Video Killed the Radio Star...

On August 1, 1981, at 12:01 a.m., MTV (Music Television) launched with the words "Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll!" Those words were immediately followed by the original MTV theme song, playing over a montage of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Appropriately, the first music video shown on MTV was "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles.



The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs. Due to the popularity of trashy reality television however, the current state of MTV is not at all what it used to be. Despite this, since its premiere, MTV continues to have a profound impact on the music industry and popular culture worldwide.



I grew up watching this channel and I truly believe it partially shaped who I am as a person. As a child I would sit in front of the television, spellbound, watching the glorious videos of Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, Depeche Mode, Rick Astley, and Michael Jackson. I would recreate the videos in my backyard and record my favorites on VHS tapes (which I still have). My love for music and pop culture have a lot to do with MTV, and although the videos are few and far between now, I continue to exclaim, "I WANT MY MTV!"