First 12 Minutes of MTV

[@Dazlidorne]

Ironically, MTV killed MTV.

[@NYNYRaider]

Yep 😔

[@Teeveepicksures]

The internet killed MTV *edit* People are PISSED 😂 and have a very weird sense of time. MTV only premiered in '81 and ten years later there was the The Real World. Saying it died "way before that" doesn't even make sense.

[@smokerise]

Good riddance...it was fun during the first few years, but then "reality" shows took it over and turned it into garbage.

[@shelbyseelbach9568]

And radio just keeps going.....

[@thomas5714]

Like ESPN killed ESPN

[@aaronthomas8459]

When MTV was actually MTV and not the crap they air nowadays.

[@TalkingGIJoe]

the ultimate bait and switch... the second reincarnation of MTV are responsible for the decadence of a generation of young people.

[@floridapmi]

The music industry only makes crap today, so we wouldn't watch it if they did show videos.

[@gregorychurch3914]

MTV is now crap. In the 80’s it ruled

[@richardchambers3533]

There is still an MTV?

[@luftwaffe6521]

And dog💩 it is

[@mrbreeze5556]

“We can’t rewind, we’ve gone too far!” Pretty prophetic words looking back 40 years!

[@johngerson7335]

Yep. That tune's creepy af, always was imho.

[@jchapman8248]

That song was apropos to signal the transition of society's musical listening habits and a sad harbinger of the future of music. It slowly shifted from average looking but skilled musicians and vocalists (see Christopher Cross) to today's aesthetically pleasing heap of "performers" and synthetically generated, crap music of today. That's a slow 40+ year downward slide.

[@lanszoominternet]

Yawn🥱

[@alexp8764]

@@jchapman8248 This is the usual old-fashioned way of thinking. Bad music was there then too, just as now, if you want to look, there is excellent music.

[@Underdrummer]

We can't rewind there's no VCRs

[@JessicaLee70]

LOVED MTV!!! Who else remembers Headbangers ball on Friday nights?

[@therealwilfreddierkes9980]

The Ball. 🤘🏼

[@anonimous2451]

Yea that came along about 5 years into it.

[@awbinn3377]

I remember but from early 90s. I think it was hosted by a blonde whose name was Pip Dann

[@jamesoutlaw2043]

It started as metal mania and turned into headbangers ball. I warched every weekend.

[@anonimous2451]

@@jamesoutlaw2043 I warched too !!!

[@ThinkLascivious]

I'm 55 years old... watched this live. It was the best thing ever... at the time.

[@Joe_C.]

So what's the "best thing ever" now since, in the 'world/culture' sense??

[@Jiggyjiggy123]

Nope. MTV started as a platform for music videos (a brand new art form). They didn't start live performances until the 90s. So, if you remember MTV live in 1985, you weren't there. 😊

[@Firedrake1313]

​@@Jiggyjiggy123.. They mean that they saw it when it was first broadcast in 1981. Smh

[@michellerutherford9551]

I was right there with you. It was awesome!!

[@michellerutherford9551]

​@@Firedrake1313 there's always that one person who know exactly what's up and has to act a fool. Thanks for shutting it down friend.❤

[@teresabenson3385]

My older brother was 23 and was working as a cable TV installer. They gave him an official MTV T-shirt right as it launched. I was so jealous!

[@robertewalt7789]

MTV needed the cable companies to help promote MTV to the cable customers, so MTV gave the shirts to cable companies to give to the installers, including your brother.

[@timpahl6984]

My future ex-wife and I had moved to the Twin Cities in Minnesota shortly before the 'launch' date of MTV. I already had five years of technical experience in cable from Duluth. The chief tech and I had mounted the LNA on the ten-meter dish( yes, they used to be that large), and we got it aimed at the bird less than twenty minutes before zero hour. Really tight, but we made it...

[@HansDelbruck53]

You were jealous over a T-shirt?

[@teresabenson3385]

@@HansDelbruck53 Yep. You couldn't just buy those anywhere at that point, when MTV first launched. And I was a teenager.

[@Bob12345-o]

@@teresabenson3385 I stopped being a teenager decades ago. I totally understand your statement.

[@wacobob56dad]

When everybody wanted cable just for MTV.

[@cheleshows]

My grandpa had MTV before anyone I knew.

[@entropybentwhistle]

It was the new radio, but with pictures.

[@luvyesmusici4886]

I went up to visit relatives in Massachusetts. They had MTV we didn’t have it in Virginia yet. I recorded hours of it on VHS tapes and played it for friends and brothers. Who would believe after seeing the Buggles on MTV I would be hanging out with Geoff Downes on n several occasions years later, and he would be calling me by name, and using my idea for a stage set up.

[@luvyesmusici4886]

@@entropybentwhistle and certainly style and fashion, too.

[@antonchigurh3794]

We didn’t have cable where we lived in Texas. We just went to channel 7 and twisted the tuning knob and it came in.

[@jameswise7719]

I miss the 80s 😞

[@Boc68]

Yeah. I'm 56 and those were the absolute best years of my life. If I could only go back I sure as fk would

[@TXoilrises]

Same. 😢

[@donaldcarter4324]

Many of us do😢

[@michaelfletcher1224]

I was just saying that to my wife. I’m 55 and I totally miss that time.

[@kennnuthatch5724]

@@Boc68 56 here...68' was a great year!

[@norwoodwildlife9849]

MTV then= Music Television MTV today= Mindless Television

[@mstover2809]

Yep.

[@hjortekid]

Sad, but true

[@SilverfoxJB]

Moronic Television

[@Dr.Tinkerpaw]

Empty Vee

[@redtesta]

Facts

[@Spectator1959]

I forgot that Pat Benatar was that young once. I forgot I was that young.

[@falcon4548]

🤷🏻‍♂️

[@therealgaragegirls]

We all were once upon a time.

[@goldwinger5434]

Not long ago I was walking through a store, turned a corner and was confronted by a mirror. My reaction was "Who's this old guy?" A young female coworker saw a picture of me from forty years ago and said, "My God, you were good looking." Gee, thanks. I don't know when it happened, one day I was young and the next I was no longer young.

[@falcon4548]

@@goldwinger5434 I know right 😐… when I was 17 ..at a beer🍻 drinking party and after consuming a few dozen or maybe 2 dozen 😜.. I saw myself in a mirror and said s##t! It’s gonna suck when I turn 30… ! 44 years later and remembering that night on occasion , wow that went fast 🤔

[@miloswanson9646]

I saw Pat Benetar in concert waaaay back then - probably 1982-'83. Cleveland Coliseum. I remember driving to the concert in my '81 Plymouth Reliant K... Wow, what a Pile of Crap car that was... PB Concert was good though!!!

[@scottboettcher]

If you weren't there, you'll never understand how important this was. Great memories.

[@lizacelarek617]

We'd see the video then go to the clubs and dance like crazy. 70 and 80 were the greatest. 😊🎉😮

[@Whateva67]

Hell yeah,music video shows were the best. I had a cassette recorder ready to go to catch my favourite songs,sound quality be damned😁

[@proto-geek248]

straight up

[@cuervojones4889]

nope. It was a complete revolution. Hard to remember what things were like before it.

[@roberta.k4213]

I was there, and watched MTV constantly. At the time I didn’t realize it was a paradigm shift for the entire world, but it was a good one!

[@mobileapp9056]

When we finally got cable a few weeks after MTV came on the air, I stayed home "sick" from school and watched twelve hours straight. Best day ever!

[@reignman30]

I felt the same way when our parents bought a descrambler for the porn channel.

[@go.gators]

Awesomeness

[@Seth-v7h]

Remember breakfast club

[@JenniferLloyd-h9g]

I tricked my dad into getting cable just so we would have Mtv lol.

[@adriaanboogaard8571]

Excellent! :)

[@user-yo8ww9rk2p]

This was when MTV was about music and was actually worth watching!!!

[@jackilynpyzocha662]

Music videos!

[@GregScott-lm8xj]

Exactly!!

[@10k-Noodles]

What a radical idea.

[@lancekirkwood7922]

Then Wallstreet took over and the radio died....

[@commandercaptain4664]

Now it’s RTV, all Ridiculousness, all day.

[@drewblue1164]

People who didn’t live in the 80’s don’t understand that MTV basically defined the culture of the 80’s. MTV was the 80’s and the 80’s were MTV.

[@grndzro777]

Wait...I thought the 80's was Neon jump pants?

[@juliemccauslin5807]

​@@grndzro777 we were SO much more ❤❤❤

[@KaiserSoze-dp1hw]

True

[@EricUnderwood-v2x]

​@@grndzro777....No Dittos! Bell bottoms were fading out....

[@EricUnderwood-v2x]

Eric Underwood Class of 81 Downey High school California USA ♥️🇺🇲

[@Joe-wo7rg]

I remember watching MTV come on the air, I thought it was the greatest thing ever. I haven't watched MTV in over 30 years.

[@mikehawk7307]

It is no longer about music now.

[@janitorbobb]

Me too.

[@davesnothereman7250]

Hard to express how impactful it was. Seems like another lifetime.. And...seems like just yesterday.

[@randyw.9916]

In our mid 20s my wife and I watched MTV and VH-1 all the time and loved it. It really sucks now.

[@CV450x]

Same. I remember planning the day/night around a new video debut. Good times. It sucks rats ass now and has for decades.

[@i_love_rescue_animals]

I was watching MTV (in the early 80's) and my mom came in and said, "when that show's over, I want you to mow the lawn". I was like, "sure". 2 hours later she came in and was like, "that show must be over now!" I said, "mom, this runs 24 hours a day". She was horrified! This first 12 minutes warms my old, 63 year old heart.

[@scottmccullough4267]

🤣😂🤣🥲

[@stephanieswanson822]

❤

[@wifeoftim]

Those were great days.🙂

[@Pitsrforidiots]

😁😁😁😁😁

[@mattc9511]

You were in your 20s?

[@jmallett6081]

Those were the best days of MTV. I remember a salesman selling satellite dishes before the fees of DISH and DirectTV, MTV was free, and he said children just were captivated with MTV. This brings back memories, and I hate to admit it, but it shows my age, yet back then even with all my inner issues, it was a good time. Thank you for the content, it is very much appreciated. The dream of MTV has been usurped, yet not forgotten.

[@michaeltaylor5451]

Lots of people shelled out thousands of dollars to have 8-14' satellite dishes installed so they could watch this and pay-tv content. The quality was very good back then as well. Full 525-line horizontal broadcast-quality resolution.

[@robertpolnicky7702]

I feel like our generation with steppenwolf and all was so ahead of time were never gonna age. Just my opinion.

[@AndyAcker]

I discovered so much of what I like and don't like by watching many hours of MTV as a kid.

[@zoezzzarko1117]

God yesssss ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤🤕😳🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

[@TracyWalser-q1h]

I got MTV by hooking up a long pole in my apartment which remind me of a pole that held albums in three separate sections, or a stripper pole if that is where your mind goes, everyone came to watch MTV. It was during that time that wham was introduced can the girls were screaming he is so cute and I said you know he's gay, right? They said no way and then a couple years later when he confessed, I could say I told you so.

[@-the1b4u-]

I think MTV would have a chance in today's world if they started replaying everything from the beginning ❤. You know, for us old school folk 😂

[@David-yo5re]

Yes, call it Mtv Classics.

[@ph1sts]

Yeah, Classic MTV has been on my cable sub for quite awhile. Plays the 80s and 90s music videos.

[@-the1b4u-]

@ph1sts I doubt it's available in my area but I'll definitely look into it thx

[@mrl22222]

something for the retirement centers to have on.

[@-the1b4u-]

@mrl22222 😂 we're not quite there yet but great idea

[@davidnorman4786]

I was there. I watched this as it happened. When MTV was MTV, it was incredible.

[@sheflower22]

Same here. My sister and I watched from the very beginning and for hours after school. It was so exciting… At some point it turned into CrapTV and that was the end of that.

[@michaelbaca5593]

It’s kind of a knock off American band stand that also was good

[@scottmccluremcclure3916]

And Soul Train

[@scottmccullough4267]

Same ,same

[@scottmccullough4267]

Did not ,at 17 ,realize the impact/ irony of this song !

[@DefeatTheCabal]

The first 9 years of MTV was great!

[@ezumb]

Man I miss the 80s - 90s. Life was so much easier. No cell phones, no internet, no social media, no worries.

[@PA-Tammy]

I had both in the 80s but I was not a kid living at home with Mon and Dad. AOL was getting big by 94 and by 2000 everyone had a cel.. Not the same world anymore....

[@Snarkyhippie]

As a teenager in the 80’s I will say that life was plenty hard, it just wasn’t all on display like it is now. We were sheltered from others feeling the same way we did. We suffered in silence.

[@peterkay2406]

Yeah cell phones and internet helped ruin 2 great relationships too easy to get a hook up and be convinced it’s the way to go

[@ryanglass3570]

@@Snarkyhippie I disagree, you and I are about the same age, people back then were closer face to face without the internet. If I wanted to speak I called on the telephone or went to my buddy's house and knocked on the front door.

[@T.R.27]

I loved growing up in the 80s, what a great time to be young!

[@petemoore8923]

This is no BS. I spent summers on my grandparents farm in Mississippi. One evening in ‘83 I think, they said a preacher was coming over for supper. The preacher shows up and the first thing he asked me was, “Do you watch MTV?” I answered yes and thought I was about to get a lecture on the evil of music. He asked if I knew who Allen Hunter was. I said yes. He said with great pride, “He’s my grandson!”

[@gailsfoodandstuff]

thats awesome!

[@veeko616]

That's a cool story, thanks for sharing.✌️✌️

[@pbworld7858]

I don't. Who's Allen Hunter?

[@pbworld7858]

Never mind. I found out. Alan Hunter.

[@petemoore8923]

@@pbworld7858 Hahaha! I feel worthy now. I educated somebody.

[@donnabremerman1423]

So good back then. You could watch for HOURS and not be bored.

[@timbukh3]

That's true

[@nakitapalmer656]

It was addictive!!!

[@gizzyguzzi]

it's funny to remember how few videos there were at first, and then they were basically just the band standing around doing almost nothing. and it was still great

[@Zzyzzyx]

I remember one summer, I had absolutely nothing to do and nowhere to go. I watched MTV all day, every day.

[@martincline2994]

We’d hang out after school as a group and just stare or air guitar for hours!

[@lynnjames6629]

I WANT MY MTV‼️ (KZbin is our Mtv now.) 👍😎

[@srellison561]

I have to admit, I really miss the early days of MTV. They gave you access to so many music videos you might otherwise never have seen.

[@jasondashney]

To be fair, in that respect I feel KZbin is way better. When you're watching a video, it is also suggesting to you about 30 other videos simultaneously on the right hand side of the screen. You absolutely can explore this way.

[@commandercaptain4664]

Try telling that to R&B. You had to wait until Thriller hit big for MTV to notice at all, and even they were reluctant to play Thriller at first.

[@Tryp-j9d]

When they had a TOTAL of SEVEN videos!!!

[@The_OneManCrowd]

We also had Friday Night Videos we could see a lot of bands on there we may never have heard of.

[@WondersChannel]

@@commandercaptain4664 Try telling that to Prince - he was on MTV before Michael.

[@traceyr251]

I can remember when they showed four or five videos in a row with no commercials, no reality show crap, just music, music, music. I could watch for hours.

[@1975AMAG]

Why could? DID watch for hours. Almost the whole in the background.

[@traceyr251]

@1975AMAG my parents would go to their friend's house to play cards or board games whilst I was sat in front of the TV watching MTV. We'd get there around 7 or 8 in the evening and I can remember the time passing so quickly.... suddenly it was 1 or 2 am and I wanted to watch "just one more video"!

[@utubemewatch]

Watch the last 12 minutes of MTV & you’ll know MTV died by its own hand. In the later 90’s VH1 played more music than MTV

[@brendamoon2660]

It's probably good for me that MTV trashed itself with the stupid shows. If it was still just video playback I might still be doing nothing but watching it all day.

[@tamlivesay9022]

Same. In the beginning they didn’t have too much content so videos would repeat, and who cared? No one. 😂

[@MDMARaver]

I just realized that this was fckin' 43 years ago!!! 🤯 Omg, where have all the years gone? 😫😢

[@FallNorth]

Oddly enough I was just listening to an 80s compilation and saw that Souvenir by OMD was 1981 and was thinking the same thing.

[@stephaneneron]

Its gone forever.... But hey, Theres 40 years to come.... what about that lolll

[@Brian_Patrick]

Going back another 43 years from when MTV launched, big-band swing was all the rage. Think about that -- for today's kids, Pat Benatar basically sounds like what the Andrews Sisters sounded like to us.

[@yisroeagleberger2013]

For me, the worst is the 30th anniversary of Pulp Fiction!!!!????

[@JamesFolkers]

@@stephaneneron I’m too old to take 40 more years of this insanity - beam me up!

[@Jophiel50]

My cousin and I, at ages 11 and 12, watched the first 72 hours of MTV, fueled by red vines, pixie sticks and jolt cola, lol, those were the days of experiencing music…at least until I was old enough for live concerts…the rest is, literally, history 😁.

[@supersarahmarah]

JOLT COLA❤❤❤❤

[@travishendrix7026]

MTV changed our lives. After school shows were done. We Rocked till we dropped. God Bless all my GenX Brothers and Sisters out there!!

[@williamschultz104]

No blessings from God here. This was just another step towards hedonism and Hell 👹l

[@travishendrix7026]

@@williamschultz104 I certainly cannot disagree with you. It had turned that way. But, we know better and have one another. I thank God for this. Its a blessing for us to stay connected as we are.

[@thafunktapus]

the last stand of self reliance

[@travishendrix7026]

@@thafunktapus What are you talking about?

[@veeko616]

Right back at ya bro. The best of times.💯

[@johnr8426]

MTV was the best, we would watch it for hours and hours.

[@OhNoNotAgain42]

Yes we did. And now we complain that our grandkids stare at their phones for the same amount of time. We were exactly the same. Let’s agree to NEVER tell them!

[@Ninjanimegamer]

​@@OhNoNotAgain42I've often thought the same. Except, mtv and other channels didn't have direct interactions or a need to influence us to think in any particular way. The internet is much more interactive and has a direct influence over the kids. How people respond to each other on the social media sites only adds to their stress levels and anxiety. Our TV shows were not talking back to us or making us feel less than perfect. We also had school friends who we conversed with and friends we met up with after school. We played outside and interacted face to face. Our feelings weren't hurt because someone didn't like the same things we did. We were more resilient and grounded to earth than what the Internet creates. If my kid wants to watch TV for a few hours it's better than being on Instagram or tiktok.

[@OhNoNotAgain42]

@@Ninjanimegamer Fair points. Although I’m not sure that I agree. Interactions over social media (like this!) are still teaching critical thinking. Watching mindless videos doesn’t teach anything. We bullied and were bullied in person. I tend to agree with you that we, somehow, learned to be both curious and courteous. You and I can disagree but be civil about it. They seem to be missing that. And MTV absolutely influenced us how to think! Girls all dressed like Madonna. Guys all wanted to act like rock stars. “Rush” wrote all about it in their song “Subdivisions”. That video played on MTV. Which, ironically, influenced me to like Rush. In ancient days it was religion. Then newspapers. Radio. MTV. Interweb. It’s all just different technologies doing, basically, the same thing. Luckily, I had Evel Kinevel” to teach me how to behave.

[@4loops43]

My sister secretly recorded over all of our family holiday videos with MTV! 😂

[@loyevangelists]

So I wasn't the only one then

[@raspycellist]

This was one of the most significant things for Gen X. And I was there for all of it, and I'm happy about that.

[@pkskydoc6100]

Significant for late baby boomers too...me

[@raspycellist]

@@pkskydoc6100 Yeah true, I can believe that.

[@mikeking7582]

SAME HERE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@greenidguy9292]

As a fellow Gen X…I was there as well and it was historic at the time, but unfortunately it’s been ruined…

[@RedddPilll]

Ditto!

[@vince1638]

Good God, whoever thought we would miss the 80s!? Take me back.

[@JeffDeWitt]

That's the most MTV I've watched in this century!

[@johnd5398]

It's also the most music MTV has played in this Millennium.

[@KarenSanchez-qo5ht]

@@johnd5398 LOL - truth . . .

[@han3wmanwukong125]

...yeah. wow. me too.

[@SaudaraLink]

Empty V

[@lesleymclaughlin8213]

I was born august 1 1981 my mom watched this while in labor with me🎉

[@carybaney2548]

Probably helped!😊

[@bettyboop8423]

Yeah ok

[@donarthiazi2443]

You're getting on in years

[@slappy8941]

As was foretold in prophecy! You are the chosen one!

[@maryshores42]

Cool birthday! 8-1-81

[@destroyer0685]

Back when music was music.

[@denver0102]

Isn’t music still music?? Maybe just not what you’re in to…but it’s still music.

[@ipwee]

GET off my LAWN!! P.s. I'm 62. I refuse to live in the past. Carpe diem

[@SophiaPerpetua]

And musicians could play instruments and sing.

[@piratessalyx7871]

⁠@@ipweeI am older than you and destroyer is right, the music today is weak or lame…

[@kevinlakeman5043]

And tons of it was utter crapola. Like most always.

[@Birchstar444]

I was in college in the 80's. MTv was everything. Pure art.

[@fantasmaformaggino76]

This was the most exciting thing EVER if you were young then

[@nisar8009]

I remember when MTV first started. We watched it incessantly. It was only videos. We loved it.

[@DrummerJacob]

What do you mean? There were multiple commercials just in this first 12 minutes.

[@nisar8009]

@ There wasn’t stupid shows. There was just music. And the commercials were different and not the same ones as on normal television. If you constantly live with a depressive attitude you will see everything as crap. MTV was great when it first aired. Your opinion is irrelevant due to your inability to see reality.

[@MrSTOUT73]

Back in the good old days when Music Television actually PLAYED MUSIC!!

[@garywilloughby6893]

Remember all the Hall and Oates videos

[@xannith9533]

The 12 minutes that led to a decade of watching nothing but music on my TV.

[@lucaschapman2188]

Me it was about 3 year . I watched MTV Europe religiously 1992-1995 ❤. Ray Coakes most wanted . Beavis and Butt head . Were me favourites

[@Karen-ug3xq]

That was SWEET!! For a moment I was 19 again and vibing with MTV!! I remember staying up all night long just to watch MTV!! Those were great times!!! ❤❤❤

[@GORILLABREATH1]

But now we have ..RAP ..I mean CRAP !!

[@thafunktapus]

nobody said "vibing" ... ;)

[@Karen-ug3xq]

​@@GORILLABREATH1I hear you GORILLABREATH!! I so agree with you as well!! You couldn't pay me to watch MTV these days!❤

[@Karen-ug3xq]

​@@thafunktapusWell I did and I'm not going to apologize!! I'm me and nobody tells me how to speak!! If one doesn't like the way I talk then- BITE ME😊

[@sundancekidd1387]

​@Whatever-00769I was 12 also when MTV debuted. 😮 12

[@scottl1460]

I'm 63 this was the biggest thing to hit TV. So glad to see this!

[@jcepri]

ditto i'm 61

[@roldanrobles8563]

Same here. I was 21 years old Marine, stationed at KMCAS Oahu Hawaii (1980-84). I was dancing my butt off 4-6 nights a week in downtown Honolulu. I was dancing with women from different parts of the world who were vacationing there. What a blast!!😃 I like billions of others who experienced that era would love to go back in time and relive it.😂

[@100percentSNAFU]

​@@roldanrobles8563My cousin was stationed there in 88-89. We went out to visit him. He took leave for a week and stayed in the hotel with us. He was 21 and I was 12, he went out partying every night and I remember wishing I could go with him!

[@AnthonyMichaels-g9s]

Very Cool. 57 yrs old. I remember this day. We had just got cable TV a few weeks before. MTV started a revolution. Most of you will have no idea.

[@arottie4097]

Yup Intelevion!

[@beastslayer3228]

It's easy to romanticize it looking back and to forget how actually watching MTV could be less than stellar. For every song you liked, you'd have to suffer through two or three you really didn't (not to mention commercials and "VJ" patter.) In some ways it was best watched by flipping back and forth between other channels constantly. But the videos from the earlier years do have a simple charm due to most of them being produced very cheaply on video, and often surreal.

[@willymontes6692]

Changed how people dressed and acted.

[@BeeFunKnee]

@@beastslayer3228 I enjoyed watching Midnight Special, Don Kirschner's Rock Concert and "In Concert" on regular tv myself. It'd have Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, ELP, Aerosmith, Supertramp and The WHO, bands like those. Very little patter, too. Just not 24 hour entertainment was all, but some is better than none is. So is a little good being better than a lot of garbage.

[@ronb6313]

Had to go to the neighbor's house because they were the only ones on the street with cable and HBO, skin amax, Showtime. I was turning into what my grandmother called the boob tube.

[@myronlarimer1943]

Martha Quinn was the BEST! Loved her on MTV.

[@lqdxoni1]

can we have the eighties back i will throw in all of the 2000's

[@nofrenz2065]

90's was the best for all genres!

[@rocco...]

@@nofrenz2065 Don't think so! By the mid 90s grunge crept in.🤮🤮🤮🤮

[@nofrenz2065]

@rocco... While I agree on the grunge scene..it only lasted about 3 years..Thats when Korn , slipknot, godsmack , disturbed and many others kicked them to the curb.

[@rocco...]

@@nofrenz2065 Maybe in the States but in Canada it went on for years after.🙄

[@zanderkranock]

⁠​⁠​⁠@@rocco...90s grunge was awesome. why don’t you like it? nirvana, soundgarden, pearl jam, alice in chains??

[@DaveMiller2]

If you weren't around back then, you don't understand how big MTV became and the enormous effect it had on music and pop culture. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

[@thefozzybear]

It was so big it caused the Berlin Wall to come down.

[@polyscroll]

True!

[@Petesworkshop2225]

Before all we had were album covers to see our musical hero's.

[@drrock5356]

At 10 years old, watching the Hot for Teacher video on MTV changed my life.

[@PimpLenin]

80’s MTV was the best. Glad I got to experience it.

[@daffidavit]

The 80s were the best, period.

[@erinmalone2669]

I remember seeing karma chameleon when it debuted on MTV and my life was forever changed

[@kpkp-hc1hq]

Hardly, '70s was the best.

[@MimiJoys]

​@@kpkp-hc1hq That's what I was going to say!

[@daffidavit]

Not if you drove a car.@@kpkp-hc1hq

[@Gudi102]

Nobody could have imagined the impact MTV had in our generation. I was one of the lucky ones to have lived through that. GOLDEN AGE. Best decade ever. bar none. period.

[@redbone7040]

💯💯💯💯💯💯

[@elizabethwitt2621]

I'm gonna agree with you there 💯

[@davepugh7961]

What can I say? It was my heyday. When MTV was music videos 24 hrs a day. So f****** Cool. 80s Pat Benitar. Yummy. I should add, as a songwriter born in the late 60's, I have come to appreciate that every generation thinks that their heyday is the best era ever for the music. But those of us who grew up in the 70's and 80s truly were lucky enough to have listened to the best music ever written in our formative years. Golden indeed.

[@annenelson5656]

I was in my late twenties but found MTV an answer to a long time dream. If you weren’t there for Thriller or some of the other greats you’ll never understand.

[@brandonmetro7115]

Looking back after so many years. your exactly right.

[@PeterJVogel]

Fun fact: The second keyboard player in the Buggles was none other than Hans Zimmer, famous composer of dozens of movie soundtracks. 😮

[@montyn1593]

😮

[@douglaslegvold9215]

Hans Gruber? Welcome to the party, pal!

[@AW-gj1mu]

​@@douglaslegvold9215 too funny that's the first thing I thought of!

[@watrgrl2]

I had no idea! Wow, that IS a fun fact!

[@DesertVetRider]

Opening theme of Top Gun!

[@janedowe8403]

I was there in front of the tube the moment MTV debuted! As a 13 year old, I was blown away

[@1bowmaniam]

Saw Pat Benetar in concert just a couple years ago, and she's still amazing and married to the same man.

[@spuds6423]

Neil is a great guitarist and song writer .. he doesn't get the love that he should get.

[@tcbellsz]

Just not ‘Mr Benatar’ 😊

[@SuperOskar2000]

Of course she is, she's my all time. Fav. Love. Her ❤❤.

[@jasondashney]

I've seen almost everybody that I really like, and I really regret not seeing Pat Benatar. I was sceptical her voice could hold up so I declined about 10 years ago. She's one of my favourites of all time and I wouldn't be able to handle seeing her when she wasn't very good. Sad to hear I was wrong, but glad to hear she's doing well.

[@chuckb470]

​@@jasondashneyThey're still touring. 😊

[@surfzion]

Sooo cool. We in our 40s and 50s are the first generation in human history to live a more fun life than our parents but also than our own children !! I know this sounds like a nostalgic grumpy statement, but I'm sure I'm right on this one. :P

[@kdizzystl]

So true. My kids never did shit. Nothing caught fire, no broken bones, no stitches, no fun. No neighbors or cops bringing them home with any crazy stuff they were caught doing. They didn't care about getting their licenses at 16. I built a ramp for their bikes but they wouldn't even try it. What happened?

[@SquishyGrayMatter]

I’m 47 and i agree

[@SquishyGrayMatter]

@@kdizzystlcell phones and social media is what happened 😢

[@daniellakatos2092]

Totally agree.

[@tammyhall3144]

How prophetic that Video killed the Radio Star !!!

[@garycorkins105]

I remember when MTV played music.

[@jeffbauer3425]

They came out with 'The Real World' , the first so called "Reality show" . That destroyed everything, and now these crap shows are everywhere.

[@THE-HammerMan]

No Way! Nobody is that old.

[@rustinpieces]

Headbangers Ball and the Triple Thrash Treat...

[@nekograce7914]

As a huge Pat Benatar fan, I’m proud she was in the first 12 minutes of MTv. 🎸

[@jimminyjett7558]

Pat Benatar rocked. Hell we all did then..😏✌🏻🇺🇸

[@jimminyjett7558]

And she was a little thing…❤️

[@wknight5595]

I remember this early evening in 81, the MTV launch was hyped everywhere. 14yrs old hanging out at my best friends house as we all watched it live. I also remember his 16yr old sister hanging out with us in just her T-Shirt and underwear... She was quite the distraction at the age of 14 😂

[@AnitaSolution]

Saw her about 8 yrs ago and she still does!!!

[@VioletJoy]

​@@AnitaSolutionSame here! I saw her at the California mid state fair in 2018, and she and her husband were amazing!!

[@AnitaSolution]

@@VioletJoy If she comes back to the Detroit area, I’ll be there again!

[@nanreynolds9351]

Oh, the memories. The 80's were the greatest for those of us lucky enough to have lived them. LONG LIVE THE 80'S! To quote an old saying,............. REJOICE, OH YOUNG MAN,... IN THY YOUTH! Ecclesiastes.

[@mowowie]

The Best of times

[@geertwittemans4937]

I do and did live the 80's

[@watrgrl2]

Boy, you got that right! The 80’s were my favorite years!

[@emomuzz5883]

I WANT MY MTV !

[@maybedrinkin3241]

Yeeeeesssss!!!!

[@JenniferLloyd-h9g]

Ha! I remember that!!

[@geraldotto3145]

I WANT MY MY T.V. BACK!

[@sugarfalls1]

I was in H.S. in the 80s and I remember how special it was to go over my friend's house and her parents had cable and I could watch MTV! It was so iconic! All the 80s music that was coming out - it was a special time. Every band sounded different! You could tell the difference between Duran Duran and Billy Idol - Cyndi Lauper and Madonna. All the crazy hair and the colorful clothes. It was really fun! This video brings back so many great memories of dancing on Friday night with my friends and having so much fun! It was a great time. We didn't need cell phones, we didn't need social media - we just needed our friends and some good times. It was that simple!

[@stephaniechaffin1154]

MTV ran at our home 24/7 the first 10 years or so then it all changed. I haven't turned that channel on in the last 20 years, Such a shame.

[@adeptronic]

It all started going bad when they tried to kill Metal and replace it with grunge. They had to start doing all of the shows to make up viewership. Around the same time, Napster happened and music got more and more crappy because there wasn't enough money in it anymore to support the giant companies, so they cut production costs to the bone. This accelerated the takeover of the shows because downloading a song with dialup was quick but downloading a show could take all day.

[@slowturtle6745]

It's still around? I never would have known.

[@joeb6245]

Looking at the space shuttle. That was when our country was full of pride.

[@scottlarson1548]

Yes, we had poured billions of dollars into an impractical, wasteful and dangerous method of getting into orbit.

[@cjpatriot2923]

And yet we had people lining up to go to the stars anyway. I miss innovation, tenacity and toxic masculinity. It got results.

[@scottlarson1548]

@@cjpatriot2923 By "to the stars" you mean the very very low Earth orbit that the heavy Shuttle could just barely reach that wasn't even high enough to launch most satellites. The guy who's talking to the world on a digital computer connected to a world wide digital network misses "innovation". I don't think you know what that word means because innovation has exploded this century. The times right now are *exactly* what people like me dreamed about during the 1980s.

[@cjpatriot2923]

​@@scottlarson1548we had to crawl before we could walk. Looking back, yes, what we did then was primitive by today's standards as we reminisce on pocket-sized technology that has more computing power than the stuff that put us on the moon. I grew up in a world without smartphones, compact discs, electric vehicles and flat screen TVs. I know what innovation is because I've lived through it. Sadly, much of the country has lost its spark to innovate. We often look to others to create things or entertain us instead of coming up with new ideas of our own.

[@scottlarson1548]

@@cjpatriot2923 The Space Shuttle was in nearly every way a step backwards. Even the Soviets figured that out and abandoned their copy of it when they realized it was ridiculously impractical and useless. We couldn't because we had poured every dollar we had into it and had absolutely nothing else to go into orbit with. That's was a perfect example of how that generation destroyed innovation: it was the Space Shuttle or NOTHING. Funny how you list a series of recent innovations yet claim we're no longer innovating! I feel you have absolutely no clue how much innovation is really taking place in our country every single year. I see tremendous innovation in my industry and among my coworkers. Perhaps it's being crushed in your field.

[@thinkingoutloud6741]

MTV, Thank you for that first decade.

[@fallskjermjeger.]

Even at 38 years old, I'm nostalgic for what MTV and culture in general was.

[@hopegrimsley3427]

This. I’m 36 and I would give anything to have experienced all of the 80s. I’m jealous of my parents in that regard.

[@100percentSNAFU]

I guess at least both of you were born in the 80's, which is cool, you just wouldn't remember it anymore than I remember the 70's being born in '76, which is not at all. I was too young for this first broadcast of MTV, heck I don't even think my area had cable at the time although I was 4 years old anyways. I see a lot of people your age say similar things. I think it says a lot about where the world went in the last 20 years or so. A good friend of mine is around your age and says the same thing. It was a great time to grow up, not perfect, but good. I actually envy the people about 10 years older than me that got to experience high school and college in the 80's, from all the stories I heard from my older cousins and older fraternity brothers, it was amazing.

[@heyhuey4429]

So lucky to have lived it. 60's, 70's, 80's.....things just kept getting better.

[@LordEriolTolkien]

and then they got worse, and here we are

[@chantalslut]

Absolutely agree. We had a wonderfull time. I feel very lucky as you said.

[@piratessalyx7871]

The 90’s certainly started off the decline…….how do we get back to that good vibe!

[@bigloaded8324]

@@piratessalyx7871Unfortunately it’s forever gone.

[@scottlarson1548]

@@LordEriolTolkien Sorry to hear your life went so bad.

[@JasonHiltonpianoservice]

Watching ancient history and remembering it like it was yesterday. It’s all in a lifetime.

[@MrSrScott]

Back when MTV was good!!!

[@1_Lost_Soul]

I was appreciative of the times back then. I wished they could have lasted forever.

[@moisesbenavides]

I could watch the old MTV for hours, eat something and get back to watch more MTV.

[@BaritoneUkeBeast4Life]

In 1986 I was 20 years old and in the crowd at Daytona Beach when Martha Quinn and MTV hosted the Mr. Mr./ Starship concert. That was my first official concert and it was magical. I would give everything I own to go back to that time and relive everything and stay there. Life was worth living back then.

[@gus473]

Martha❣️😎✌️

[@ThankYouJesusTheChrist]

It still is worth living, people need us. Don’t give up.

[@BaritoneUkeBeast4Life]

@@ThankYouJesusTheChrist Nice of you to say so. Don't worry I haven't given up, but it seems the vast people on this Earth have. I prefer the company of the many of the wonderful people who have since past then the current company of my fellow man.

[@J.Green-Rx]

Being young's a hell of a drug.

[@commandercaptain4664]

Had a HUGE crush on Martha.

[@lookinforthe70s]

The wonderful 80s.

[@Shanedog76]

the easy 80's

[@michaelhodges8312]

Republican president throughout. Loved it!

[@ernestwhite2505]

agree except for the wife hor I was married too. lol true story.

[@kozmosis3486]

@@michaelhodges8312 That part sucked yeah

[@SizzleMoonSong]

​@@kozmosis3486true - that & his ignorence in ignoring the onslaught of HIV/AIDS

[@michaelputman6580]

Watched this live, they were late kicking off. Watched the snow screen for at least 30 minutes. Then out of the static the count down started, epic.

[@plangineer1375]

Should've included the next song too. Loved Dire Strait's "Money for Nothin" it totally encapsulated the MTV influence.

[@yougeo]

Indeed money for nothing and the guitar riffs from that song are the quintessential video and sounds of MTV in the minds of almost anyone who was watching in the early days. And maybe still to this day.

[@ChristopherBlankenship-r9l]

Sure enough was a tune in my soundtrack for my life

[@jamesmorgan3115]

Money for nothing was not released until June of 1985

[@Littlewing6was9]

Money For Nothing opened MTV Europe in the mid 80's 🌼

[@StjepanPuljko]

Money for nothing was released in 1985 and it was first song on MTV Europe.

[@Kai0nTheMoon]

MTV is 43 years old now. Thank you, MTV, for 17 years of fun music videos.

[@burnttrees6959]

Hahaha that was good😂

[@wavion2]

Sad but true. Which, ironically, is also a song I first heard on MTV.

[@utuberick1]

Something magical about MTV in those years.

[@Proud.American58]

The first few years were basically the KZbin of its time, introducing us to many artists that we may not have heard on radio had they not had success first on MTV. They went downhill quickly when they moved away from what their acronym meant.

[@Simulera]

In August 1981 I left the navy submarine force in Connecticut, rode my motorcycle to Pasadena, California to start grad school and started on the path and career that I just retired from at 71 years old in 2024. MTV was a part of that personal 1981 life re-set and I had sort of forgotten how it popped at that moment. For some reason I am hearing the Pretenders in my head at this moment, triggered no doubt by watching this. Thanks for the great “archaeological” video!

[@tryscience]

How awesome that Pat Benatar, looking dynamite, was belting out those vocals right at the beginning!

[@Xandil]

I forgot just how good she was. I sure miss the '80s, what a great time. It wasn't the easiest, but compared to today it was heaven.

[@tryscience]

@@Xandil for certain. Reagan would have rolled over in his grave if he knew his party supported insurrectionists.

[@akulkis]

She would have looked 100x better if she hadn't got all her hair chopped off like she was in the army.

[@shawndavidallen]

@@akulkis??? She looks fantastic in this video short hair and all.

[@akulkis]

@@shawndavidallen Are you saying that she could not possibly look more attractive as a woman if she had a feminine haircut, or are you a homosexual?

[@DANTHETUBEMAN]

Pat Benitar, what a ROCKER,, Great band.

[@terryrussell5140]

I used to call into work sick to stay home and watch MTV. Martha Quinn. Still love you girl...

[@joeysingletary2943]

The mighty Quinn

[@dhart28]

Yep. I was a 20 year old male who had a huge crush on Martha Quinn.

[@ThomasBarone]

Kennedy❣❣❣❣❣❣❣❣

[@dennishadley2783]

Martha was our best friends kid sister. Nina was the girl next door that came over and hung out with you on the patio drinking some beers.

[@spankynater4242]

She's mine. I don't care if she's older than me.

[@IceManTX69]

This was the best time to be alive. So many hours spent watching MTV. So many types of music, so many styles, so many people to idolize. A full decade of utopia before reality slowly took over and killed it all.

[@JohnSmith-un9fy]

You know, someone should find all of the vintage uncut MTV footage that there is and rune it ALL in an endless loop for all to enjoy. Thanks for the upload.

[@marklmansfield]

Clean it up digitally to HD first ~1080p. Show it on Retro / Reruns / Classic TV channels . Lots of ages would watch it .

[@redbird1928]

Brilliant. I’d watch.

[@johnnykerley4791]

I had a major crush on Pat Benetar. Man, this was a lifetime ago. I remember when MTV was all about music.

[@brookie_cookie19]

Ha I have a similar story! I had a huge crush on Sting back in the day and whenever The Police would play on MTV, I screamed and sat in front of the TV. It's crazy that was around 40 or more years ago and I remember it like it was yesterday.

[@Stevie-hn7mp]

MTV should go back to its roots. MTV was something back in the 80’s. As a kid I simply was addicted. Thank you

[@BlackJackLopez]

It will, eventually, probably. Whether we'll be there to see it, able to, or even like it... remains to be seen.

[@viceman8152]

@@BlackJackLopez thing is we can watch any video we want at anytime here on youtube. Nobody would watch Mtv today because we have youtube.

[@Micke12312]

No one would watch it

[@Lewis_T]

I only needed one channel in high school and college…..MTV.. Now, I couldn’t tell you where to find it.

[@viceman8152]

@@Micke12312 I mean, we just did. for nostalgia. But we wouldn't sit and watch hoping for our favorite video to come on because we can just do a youtube search now. When I said none would watch it, I meant not enough to make the cultural phenomena that it was.

[@Andres64B]

I had such a crush on Pat Benatar back in the day.

[@stevenA44]

SAME!!!

[@ChrisJones-ij3xp]

From seeing this video here, it's certainly understandable.

[@nostradamus7648]

She caused a lot of Kleenex to be wasted.

[@autk]

Every male in America that could see 😂

[@stickman1742]

She was cute enough, but Deborah Harry caught my attention far more.

[@robbiehollywood1937]

Pat Benatar was adorable!

[@professorpauls7362]

when i was 18 back in 1982 , i worked at a Trader Joes market off of reseda blvd. and burbank in Encino, Pat Benatar would do her shopping . I also saw her play at the L.A Convention Center with Red Rider, the sound was terrible, very distorted .i also worked at the Palace in Hollywood and was able to see alot of bands. i miss those days in the 80"s .

[@sjgavenger37]

This brought back memory I thought I lost. I remember this. It was at midnight.

[@MrRedalert66]

Was there ever a better summer?! I was there watching from the very beginning and glued to the TV for hours everyday. Amazing memory

[@ScratchGlass9]

We were there !! About 15 of us, at Steve's house. Every TV , at eveery house had MTv on constantly for years.... Thank God we grew up when we did 🇺🇲

[@lifewuzonceezr]

No social cams 😂

[@fredjemal3689]

80s was a fantastic decade! Was a teen for most of it. MTV was EVERYTHING to me!

[@arkady714]

Few TV channels had an impact on pop culture as quickly and thoroughly as MTV... and then it ended.

[@LordEriolTolkien]

By turning the counter culture into corporate mainstream they turned art into a commodity

[@ivanpetro8464]

And for a time, it was good....

[@gaston8512]

A good executive would return to the original platform. I was flipping channels years ago and my line of site landed on MTV, 2 guys kissing. Have blocked the channel ever since.

[@elixtido1448]

democrats

[@johnorgan3]

music, as we knew it, was gone

[@Ron_EZ]

Our big family TV couldn't tune in MTV, we had a small 5" portable TV with "electronic tuning" that got the job done! 🤣🤣

[@SylvanSkywatcher]

When MTV was MTV, it was very entertaining.

[@michaelmyers3892]

All right just teleport me back to 1980 I was 13 and ready to rock the 80s what a great time glad I got to be a part of it

[@NickNicometi]

Ditto. Just wished I had picked up a guitar at 13, then I d have been playing my guitar on MTV!

[@arottie4097]

W0W! THE HEADBANGERS BALL RULED!!! M.T.V. Dropped my high school Grade Point Average by @ least two points!!? Ha!

[@Tucsondawn]

Right! The funny thing is now we know everything they were teaching us was bullsh☆t and we learned more from Ozzy and Alice!

[@flemmerc]

Good times! I fondly remember a summer weekend dog sitting at my friend’s house, where they had MTV. I binge watched before that was a thing, eating sunflower seeds, living my best life 😆🤣

[@ronniepirtlejr2606]

The first time I seen MTV I was 12 years old in 1982. I told my mother I thought that they were having a special about the moon landing. Then the music started😎

[@jamesgallagher1992]

🤭nice🤘🤘

[@logansummers1551]

The first time you SAW. You're 80 years old. Learn English.

[@SODASTROgaming]

Loganberry apparently works for the word police lol, if you could grow up that would help, thanks Logangrene xx

[@100percentSNAFU]

​@@logansummers155112 years old in 1982 = born in 1970 = 54 years old, not 80. Learn Math.

[@TheFabulousMrsBlake]

I LOVED MTV in the 80s! I'd watch for hours while "doing homework" waiting for my favorite videos to come on. The best!!

[@ElCidPhysics90]

Such a revolution. If you weren’t there you don’t realize how revolutionary and life changing this was.

[@lemonhead162]

Our older cousins in Houston had cable, and us country girls would come into Houston to visit them from our ranch in Samta Fe, Texas, and we'd LOVE watching MTV! This is such a treat to watch again!

[@rex-racer]

We didn’t get cable until a few years later, so we had to live vicariously through the poor man’s MTV, which was Friday Night Videos (1983-87) on NBC. Later in college, I remember every lounge in every dorm had their TV’s on all the time to MTV, even if no one was in the room. It just ran all the time, and we all thought, “Of course, what else would it be on?” You could just go in there and chill, do your homework in the corner, talk to a floormate, or just do whatever and leave whenever. Talk about a cultural touchstone, MTV was such a simple concept, but so revolutionary and so accepted at the same time. Plus, it didn’t talk down. It was very straightforward/matter-of-fact. There aren’t too many of those kinds of things. All of that contributed to its success. And the first 5 VJs (Nina Blackwood, Mark Goodman, J.J. Jackson, Martha Quinn, and Alan Hunter) and Kurt Loder doing MTV news-all are legends in a way, at least to a generation of us who remember. Thanks for the upload!

[@Kaemea]

Oh man, Friday Night Videos! We weren't allowed to stay up so we'd record the show every Friday. I didn't have MTV until I moved out in 92! LOL Oh the memories, the first time I saw Hungry Like the Wolf and fell in love with the Fab Five. ::happy sigh sounds::

[@chiaralistica]

MTV and their Rock the Vote campaign definitely changed the outcome of the '92 presidential election. GenX registered and voted in droves. It's too bad that people seem to have lost that drive...

[@Madbandit77]

​@@chiaralistica That's because nowadays youth gets their information off the Internet and it's not always filtered.

[@jasondashney]

@@chiaralistica I never saw any of that (I didn't have MTV in the early days) but I am going to go way out on a limb and guess that they were hinting that you should vote left leaning. I'm actually against most entities encouraging people to vote because I've never ever heard a single one of them ever tell you that it's important to research every candidate and every party so you can make your own informed decision. They just tell you that the important part is actually voting. I disagree, and I never see that message come out of anyone who you're not pretty damn sure you know which way they would vote anyway.

[@chiaralistica]

@@jasondashney I tell people to register and vote all the time. I also stress that they should research and make their own choice and not vote for a candidate because someone tells you to. I'll never tell you who to vote for. I also advise folks to pay attention to the other candidates as you want to know what you're getting if one of them wins. If someone recommends a particular candidate to me, I promise nothing, but I will do my research. Too many these days are sheeple who don't use their head for anything more than wearing a hat. What a shame.