Today is an auspicious day in "music" history, as it marks the 25th anniversary of the debut of MTV: Music Television. As hard as it is to believe, they showed nothing but music videos back then (!) and while everyone might know that the Buggles "Video Killed the Radio Star" was the first one ever shown on MTV, what the hell else did they show that first day? Well, I thought you'd ask, so here it is! MTV's playlist for August 1, 1981 (thanks Stereogum):# The Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star
# Pat Benatar - You Better Run
# Rod Stewart - She Won't Dance
# The Who - You Better You Bet
# Ph.D - Little Susie's on the Up
# Cliff Richard - We Don't Talk Anymore
# The Pretenders - Brass in Pocket
# Todd Rundgren - Time Heals
# REO Speedwagon - Take it on the Run
# Styx - Rockin' the Paradise
# Robin Lane & The Chartbusters - When Things Go Wrong
# Split Enz - History Never Repeats
# .38 Special - Hold on Loosely
# April Wine - Just Between You & Me
# Rod Stewart - Sailing
# Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden
# REO Speedwagon - Keep on Loving You
# The Pretenders - Message of Love
# Lee Ritenour - Mr. Briefcase
# The Cars - Double Life
# Phil Collins - In the Air Tonight
# Robert Palmer - (Looking for) Clues
# Shoes - Too Late
# Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty - Stop Draggin' my Heart Around
# Rupert Hines - Surface Tension
# Madness - One Step Beyond
# Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street
# Pat Benatar - I'm Gonna Follow You
# Tom Johnson - Savannah Nights
# Rockestra - Lucille
# Styx - The Best of Times
# Carly Simon - Vengeance
# Iron Maiden - Wrathchild
# Blotto - I Wanna Be a Lifeguard
# Rod Stewart - Passion
# Elvis Costello - Oliver's Army
# REO Speedwagon - Don't Let Him Go
# The Silencers - Remote Control/I'm Too Legal
# Juice Newton - Angel of the Morning
# Rockpile - Little Sister
# Bootcamp - Hold on to the Night
# Cliff Richard - Dreaming
# Lee Ritenour - Is it You?
# Fleetwood Mac - Tusk
# Michael Stanley Band - He Can't Love You
# REO Speedwagon - Tough Guys
# Blondie - Rapture
# The Who - Don't Let Go the Coat
# Rod Stewart - Ain't Love a Bitch
# The Pretenders - Talk of the Town
# Rainbow - Can't Happen Here
# Andrew Gold - Thank You for Being a Friend
# Gerry Rafferty - Bring it all Home
# April Wine - Sign of the Gypsy Queen
# Kate Bush - The Man With the Child in His Eyes
# David Bowie - Ashes to Ashes
# April Wine - Just Between You and Me
# The Specials - Rat Race
# Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime
# Bootcamp - Victim
# Rod Stewart - Tonight's the Night
# Nick Lowe - Cruel to be Kind
Kate Bush, Michael Stanley Band, Gerry Rafferty, Juice Newton, Blotto--totally awesome! But seriously, that's a Whole Lotta Rod. Please stop the REO Speedwagon, I want to get off! And there's nothing funnier than .38 Special and their TWO drummers-I guess they didn't have the heart to fire either of them.
Unfortunately, they're not showing the VJ segments, just the videos, but it's still a pretty interesting time capsule (we didn't get cable until 1983 or so, but some of these same videos were still in heavy rotation).
Anyway, The Who just finished "You Better You Bet" (this album marks the time when I started hating them), and Bootcamp is on right now, which begs the question, "Who the fuck is Bootcamp?" (Not even Allmusic.com knows.) Meanwhile, we have Nazareth's "Holiday", leading into Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty, which is ironic since Tom just released a new album last week, and these two are playing some shows together this summer and will no doubt be dragging that song out. Does she sing "Edge of 70" on tour? Okay, that was a cheap shot.
I want my old MTV!
UPDATE: Apparently, something called MTV Overdrive is streaming the first hour, commercials and VJs intact, for broadband users. Pretty funny.
No comments:
Post a Comment