How MTV Destroyed Their Network (They Gave Up On Music)

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MTV has had many ups and downs over its 40 year history. From playing only music 24/7 to creating reality television to TRL & the golden era of cringey 2000s tv. All the way until playing nothing nut ridiculousness for 24 hours straight. MTV was one of the best things to happen to music culture, but there unfortunately is nothing there to love anymore.
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[@PatrickCc]

Head on over to songstarter.com/ and use my coupon code PATRICKCC25 for 25 free SongStarter credits! drink water too!

[@Dollakas]

OMW 👋🏾🥤👍🏾

[@hendrik8587]

WHOOP! Songstarter is LIT

[@frozedcocasse6378]

how to you apply the coupon code?

[@Vlonebee_IG]

How come you don’t talk about the challenge a big part of mtv in the 2000’s ?

[@lawjef]

tldr - music piracy forced mtv to abandon music videos

[@JayExcess1]

This same thing happened to all of the themed channels of the 90s. Mtv didn't have music, the History Channel became aliens and religion, Animal Planet was shows about people, The Learning Channel became content nobody could learn anything from. The Sci Fi Channel literally changed their name to SyFy so people wouldn't expect science fiction.

[@vomitpee]

No fr. :( back as a little kid who loved animals and wanted to learn abt them, animal Planet was my escape yk. And when they started airing shit like the Alaskan Frontier or whtv I tolerated it bc it seemed interesting. But after a while, when they started showing shit like cops busting ppl hunting illegally in woods or some shit it got boring 💀 idgaf abt humans. Where's all the nature documentaries n stuff like??? Animal Planet but there's no animals? Bye

[@Jay-jb2vr]

Yup 90's culture has been tossed

[@Fyre0]

@@vomitpee I swear youtube is the only place where you can find that kind of content for basically free.

[@yourfavpersuasion9385]

yoooo lmmaoo I gave up on history channel once I saw too many ancient aliens shows coming on and etc.

[@djnickeysm]

Lets not forget that Cartoon Network had pure live action shows at one point in time

[@johnexler4861]

Not to sound too much like an English teacher. But Patrick I gotta say man in your recent videos you’re doing an amazing job of establishing a strong thesis, backing it up and then tying it all together with a strong conclusion. So many KZbinrs who do similar “mini-doc” style videos just feel like they are reading off a wiki article or a list of facts and the end of their videos leave you feeling incomplete. But you genuinely establish a narrative and make it engaging. Keep it up dude!

[@PatrickCc]

Thank you!! I was a decent writer in high school, got really good in college but since I majored in Marketing I never wrote that many papers. I feel like I am using those skills these days and I honestly pat myself on the back a little bit. Some videos are more "wiki-like" than others. But I do feel confident in my script writing. Now that I have my editing team down I can focus more on the script & I think its paying off lol

[@BelchingBeaver69]

@@PatrickCc You’re honestly incredible. Your vibe and voice is perfect for this type of content. Keep it up!

[@kurtgobang]

@@PatrickCc it's definitely paying off brotha

[@stonedgalago8417]

Facts, I enjoy every vid that comes out. Even if it looks like something that’s not for me I still get hooked. Keep going bro you’re smashing it!

[@TheScotsmanTechReview]

Embarrassing

[@dominicfucinari1942]

MTV is the purest form of network decay we've seen to this date.

[@jlingo6371]

Apparently you weren’t around when all the history channel was doing was lying about Hitler and WWII and talking about Aliens.

[@Flokiabob311]

I just turned 39 and I remember watching MTV in the early 90’s. Music videos in the day and animation at night. Good times

[@theboyraabit]

Patrick’s Evolution as a KZbinr is incredibly impressive. The creativity, research, preparation, script making, and overall execution is very impressive. Won’t be surprised went Patrick hits the million subs milestone in the near future

[@theclaustormtrooper]

He's a gem. I discovered him a couple of months ago and became completely addicted to.

[@melissagottlieb3381]

I'm 54 born in 67. I was 14 when MTV debuted. It was groundbreaking. I really enjoyed those 6 years of constant music. Thanks for this!

[@THXbox]

If you’re 54, you were born in 1970. Late, late ‘69 at the earliest. The math ain’t mathin’.

[@rencro123]

@@THXbox If a train leaves from Seatle 2 years ago, and another train leaves New York 2 days ago, how much time has elapsed between post?

[@retroplexus]

Its sad to see the downfall of MTV, it was honestly a gem in the early and mid 2000’s. I’ll always remember it at its peak.

[@blmartech]

By 2000 it was dead. No where near its peak.

[@LoCoAde87]

​@@blmartech MTV2 was still great up until 2006

[@leeannasloan2292]

​@@blmartech his person's generation it was peak..just like the 90s was peak MTV for me.

[@blmartech]

@@leeannasloan2292 mtv peaked in the late 80s, early 90s and was steady downhill after that.

[@BrianAwesome]

​@alcien5258also, the Spring Bling Specials

[@troyc4250]

I’m a year late but thank you for doing this. MTV was part of my landscape during my teen years. When I did homework the songs were playing in the background. I have eclectic tastes in music due in part to MTV. It’s sad that it’ll never be the same again…the whole thing…not just MTV but my teen years, my friends at the time the whole era. For me ‘81-‘85 was the best. My interest waned because I started working a lot and going to school and graduating high school in ‘86. I watched MTV sporadically in the ‘90’s but I was wrapping up college and adulting so to speak lol! So whether you watched it in ‘81, ‘91 or even ‘01 I’m sure you have memories of your “MTV”. One thing I know… I still want my MTV…because it’s more than just videos it was a part of my youth.

[@chrisevans9688]

Chris Evans m tv show video just like you do that soon thanks you can do this and you can find out if you can find one tomorrow night and I will be back on Friday night on Monday soon now my first time in now this week

[@fakereality96]

Late 90's/Early 00's MTV had nuggets of goodness sprinkled with the cheese that wasn't asked for.

[@GenF91]

MTV is so unwatchable nowadays it’s so sad. The only time they care about music now is when they do the VMAs 🤦🏽‍♀️.

[@miloseviczarko45]

Even the VMAs became so boring and unwatchable, not to mention EMAs which are much worse...

[@GenF91]

@@miloseviczarko45 That too.

[@zachall101]

Well maybe when they DID DO only music people should have been listening to it instead of not listening when they put on new songs that people hadn’t yet heard of, YOU PEOPLE FAILED TO TUNE IN TO ACTUALLY WATCH THE MUSIC THEY DID PUT ON, YET HATE ON THEM IF THEY PUT ON ANYTHING ELSE 🤔🤦‍♂️

[@blmartech]

@@zachall101 you only had the option to watch what they aired 🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦 they choose what they aired....... 🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦 they went for quick ratings boost instead of long term effects.... 🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦

[@dominicfucinari1942]

@@blmartech Isn't that a consequences of shareholders needing record-breaking returns every last season?

[@SwaggyG_2102]

As a 2000s kid (2002) who remembers watching MTV back then, seeing them degrade themselves like this is rather sad considering the impact that they had on American culture for the past 4 decades. Edit: Ok, I understand now that North America wasn't the only place that had it's culture affected by MTV as well, thanks for letting me know.

[@taylorcliff6609]

MTV effected culture all around the world my dude its not just limited to America. i live in NZ and MTV was a massive part of my childhood. i remember when i rushed home from school to watch the latest music vids etc and that was the day soulja boy crank that vid came out and had everyone doing it the next day.

[@antysmith]

Facts and I’m and from 01, and I was big on MTV Jams and Bet 106 and Park til they ended awkward, and just started showing a bunch of the same fucking reruns of 2-3 shows or movies over and over again. I miss the simple era for shit all those shoes we had before then compare to now.

[@Travybear1989]

I was born in 86' and never remember MTV ever being any good at all. They pretty much played shitty grunge music, then shitty hip hop music, then no music.

[@AlexCastro1]

prime mtv was 2007 - 2011, especially with mtv2

[@Chelaxim]

Okay but aren't you forgetting that people said the same thing about MTV back then as well? The Bowling For Soup song 1985 explicitly talks about how back in 1985 there was music still on MTV as opposed to 2004.

[@PRCutie101]

Being a teen in NYC during the TRL era from 98 till 01 was pure magic. Mind you, this is in a pre-9/11 world, the vibe was pure freedom. My experiences and the people I met in Times Square are memories I will cherish forever. If I find that time machine I'm going back!!! 😝

[@saturnlights5239]

Ok

[@Travybear1989]

Once 9/11 happened the demise of everything sped up drastically. The 90's sucked but at least people still talked on the phone and social media wasn't a thing and everything wasn't monitored. I miss the simplicity of it all, it was nice not being tethered to a phone where your pretty much always on-call, even if your out camping trying to escape.

[@Minkses]

@@saturnlights5239 no u

[@GoblinAttacForce]

@@Travybear1989 ok boomer

[@brandonpage7087]

PRCutie101, you & me both! TRL was the shit!! I used to watch that everyday after school!! Also, Heero Yuy, the '90s ruled! Those were some of the best times of my life!

[@doublep1980]

Video killed the radio star. Then the Internet killed the video/tv star. It´s that simple.

[@Murder_McFly]

Couple days ago I was actually reminiscing over how I used to stay up and watch Headbangers Ball with the volume as low as possible so as to not wake my parents. You don’t notice it in the moment but small things like that sometimes are the things you miss the most. Simpler times indeed

[@morticiaheisenberg9679]

Lol. Same!!! I miss Headbangers Ball!! That was my favorite show. And yes, my super religious mom was sleeping so I was right next to the TV on the lowest volume. 😊

[@scooby-poo8667]

Same!

[@amyrussell860]

Yup.

[@princessmarlena1359]

Oooooh, the headbanger’s ball! I remember and love that! But I was pissed when they cancelled it without notice in ‘94. We didn’t even get to say “Goodbye”. It did come back for a while, but it was terrible.

[@TheNoirAlien]

With the kung fu intro?

[@saintsataniko2116]

I was watching Ridiculousness (which as Patrick has already stated, owns MTV) and Chanel Westcoast literally didn't know what MTV stood for. She was shocked that it was Music Television. That's probably the case with almost anyone under 30 now, and tells you all you need to know about their brand.

[@taylorcliff6609]

chanel was born in 88 though so she would have def been the age MTV was targeted at...girl just slow with things.

[@saintsataniko2116]

@@taylorcliff6609 I knew someone would say, Oh but she's older than 30! I know she is, but I'm saying in general, people under 30 have no clue the M ever meant MusicTV. Patrick points out specifically that if you're under 43 but obviously you could have been somewhat younger and at least have heard about it...but now it's almost forgotten entirely.

[@taylorcliff6609]

@@saintsataniko2116 didnt mean it as a counter argument was just tryna highlight how slow that girl actually is hahaha XD like im 28 and lived off mtv music videos as it was one of the only channels we got so i find it hard to believe anyone born in the 90s wouldnt know what MTV stood for. maybe people born in the 2000s as i even struggle with relating to anyone born after 99

[@saintsataniko2116]

@@taylorcliff6609 I knew what you meant. She can be pretty goofy. But in this case, she wasn't even being dumb, she just had literally never heard it referred to as Music Television before. It is tragic how the channel has collapsed.

[@MattMcConaha]

​@@saintsataniko2116 I feel like everyone of every age knows MTV was short for music television. That's like the one universal thing that people know about MTV. That's the reason everyone memes about how MTV doesn't have music content. The only people who don't know what MTV stands for are the people who don't know what MTV is. And apparently Chanel Westcoast.

[@TheRJPowell]

Patrick back with another FIRE mini documentary!!!🙌🏾🔥

[@BertMMA]

Drink your water

[@fulcrumisaracistbigotihave6644]

🧢🧢

[@distortion_dude1]

@@fulcrumisaracistbigotihave6644 bruh you dumb asf, this vid 🔥

[@centertonarkansastyrantpatrol]

Seems like it's all conspiracys in his head and little proof to support his theories. He has one for like anyone famous. Either he a liar or super stalker.

[@fulcrumisaracistbigotihave6644]

@@centertonarkansastyrantpatrol ong. He sucks

[@christyler6234]

I’m glad I grew up where I got to experience MTV in the 80’s and early 90’s, it has been trash ever since that time.

[@FreshRose-z3s]

The golden age of MTV. 🪙

[@fluffyusa]

The Golden Age of MTV only happened a split second then it slowly decline to shit after We Are the World video/Live Aid and Hearing Aid with the Hard rockers/Heavy Metal artists.

[@fakereality96]

Jenny McCarthy and Carmen Electra were still fun to look at tho.

[@shangerdanger]

I remember when ridiculousness came out... it was like tosh.0 but shitty. I wasn't on my phone as much back then and viral videos were harder to see. Now I see all of the viral videos so a new ep of ridiculousness is basically a rerun of the internet. garbage.

[@taylorcliff6609]

crazy to even think that its been 11 years since the first EP.

[@stuartcarter4139]

@@taylorcliff6609 excuse me? I feel like I'm in a time warp... 11 years???

[@taylorcliff6609]

@@stuartcarter4139 that delorean putting in work XD but yea 2011 was the first ep of ridiculousness. time passes by so fast as you age.

[@craigman7262]

lol that annoying chic laughing

[@MIurbex]

COPE

[@tackytrooper]

When MTV slowly began abandoning music, VH1 was there to pick up the slack. Behind the Music was one of my favorite shows.

[@deepsea83]

So true. VH1 doesn’t get the recognition it deserves

[@spectreagent]

Unfortunately, VH1 is pretty much like MTV these days. Very few videos. More stupid reality shows.

[@thatgirlfromktown]

I loved VH1's pop-up videos

[@zosterinski]

In my teen eyes, vh1 was for old people

[@Deborahtunes]

​@@thatgirlfromktownI had the board game. It was hilarious...

[@avaannie3906]

I have such a clear memory of the 1st MTV awards, I was being babysat and Duran Duran came on. My Babysitter started Screaming, ran to get in front of the TV, lol like those old videos of the Beatles concerts. I joined her of course, screaming also even though I’m not sure I had any idea who Duran Duran were at that time. Lol. MTV used to be amazing. I used to watch Real World, the early seasons and the actual music videos were so cool. Thank you for posting this!

[@Cledyston]

LOLOL Great story!

[@krisrhood2127]

Sometime in the early 80s I had a cold and for some reason I fell in love with Nick Rhodes on MTV. I've been a fan ever since

[@HugoCamacho-on8he]

54 years old no apology needed, loved my youth especially headbangers ball

[@fluffyusa]

Me too Headbangers Ball! Monsters of Rock in 88' JFK Stadium, watching Live Aid, Hearing Aid with Hard Rockers/Heavy Meta vocalists and guitar players of the timel. Luckily back I got to see live RJD, Judas Priest, Accept, Dokken, Metallica, Anthrax, Van Halen with Sammy, Scorpions Guns n Roses, the 2nd coming of Aerosmith, Night Ranger, Ozzy, Cinderella, etc when going to concerts back then were dirt cheap.

[@jayjohnston2682]

Loved the ball as a kid. Love and miss the 80s

[@RossBayCult]

KZbin has pretty much put the final nail in the coffin for mtv. Unless you have mtv on in a bar or barber shop in the background and no one is really paying attention.

[@JAMARISPEAKS]

Right on time for lunch, this one’s gonna be good 🔥

[@PatrickCc]

love bro!!

[@kyahhh5482]

Dont forget the bev = water

[@NuclearWaffle0]

The tan superman is the last person I expected to see in this comment section 😅small world I guess

[@scotwfree]

Wtf I literally just watched a Jamari vid before this one

[@packrunnerjohnny]

Two of my fav KZbinrs. W

[@brianfuller757]

MTV was Music Television and then it wasn't.

[@Smalltummywonderful]

Agreed

[@ksavage681]

Then it was game show and reality show network. No music.

[@korrblank1361]

Thanks to Viacom buying mtv, this is what the Channel has resorted to, oh well, that’s just life, i guess.

[@Smalltummywonderful]

@@korrblank1361 true

[@ericjayfederizo3549]

Mason television.

[@hollingsworth_hound]

I freelanced as a graphic designer at MTV/VH1 in NYC around 2010 (it was in the marketing department so pretty corporate, nothing glamorous like broadcast). I asked one of the managers why they no longer played videos like in the old days, and his simple answer was "Ratings." Once the novelty of 24/7 videos wore off, there was no more demand. Then of course the internet was the final nail in that coffin since anyone can access just about any video whenever they want.

[@WaveGazer]

The problem with the ratings at that time was that it was based off of a very questionable system...the Nielsen ratings.

[@hollingsworth_hound]

@@WaveGazer Good point.

[@TheMediaHoarder]

@@WaveGazerRatings shouldn’t matter to cable channels, especially when they don’t even measure 100% of the people watching. If I’m paying for MTV, I want music 24/7. If they can’t give that to me, they don’t get my money. I largely gave up on cable more than 30 years ago as every channel failed at giving me what I wanted, and they’ve only gotten worse since then.

[@str_ss]

I think one major contributing factor - having grown up with TRL, Celebrity Deathmatch, Pimp My Ride, Cribs etc - is that scores of the audience grow up and move on. Catfish and Teen Mom had the ability to appeal to their older audience and a new, younger audience, but MTV had to continually adjust to a new core audience given that as you say they had to resort to shows to prop up the niche nature of music videos. Kids today are so fickle and have zero loyalty to “platforms” because of so much choice, so unless MTV did something drastic they are basically doomed to be the History Channel of music. No wonder they lost their identity. A fascinating case study though. Love your videos.

[@clllayton]

Well said

[@torrijones8434]

I remember death Match lordy

[@JP-ml1xe]

I remember watching trl so many days after school

[@bassssaasuuuup]

No loyalty? Have you seen “stan” culture?

[@Lucky_Chase]

So sorry you missed out on the good good.

[@raimeyewens7518]

I grew up in the 80’s. And my friend and I watched the first song they ever played. I remember waiting anxiously to watch Thriller for the first time. We loved MTV. We would stay up all night to watch Headbanger’s Ball. Then slowly over the years it turned into a garbage show with no videos. And yes, I’m 48 and “old” 😂

[@nsasupporter7557]

The reason they created MTV2 was because the primary MTV quit showing music. But now MTV2 doesn’t even show music

[@briansmith48]

I'm 47, and I remember coming home and turning on MTV. Watched all the videos. Then the reality shows. The Real World, Road Rules, Next, Home Raiders and then Pimp my Ride. It was awesome. But then it really did get ridiculous with way too many crazy reality shows. Then I was out.

[@nsasupporter7557]

@@briansmith48 did you like Viva La Bam?

[@briansmith48]

@@nsasupporter7557 . I never watched it. I was probably done with MTV by that point. That whole Punked / Jackass type stuff never interested me.

[@invictusbp1prop143]

I think I had totally given up by the time TRL came around. Had no use for it.

[@devochka-s-kare]

I was born in 1990 and TRL was mandatory viewing for me as soon as it started, the height of boy bands and pop princesses, it was a little girl's dream. MTV formed my childhood and teen years, and I remember really wanting MTV 2, but our cable package didn't include it at the time, or else I definitely would've watched it too. The ending of this is so bleak, 24 hours of Ridiculousness even on the 40th anniversary of the network, damn. Thanks for a great documentary, it was exactly what I needed to watch today!

[@W81Researcher]

That's what ruined those artists. Little girls forcing these kids to have to quickly mature. Disney gets no blame for what happened to Britney, Lohan, and Miley and they were pushing it. If Bieber didn't start out on Nickelodeon he wouldn't have gotten the hate he got.

[@ReignRoyale80]

I remember in 1988. I was eight years old Yo MTV RAPS premiered on MTV lasted for two hours crazy part about it. It came on at 2 AM so my brother asked my mom and dad can his friends stay over and watch Yo. We had so much fun that morning. It was mad crazy. My mom stayed up with all of us made breakfast and we were all just jamming to the videos. Man those were the days.

[@TheMisterManGuy]

I think you should've mentioned the period of 2011 to 2017, when MTV tried its hand at scripted tv shows to compete with ABC Family and The CW. Shows like Awkward, Teen Wolf, Scream, Faking it. That was perhaps the most interesting post-music era of MTV for me personally.

[@tylongkicks8821]

I remember that era never watched any of the shows other than an episode of Teen Wolf

[@Ryanlexz]

Sadly MTV cancel all of it and not doing anymore of those scripted tv shows

[@truthteller4442]

Some of them were actually good too. They had a show called “Underemployed” in 2012 and it was great. Only lasted one season and was cancelled.

[@lenna3739]

Oh yehhhh you’re so right!!! Awkward was my shit

[@Theblackbulma]

Oh yah, my lif as Liz was my fav

[@wistfulthinking]

britney will always be the TRL queen, she dominated the early-mid 00s and gave mtv some of their best & most memorable performances. I miss how pop culture used to be back then, literally everything an artist did was an event and as much as I like how easily accessible music is now, the anticipation and excitement (for me anyway) is not the same anymore

[@cornoffthecobs7299]

Spears

[@John-Doe-Yo]

Who’s Britney?

[@notibusba9283]

The legendary Miss Britney Spears

[@tysonrinker5958]

It was a great time back then

[@kittykittybangbang9367]

"I miss how pop culture used to be back then" Bruh, did you forget how badly the media treated Britney Spears?

[@mbr0916]

I was born in ‘91… I remember watching TRL _religiously_ every day after school. MTV was like _the channel_ all throughout the first decade of my life. It’s kinda sad that it has become what it is, but nothing lasts forever!

[@tylongkicks8821]

I feel you. I was born in 1982 and was glad to see peak MTV with Yo MTV Rap, TRL, Behind the Music, Cribs, Real World,

[@1204nedes]

@@tylongkicks8821 wasnt behind the music vh1?

[@vladimirpoutine7522]

@@1204nedes Yes.

[@kevinlang8131]

I was one of the oldtimers that grew up with MTV, it was painful to hear you speak about MTV so truthfully. But I must say you skillfully told the story and changed my thoughts.

[@willrueb9573]

IMO, MTV couldn't sustain itself because the music industry became so ruthless, self-isolated, and commercialized that it no longer wanted the customer to be aware of what it does, and thus MTV no longer had an insider's look into the industry it claimed to be a part of. We no longer got the in depth analysis, interviews or saw any aspects of music production because the industry the channel was built around didn't want to be exposed for what it was doing and still does.

[@Attmay]

Became?

[@daedaethedon]

I actually loved MTV 2... I remember finding out about it the night before going to 6th grade. And pulled an all nighter watching music videos. It sorta became something I would do before going to the next grade. R.I.P MTV 🕊 Won't be missed but never forgotten. 🕺

[@al_ghul_girl]

I remember between 4th and 6th grade my sister and I would beg my mom not to let us go to school. During that time we'd watch MTV2 all day long without our parents telling us to stop, those were good times.

[@robertfrost8264]

It's crazy to me that NPR Music's Tiny Desk Concert series has become one of the most influential staples of "Music Television."

[@JamesLawner]

It’s the Unplugged for a new generation.

[@TMoney-wt1cw]

Why are people genuinely surprised about MTV when you can pull up any music video you want instantly on your phone and skip any ones you don’t like?

[@J_Clean_1996]

The sad thing is, and the reason that things are never going to change, is that people actually find Ridiculousness funny. It kills me that Tosh is gone.

[@PatrickCc]

Tosh is a way better host, he is actually very funny and makes the content funnier with his jokes. But Rob being the host kind of presents the content better yaknow? He's kinda like a reactor, just punching in little bits here and there but doesn't interrupt too much

[@J_Clean_1996]

@@PatrickCc I definitely agree with you.

[@clllayton]

I don't feel that Tosh's schtick would play well today. It was bully-the-outcast humor rationalized by Tosh having strong alternative lifestyle vibes. I found his show hilarious when it was new and I was younger and had experienced much less of the world than now. He went downhill went he started belittling the ce-webs or whatever

[@topfloorbossopium]

Ridiculousness is fire bro cmon now. However, that shit shouldn’t be on for more than 2 hours a day

[@josesarabia8829]

tired of the fake crowd lagging

[@SpawnPoiint]

Damn, so much nostalgia in one video! Also incredible content Patrick!

[@blackamerican40]

8-1-21 was a sad day because 40 years later, MTV was an empty shell of itself. You really couldn't celebrate a 40th anniversary.

[@jacobjoseph1468]

I remember distinctly watching the "MTV 20" special in 2001!

[@JustForSneaksEnt]

@@jacobjoseph1468 They also released a coffee table book that year about the 20th Anniversary called MTV Uncensored.

[@ITSAHARDNUGLIFE]

The only thing keeping that flame alive are songs from artists like Tame Impala and Foster the People to name a couple.

[@jasonpalacios2705]

Actually to see the anniversary of MTV, you've to watch it on VH-1.

[@blackamerican40]

@@jasonpalacios2705 Yeah, it's glory days are gone too.

[@joshpalmer7118]

When mtv stopped playing music and forced reality tv shows was the beginning of the end for mtv. Rob dyrdek was the reason everyone kept watching from 2005-2012 with his shows. I can’t remember the last time I watched mtv

[@cbrstar7145]

I'm 40 so I guess I'm that 20%. There was always radio stations, but MTV felt like it was the first bit of freedom you had as a kid. You could listen to all sorts of new and interesting music. But there was something about seeing artists dressing, talking, and acting the same way you and your friends did. That just made the music so much more relatable.

[@tab7madeup]

The Box was more freedom for promoting any uncensored MV and some underground artist, that wasn't on MTV, back in the late 80s to early 2000s. Remember, Music Television You Control 😎

[@digamejh]

@@tab7madeup I'm happy somebody remembers it. I never see it mentioned, anywhere. Then MTV bought it out and MTV2 started airing in its place...

[@DollFaceox]

I truly believe MTV should tap into everyone’s appeal for nostalgia by reaching into their vault and pulling out the classics from previous decades. I was born in 89 and was a kid throughout the 90s. So unless shows were reruns, that’d be the only way to know about them such as Daria & Bevis/Butthead. For me personally, I always find myself searching older content on the internet as opposed to newer garbage out. Plus, when viewing the comment section in any given video, I always run across several comments of people born from 00’s forward feeling nostalgic for a world & time they’ve never experienced. As for me myself I lived it and it’s comfortable to visually see and submerge my mind/thoughts back to times of a world we as a society will never live again…. So, I said all of that to say, MTV has created enough content over the last 40 yrs for people of the 80’s to reminisce, children of the 90s to both reminisce AND discover footage before our time & 00’s and beyond to just to get a glimpse into yesterworld that they’ll never get to experience. MTV I believe , unknowingly is sitting on a gold mine…

[@leeannasloan2292]

Awesome comment..my thoughts exactly.

[@markdavis9510]

They have a dedicated 80s and 90s content channel on LG TV. To me, that's like tvland.

[@OTLStr-o5u]

This! Nostalgia is where money is.

[@sinegra30]

I LOVE YOU

[@DollFaceox]

@@sinegra30 who? Lol

[@AlexTenThousand]

The MTV I remember, the one that aired in Italy in the 2000s, was a pretty unique beast still. It had a good balance of music, original programming and mixed content, including Anime Night, from 1999 to 2010, and aired stuff like Fullmetal Alchemist, Escaflowne and Cowboy Bebop.

[@michaellovely6601]

MTV Europe.

[@burgertim7878]

Same here in Germany. Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell etc. and still music videos. Then they put it on PayTV and I just dropped the whole channel. Never gave a shit about all those douchebag shows like Jersey Shore and whatever.

[@caseysmith544]

That was on Cartoon Network in The USA. In USA, MTV was still doing the Saturday TRL block and others stuff like movies with music to theme to them or that style they had created in 1990's, it was just by 2010, the Channel was the Jersey Shore channel, then that and Bringing back Teen Mom, now is Jersey Shore/reboots & Ridiculousness were what they have since become along with Catfish or that Teen Mom show/Teen Mom now and then. that is about all they play are these 4 types of shows on MTV. They found a extra season worth of Bevis and Buthead Shows they fully produced that did not make it to TV back in the day in 2011 were basically just on the drawing board.

[@devonbrooks246]

I remember years ago they tried MTV Classic, playing videos from the 70s and 80s and I enjoyed that. But like Patrick said, you can’t make money on just a small number of viewers. KZbin is our MTV now. This is also the reason why physical media sales dropped.

[@carolinamurtha3102]

I loved MTV growing up. They would play hours of just videos early in the morning and I had that on as I got ready for school. I miss that MTV so much.

[@RockedNet]

I remember when MTV2 launched and I thought that was a great idea to have the true music video focus while MTV does whatever. A few years after launch, MTV2 was showing Real World reruns. To me, that was when the original MTV idea was never coming back.

[@malicexvii7905]

Love your channel!!

[@Its.claudiiaa]

MTV2 was a commodity (at least for me) I remember always being on the pricier cable packages

[@ceevibezz]

Absolutely hooked on Patricks content. I was literally thinking about this channel when I saw Ridiculousness playing at the gym earlier today, then he dropped this video. I miss the good days of MTV, and in Canada Much Music and Much More Music when they used to have music countdowns and pop up video all the time (and I'm under 40 lol)

[@magical-soap5359]

Oooh yes. I only got to see Pop Up Video occasionally, fun learning the facts about artists and their music.

[@melw9147]

Omg pop up video 😭 i would call my best friend and we’d watch videos and be on the home phone. Good times

[@johnf-americanreacts1287]

I grew up on MTV in the 80s. You forgot to mention the cultural phenomenon that was Live Aid. To me, that was the pinnacle of MTV. Anyway good video. Your closing remarks sums it up perfectly.

[@flightofthebumblebee9529]

MTV was so truly amazing in the 90s. Beavis and Butt-Head are a huge part of that. I'm grateful to have grown up in the 90s.

[@Thespeedrap]

We had a great renaissance in the tv world in our childhood.

[@JaneDoe-sv1mk]

Man this took me back Patrick. Thank you. I can still remember waiting on the school bus and waiting during each 5 minute commercial break to be over with to see what 2 or 3 videos MTV would show. I will never forget seeing "Crossroads" by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and "Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio. My television stayed on BET, MTV, and lesser but also VH1. I fell in love with so many artists that I still listen to at 36 years old. You hit the nail on the head with the whole scope of this video... masterclass work my friend.

[@jonleibow3604]

23:10 Sad to hear they didn't do anything for their 40th anniversary. I'm old enough to remember their 10th anniversary special: it was aired prime-time on ABC, featured all kinds of top musicians (including a couple of live songs by Michael Jackson who was about as big as it got at the time)

[@scottburton9701]

I'm thinking MTV didn't feel like celebrating its glory days to quote Bruce Springsteen.

[@RobertHaynesPeterson]

The original living VJs did do a 40th anniversary special on Serious XM. I think they played the first hour or two of the broadcast and commented and reminisced in between sets

[@rickyn.1567]

They didn’t do anything on their 30th anniversary either, so I can’t say I’m surprised.

[@jazzpunk]

@@scottburton9701 Scrubbing the Past...so Orwellian. ;-)

[@veggieoilerfan2940]

@@rickyn.1567 VH1 Classic had actually celebrated the 30th anniversary of MTV on August 1, 2011. Meanwhile, MTV made no mention of the anniversary.

[@shawnadcock-y5x]

and here we are in 2024. RIP to all music. Go ahead and and movies as well. We now live in an artistic wasteland.

[@Agencetourix]

If you think there's no good music coming out anymore, you aren't looking hard enough.

[@smileytownSF]

True. This cultural stagnation actually started in the 90s.

[@jorgesalazar818]

​@@Agencetourix you sound like a douche

[@sword-and-shield]

Only for those artist's that can't create huh

[@dragonmartijn]

@@AgencetourixBack in the day good music was discovered by the radio. Music doesn’t have the social impact anymore certainly not if you have to search very well to find it.

[@thedukeofchutney468]

This really resonated with me. I was born in 1998 so I was a teen in the 2010s and I can say MTV had almost zero affect on anyone I knew my age. I always found it weird to hear my parents or even kids just five to ten years older then me talk about MTV like it was a big deal.

[@JDubKillinKicks]

Sorry you missed the good old days.

[@michaeld1889]

Thats crazy. Like, when 9/11 happened (I was 20) I watched MTV lol. It just was always on. You know? There really is no modern equivalent. Some things are close..but not really.

[@dvvaughn564]

MTV died when they quit playing metal and rock and roll music. back then you would see dokken, ratt, then prince then micheal jackson. it was truly diverse music on the channel then in 92 new president said no more metal bands it died quickly. when i was 15 we all watched mtv daily it was on as we did other things. sorry you missed the good ole days when talent ruled the music industry unlike post 95 music.

[@alyssa1960]

I was born in 99 and everyone my age talked about jersey shore, the vmas, and jackass

[@CheckCeeOut]

You gotta be the oldest in your family cause I was born in ‘99 and MTV was just different bro

[@hollyinhell]

I was born in 74. I remembered when MTV started, it was great through the mid-90's. My favorite shows was 180 Minutes, where alternative videos were played, well for, 180 minutes. Anyhow I quit watching when non-music video shows took over the channel.

[@maxshea1829]

The trouble with 180 Minutes is it was only 120 Minutes long. 😉

[@ipiap]

@@maxshea1829 Do you remember Native Altercation? That was a show.

[@normie2716]

@@ipiap No, but I remember Alternative Nation.

[@ipiap]

@@normie2716 Me too, bit I got inspired by the "180 minutes" comment.

[@JermaineJagger]

I remember MTV2 being only in deluxe cable packages which I remember wanting as a kid but was PRICEY.. lol MTV2 was a "luxury" 😭 thats prob why it did poorly. such a GREAT video.. the world NEEDED this 💗👏🏾

[@AbsoluteApril]

yeah we could never get it back then, it was just mtv or vh1 with the basic cable package

[@JermaineJagger]

@@AbsoluteApril RIGHTTT?! and def only in some areas haha now i think theres like 4 different mtv options lol

[@dexenationgracey1979]

For a while MTV2 was on basic cable but nowadays it's exclusively premium cable.

[@Its.claudiiaa]

For real I remember begging my mom to get the better package just so I could watch mtv2 lmaooo😂 and the even more expensive package had mtv tr3s (mtv3) targeted to the Hispanic audience which I wanted also so bad but if I couldn’t get my mom to get me mtv2 imagine getting mtv3 😂😂😂😂

[@JermaineJagger]

@@Its.claudiiaa haha yesss! oh the memories!!

[@Neufertful]

If MTV existed today with the content of 90's and 2000's, this means: MUSIC VIDEOS, I would watch it. I loved watching music videos, previusly selected for being relevant, good, apealing, possible hits.

[@tekgamer33]

I grew up during their first wave, 80s and early 90s. They were huge. It was a massive cultural phenomenon for my generation and everyone at school watched. They also catered to the older kids with staple shows like 120 Minutes and Headbanger’s Ball. But then we grew up and grew out of it… You made an excellent case about changing audiences, other sources of videos, and changing taste as the reason for their decline. A channel like this, that caters to a youth audience, runs the risk of losing popularity quickly with that audience.

[@YouKnowWhereYouWentWrong]

My thoughts exactly. These days if I want to watch a run of nostalgia/80's music videos I come here to YT and type in the artists and watch them on demand.

[@chrisconley8583]

This kid that made this video, swung and missed on a few things. Not mentioning that “Remote Control” was the launching point where a few people. Colin Quinn, Dennis Leary and Adam Sandler all got their big break there.

[@tekgamer33]

@@chrisconley8583 Yeah there were some notable shows. Jon Stewart had a short-lived talk show on MTV which was their second highest-rated show. And we can’t forget the brilliant comedy sketch show “The State” which introduced us to Michael Ian Black, Thomas Lennon, Ken Marino, Michael Showalter, and David Wain to name a few. It’s easy forget the influence of MTV in the first 10-15 years.

[@tomservo5347]

The most exciting time for me was when MTV started playing Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' video at least 20 times daily. You could feel something new and exciting happening musically and a new 90's generation. We had groups at this time. Having two stepsons grow up during the internet age it seems all youth now seem to fit an internet/media mold that's rather mono.

[@naylorbroughton1159]

try 50 times a day. Hated that video back in 1992. I joked back then "just call it the Nirvana / Pearl Jam / Gund N Roses Network"

[@atruceforbruce5388]

So many good bands during the grunge invasion.

[@leeannasloan2292]

I was 1# when nirvana hit and it changed my world.

[@miterbenisdurty3862]

It was a loop of that an En Vogue video, life is the highway, Aerosmith crazy and maybe like 2 other songs.

[@YBM2007]

Huge mistake on MTVs part in focusing everything on the 'alternative' bands.

[@mistuhgone]

MTV died when they went all-in with TRL and those bullshit reality shows. They didn't sell out per se, but rather they let CBS Viacom (aka Paramount) buy-in. The network let that corporate behemoth sink their claws so deep inside them that they had forgotten how to cater to their viewers' shortening attention span and instead began exploiting it at every turn. Their reduction in musical content might have continued to go unnoticed as it did throughout the lion's share of the 90s, but when TRL came with the turn of the millennium, the lack of balanced content was glaring because the suits got greedy and kept choking the program lineup with more absurdly-premised reality shows and other filler content.

[@mistuhgone]

@@mclovinlife4018 You misunderstood what I said. Them phasing out music videos isn't what killed it, them chasing after cheap gimmicks instead of focusing on quality did. Nobody told them to have shitty half-hour shows with ten minutes of commercials for filler. They chose that.

[@Supermoneygang12]

did you not even watch the video lol what

[@kostas6621]

Exactly!! 1000%

[@millhousemillard2140]

@@mistuhgone they always had long commercial breaks. I'm 42 and that was the thing with MTV but I thought it was cool cause you could go get something to snack on or use the bathroom and not have to rush. That was the 80s and 90s

[@mistuhgone]

And to their credit, most of the commercials they showed back then were cool - and I'm not just talking about the bumpers and idents with as Jay kindly put it "weird ass puppets and screwed up cartoons." I sometimes got to see gnarly ads for stores that didn't exist in my hometown - like Tower Records, Sam Goody, MerryGoRound, etc. As I've been trying to say, there was more balance and nuance to 80s and 90s MTV. Sure you had stiff fossils like Kurt Loder, but then you had edgy bruhs like Jon Sencio and Dan Cortese. Then in '99, Carson Daly came in and all of a sudden every veejay had to be just like him - a sentient white bread and Grey Poupon sandwich - so they fired all the Kennedys, Anandas, Idalises, and Bill Bellamies - and by 2003 MTV looked like VH1 and VH1 looked like TV Land.

[@dyskelia]

'Behind the Music' was an incredible rock history education for 10-year-old me but I guess that was VH1...

[@josephr4761]

I miss behind the music so much. I used to binge watch it all day. Thanks for reminding me that it exists.

[@Solitaire001]

@@josephr4761 I enjoyed "Pop-Up Video", which presented a lot of music trivia in a very interesting way.

[@d___c____5604]

The reason me and my friends stopped watching MTV was primarily due to MTV playing almost only rap videos, so we started watching mtv2 to see videos of bands we liked, THEN mtv2 started playing almost only rap videos, THEN we started watching MTVX to see videos of bands we like and I'll be damned if MTVX started playing only rap videos. They had 3 channels playing the same videos.

[@bearstuff]

I remember this, I discovered good bands in MTV2 but then it was mostly rap which I wasn't into at the time. Then somehow it was just rap and now it's not even that :/

[@vanderslagmulders]

Thanks for sharing. As always the devil is in the details.

[@raygrooves2666]

Growing up in the UK we weren't that into Rap we were into Dance Music and Indie music so it was totally irrelevant to us as we didn't live that life.

[@freedomfest2741]

Once they went all rap, I switched to VH1, which played rock , then they went to all reality. They should have changed their name to "RTV" since it was nothing but reality.

[@MK-hh1vo]

Wow! Didn't realize that was the fate of MTV channels! Sounds like a Stephen King novel where the transgressors are forced to rely on the thing they hate the most! In the beginning, MTV *refused* to play Black music videos. After public protests and common sense kicked in, their 1st video with Black people was MJ's Beat It. Fast forward to the future, Black videos are their lifeline. Talk about *karma* ! 😆

[@ashleyh2578]

I generally feel like TV networks just refused to keep up with social media. They didn't adapt and didn't get into subscription services like Netflix either so they really aren't mainstream anymore. They're mostly for adults who prefer to watch old shows they used to love or put something on while they do chores around the house.

[@maxpayne7312]

That’s true and they probably looked at the many downsides to catering to teens, cause for any teen their attention span is a 3 out of 10, being picky 30 out of 20 and always being confused 200% While social media they know how to pull or reel in the average dysfunctional teen

[@pplcantuseyouifyoureuseles6705]

That’s exactly what I thought a bunch of 50 years old who didn’t take social media seriously so their only way to thrive now is on Rob’s back . Man breaking his back at this point

[@1977TA]

The old concept of television networks is a dinosaur at this point. Streaming services like HBO Max are where things have gone. The future of network programing is online. Anyone that refuses to accept this will get left behind.

[@maxpayne7312]

@@1977TA I think everyone knows that Come on now

[@tylongkicks8821]

@@1977TA That's not new knowledge. I think since 2013 Streaming was the future.

[@elijahheart9103]

I grew up in the 90s! TRL was my favorite show! in 1998 through 2008, i fell in love with music in 98 when i was 12 and rememeber when trl had music videos from Britney christina, ricky martin, korn limp bizkit eminem dmx papa roach avril lavigne .

[@tylongkicks8821]

The TRL era was cool I was 16 in 98. I remember DMX and Eminem being on TRL

[@elijahheart9103]

@@tylongkicks8821 yes what was so cool about it is that eminem could be interviewed one minute and the next it was britney spears. Then the next day it would be korn limp bizkit backstreet boys we had a variety of music styles. Its not like that anymore in the mainstream which makes things more dull

[@XxLIVRAxX]

1998 - 2008 is the era I watched MTV, I watched bands like Linkin Park and Evanescense rise to become a global phenomenon and am still a fan.

[@captcorajus]

Hey there brother, but sorry have to put a hole in your thesis there. We NEVER turned to MTV listened to a 'song we liked' and then clicked away. That's NOT how we used it. MTV was the soundtrack of our lives. It played in the background nonstop while we did other things. A song we liked came on, we turned the volume up.. and most likely had it hooked into the stereo through the FM antenna on our rack stereo system's turner. House party? big ol 32" TV playing, everyone jamming to MTV... that's how it was.. maybe someone turned it down while we played a song on our stereo, but the videos played with the volume down. THAT'S how Gen X 'watched' MTV.

[@TheMediaHoarder]

And if a song you don’t like is on, at least a better one might come on after. If it’s a stupid show you don’t like, that’ll take up at least a half hour so no use in keeping the channel on.

[@johnmichel4865]

MTV2 in the late '90s and early 2000s. Great times with that channel as a fitting backdrop. Loved it.

[@offthewallsk818]

MTV2 was originally called The Box - a service where you request music videos by phone and pay with your phone bill. MTV purchased it and just did the same thing without the pay service.

[@charmedpowerbabe]

Good times

[@tylongkicks8821]

I remember the BOX in 1995/1996. That's where I would go for rap videos that MTV wouldn't play hardly like Master P Bout It, Goodie Mob Soul Food, 8 Ball & MJG Candy

[@angelfishluva291]

I still remember when MTV was 'turned on'. Back when we didnt have a remote, but a corded box with a bunch of buttons you switched to. Clicking through the normal channels and all of a sudden there was this channel with a music video playing. I swear in my mind, where I was when I first saw MTV is up there with where I was when the Challenger blew up and others of where they were when JFK was shot. It is just ingrained in my mind where I was when I first watched MTV.

[@markpitt2474]

They stop giving a fuck about music!!!! Which makes the name a huge oxymoron now!?!?

[@kthorn5032]

I have lived through the beginning and end of MTV..I’ll never forget waking up in the morning, turning on MTV before school to see my favorite music videos…I still to this day look forward to watching music videos from new artist. MTV changed so much, I’ll never forget it.

[@--Paws--]

I think TRL also impacted the businesses around Time Square during its reign. A lot of brand name stores relating to teens and young adults popped up and thrived around the time TRL was on air. After it disappeared, the stores suffered regardless of Time Square being a tourist trap.

[@clllayton]

TRL was cool no matter if you liked pop music or not. It had the feel of hanging out in Spencer's or something and making jokes about the stuff for sale there

[@Attmay]

@@clllayton coolness died the day they took the "can't lose" out of *Parker Lewis Can't Lose.*

[@DrFranklynAnderson]

I watched a few hours of the original MTV when I was researching the ‘80s a few years ago. I finally got the whole Gen-X “I wish MTV still played music” thing-it was actually pretty epic!

[@Bdhstl95]

It was the best!!

[@CharlesH-t9r]

@@Bdhstl95 i agree i was a kid during the 80s and there was alot of groundbreaking videos like michael jackson's " thriller " aha's "take on me" and peter gabriel's "sledgehammer"

[@kennayres6132]

Wow, now THAT was a walk down memory lane. I was a 10 yr old kid when Mtv dropped in my Philadelphia suburbs...and it was the biggest "influencer" of my Gen X generation...hair style, fashion, slang, dance...Mtv was IT...period. Nice piece my friend...keep killin it.

[@valmarsiglia]

Years ago I freelanced as a graphic designer at MTV and VH1. This was the early/mid 2000s, so well past MTV's glory days. I asked the department manager once why they didn't play videos anymore, and he said that after the novelty wore off (albeit a novelty that lasted over a decade), they just weren't getting the ratings. I'm an 80s kid too, I was 13 when MTV first came out and I had it on 24/7.

[@ajspice]

My cousin Ruth worked there and said the same exact thing.

[@scottlarson1548]

The real problem was the videos. After the industry recession in 1984, the labels just didn't feel it was worth spending a ton of money on scripted videos that took a week to shoot when they could shoot the band performing their song in a studio for a day for next to no money. If you watch videos made in 1985 the change is obvious. It really looks like videos had returned to what they had been before MTV. Even big rich bands like the Rolling Stones were happy to make quick performance videos instead of the complicated and time-consuming scripted videos they had been making.

[@valmarsiglia]

@@scottlarson1548 That's a very good point. Although tbh I personally preferred performance videos (with maybe a few narrative elements) over high-concept ones like "Total Eclipse." I always love seeing what a band looks like performing. But I can definitely see how it would've had an impact on the public's interest, since there was far less spectacle than before.

[@scottlarson1548]

@@valmarsiglia But did you really want to watch a band perform a song over and over multiple times a day? After rewatching hundreds of videos from the early 80s I forgot how *violent* many videos were back then. Many of the big video hits like "Owner Of a Lonely Heart" and "Undercover of the Night" had gun play and fist fights much like regular television. That's another element that attracted multiple views and you definitely won't find that in a performance video.

[@valmarsiglia]

​@@scottlarson1548 It's not a matter of only one or the other; there are plenty of high-concept videos I like and plenty of live-performance videos I don't like, it depends on the artist more than anything. I really like the early videos that were made on shoestring budgets, like Madness's "One Step Beyond" or Elvis Costello's "Peace, Love, and Understanding." I love everything about that particular era: the look of the video/film stock, the way they capture the feel of a time and place because they're shot largely in real settings. I always thought MTV lost its original eclectic quality once the "Gypsy"-style videos started becoming the norm.

[@MattAnyiwo]

MTV definitely dropped the ball in THIS era where so many people are making music and in so many different ways

[@ksavage681]

How is it possible to ruin a network when the content is already done for you? A buncha corporate idiots did this.

[@LeechWife]

I think people drop the ball as soon as they turn away from better music and start doing autotuned mumble bs.

[@Halpin2006]

There are some videos on KZbin for the song "Internet Killed The Video Star". And it's TRUE! Because thanks to KZbin / VEVO, MTV is now obsolete! The channel has ran its course for over 40 years, but I seriously think it's time for MTV to go BYE-BYE! "I DON'T WANT MY MTV!"

[@MattAnyiwo]

@@ksavage681 agreed!!!

[@MattAnyiwo]

@@LeechWife a lot of great artists out there that still make quality music they just don’t get that commercial boost

[@mk3a]

While MTV went downhill in 1996, I think the network decay did not fully kick in until 2005. I think the network still had a charm between 1997 and 2004 despite it having less music. MTV likely could have been relevant if they did what BBC did with BBC 3 and moved the entire platform online or streaming (though with a much better execution as BBC 3's move online was a disaster). With music moving to streaming, MTV could have reinvented itself.

[@deadreckoning4132]

Oh yeah for sure. TRL was a big show in the late '90s and it was very popular. That was probably one of the last big music shows that MTV had.

[@bobsbuurgers3714]

Like how the first seasons of "Real World" were actually legit and informative for teens... The "top ten" video shows right after school... ('95-2001)

[@Jogjosmowwdkfs]

I remember in the early 2000s tuning into MTV for the first time and it was a panel of people gossiping about Paris Hilton? Never tuned back in

[@scottlowell493]

They went downhill in the late 80's as soon as they started showing Julie Brown and garbage other than music.

[@LoCoAde87]

+1 to this. Definitely early 2000. MTV2 itself was fine until around 2006 for sure.

[@BaddogSports]

1981-1986 MTV defined my childhood. Was a glorious time!

[@djbis]

This was an epic video. Thank you so much! I'm very fortunate to be part of the "MTV Generation". An awesome era for music and entertainment that crossed a massive technological threshold in just a few years. I got to experience it all, music video era, the 90's era, the 2K's which is where I started to lose touch with the channel. It truly was the internet that hurt MTV the most. But I remember it with a tremendous amount of nostalgia and feel extremely thankful I was there for it all.

[@Xessa82]

I was born in 82 and even as a small child I was obsessed with mtv. In the late 80s and early 90s I remember waking up super early just to watch videos from my favorite songs and then at the end of the year on new years eve they'd have the top 100 music video countdown. That was everything then, it was such a huge part of life! My cousin and I would literally schedule our day around mtv. I loved the music but was also obsessed with Beavis and Butt-Head and Real-world. Mtv unplugged was great, I still think my all time fav in that show was Nirvana and Korn. It was just so different from anything else out at the time. It was so sad to see them eventually F it up! They introduced me to so much music that I probably never would have gotten into. Had they just kept the balance between music and shows they might have lasted. It's sad because when they started moving more away from the music, I stopped being introduced to such a large variety of music. I do have to admit I was a bit obsessed with the reality shows though but definitely missed the music related shows.

[@JXakaJoshuaWills]

Yes, used to watch music videos before going to school AND after it was quite a time.

[@psychopathyoutubeemployees280]

I said it once and I'll say it again. If you name your network after a specific genre, you STICK WITH THAT GENRE! Otherwise, CHANGE THE NAME OF THE NETWORK to reflect the new direction you want to go in!

[@Tonzoffun0420]

Technically Ancient Aliens is talking about "history"

[@hydrolito]

Bookstore keep name as bookstore even though they were multimedia with videos, cds, games, puzzles, computer programs and other things besides books.

[@vincesmith2499]

Why? The name has marketability, so why change it?

[@bmasters1981]

And I feel this way even now about FOX "News"-- back in the old days, they actually reported news, but with a conservative Republican flavor (and they had actual news shows too that weren't all outrage, and even tickers with other headlines at the bottom). Nowadays, every show (outside of Special Report with Bret Baier weeknights at 6) is about Republican outrage politics, and there are no more tickers (so, in essence, the headline of outrage on the lower third of the screen is the news, the whole news and all the news according to FOX). These days, I oftentimes wish they'd call themselves New York Post TV, Washington Times TV or even National Enquirer TV (because the Republican outrage channel that calls itself FOX "News" always references those right-wing publications that are nothing more than rags [and IMO, FOX "News" is very much a visual "rag"]).

[@pawspagrooming]

bro yr deep dives are so complex and thorough.... well done as always🎉 LOVED LIQUID TELEVISION

[@grooverider1714]

I almost wept while watching this. Everything you said was painfully true. MTv definitely abandoned its roots, and with it, the generation that made it what it was. I remember staying up late nights just to watch AMP.

[@thealternative9580]

They aren’t the only ones who abandoned Gen X.

[@agnesg]

@@thealternative9580 Explain pls I'm intrigued

[@thealternative9580]

​@@agnesg Well the establishment dropped Gen X and their culture like on old sack of potatoes in the late 90's and early aughts in favor of millennials who were like in middle school at the time. All through the early to late 90's they were telling us it was gonna be our turn. This was gonna be our world entire ad campaigns of Generation Next while they ripped off our art and culture. Just learn the basics of computers (not even like software) we are talking turn it on and get online and you will be set was what they were selling in the mid to late 90's and early aughts. Till the dot com bubble burst. Boomers still can't use computers. Now they want us to save them from these fucking kids. Fuck em. I hope it hurts all the way down.

[@zetajacks2933]

The weird, slow suicide of MTV was one of the strangest acts of self-destruction in the history of broadcasting.

[@MsJubjubbird]

I remember visiting the US in about 2005 and 2006, being so excited to finally watch MTV. I preferred VH1 because they had more music videos, but I still liked MTV. I returned about 5 years later and there was no music on MTV at all. I never watched it ass it was just reality TV trash.

[@CaptainVelveeta]

There was really nothing strange about it. The publishing companies are the ones who killed MTV. They seized the opportunity, afforded by MTV's huge success, to start increasing the publishing/rebroadcasting fees to the point that it was costing MTV more money than it was worth. Desperate for something to fill the void, MTV realized there was a huge market for reality television that they should try and tap into. Once "The Real World" took off in 1992 they discovered that there was more money in reality shows than music videos.

[@g0tst1ngs]

Did you not watch the full video? Internet killed the MTV star

[@BILLRANDO]

MTV DIED WEDNESDAY JUNE 5TH 1985 WHEN THEY AIRED THE YOUNG ONES MUSICINTHATSHOWORNOT. . ​@g0tst1ngs

[@ramencurry6672]

MTV was lame. They tried so hard to be hip and cool and it felt artificial. When you do that you don’t last

[@superseahawk4296]

I witnessed the last days of the 'real' MTV in the early 2010's....i miss it now its just ridiculousness (+ 2000's / forgot to put that in)

[@ddjsoyenby]

agreed.

[@Chordonblue]

The other thing to consider is that not all cable operators carried MTV, or ESPECIALLY MTV2. I didn't even know that was a channel until I visited an out of state friend.

[@ashakir622]

I remember when MTV was a visual radio. I used to turn it on in the mornings and have the music video marathons playing in the background as part of my morning routine whenever I would get ready for school or work. Those days are long gone.

[@mariflame1821]

I was a teenager on the 80s and loved watching music videos on MTV! They had guess VJ hours where popular musicians would host and play their favorite videos. Music Videos were so fun and creative back then. My favorites were Duran Duran. I got to go to MTVs Spring Break in Florida. Good old days! Great job on your video...very informative!

[@deadreckoning4132]

I feel you totally. It was a different time. My TV would stay on MTV. Some music videos were almost like mini movies. Just so fun to watch.

[@Jogjosmowwdkfs]

I like Duran Duran, they’re one of my top listened to this year

[@edpowers443]

I agree that is the only thing we watched or listened to. Everywhere you would go from 83 until the end of the 80s people only watched MTV. It influenced style and music. If you weren't a teenager in the 80s you can't understand the influence of MTV. Don't know why ratings didn't reflect that.

[@carlschroeder6811]

And then they went woke and all nigga.

[@vinnykster]

They also had Saturday night concerts 😎😎😎😎😎😎 Best one was Rush Exit Stage Left

[@ericshade9632]

I was there from the beginning. And this video pretty much confirms that I AM that open-minded, curious music fan who not only wanted music content but loved interviews, bios and trivia about songs and their artists. I loved 120 Minutes. I loved the Cutting Edge. I loved the VJs who knew their stuff (Martha Quinn rocked! folks like Julie Brown, or Jesse, not so much) When MTV2 came around, I would watch it for hours on end. It was my "radio" - even if it was just background noise, it was still on. TRL really seemed to be MTV turning itself around, but what promise it had was completely buried by the Reality and non-music shows (most of which turned me off, which apparently makes me the complete opposite of what the execs were shooting for.) And what you called "boring" at 15.06 was exactly the stuff I wanted! I guess the takeaway here is that "music" is just to broad...you would need 20 different related channels to cover it all and yet, at the same time, still evolve to keep up with new audiences, yet somehow hang on to "old-timers" (like me). If you look at record sales and the "industry" (as it is these days), where old records are outselling new product by an enormous margin, I think now is the right time to give actual music television another try.

[@steelrose7342]

Totally agree. I miss to put MTV and other music channels as background in my daily routine. I found an european music channel called Retro Music that play music videos all day (except for the ads).

[@jeremyjasonpage5863]

I myself was never allowed to watch MTV 😢

[@sawtooth808]

Sadly, or not with KZbin, people don’t really need MTV, plus with Gen X, Millennials, and younger “cord cutting” the only people that have all inclusive cable tv packages are…old people. So if you want to make MTV a nostalgic music video channel then yeah this is the right time for it.

[@futuristic.handgun]

Vinyl records are a different ball game than TV, they're not really comparable. Just because the one has made a comeback doesn't mean the other will.

[@SpeedChamp467]

@@steelrose7342 yes and the Philippines has a music countdowns station too

[@FirstClassEntertainment-um9ip]

this video was comforting; literally EVERYDAY I mourn the loss of this network and I wish I was exaggerating...

[@r.morris5589]

I quit watching MTV when it stopped showing music, same with History channel when it stopped showing history or Discovery when it stopped showing science. None of the specialty channels no longer show their type of special programming anymore being a reason TV had taking a dying out.

[@soonmatrix1972]

you have mtv 80's if you wanna watch true music videos :) I still watch because this is the only music I love instead of the new ones in their other channels

[@KatsPurr]

What a fantastic overview of MTVs history. I was lucky enough to be a teenager back when MTV started and got to experience the very best of MTV back then. Lots of love for the show "120 minutes" that was late at night and featured only alternative music, often hosted by Paul King.

[@maxshea1829]

YES.! By 1990, all the music I liked was relegated to 120 Minutes.

[@emsedgwick9521]

Thank you for this one! I think there were so many Snobs that were on the payroll there, as well. I remember when, Jamiroquai released the music video for "Virtual Insanity." The song was, to MTV, "Ground breaking, Boundary shattering" which, it was. A few months later, there was a some show that featured these MTV employees saying that Jamiroquai was, "Just Disco." Pretty sure Disco died before I walked the earth. Lol! "Liquid Tv" and "Beavis&ButtHead" were sensational! "Aeon Flux" was so awesome

[@davida6146]

I think the decline in quality of modern music affected MTV's ability to appease the newer generations.

[@d82m.10]

It wasn't only about the music when MTV was only about the music. It was also about - the video, experiencing a unique vision and style of a director/artist. - escapism from suburbia and it's conformist inhabitants when feeling trapped as a kid/teenager. - stimulation of one's brain and heart to dig for more music, art, culture beyond popular music. - compensation for ridiculously expensive and slow internet (outside of the US). - compensation for not having that one smart/cool friend/brother/sister/cousin/uncle/aunt to look up to. I'd be a different person without having access to it from the age of 7 (1989) to the day of starting college/escaping suburbia/MTV turning into M(ostlycrapshows)TV. If "music was my first love", music television "got the look". My first window to "somewhere over the rainbow". It will always have a special place in my heart.

[@spinflux]

True. I remember you would know who directed the video sometimes. Spike Jonez, Michel Gondry. The dude who did Aphex Twin’s videos. Chris Cunningham? But yeah nobody cares now a days.

[@spinflux]

I definitely think part of why music and people in general aren’t as creative today is because they don’t have MTV or music videos in general and long stretches of epic music anywhere in their lives anymore.

[@d82m.10]

Exactly. Cunningham also directed the great video on Leftfield's Africa Shox.

[@d82m.10]

There's just something about the combination of exceptional music with exceptional visuals. A deep impact. To a certain degree like connecting a great live performance with the place, the changing light, smell, people and experience of embracing the moment. Something that a pinterest wall with a spotify tracklist playing in the background just can't do for the heart and soul.

[@mrbob8618]

The cost for music to air. It was too much and MTV was Broke

[@warnerd79]

Thank you for this doc. You did an awesome job. I'm in my mid 40s so I was there for a lot of the beginnings of MTV and I loved it so much. Yo MTV raps, liquid television, MTV unplugged, the real world (seasons 1-4), Remote Control, and most importantly the music videos. Great times of MTV that are very much missed. 👏

[@alyzu4755]

I was so jealous of my friends who had cable. I'd go over to their homes & watch MTV for hours. My parents finally got cable in 1987, 2 weeks before I left for college. 😂 I loved The MTV Movie Awards in the early days. They weren't serious AT ALL, and we're just fun and irreverent. Now it's just another awards show. (BTW, I'm 53. ☺️)

[@StoriesByDighe]

I’m 30, and I didn’t have cable growing up (and now, but now because cable sucks). Missed so much haha

[@omeancollins]

The Box and MTV were what I grew up with all of my 90's and I'm 35. Wasn't til I was in Middle School when my Mom got the cable box with the red numbers, look like K.I.T.T.'s speedometer.

[@colleen4ever]

@@StoriesByDighe I', 44 and I didn't get cable till I got my first job. But cable doesn't suck! There are a lot of great channels still there. Tru TV, Game Show Network, and I', an anime fan so of course I have to watch Toonami every Saturday night BTW, I don't hate my life either.

[@JC-bu8zd]

HA !!! I had 1 channel growing up (NBC) the summer I went to college in 1996 my parents got a dish!!!

[@alyzu4755]

@@JC-bu8zd 😂 Of course! They waited until you left. 😊

[@RIDDIM_GOBLIN]

I’m addicted to this channel. Idk how I got here. Never showed a girl friend of mine what I listen to all day which is stuff like this so I took a chance yesterday and showed my girl and she’s hooked. She really likes your voice so watch out lol

[@OmarOmarOmar]

I met someone who currently works at MTV and she legit said that music wasn't making money for them anymore.

[@mstwelvedeadlycyns]

Terrible

[@nicholashylton6857]

Yeah, that was clear. And reality TV is hell of a lot cheaper to make. From a business perspective, it's not that surprising.

[@charlespancamo9771]

Because it was shitty music. If they played whats hot in indie rock/pop/alternative theyd have a huge audience

[@nsasupporter7557]

@OmarOmarOmar that’s a no brainer anyway. Anybody could figure out it couldn’t survive on music alone, they had to branch out

[@Mysteriuminiquitatis1998]

Honestly I liked MTV when it branched out a bit. I enjoyed a lot of their shows. Hard times of RJ Berger, Awkward, Faking it, sweet 16, Next, parental control, etc. I enjoyed coming home after school and tuning into MTV. Hell I even liked the shows that came on MTV trés. I’m a younger person so I was not alive in the 80s and most of the 90s, but I feel like mtv didn’t get really bad until around 2015ish. The whole concept of MTV just being a music based channel was bound to fail anyway because it’s not a profitable idea.

[@cameroncardinal]

I wish I was born earlier so I could witness that golden era more.

[@PatrickCc]

it was great. But there is still greatness today!

[@jeremystark3350]

Or you could be old like me and want to be young again..😁👏

[@azkrouzreimertz9784]

It wasnt that great

[@AbsoluteApril]

@@jeremystark3350 can still be young at heart! (gen x'er here, i loved old Mtv, Yo MTV raps and Headbangers Ball ftw)

[@jeremystark3350]

@@AbsoluteApril 👊👏

[@Cledyston]

Great video! It´s so sad that MTV had this tragic ending because I grew up in front of the TV and 70% of what I watched was MTV. It came on Brazil later than the U.S. so it´s peak was in the 90s/2000s. I remember every single show that was played here. It was also great because it had specific days to play your fave kind of music so it helped you discover new artists and even try new genres. What I loved about MTV also was that it was no preachy. It was more like : here, look at what exists out there in the world beyond your fence. It was revolutionary. I believe MTV made me who I am today. So much information, so much creativity. It was awesome.