Nickelodeon Silver Ball Bumper Compilation (1981-1984)

A collection of bumpers from Nickelodeon's "Silver Ball" era (1981-1984). They're the most 80's things ever, but I quite enjoy them. ALSO includes the sign-on and sign-off bumpers for this era as well.
Credit to TrippyVids, RetroJunk, JustinInAtlanta, Magnetic Tape Head and tvguy1979 for providing all of these.

[@chaoflaka8132]

Why does this feel nostalgic now all because I looked up all the history of Nickelodeon when I was in middle school?

[@WillCWilson]

Maybe because even though you weren't born during that time, you were able to find the stuff thanks to other people who archived it?

[@chaoflaka8132]

@@WillCWilson most likely. Not to mention the music is catchy as hell.

[@MadameSomnambule]

I was the same way, I looked up the history of Nickelodeon in middle school as well since I was already fascinated by the 80s (still am to this day tbh).

[@Frosteve]

@@MadameSomnambule man I kinda wish I knew what it was like to live in the 80s it might of been really cool instead of the tech world and the people can do what they want world today

[@Frosteve]

Also same I remember watching these in 8th grade and found some of these 80s and 90s bumpers nostaliga even though I was a 2010s kid born in 2000s

[@KatTheLavaGirl]

My Mom used to watch You Can’t Do That On Television as a kid. It was so cool to see her reaction since she hadn’t seen these bumpers since she was 7.

[@brucevalari5612]

I can definitely relate to that. Growing up in the 90's if you didn't record a show chances are you weren't going to see it again unless they did reruns. The internet has helped me dig up shows and such that I never thought I'd see again.

[@Dr.Quarex]

Oh man, I forgot about the random-ass "quick phone dialing" sounds that sometimes happened on cable in the 1980s.

[@abarahona]

The DTMF tones (or quick phone dialing, as you call it) were made by the channel station to notify local cable operators of the beginning and ending of commercial sections, so the local cable operators could insert their local ads with good timing.

[@MrMiner-hy9bf]

That’s good timing 1:00 @@abarahona

[@greek_shipspotter]

​@@MrMiner-hy9bfand in 0:45

[@silveryote1]

And on VHS

[@XanS3050]

1:16 missed one

[@janesmith7676]

Silver Ball era is unmatched for promo music. Some great hummable catchiness here and some rockin' coolness there. Even the more familiar and beloved "Nick Nick Nickelodeon" from later just doesn't hold a candle for me.

[@janesmith7676]

Also, how underappreciated is this forgotten little period? Yes it was ages ago...fewer people watched. But I've seen interview of former Nick programming people kind of dumping on this era, including Silver Ball logo itself! BS! There was a solid variety of programming considering the low-budget situation (because of good resources used to fill the schedule). So much creativity in the advertising. They appealed to the child imagination, as well as intellectually nourishing them. Yes the 'shine' and corporate energy wasn't there, but there was real substance. They went too far in advancing the 'hip'/trendy factor later on. (And as fun as some of it was, look what it all led to.) I suppose it's a business, ultimately. Still, in hindsight it seems like a cool little secret to have been in the comparatively smaller TV-viewing population, who watched early Nick. What they had in those few years was never replicated, really.

[@Oldfogey82]

@@janesmith7676 growing up with Nickelodeon in the 90's, I'll admit the silver ball era had better music in the bumpers. Sure people are more nostalgic for 90's Nickelodeon. However the Silver Ball era was something unique.

[@VBaskin2010]

@@Oldfogey82 That's right! And with Nick going on the big 4-5 next year, i think it's time for Silver Ball to make a shiny but energetic comeback................WITH A TRANSFORMERS TWIST TO IT! 😉

[@snowylove2002]

However the “silver ball era” wasn’t very commercially successful at all. Nickelodeon in the 1970s-early 80s was considered the “boring TV channel”. Kids were even bullied for watching Nickelodeon around that time. Nickelodeon was loosing over $10million (consider that this was the early 80s). Hence why they hired 2 guys to help them rebrand to reach a wider audience. They desperately needed that rebrand to succeed.

[@VBaskin2010]

IDK @@snowylove2002 the Silver Ball era was more of Nick's 1st step of evolving from a wannabe PBS kids channel into the legend that we've known and love today, plus Fred and Alan didn't came to Nick until 1985 and that's when the Orange splat era began so you've gotta give props where prop is due Silver the colorful pinball help took Nick into a level that no other network let alone another children's television network can't do.

[@Akira625]

I'm old enough to remember the silver ball Nickelodeon logo. My family got cable in 1981, and it opened my mind to a whole new world of television programming.

[@nicksullivan4994]

Now, This is Totally 80’s!❤️📺🎶👍🏻

[@SarahsMediaVault]

80's as f**k

[@VBaskin2010]

Hey! Language @@SarahsMediaVault.

[@jerrygil1965]

Early 80s

[@KatTheLavaGirl]

*Very* 80’s indeed

[@nicksullivan4994]

@Diego Romero Yes! I’m a Total Nickelodeon Super Fan!😍❤️📺🎶

[@VBaskin2010]

It's hard to imagine that next year will be the 40th anniversary of the Nickelodeon Silver Ball era.

[@KatTheLavaGirl]

Yeah it is crazy. I’m currently in 2021 and it’s shocking

[@janesmith7676]

Happy 40th to the Silver Ball! Such an underappreciated era with awesome creativity.

[@alaanncitoo]

I don't really know why Nickelodeon never takes a look back to this era, they always remember there very first Nicktoons and their golden era from the early 90's on their social media or the channel itself.

[@CommyPlayz]

@@alaanncitoo they alway look at the golden era never the silver

[@REALsnstruthers]

@@alaanncitoo it’s because the network was consistently last place in cable ratings during this era; yeah the logo has lots of charm, but most of the network’s programming back just plain sucked. it wouldn’t be until viacom yoinked mtv in 1985, which nick just so happened to be scooped up alongside, that the network would see a radical new direction and, subsequently, start the long road of eventually reaching the number 1 spot in cable ratings 10 years later.

[@rubygoldgames]

You ever just feel nostalgic for an era you weren't even alive in?

[@silverballstudios3578]

Yes :)

[@thatkaidonchannelcountryba3606]

Same here

[@AxessReboot]

Me too

[@CosmoRandom]

Yeah

[@ТреугольныйОдноглазыйПарень]

yea

[@soniquefus]

I was born in 81... I don't remember any of these but watching them brings about a sense of comfort.

[@FlorafoxNights]

Come along (Come along!) we can find, a world of magic (Come along! come along!) come along, we can make, the world your friend! Silver ball in the air! See it glow everywhere! Nickelodeonroundroundandroundherewego! Nickelodeon!

[@cleenbeen]

Sounds like something pennywise the clown would sing if you think about it lmao

[@mikudayo_tin5244]

@@cleenbeen Lol

[@ScroogeKamaziMD]

Actually it's: Nickelo Nickelo Nickelo, here we go Nickelodeon

[@silentrage8961]

@@ScroogeKamaziMD actually it's: Nickelo, in the know Nickelo, here we go Nickelodeon

[@andywolan]

I have not seen these bumpers since I was a kid in 1984. I can’t believe I still remember some of them. The pinball table weirded me out because of how the ball moved. Looking back, I think they did the editor reversed and replayed some footage to lengthen what they had to fit the music.

[@VBaskin2010]

The name of that mascot is Silver.

[@ayannajohnson6875]

Silver ball see it glow everywhere

[@ayannajohnson6875]

I love the silver ball

[@JasonDelarosa2000]

@@ayannajohnson6875 Nickelo nickelo nickelo here we go Nickeloooooooodeon!

[@zhevxodaone]

😭

[@RyneMcKinney]

The few people that grew up with this Nickelodeon have to be in their 40s to 50s now

[@RaphaelMiller-cw3qi]

5:24 I like those two Nickelodeon movies logos

[@mattdawg83686]

The last bumper is the one I remember most from way back when. Now at 51 years old, I can’t help but wax nostalgic as times were so much simpler then compared to now. Did any of us really know what we had?

[@LEGOGames1000YT]

The hour the closedown happened and what followed next depended on the year. In 1981-83, Nickelodeon would sign off at 9 PM with nothing except the obvious scramble following immediately. In 1984, however, Nick would sign off at around 4 or 5 PM, with the Arts & Entertainment Network (A&E) coming after a few instants. The latter happened due to limited cable bandwidth, so Nickelodeon and A&E needed to share the same frequency. All before Nick at Nite was created in 1985, which served as Nick's primetime block (and independent cable channel, much akin to Adult Swim in Cartoon Network's case). But, well, it's a LONG STORY, not gonna lie. Anyways, it's really interesting to see how Nickelodeon signed off his transmissions back then.

[@CVerse]

Oh that explains why most channels only had segments running in specific times

[@Frosteve]

Wasn't the sign off at 9 and 4 or 5pm this 6:08?

[@RaphaelMiller-cw3qi]

0:01 I like that one too and I like all of them I didn't know that this was Nickelodeon back in the 80s

[@liamfunnyman6965]

Imagine if this ball gets in Nick All-Star Brawl, as either a playable character or a boss. Actually, why not both? I want playing as the Ball to feel like you're playing as a boss.

[@unknown_guy5366]

Like master core?

[@zhevxodaone]

This just might restore my childhood innocence

[@agustingomez1590]

I might be from generation Z, but I used to watch this kind of videos before COPPA invaded KZbin. Just to have a good time.

[@ragnakak]

What is COPPA?

[@agustingomez1590]

@@ragnakak seriously? It's the law done for KZbin to protect children from such videos that aren't for them. It's been applied from 3 years now. I can't believe you don't have any idea about that.

[@user-tp1ps5pe6f]

This really brings back memories. I loved to see the Nickelodeon "Silver Ball" with that rocking tune for Nickelodeon back in the early eighties. I wish for nostalgia sake that Nick would, at least for a short time anyway, bring it back.

[@SashaboxEntertainment]

1:08 Moog synthesizer!!!

[@harisbegovic]

1:08 My favourite bumper!

[@paperducks910]

I love it‘s music

[@Dr.Quarex]

Some of the live-action shorts here are basically ahead of their time. Late 80s/early 90s commercials were awash with radical biking/skateboarding and screeching guitars

[@JasonDelarosa2000]

And 2000s too

[@sugardc2566]

Music: 0:00 On The Church 0:32 I'm Ready 0:53 Let's Go 1:08 Fountain Splashing 1:24 Go To Beach 1:45 From The Park 2:17 Rocket Fly 2:37 Every Country 2:58 From The Mall 3:11 Having Fun 3:17 On The Jungle 3:51 Playing On Bedroom 4:02 On The Arcade 4:20 Playing Football 4:51 City Dance 5:24 Disco 5:38 Dawn To Morning 5:49 Cartoon Music 5:59 Bedtime Story 6:09 Singing From City

[@marcinhasantos1321]

Thanks 👍

[@harisbegovic]

5:39 Me on my way to heaven..... 😇😇😇

[@Cameroo]

I really liked the more whimsical silverball promo stuff over the orange splat era. But I can see why it was changed with the re-branding of the channel.

[@RaphaelMiller-cw3qi]

And 5:31 I like that Nickelodeon movie logo too

[@gIoriaflores]

the sound of the sign off music is really nice and the lyrics are clever, I wish they used the silver ball on the new logo

[@ZootWorld1]

That late 70's early 80's aesthetic is glorious.

[@victortheguy8494]

This Silver Ball was used in 1981-1984 and again in 1985

[@SonicstarVocaloid]

This logo makes me feel nostalgia for a Nick era I wasn't even born in. I actually like it better than the current logo we have now, LOL

[@jay0787]

I wasn't born in the 80s either yet I feel like there was an old me who experienced the 80s. Idk why I just know these commercials...

[@seardadsdasd]

@@jay0787 Maybe in an alternate universe, there's a alternate version of us born in the 80s

[@jay0787]

@@seardadsdasd Maybe!

[@MJlover3600]

​@Random User I always like to imagine me being a kid in the 80s. Like the boys off Stranger Things but without the alien stuff lol

[@XanS3050]

5:38 this one will always be my favorite

[@seleverofficialchannel3044]

I wish they still had the silver ball bumpers

[@jwilliams7554]

Me too , only in a perfect word but unfortunately the network was losing $10 million and had to go though a major facelift to survive and become the empire we know today

[@gIoriaflores]

@@jwilliams7554 :(

[@VBaskin2010]

@@jwilliams7554 Well with Nick reaching the big 4-5 this year maybe it can; like this! kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3XXk56ih7hmjM0si=ckkDolfYZTDsx6Wz

[@djmutt2000]

Back when Nick wanted to empty you of your stress! Now they want to empty you of your sanity!

[@marcinhasantos1321]

If I had been born in the 80's I would want to see what Nickelodeon is like up close on TV.

[@Robnoxos]

It was ALOT more educational, so it may not have been your cup of tea looking at it though the eyes of someone who didn't live through it. Sure, it had silly stuff like You Can't Do That On Television and Danger Mouse and some really weird show called The Tomorrow People from England (think a poor man's Doctor Who). Outside of Pinwheel which was aimed directly at toddlers like Seseme Street, most of the early Nickelodeon shows had some educational value (be it science or the arts) but for pre-teens to teenagers. There was even an afternoon show called Livewire that was aimed at the high-school ages were they would have live phone-in topics from the young public like "Bullying" or "Making Friends In a New School" etc. The Nickelodeon many of us remember here is nothing like the Nickelodeon you may remember. It's not a bad thing but was wildly different in it's infancy.

[@The_MasterXD]

Nostalgia :(

[@zhevxodaone]

You're definitely an OG

[@Nevalster]

I remember these

[@hustledude]

I remember that last song with the lyrics so well just like it were yesterday

[@CosmoRandom]

I love this bumpers!!! 🩵🩷🩶

[@FunnyOskarr]

3:51 kinda cool tbh

[@greencirlceusa]

Nick Turn into Breakaways From You Can't Do That On Television

[@greencirlceusa]

6:55

[@greencirlceusa]

They Forgot To Say Nickelodeon At 1:41

[@greencirlceusa]

Bumper At 3:51

[@greencirlceusa]

Then It Turned Into Breakaways at 3:58

[@JoseTwitterFan]

0:32 No, don't play with the silver ball kids! That belongs to the Tall Man! *RUN FOR YOUR LIVES, AHHHHH!!!!!!* 😱

[@RedStrikerBeetleborg]

Good film

[@cooldude2679]

Look around, you can find a world of magic, Look around, you can make the world your freind, silver ball, (Silver ball in the air) in the air, see it glow (See it glow everywhere!) everywhere, Nickelo, Nickelo, Nickelo, here we go, Nickelooooooooooodeon!

[@jwatt1396]

I love lyrics!

[@tattoos5609]

40 Years Ago Since...

[@randibornstein-sb1mp]

And now here are the silver ball’s years of use 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984

[@CartoonPhreak]

Exactly. Long before the orange Nickelodeon logo and Viacom’s ownership of MTV Networks in 1985 up until the new millennium.

[@CD-tj4su]

Wow the 80s the early golden ages

[@emmayoung736]

0:55 one of the earliest instances of Nickelodeon slime

[@DemonNano]

Nickelo here we go nickelo here we go Nickelooooodeon!

[@talkingtomangela2024]

6:07 this bumper sounds good

[@timbermicka]

Is there a high quality upload of that main theme ? It's so happy and catchy I love it

[@dylanlopez2545]

Pinwheel is my favorite

[@ussarizonayamato9188]

Underrated logo

[@jwilliams7554]

Can anyone recall if this 6:11 was the actual ending sign off during the end of the silver ball era not long before Nick at nite started? I was a huge danger mouse fan when I was 4-5 so I remember watching Nickelodeon sign off every night at 8 est. This would’ve been late 84 and early 85 And for some reason I remember this closing being slightly different. I vaguely remember a version without the male lead singer and the closing theme music with less horns. I do remember the silver balls floating around in space but that could’ve been a little different as well. And the version seen on KZbin is perhaps an earlier version. But there’s no where I can confirm this. We’re talking almost 40 years ago

[@SarahsMediaVault]

you're probably just misremembering it. as far as i'm aware that was always the sign off for the era

[@Troll._Face]

Maybe the singer left

[@goinsouth051]

I miss the old Nickelodeon so much. I can remember watching it all the time. There was some thought on what to put on so kids could stay and watch it. there were some interesting shows on this channel that were classic.

[@guythatpoggers]

6:10 my favorite

[@merik2001]

2:47 This one didn't age too well..

[@KatTheLavaGirl]

Oh lord

[@jay0787]

Pls just stop mentioning that incident

[@davidl570]

merik2001 You know those AREN'T the Twin Towers.......................right? Not even close. Don't remember the name, but they're two famous office towers located in L.A.--I've seen footage of them in several movies. Get a clue already.

[@djmutt2000]

Yeah… those aren’t the World Trade Center towers. I’ve seen enough photos of them to confirm it.

[@YoungMrBlue]

I think it’s best that I don’t know the context of this one

[@bluescluesfan4645]

At first i didn’t know that Nickelodeon’s logo looked like then I said to myself the logo wasn’t always orange or a splat

[@randibornstein-sb1mp]

6:08 this was Nickelodeon’s sign off from around late 1980 to mid 1985

[@DerrickLee2023DLA]

I wondered who did this amazing piece of music at 2:32.

[@VBaskin2010]

Klein& Made those jingles for Nickelodeon in 1981.

[@jasminnemcdonald94A]

Before the Splat!

[@gustavoceballos5327]

In some bumpers the fast phone beeps can be heard

[@xaismith157]

Free food

[@wademodeindrugs1918]

0:44 Does anyone know what that sound is, or why they play it?, what has been seen in several advertisements, even current ones.

[@kalilreviews7852]

they are called dtmf signals. It was very common in the 80s and 90s on cable tv that noise was to let local advertising put their ads in timeslots close to their area. this obviously wasn’t in regular local tv because it was called local tv

[@musicaltheatrefan2k226]

5:54 Guys, it says noedolekcin

[@BLANKNOTING]

Memories 1980’s-6th Century BCE.: Nickel .5c Theatballical Silver Chomaballs. (Pinballs) Strobelight & Cinemas. (“Treasureodeon“!) This Happened Seriously…

[@FunnyOskarr]

5:50

[@jeffmarks1996]

5:39 what music is this one from?

[@scrippswbparamounttelevisa]

my silver ball logo gonna be the wtv network women's television

[@MarciaRivaTheAphmauFan]

1:08 1983

[@JonathanHale2023]

I love The Silver ball but my favorite is this 1:08 Fountain Fun

[@Mr_Rizzman]

0:45 eas

[@dominatekid9418]

0:44 i hear the phone ringging 😂😂😂😂😂

[@smophie6260]

It’s a dial tone, usually a older way to signify when a commercial break was on the way

[@randibornstein-sb1mp]

It was primarily used in the silver ball era, but it was also played on splat era bumpers as well from around 1985-86.

[@AeonHero147]

0:18 Why does this part sound so anime-esque?

[@NONO00o0]

When the Chezz

[@AnneStanne]

📞 be appearing in some commercial

[@alexkotas7486]

Does anyone know who animated these logos?

[@margaritamartinez6829]

It is nice😊🎉

[@smfplus]

First Rebrand Nickelodeon By Bob Klein And Tipo Design & Tipo Music

[@Flippa-n8ysquik]

Estaban muy bien hechos los bumpers para la época estoy hablando de 1981(0:13)

[@VBaskin2010]

Uh sorry to burst your bubble Madame @SarahsMediaVault, but the Silver Ball era ran from 1981 to 1985. Facts!

[@BLANKNOTING]

My Parent Houses For Nightmare Green Man For “You Can’t Do That On Television” Change DreamLifes.

[@nayiberamirezcaballero6237]

I like nickelodeon 1984

[@abctube-un6vg]

Nickeloooodeon

[@chasformer3091]

Before orange there was silver.

[@robloxgamer-922]

Nick nick

[@margaritamartinez6829]

I went to Nickelodeon universe, American dream

[@TahjAurelien-bb2qv]

Nickelodeon is launched in April 1st 1979 and Disney Channel launched in 1983

[@CameronLongYT]

Which means nickelodeon is the original

[@CartoonPhreak]

Happy Anniversary, Nickelodeon (1979-2024) and Disney Channel (1983-2024)

[@CommercialFan98]

0:10 That Coin In The Air Is A Buffalo Nickel

[@luciannesantoslemos3148]

2:17 gostei desse

[@user-zx8kd8xe6e]

The pre SpongeBob era

[@DilanCommunications]

DAMN, NICKELODEON WAS SO FUCKING OLD!!!

[@jamesmeler7432]

First aired On Jun 30, 1970 And Cancelled Aug 22, 1976

[@Voleakchin]

NICKELODEON TVC

[@luciannesantoslemos3148]

Music now from Nickelodeon is a modinha who thinks it likes it

[@ShizukaOG]

*Why does it sounds someone need to call?* 📞

[@inglorioushitler8798]

Back in the day, this were queues for “stations” to air local commercials or something

[@cromagprophet]

5:38 + 6:39

[@kattypaolamunozfuentes2702]

3:05 what kind of chewing gum is that?

[@dashpro6611]

nickelo-nickelo-nickelo here we go nickeloooooooooooooooooooooooooodeon 0:26

[@neilagbada6744]

During the Warner-Amex era

[@CartoonPhreak]

Correct. Viacom currently owns Nickelodeon.

[@Kevin_A]

I just came here to bounce