MTV

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Michael Jackson - Billy Jean

Madonna

MTV Music Awards 2013

Music Television

(MTV)

rightly deserves a place in

the ingredients of modern

Rock/Popular Music. The

emergence of MTV had a

huge impact on the nature

of what became successful

in modern pop.

It determined the imagery

as to how the music was

portrayed and it became a

major marketing tool for

music producers, etc.

MTV also swung control

of the music creativity back

to the major labels and

production houses and

away from the musicians

and artists themselves,

rendering them once again

little more than cogs in the

powerful music production

industry.

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Madonna - Express Yourself

Michael Jackson

MTV Live 2013 - Katy Perry - Roar

MTV Awards

MTV Awards - Katy Perry

Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star

MTV Awards

Music Television was developed and established in 1981 in the United States and soon

shook up the entire music industry. As Time Magazine observed in 1983: 'Increasingly,

and perhaps irreversibly, audiences for American mainstream music will depend, even

insist, on each song being a full audiovisual confrontation, ...Why should sound alone

be enough when sight is only as far away as the TV set or the video machine? '

As one observer noted – During the early

1980s, MTV began to replace radio

among a generation of teens born during

the 1960s. These were teenagers who had

no personal recollection of Elvis Presley,

The Beatles, or the Vietnam War. Instead

they sought their own musical identity.

MTV helped create the visual rock of

Duran Duran and pop metal and played a

major role in the huge mania that

developed around Michael Jackson. In

short, in the 1980s, MTV played a major

role in reshaping the Pop industry as it

designed and delivered rock to the TV

generation. Rock and pop bands now not

only had to sound good, but had to look

good and to be able to perform visually,

or develop TV caricatures and TV

special gimmicks to gain popularity with a

youth TV audience, that relied more on

visuals than sound, more so than the

earlier generation that relied and

worshipped the sound and the lyrics of

bands and artists. From now on Popular

music changed in nature from being one

dimensional to multidimensional. Sadly,

many musos would despair, as musical

talent itself no longer was enough to cut it

with the emerging youth generation in the

west, that spent more time watching TV

than hours at school or college.

Duran Duran

Wham - Wake Me Up Before You Go Go

The History of MTV

MTV and The Video Age

In the 1980s, Americans became obsessed with video technology first introduced to the

mass market with the television set. By the early 1990s, Americans were so absorbed

by television over 98% of all US households had TVs, mostly colour, and most also had

more than one. A similar story existed for compact video recorder players (VCRs).

As one observed in 1990, Americans bought more than 200 million pre-recorded video

tapes and 280 million blank videocassettes to use with their machines. The US now was

absorbed or defined by a massive video culture – much of which was similarly absorbed

with Pop/Rock music.

Pop Muzic 1979

Human League - Don't You Want Me

American teenagers, raised

on TV, readily and

wholeheartedly embraced

the video craze, which had

a dramatic impact on the

stylistic and wholistic

direction and development

of Rock/Pop music. The

post baby boomers on

watched more television

than any other activity. By

the time they graduated,

they spent more time

watching TV than sitting in

the classroom. A survey in

1981, of eigth graders

revealed the youths named

TV personalities as their

Top Ten role models. Even

in schools, TV’s played a

greater role in instruction.

Culture Club - Do You Really Want To Hurt Me

In the 1980s US teens also swarmed to embrace video games thus ensuring they really

were the ‘TV Generation’. They played video games not only at arcades and other

venues, but increasingly at home. As a consequence, companies began to concentrate

on this medium for delivering pop music. As one observer noted: 'Warner

Communications applied video technology to the pop music field. Aided by the advent

of stereo TV and the deregulation of the airwaves, which encouraged the growth of

cable television, Warner and American Express invested $20 million to launch Music

Television (MTV) on 1 August 1981. They broadcast a non-stop format of three minute

video clips, focusing primarily on Warner artists, which initially appeared on 300 cable

outlets in 2.5 million homes.'

MTV targeted its programming on the under twenty five year old generation, which had

been neglected by radio. 'Where is the Woodstock Generation? reasoned one MTV

spokes;person. ‘They’re all old and bald’, he answered himself. Recycling the 1960s ad

campaign for the once –popular breakfast cereal Maypo into “I Want My MTV”, MTV

stalked the ‘TV’ babies, who seldom read newspapers, books or even the rock press.

Soon MTV soon ensnared millions of TV teenagers and directed them to the music and

artists of its own tastes and marketing.

I Want My MTV

The Music, The Styles And The Artists Of

The MTV - Television Generation –

MTV attracted the TV Generation with

young, visually exciting bands from the

dance clubs of The UK. Started as a

reaction to the austerity of punk, English

dance clubs – or discos provided working

class youths with escapist entertainment.

‘Most kids who actually live there are sick

of the street,’ said the founder and

guitarist of Spandau Ballet, a prominent

dance club band. ‘They take it for

granted, because that is where they live,

and don’t know anything better…They

want to be in a club with great lights, and

look good and pick up girls.’

As with its American counterpart, English

Disco focused on a fashion-conscious

audience. ‘Discos are always parties

because you have to make your own

visual entertainment’, the member from

Spandau Ballet commented. ‘The most

important thing in a club is the people, not

the music they listen to. You become the

most important person. You become the

visual aspect of the evening, rather than

the band.’ 'Discos', he continued,

appealed to ‘people who liked being

looked at - that’s why dancing is so

important, and why people try and beat

each other at dancing. It’s also why

clothes are so important’.

Simply put, working class kids, just

wanted to look good, dress up and feel

good, dance good and attract the opposite

sex. He also said there was an excessive

concern over fashion in British culture –

kids wanted to be mods, skinheads, soul

kids etc. Kids just wanted to dress smart

and enjoy themselves.

Spandau Ballet

1980s Party Mix

Top 100 Best Songs Of The 1980s

The music played at the clubs,

a combination of the steady

disco beat and the atmospheric

sounds of the electronic

synthesizer, originated with

groups such as Roxy music,

who formed in 1971.

Roxy Music

The band also wore stylish sometimes flamboyant futuristic costumes.

The Styles

MTV & The New Romantics

MTV not only embraced the synthesizer music originally featured by Roxy Music, but

also the music of the New Romantics such as Duran Duran, Human Leauge, Spandau

Ballet, the Thompson Twins, and refurbished David Bowie’s career among, and then

Wham, Michael Jackson, Culture Club, The Eurythmics among many others. Ultravox

had continued the tradition of Roxy Music and were the direct pre-cursor of the New

Romantic Movement. In 1978, they released Systems of Romance which offered

listeners a sparse, crystalline, electronic sound that defined electro-pop, New Romantic

music.

Ultravox

MTV & New Wave

The arrival of MTV in 1981 ushered in New Wave's most successful era in the United

States. British artists, unlike many of their American counterparts, learned how to use

the music video early on. Several British acts signed to independent labels were able to

outmarket and outsell American artists that were signed with major labels. Journalists

labeled this phenomenon a "Second British Invasion". MTV continued its heavy

rotation of videos by new wave-oriented acts until 1987, when it changed to a heavy

metal and rock-dominated format.

Ian Drury

Ian Drury - Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick

Blondie

Blondie - Heart of Glass

MTV & Electro Pop

MTV, searching for videos of new bands to air on its 24 hour a day format, promoted

the electro-pop of fashion-obsessed New Romantics such as Duran, Duran – which the

band labelled the music they played as ‘entertainment'. The Flock Of Seagulls were also

promoted with the hit ‘I Ran So Far Away’. MTV also marketed Depeche Mode,

which had the dance smash ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’, and the Thompson Twins ‘In The

Name of Love’.

Flock Of Seagulls - I Ran So Far Away

Thompson Twins - In The Name Of Love

Depeche Mode - Just Can't Get Enough

MTV also refurbished the career, of

1970s icon, David Bowie, who helped lay

the ground work for electro-pop. Bowie,

the king of glitter rock had served as a

model of fashion for the foppish New

Romantics, began to abandon a hard,

guitar-based rock sound for the

synthesizer sound in 1976, and released a

collection of techno-pop sounds. In 1983,

at the height of the New Romantic

success, Bowie recorded ‘Let’s Dance’

which with the help of MTV, scored high

on the US charts.

David Bowie - Let's Dance

By 1983, the electro-pop sound, largely introduced to the US by videos on MTV, had

swept across the US. It dominated the charts, filtered into main stream pop, and

captivated the TV generation in the process. Pursuing this sound devotees bought a

massive number of synthesizers in place of guitars, which massively declined in sales as

a result. MTV, created in the decade of technology, had sold a visually interesting,

electro-pop dance music to a generation raised on glitter rock, disco and television.

A massive increase in viewers indicated MTV ‘s success right across the US. MTV

skilfully targeted the under-23 generation, who could not take their eyes off it.

MTV, attracting the under 23 market appealed to many corporate sponsors of anything

from beer to motorbikes. During its first year of operation, MTV convinced more than

100 companies to spend $1500 for a 30 second spot and grossed $20 million. By 1984,

revenues jumped to $73 million.

Music Television provided a much needed boost to a formerly radio-dependent US

record industry that had peaked by 1978 to the tune of $4 billion and sharply declined

the following year. The network created a style of music for a new generation, which

radio had neglected. Grouos began to achieve huge sales on songs through MTV that

had never been played on radio, and so many new bands achieved much more

exposure through it. In this way MTV supported the music industry and record

companies.

MTV And Michael Jackson Mania

Michael Jackson - Beat It!

MTV continued to support the US recording industry by promoting a Motown style

revival, which followed naturally from electro-pop. Though using new technology, the

New Romantics created a disco-like dance music that had foundations in the slick,

fashionable Motown. As the synthesizer craze began to fade in 1982, MTV capitalised

on the renewed interest in Motown by airing videos of former Motown star Michael

Jackson.

Jackson, a huge star, had begun to film slick videos of his songs, and thereby joined in

with the revolution that was how Rock videos were transforming the industry. Video

provided an ideal medium for Jackson, who had been trained in the Motown school.

These videos via MTV, further showcased Jackson. As one observed noted, Rock

videos transformed the music industry, providing a show case for Jackson. Videos

revived the demand for old fashioned entertainment skills such as dancing, which was

an ideal situation for Jackson, who had been perfecting his act since the age of five.

First encouraged by Motown, the singer perfected dazzling choreography unlike most

other rock acts. He was a great dancer which worked on video.

MTV, criticized for airing only videos of

white artists, played the visually stunning,

expertly choreographed Jackson videos

and helped create Michaelmania. Though

Jackson’s records had always sold well,

Thriller sold at an amazing rate after it

was promoted on MTV. At the height of

the mania it sold one million copies every

four days.

Michael Jackson - Thriller

Jackson’s success was phenomenal and much due to the exposure he got on MTV.

Jackson amassed a fortune from his success and became one of the richest men in the

US. As Jazz great and Thriller producer Quincy Jones observed, 'MTV and Michael

rode each other to stardom’.

The Jackson Legacy

Jackson’s success helped by MTV paved the

way for other soul-pop artists, including

British Bands, such as Culture Club, which

merged the English concern for fashion with a

Motown-influenced sound to climb the charts.

The extravagantly bedecked, video-ready

Culture Club played in the words of Boy

George,’imitation soul’, and soon climbed to

the top.

The Eurythmics were another successful act

to follow with an updated Motown sound.

Wham were another band – as a sharply

dressed duo from Britian, they hit the charts

with African-American inspired dance music.

Culture Club - Karma Chameleon

Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams

They were similarly promoted to success by MTV. There was also Madonna – who

combined a decadent sex-appeal with African-American dance rhythms to attain

stardom – much of her success achieved through her initial exposure on MTV.

Madonna

Madonna - Like A Virgin

Madonna

At the same time as Jackson, Lionel Richie and the Commodores, were also projected

into stardom with the help of MTV. In the midst of Michaelmania, Richie recorded

‘Can’t Slow Down’, which, with the help of MTV, hit the top of the chart and

transformed Lionel Richie into Billboard’s Top Artist of 1984.

Lionel Richie

Lionel Richie - All Night Long

The Commodores

Janet Jackson

MTV also helped the

youngest member of the

Jackson family, Janet, to

stardom. Janet Jackson hit

the top of the chart with

‘Control’, and three years

later did the same with

‘Janet Jackson’s Rhythm

Nation 1814.’ ‘Janet’s a

video artist,’ her manager,

Roger Davies, reasoned.

Janet Jackson - Control

Whitney Houston was yet another act to

achieve massive stardom through MTV

(How Will I Know), as was Prince who

struggled for awhile until he discovered

sexually explicit lyrics and movements

and achieved stardom. As with other

African-American and white soul-pop

artists in the wake of the mania over

Michael Jackson, Prince also attained

international stardom through video.

Whitney Houston - How Will I Know

Prince

Prince - Cream

MTV & Pop Metal

MTV ensured its pre-eminent place among the cable networks during the 1980s by

creating a craze for pop metal bands. As it had done with electro-pop and soul-pop, the

music channel delivered a visually exciting, largely inoffensive heavy metal to the post-

baby boomers. Primary among the acts, MTV promoted, was Van Halen which served

as the archetype for the metal bands of the 1980s. Unlike the blues-rooted, heavy-metal

artists of the late 1960s and early 1970s, the eclectic Van Halen presented a more

polished, smooth sound, which received constant support from MTV. A similar act

embraced by MTV was the British band Def Leppard.

Van Halen - Jump

Van Halen

Def Leppard - Pour Some Sugar On Me

Def Leppard

The music channel also contributed to the success of other pop-metal bands, some of

which favoured the outlandish costumes and antics of 1970s glam rockers. For example

Motley Crue and Ratt, also Bon Jovi. As Time Magazine observed: “The success of

such current hot groups as Bon Jovi is largely traceable to the saturation airplay given

their videos on MTV.'

The MTV based success of acts such as Bon Jovi opened the doors for a pop metal

explosion during the late 1980s, with bands such as Poison, Winger, White Lion, Tora

Tora, Kix, Kingdom Come, and countless others being signed by the major labels.

The success of pop metal and electro-pop

bands and the unparalleled achievements

of Michael Jackson indicated the

importance of MTV. One observer noted:

‘At any one time, 13000 homes are

watching MTV. If the video is in power

rotation- 15 or 16 plays a week – and that

audience tunes in 10 times, that’s 1.3

million people hearing the record and

deciding whether they like it or not. If

they like it, they’ll buy it’. Another

observer noted – ‘There isn’t a national

radio station. And that’s where MTV

comes in. That’s where they have their

power: immediately showing everyone in

this country this new band.’

Another artist complained about the

dominance of MTV. ‘Things which used

to count, such as being a good composer,

player or singer, are getting lost in the

desperate rush to visualize everything. It

is now possible to be all of the above and

still get nowhere simply by not looking

good in a video, or worse still, not making

one.’

Michael Jackson - MTV

Michael Jackson

Wham - Freedom

The marketing clout of MTV translated into huge profits in the hundreds of millions of

dollars.. Though its ratings began to decline in 1986, MTV tied with the USA Network

and the Cable News Network for first place among the cable channels.

Wrap Up

MTV, broadcast on more than 5,000 cable outlets to more than 46 million viewers in

1989, helped define 1980s rock-n-roll. It fostered and successfully promoted electro-

pop and pop metal, and had created a frenzy over Michael Jackson’s Thriller. To a

large extent, the music network had replaced radio as the pre-eminent trendsetter in

Rock. As billboard noted in its wrap-up of the decade. ‘MTV is singularly responsible

for one of the most basic changes in the current music fan’s vocabulary: Where

somebody might have said ten years ago. ‘Yeah, I’ve heard that song,’ that same

person now might likely say. ‘Yeah, I saw that video,’ or, even more revealing, ‘Yeah,

I saw that song.’ During the 1980s, MTV had packaged and delivered Rock n Roll to

the TV generation.’ In this sense, MTV rightly earns the label of an important

ingredient in the evolution of modern/Pop music. But in a rather damning not – it also

saw the creative direction of modern rock, being taken out of the hands of the artists

themselves and a massive swing of the industry back to 'Schlock Rock' – music

determined by the corporate industry, not the artists themselves.

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