MTV Debut 8/1/81 Opening and 1st Video

On this day in 1981, at exactly 12:01 am, MTV made its broadcast debut with the words "Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll." The MTV concept launched a cultural revolution, and its unexpected success made Nina Blackwood, Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter, J.J. Jackson, and Martha Quinn overnight celebrities as the network's first VJ's. Stayed in it's original format for about 10 years before reality shows dominated it's programming and killed it for most.

Licensed to YouTube by
UMG (on behalf of Universal-Island Records Ltd.); UMPG Publishing, BMI - Broadcast Music Inc., UNIAO BRASILEIRA DE EDITORAS DE MUSICA - UBEM, BMG Rights Management (US), LLC, LatinAutor - UMPG, Audiam (Publishing), LatinAutor - PeerMusic, ASCAP, LatinAutor - Warner Chappell, UMPI, LatinAutor, CMRRA, PEDL, and 15 Music Rights Societies

[miguel.hidalgo]

Then: Video killed the radio star
Today: Reality shows killed the MTV channel

[TC-bzdz]

I still remember that summer day when MTV launched...no cell phones...no home computers..just radio, TV and now a new thing called videos...we were so excited..i was going into 11th grade...how times have changed...wow time flies..i am now 56 years old....but still young at heart and mind!!

[Jungleland]

The 80s, what a decade. Still miss them big time. A great time to be a teenager.

[NoxHardigan]

When they actually played music. MTV blows hard now.

[assmane]

How fitting that “video killed the radio star” was the first music video to air. I didn’t know that. Sweet!

[map]

I remember it like it was yesterday. I was just 15 in 1981. Those were great days for generation x.

[kawasakiz]

My sister and myself were laying in the floor watching our Zenith floor model TV watching this live!! ❤

[lawdymama]

Thanks MTV for 14 years of great music and videos.

[jarodchronister]

We got cable in 1980 and when MTV came out I thought I died and went to heaven… what an era.

[garla]

DAMN !!

I REALLY MISS THE 80 ‘s !!

[theguido]

Yes kids, MTV really was MUSIC television.

[ukmedicfrcs]

I would go back to the 80s in a heartbeat.

[BitsofRealPanther]

"The world's first 24-hour stereo video channel." My, how times have changed.

[Lady_Firefly]

I WANT MY MTV
Who's here August 1, 2024

[telefunkenyou]

I would have hit rewind at 1990 and just kept on doing the 80's over and over again.

[nohandleforme....]

I was a young man of 18 years, serving in the United States Air Force when this happened. I have so many memories connected to MTV back then. It's a shame what happened to the channel, but then again, today's music is garbage, so I wouldn't be watching it anyway.

[topenddean]

Thank you MTV. For the memorable years that you gave us, 1981 -1987
After that the reality shows began to take over and the music was pushed out the door. Along with millions of viewers only to make way for raking in more money with advertisers off of teen reality garbage.
Video killed the radio star...but it was greed that killed the music on MTV. "Money TV"

[Wait..what]

I remember when this happened. I was 12 years old. There was nothing like it on television. Dear Lord, I miss the 80s.

[fpmwlfd]

I remember coming home from school and knowing nothing about MTV starting up, it was great, just ate cereal and stared at the TV for hours

[Sith_dude]

I was 13 when MTV first aired. The greatest time to be a kid. I miss those days.