Saturday, May 8, 2010

The Birth (and death) of MTV

MTV once played music videos! They played very artistic videos with talented artists who actually played music that was good and the songs were written and sang by them.  With no voice effects. I know, it sounds crazy and I am probably showing my age, but I think it's sad what has happened to MTV and the music industry in general. It's sold its soul to commercialism. I know this is not a newsflash, nor did anything in particular occur which raised my ire, besides listening to some old songs and realizing how good they were. Then comparing those songs to songs written today...ugh and yuck! 


The artists that were played in regular rotation back when MTV was in its infancy were not always glossy and polished like they are today, but they had one thing that a lot of artists on the station now don't have. Those things are: 1) Authenticity and 2) actual talent. Reality Television was unheard of and the thought of anything but music being played on the station would of been laughable. Whoa, how times have changed, and not for the better. 


MTV revolutionized the music industry in 1981. The first video to be played on MTV was called Video Killed the Radio Star, by the British band, The Buggles. (Below) 

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