30 Years of MTV

[Fat Freddy]

 

According to today's paper, MTV first went on the air 30 years ago today, with the first video played being the Buggles' prophetic "Video Killed the Radio Star." For better or worse, the music landscape hasn't been the same since.

 

Anyone remember when MTV was actually a pretty cool, scrappy, underdog sort of channel, rather than the soul-sucking, empty headed corporate enterprise that it is today?

 

I was fascinated by MTV when I first started watching it back in '81. I was in sixth grade and was just starting to discover the wide world of popular music, so I sat down to watch one afternoon after school and saw the videos for Judas Priest's "Headin' Out to the Highway" and the Ramones' "Do You Remember Rock N Roll Radio?" -- that was it, I was hooked. I watched the channel religiously for about the next ten years, from the new wave era to the hair metal era and into the grunge years.

 

Obviously the station is totally irrelevant to me nowadays but I gotta give 'em props, if I hadn't seen those Priest and Ramones videos on that fateful day I may not have become the headbanger that I am today.

[JamesEagle]

It was much better at the start, but mainstream music was less shitty then imo. You couldn't pay me enough to watch MTV these days, but I used to love Headbangers Ball.

 

[Doksdad]

HBB was the Bomb

 

I always knew where I would be each Saturday night

 

Part of my youth for sure, now it's gone

[martinsane]

HBB was the Bomb

 

I always knew where I would be each Saturday night

 

Part of my youth for sure, now it's gone

 

 

Agreed, some great times watching and partying to HBB.

 

Tabitha Soren was crushworthy back in the day...

[zacharyamelie]

Here in Canada we have Much Music. The metal show was called the Power Hour and until about 1993 it ruled. The decline saw it go to the Power 30 (only 30 minutes of music) and then it simply became Loud....a crappy nu-metal and rap metal version of the the Power Hour. Yep from 1985 to 1995 I really enjoyed Much Music, now I don't even know what channel it is on my TV.

 

[KarpetRydOFunk]

Here in Canada we have Much Music. The metal show was called the Power Hour and until about 1993 it ruled. The decline saw it go to the Power 30 (only 30 minutes of music) and then it simply became Loud....a crappy nu-metal and rap metal version of the the Power Hour. Yep from 1985 to 1995 I really enjoyed Much Music, now I don't even know what channel it is on my TV.

 

 

Yep, it's pretty much shit, now. At least you had the privilege to experience it in its glory. I never had that chance.

[cdjunky41]

I thought MTV sucked and I still stand behind that statement..

 

The only video's they played were U2, ATF and all that other new wave crap. Sure they played Def Leppard Photgraph and Planet P's Why Me, but they overkilled those tunes.

Headbangers Ball?

Half the video's they played, were already played during the day (Def Leppard,Bon Jovi, Scorpions).

Fuck MTV!!!

 

U68 The Power Hour was awesome!!

Sure they played the same videos, but they played obscure bands (Shooting Star, Accept, MSG, Uriah Heep).

[heaven&hell]

VH1 has been playing old MTV stuff this weekend and they had Remote Control on earlier today. I miss that show it was hilarious. Ober and Quinn were just great together. The episode I watched has a very young Red Hot Chili Peppers in it.

[heavyharmonies]

30 years of MTV... and only the first 10 of them actually showing anything resembling music.

 

The last 20 years it's been nothing but an urban reality TV channel... might as well rename it to BET2.

 

Meh.

[martinsane]

VH1 has been playing old MTV stuff this weekend and they had Remote Control on earlier today. I miss that show it was hilarious. Ober and Quinn were just great together. The episode I watched has a very young Red Hot Chili Peppers in it.

 

That was a great game show and agreed about Ober and Quinn, but let us not forget about the tasty Kari Wuhrer as well...

[Fat Freddy]

VH1 has been playing old MTV stuff this weekend and they had Remote Control on earlier today. I miss that show it was hilarious. Ober and Quinn were just great together. The episode I watched has a very young Red Hot Chili Peppers in it.

 

Dammit! I would've loved to see that rerun, I haven't seen "Remote Control" in ages... I loved that show, I even went to a taping of it at MTV studios when I was in college. Unfortunately Kari Wuhrer had left the show by then, I was hoping I'd get to see her in the flesh. Sigh.

[Nelson]

If MTV suddenly files for bankruptcy, I won't feel any sympathy for them. I just hate what they did with that station.

 

I know that one shouldn't keep any hatred on one's heart, in the case with that network - I just have this deep, true, sincere, pure hatred for MTV.

[JamesEagle]

[

Tabitha Soren was crushworthy back in the day...

 

Didn't know her, but I was a big fan of Kristiane Backer.

 

Then she was replaced with Vanessa Warwick.

[Leykis101]

Or as I like to call it these days, N-TV!

[martinsane]

[

Tabitha Soren was crushworthy back in the day...

 

Didn't know her, but I was a big fan of Kristiane Backer.

 

Then she was replaced with Vanessa Warwick.

 

I'm not familiar with either of those gals, piccies please.

 

Guess I'll have to go digging for an appropriate TS pic, maybe Keith can help a brother out...

[Fat Freddy]

Guess I'll have to go digging for an appropriate TS pic, maybe Keith can help a brother out...

 

Tabitha Soren was the MTV News chick. She was cute in a button down sorta way I suppose. Of course, it probably helps that I have a thing for redheads.

Here she is interviewing the dudes from Trixter, visiting my old high school in Paramus, NJ no less!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6pG77pHy2o&feature=player_embedded

 

I was more of a Daisy "Beach MTV" Fuentes kinda guy though.