Once In A Lifetime is the obvious ringer here, but that's not stopping me from voting for Take It On The Run.
― kornrulez6969, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 14:29 (sixteen years ago) link
Rupert Hine had a solo hit?
Love how early MTV was hung up on obscure Rod ("Ain't Love a Bitch"!)
Voted for "Ashes to Ashes."
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 14:33 (sixteen years ago) link
"ooooooooooooooooooooooo he's here again...!"
― Mark G, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 14:34 (sixteen years ago) link
I have never heard of:
"Little Susie's on the Up" by Ph.D. "Savannah Nights" by Tom Johnston "Lucille" by Rockestra "Remote Control/Illegal" by The Silencers "Hold On to the Night" by Bootcamp "Victim" by Bootcamp
Not that I could hum those Lee Ritenour or Michael Stanley Band songs. But I've at least come across their names. Apparently I should know that Rockestra thang. What about the others?
There are some fascinating if not downright goofball juxtapositions here despite MTV's racist ass programming. Yeesh - I wonder how the ride from Carly Simon to Iron Maiden went. And I never saw any Robin Lane or Shoes videos on MTV despite being a pretty early and freakishly religious viewer. And Kate Bush too not that I think of it.
― Kevin John Bozelka, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 14:50 (sixteen years ago) link
Or perhaps BECAUSE of MTV's racist ass programming...
― Kevin John Bozelka, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 14:51 (sixteen years ago) link
Thank You for Being a Friend" by Andrew Gold
what will become "The Golden Girls" theme?
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 14:54 (sixteen years ago) link
Why doesn't my generation get a Blotto?
Your generation does get a Blotto...they're called The Spinto Band http://youtube.com/watch?v=4qzVyaCq_LE
― asthmatic american, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 15:13 (sixteen years ago) link
Love how early MTV was hung up on obscure Rod played the 60 music videos that existed.
― Whiney G. Weingarten, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 15:21 (sixteen years ago) link
"Iron Maiden" by Iron Maiden. DUH!
― Alex in NYC, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 15:41 (sixteen years ago) link
Rod Stewart benefited greatly by making over 20 videos before the advent of MTV
― da croupier, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 15:49 (sixteen years ago) link
Haven't seen 65% of these, haven't heard of 15% of these, probably would find nothing of interest in seeing Robin Lane and Shoes and Nick Lowe even tho the songs are fine, and everybody knows "Once In A Lifetime" is gonna win anyway. But what the best ones here (like Bowie and Talking Heads) demonstrate is how much cooler videos were when they were actually shot on video.
Also: Didn't MTV get around to "Bohemian Rhapsody" on the first day?
― Myonga Vön Bontee, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 16:12 (sixteen years ago) link
white people lolz
― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 16:24 (sixteen years ago) link
It took three years for MTV to play videos by black people, remember.
― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 21:43 (sixteen years ago) link
("Rat Race" was apparently white enough though)
― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 21:45 (sixteen years ago) link
one step ahead...of all the early MTV vids, that was the one that haunted me during my childhood.
― dan selzer, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 22:21 (sixteen years ago) link
Alfred, I think "Ain't Love a Bitch" was a Top 20 or 30 hit.
― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 23:44 (sixteen years ago) link
vote for tusk. sexy stevie doin twirls, usc marching band and beardo lynds coked out at dodger stadium.
― chaki, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 23:54 (sixteen years ago) link
I think "Ain't Love a Bitch" was a Top 20 or 30 hit.
it peaked #22 -- second-tier, no?
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 23:56 (sixteen years ago) link
tusk 2nd-ed.
― Steve Shasta, Thursday, 11 October 2007 00:03 (sixteen years ago) link
baker street, honorable mention to we don't talk anymore
― Billy Pilgrim, Thursday, 11 October 2007 00:31 (sixteen years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― ILX System, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 23:01 (sixteen years ago) link
Did any videos by black people exist back then? I'm sure MTV would've played them if there were.
― Mr. Snrub, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 23:16 (sixteen years ago) link
I am a bit surprised they didn't play "Accidents Will Happen", "Fade To Grey" or "Vienna" on that first day. I mean, considering how few videos existed at all in mid 1981, one would at least have expected them to play all the best ones.
― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 23 October 2007 23:27 (sixteen years ago) link
Kate's like almost nakies in "Man with the Child in His Eyes"!
― Abbott, Wednesday, 24 October 2007 01:58 (sixteen years ago) link
Had to go for Video Killed the Radio Star even though I hated the song at the time (I was an idiot). 'Once In A Lifetime' is so overplayed I couldn't bring myself to vote for it.
― moley, Wednesday, 24 October 2007 02:29 (sixteen years ago) link
Of course. "Super Freak" is one notable omission. I'm sure there are hundreds more.
Also, it depends on how you're defining "video." Black artists were featured in Scopitones and well before that in short film subjects.
― Kevin John Bozelka, Wednesday, 24 October 2007 02:35 (sixteen years ago) link
Assuming your post wasn't a joke, that is.
― Kevin John Bozelka, Wednesday, 24 October 2007 02:45 (sixteen years ago) link
It wasn't.
― Mr. Snrub, Wednesday, 24 October 2007 03:57 (sixteen years ago) link
^^let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments
― m coleman, Wednesday, 24 October 2007 10:05 (sixteen years ago) link
Wrathchild
― Bill Magill, Wednesday, 24 October 2007 20:45 (sixteen years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― ILX System, Wednesday, 24 October 2007 23:01 (sixteen years ago) link