On This Day in Music: The Launch of MTV

August 1, 1981 The Launch of MTV

MTV, or Music Television, launched on cable television on August 1, 1981 just after midnight. The first broadcast was only available to parts of New Jersey, but the network would revolutionize how people consumed music. Music videos became an essential part of how an act would promote its songs in the 1980s. The initial format consisted of crude promotional videos and concert footage. Because of the need for around-the-clock content, the early years made for an opportunity for multiple artists to make names for themselves. Photogenic new wave bands from England such as Duran Duran were among the earliest to benefit. The network was initially reluctant to veer from its album-rock-oriented format, but Michael Jackson broke into the largely white-dominated programming and became a superstar with his pop and R&B fare. Madonna also gained worldwide appeal thanks to her savvy command of the visual medium with her dance-pop. In its first 24 hours on the air, MTV aired 116 unique videos. You can see a full list of those videos here. These were the first ten videos: The Buggles “Video Killed the Radio Star” Pat Benatar “You Better Run” Rod Stewart “She Won’t Dance with Me” The Who “You Better You Bet” Ph.D. “Little Suzi’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” Spotify Podcast: Check out the Dave’s Music Database podcast episode The Birth of MTV which celebrated the 40th anniversary of the cable network by showcasing some of the videos that were instrumental in establishing the format. It debuted August 3, 2021. For more important days in music history, check out the Dave’s Music Database history page. Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “History Index” Dave’s Music Database: “Top 100 Videos of All Time” Dave’s Music Database (9/14/1984). “The First MTV Video Awards” This Day in History: August 1, 1981: MTV Launches Wikipedia: First Music Videos Aired on MTV (the first 211 videos) First posted 8/1/2012; updated 8/24/2023.