From left: Quincy Jones, Madonna, Herbie Hancock, Cyndi Lauper, Billy Idol and Tina Turner Illustration by Barbara Gibson
This year’s MTV Video Music Awards will certainly occurSept 11, a complete 4 years given that the very first VMAs assisted the incipient cable television network make an area for itself, in addition to the video layout. Back after that, some execs currently had a crystal-clear image of its opportunities, while others simply saw fixed. Video ultimately moved from television display to cellphone, cable television toInternet Billboard has actually been binge-watching the whole time.
Monkee Business
Groups from ABBA to Queen had actually made video clips given that the 1970s, however it took among The Monkees to see the future. A complete year prior to MTV went live, the March 1, 1980, problem of Billboard reported on Mike Nesmith’s Nickelodeon television collection,Popclips “The concept is to feature video images with songs separated by a videodisk jockey,” a short article described. Nesmith anticipated that “every professional musician” would certainly quickly need to adjust. Was this “MTV see, Monkee do”?
Full Speed Ahead
Then came the new age flooding. Elektra chairman Bob Krasnow informed Billboard in anAug 25, 1984, short article that “MTV exposure for the accompanying videos” sustained The Cars’ Heartbeat City cd. Others struck the brakes. “I think those people who are out spending, trying to cash in on new technology, will get their fingers burned,” anticipated one more exec in the very same problem. ASept 1, 1984, op-ed shared an anxiety that video clip would certainly eliminate the radio celebrity: “How many of the superstars of yesterday… would be denied contracts in 1984 because of a perceived ‘lack of viability’ as video artists?”
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Ride the Wave
Fans desired their MTV. “Our research shows that young record buyers are greatly affected by the channel’s airplay and promotional efforts,” reported theSept 8, 1984, Billboard, and “40.1% of those influenced by MTV” favored new age. That was shown by the champions at the very first VMAs, which happenedSept 14, 1984, consisting of The Cars, Cyndi Lauper andEurythmics But the large victor was the network itself. “When MTV signed on in August 1981,” proclaimed theOct 13, 1984, problem, “music videos changed the face of rock in the blink of an eye.”
Computer Love
With the brand-new centuries came a brand-new frontier. In theSept 4, 2004, problem, Billboard anticipated that “two new mobile platforms hitting the market this year”– the Palm and Pocket COMPUTER– “represent what will become a powerful new way to distribute and consume music and music videos.” Handheld tools, it anticipated, would certainly“become a key part of the modern lifestyle.”
YouTube-ular
By the mid-2000s, market execs wished for reruns of the days “when music videos, not longform reality and lifestyle programs, ruled the roost at MTV,” reported theFeb 12, 2005, problem. “My biggest disappointment is that there’s no longer an ‘M’ for music in MTV,” claimedClive Davis And as the airwaves ran out, information streams started to move.The Oct 14, 2006, problem reported that “online sites such as MySpace, YouTube and Yahoo are pursuing [MTV’s] audience” for video. Seven years later on, the Billboard Hot 100 started mixing YouTube streams right into its information swimming pool.
This tale shows up in theAug 31, 2024, problem of Billboard.
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