he's a college professor at SUNY

[@angelmarie2]

Greg! You just unlocked amazing memories of me sitting as a 4 year old watching Nick Jr. Rocks and Fred Penner's Place! I am so happy to relive these amazing memories! Thank you so much!

[@rmyers99]

Nostalgia'd pretty hard at this one. I remember growing up during this era and Nickelodeon being in the middle of a rebranding. They really did take a big step forward when they adopted their modern logo and aesthetic. This was the Nick of my childhood. Sorry 90s kids, lol.

[@aaronyochim9779]

HAHAHA! This has been so interesting. I was born in 86 and was watching these shows at my great grandparents house everyday as a VERY Young child in the late 80's. If it wasn't for this series those memories would be forever locked in my subconscious. David the gnome is the only one I really remember. He reminded me of Santa Clause. I only remember scenes from pinwheel because of the replays here, amongst other shows. It is amazing the impact that media can have on memory. I don't remember Nick playing music videos though. Just that guy's voice at the beginning.

[@packgrog]

This was the time where I remember a fair bit more, but a lot of this history I id not know about at all. Fantastic stuff here! Thank you for all the hard work with this research!

[@nicksullivan4994]

I Love Weird Al Yankovic, especially on Nickelodeon!😂🤣❤️📺🎶👍🏻

[@jbanks979]

This is really the point where the channel saved itself, as (even when there were only 13 cable channels), it was still pretty impressive to go from worst to first in the span of roughly a year or so. Nick rocks was the only mtv I was allowed to see..... I will say, and this is 35 year old memories of a 5 year old, but I do remember a single point where the silver ball logo was for the most part ditched entirely. They advertised it as “Nick is changing”, and the only commercials you saw were splat logo from that point on. (To be fair I don’t think I watched the channel long enough to see the sign off so silver ball logo might have still existed there). (Sorry forgot this earlier, congrats and thank you on another excellent installment!)

[@PinkieLopBun]

They definitely still had the silver ball at sign off. If you pause this at the very beginning, you’ll see the orange logo, then the silver ball sign off comes on. kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4i8c4Z_hK-Nr6s

[@eelliott74]

I came to watch Nick Rocks and learned the history of music on television! I loved all the aired footage you incorporated. It really takes me back.

[@amwfan88]

You know, after seeing that ad for Nick Jr. Rocks, I'm convinced that I saw it a few times during the early 90s. That jingle sounded really, really familiar - but I don't recall seeing it. I must have, though, because I don't know where else I would have heard that jingle.

[@Justin-Hill-1987]

A spiritual successor to "Nick Rocks" is Nickelodeon's new NickMusic digital cable channel...

[@chantingmammal]

NickMusic is MTV, Nick Rocks, and even PopClips in all but name!

[@Isthecakereallyalie]

2:57 That is quite the eighties hair, damn.

[@andymcgowan3862]

I had forgotten about Nick Jr. Rocks!

[@MzShonuff123]

Thank you for bringing back my childhood!

[@Ratt2004]

Nick Jr. Rocks....wow, I remember as a 7 year old kid seeing Doug & Gary on there, I was in my glory. They were legends in my hometown, especially Gary, as he's managed a spectacular career as the Happy Pirate.

[@infermon]

I lost it a little bait when the execs wanted Raffi. Like here’s a list of people that like raffi: 1) people who remember bananaphone as a meme 2) adults that think kids are real into raffi

[@Eric_Plunk]

From the depths of my memory Shotgun Red arises.

[@zachadams4310]

I LOVED this show. In 1984 I was seven, was just starting to get interested in music, and my parents didn't listen to anything but country and didn't want MTV on in the house, so as a kid without a radio of my own this was how I interacted with pop music until I was probably 11. It's where I first heard Elton John and Madonna and Weird Al and Debbie Gibson (probably my first celeb crush), and everything in between. Very cool to get the history of the splat, the Jive Five and Fred/Alan mixed in with this since there's not THAT much to say about Nick Rocks itself...this was another really great episode.

[@100percentSNAFU]

That's funny, because you are the same age as I am, and my parents also didn't allow MTV because they bought into the whole notion of the time that it was "polluting" the youth. So Nick Rocks was the extent of my music video viewing at that age, unless of course I went to my neighbor friends house who had MTV and listened to heavy metal (obviously a bad influence!)

[@JoeBushOnline]

I had no clue about Shelly Duvall's involvement but it's fantastic that she was able to turn a bad experience as a film actor into a positive influence over children's media

[@Tacom4ster]

That weird awkward Schineder period was fascinating, but now things are getting epic

[@lainiwakura1776]

I did not know how old They Might Be Giants was, jeebus. LASSIE!!!

[@YujiUedaFan]

They were even around during the early internet and hung out with Homestar Runner.

[@darktetsuya]

I don't think I remember this one?! though the 'kids' letters' section yeah that probably could've been me, haha. enjoyed the backstory of the whole 'orange splat' motif!

[@SketchBud]

So that's how the orange splat was made! Awesome video

[@YujiUedaFan]

24:29 I watched that episode earlier today! I was thinking about that show while watching this video too!

[@mattperiolat]

Nick Rocks was actually forbidden in my house for the longest time! No MTV, no rock music at all. I finally snuck a few episodes over a summer, just enough to have the videos for Here’s Johnny from Short Circuit and David Bowie’s ‘Underground’ from Labyrinth stuck in my brain. Good times

[@SigHawk04]

Your parents must have been afraid Nickelodeon would honor Denise's request at 15:52.

[@mattperiolat]

SigHawk04 I think it was more that, to them, Rock was different in the early 80s. Harder edge, darker images. More Black Sabbath I suppose.

[@stephenholloway6893]

Hanna Barbera also got in on the music video act. By doing the same thing Disney did.

[@jasonscalise5]

I couldn't watch MTV as a kid, so I got all my 80s music videos from Nick Rocks. Good times.

[@100percentSNAFU]

Even though I really only remember the silver ball logo for maybe a year when we first got cable in like 1983-84, and most of my youth I would have been exposed to the orange splat logo, I still rather fancy the silver ball.

[@pdbasement]

Yes! So looking forward to Lassie, I suspect that's going to be real dip into TV history.

[@Justin-Hill-1987]

From August to December 1985, National Geographic Magazine had full-page Nickelodeon schedules printed in their magazine to promote National Geographic Explorer. Nick Rocks was list as one of the shows on the schedule...

[@Mchannnel]

We will miss you Shelley…😢

[@altcowboy]

I wish someone had actual copies of these. I was part of a house party with Weird Al and can't find a copy of it. But apparently they were destoyed when the studios flooded.

[@dennisscipio]

I had a hard time finding the name of the song on the Nick Rocks commercial at around 14:10, does anybody know what song is playing near the end of the Nick Rocks promo?

[@SaskRider2]

Head Over Heels by The Go-Gos.

[@vgtrp]

Nick Rocks might be gone, but it lives on in their Nickmusic channel.

[@ryanortega1511]

Wonderful video, though I do think that you should consider audio cleanups for video sources.

[@KKAkuoku]

And we will never know the name of the Nick Rocks announcer, even if he ended up being a voiceover for the channel for a decade.

[@jeffharrisTXB]

I know that answer. It's Joe Piasek, better known as Joe from Chicago. He was the voice of Nickelodeon for a good generation.

[@KKAkuoku]

Jeff Harris Hope to god that he’s still with us, cuz that voice sounds like a hard 60 years old even back then

[@jeffharrisTXB]

@@KKAkuoku He's pushing 70 and still with us last time I checked (1984 was 35 years ago, so he was relatively young back in the day with his familiar vocal talents) and had been working on radio in some capacity until he retired last year.

[@aaronyochim9779]

@@KKAkuoku No joke. That voice triggers so many childhood memories. I can hear him announcing all of those old shows from the 90's. I was born in 86. When I heard him at the beginning of this I thought, now it begins. HAHAHA

[@Biochemitra]

It's a small thing, but seeing my name in the credits of the patreon scroll gives me a jolt of pride.

[@tractorman287]

Interestingly enough, the teletext font for Nick rocks in program graphics are the same as another music video show, Friday night videos.

[@jwilliams7554]

Hey I thought you were going to bring up the Nick Hit List which also debuted in 1991. That was probably the best successor to Nick Rocks with a slightly different format. I don’t remember too much but it showcased five video but only played one or two in its entirely. There was a teenage host who would have segments and several interviews. It came on Friday nights and I really enjoyed it because i was right at the age where I was liking music videos more(11). Sadly it was canceled quickly for some reason.

[@gojikranz]

Maybe it was just my phone but the audio on Shelley Duvalls cameo in real monsters was inaudible. Otherwise another great episode starting to look more like the nick I knew!

[@roristevens2810]

I believe Disney Channel had the monopoly on Raffi specials in the 80s/early 90s.

[@Justin-Hill-1987]

Maybe it was the inclusion of "Nick Rocks" on Nickelodeon that caused some small town cable service providers to opt out of including MTV on their cable TV lineups...just maybe...

[@icky_sticky_mars]

Great video as always

[@NickSamon]

I can't believe both The Wiggles and The Blow Monkeys appear in one KZbin video besides my video content.

[@thepantweaver]

I'm interested in this as the beginning of Nickelodeon's and society in general's awakening to the child as a consumer force unto itself. I'll be looking to see if you'll cover that aspect of things as the 80s transition into the 90s and that side of things really go into full force.

[@mikesilva3868]

☻🙃

[@ThePuffinTop]

14:50 Debbie Gibson, who co-hosted the 1988 Kids Choice Awards and recently judged on Nickelodeon reality show

[@JuanGomez-ke5py]

So what next keep on the good work

[@good03boy]

Nickelodeon continued to air music videos even after Nick Rocks ended.

[@zachadams4310]

(also, the best DTV short was and always will be "Sweet Dreams" by the Eurythmics, which is downright nightmarish.)

[@doctordwarf1086]

does anyone know what that name of the song at 13;00

[@Feelthefelt]

What is the name of the announcer heard at the beginning of this video.

[@abiodunsulaiman2297]

3:10, Wait did disney create AMVS?!

[@marcomacias3960]

is Nick Rocks narrated by the same person who does voiceovers for every ending of any Nick shows to announce the next show?

[@SonofMrPeanut]

DTV, aka the birth of AMVs.

[@ZyxthePest]

Seibert had a lot of good ideas early on and I'm sure he's enjoying Castlevania's success now, but OOF Cartoon Hangover was a giant misstep. Putting all his eggs in the Adventure Time basket was a mistake. I'm sure they did good on launch, but I can't think of ANYONE who still watching Bravest Warriors and Bee & Puppycat.

[@Lurker1979]

To think I was alive when this happened as a kid and its target demographic.

[@DigiRangerScott]

I miss the Nick Animation Podcast

[@FunnymanTimmy]

So do I. Wonder what happened.

[@DigiRangerScott]

FunnymanTimmy Seems to have been a smaller order for season 3. Maybe 50 episodes was the whole plan. I dunno

[@FunnymanTimmy]

It’s strange that they stopped after an episode that led into The Jungle Movie. They didn’t even say that it was the final episode.

[@DigiRangerScott]

FunnymanTimmy I know. So many people they could’ve interviewed

[@lifeworksndhenterprisesllc6597]

thanks Shelley Duval for adding fantasy work and producing and directing ideas that a little infant can enjoy. I'm a writer and I guess many opportunities that open some doors for many people but I had been written serval television scripts to be loyal family orientated fun to be at all. so I thank her for it. I had my own venue for math and science for KZbin called, LifeWorks,ndh enterprises LLC. hey check them out. your children will be amazed but it has real life contents that can real to.

[@jaggerguth4391]

Weird Al... You Never Disappoint Me..

[@meyerj75]

Nick Rocks was a testament to how a program with music videos work. Devote 30-60 minutes a day with music videos and leave the rest to related network programming, something that MTV had failed to do with its 24/7 concept of nothing but music videos. I mean who wants to watch MTV all day with nothing but 24 hours of music videos when you know What's Love Got To Do With It by Tina Turner was going to be played 7 or 8 times? (No offense, Tina) Why didn't MTV devote only 1-2 hours a day of music videos instead and show music related programs and variety shows like Sonny & Cher and The Ed Sullivan Show or American Bandstand reruns similar to what Nickelodeon did balancing kid related programs with up to an hour a day of music videos? Pop Clips had the right idea. Air 5 music videos during a 30 minutes show (but at the time, next to Pinwheel?). What made Nick Rocks work was that there was more variety of programs than there was with Pop Clips, a lot of animation from the commercial bumpers and even the programs themselves like Danger Mouse. Plus, kids can get involve in participating by mailing postcards for video requests, contest sweepstakes, etc. A lot more interactivity than before. It could have lasted longer than it did which would have welcomed such acts like the B52s and Richard Marx, but Nickelodeon wanted to make room for newer shows like Hey Dude, Think Fast, & Make The Grade for example. Nevertheless, Nick Rocks, Nickelodeon, & Gerry Laybourne were now on the right track. But can they stay that way through 1985, one year before Double Dare?

[@jwilliams7554]

Damn I forgot all about country clips

[@hollowman7168]

I sware they might be giants have been somehow following me though entertainment for my entire life

[@jldraw]

Silver Ball Generation 4 Life!

[@100percentSNAFU]

Word.

[@deladzakwasi]

he didnt write that

[@lifeworksndhenterprisesllc6597]

thanks nickoloden, but the hidden piece you knew that nick rocks became later as the nick kids choice awards. secret revealed.please let's bring back raffi , good children's tunes very annoying. I love him.

[@lifeworksndhenterprisesllc6597]

if your children had difficulty or you older person has major problems with math,and sometimes science, LifeWorks,ndh enterprises,llc. check a few videos out but I need scholastic media to have discussion. thanks anyway.

[@CinnamonGrrlErin1]

What kind of an 8 year old listens to Whitesnake?

[@heidifedor]

I remember they edited out the sex, and violence, form the videos.

[@deladzakwasi]

change the channel name to popclips LMAO

[@shipspiros3766]

Nick Rocks 1984-1989

[@shipspiros3766]

Nick Rocks Episode 35 1985

[@electricmonk01]

your out of place tag lines crack me up at the beginning of your intros.

[@joshuacorum8376]

I can't wait for your Lassie episode!