Back in the 80s MTV was the sh*t. You had HEADBANGERS BALL and YO MTV RAPS. After that the next 30 or so years consisted of about 63 minutes of music, but it still will be missed.
Back in the 80s MTV was the sh*t. You had HEADBANGERS BALL and YO MTV RAPS. After that the next 30 or so years consisted of about 63 minutes of music, but it still will be missed.
MTV in the ’80s was like a mixtape for your eyeballs pure chaos, color, and culture. We were *living* the music.
damageinc86 on
feels like it was dead in like 2010 really.
ShutterBun on
Rule 6
Hairy_Photograph1384 on
Rule 6
Odesio on
The MTV many of us knew and loved growing up only lasted about 14-15 years. Early on the network started trying out original programing that didn’t revolve around music videos including Andy Warhol’s 15 Minutes, Remote Control, Mouth to Mouth, and a few others I can barely remember. By the mid 1990s, MTV was pivoting from primarily showing music videos to broadcasting reality programs and other shows.
The sad truth is that by the mid 1990s MTV could read the writing on the wall. Even before broadband internet was common and the creation of YouTube, MTV had to switch formats or it was going to die. MTV stopped being the MTV we knew a long time ago. At this point it’s been the MTV of today longer than it was the network of our childhood.
the_ebs on
TRL was MTV’s last stand, the brand died when the segment faded from popularity. This would put MTV in the 27 club.
Herb_Alman on
Does anyone know the name of the posse cut that Yo MTV Raps made? It had a black n white video, had everyone in it (Fab 5 Freddy) era. I remember it was maybe for the 25th anniversary of hip hop and the last line was ‘… and America’s catch phrase was ‘Yo’’.
Been searching for years, anyone remember this?
NoContextCarl on
MTV has been dying for some time, so this isn’t really a surprise. It’s probably only a matter of time before the entire brand ceases to exist.Â
However, I must say…I’ll miss it when that day comes. The over the top VJs, random music videos, Headbangers Ball, obscure shows before it went full reality.Â
Sure, what we have now is somewhat similar; some algorithm throws songs at you and you decide which you like. But MTV was simple, brainless, accessible and entertaining in its heyday. It had a human touch. It wasn’t perfect in all aspects but it had its creative peaks in the 90s with music, animation, shows etc.Â
Everything feels so sterile now. Its curated by machines. There’s too many choices to try and entertain you and play music. We’re just drowning in a sea of content trying to find something we enjoy.Â
I miss the old days. Now get off my fucking lawn, kids.Â
BeebleBoxn on
MTV died in 1992 when they went from “Music Videos” to The “Real World” people watched MTV to avoid bring in the shitty real world and some dick came along and dumped shitty reality shows on TV.
UmpireDear5415 on
it died a long time ago when it started caring about reality tv over music videos.
MushLampMaker on
MTV died the minute Real World debuted.
MAXHEADR0OM on
If they made the channel like it was in the 90s they would get hundreds of millions of views. That concept is so easy yet no one does it. Go back to what works.
JohnSane on
Napster was the death blow.
rjellis on
Great fucking times they were, for sure. And the small bit of non-music content such as Kurt loader’s news and the bits here and there of cartoons (Beavis and Butthead I miss you so much) we’re actually very nice augmentations to the mostly musical programming.
Welcome to being an old person. Sometimes memories suck because they were of good things that you miss more than you value having.
WorryNo181 on
Not to mention 120 Minutes.
426763 on
I always mention this any time MTV comes up, but back in the day, MTV in my country changed owners/distributors a bunch. During one era in like the late 2000s, they mostly aired concert footage. When Youtube was on the up and up for music videos, I kinda expected MTV to turn into like an HBO type channel but for concerts. Before Ridiculousness existed, along with the concert footage, it mostly aired reruns of Sweet 16, Teen Mom, and Wild Boyz. The last “new” music I ever discovered on the channel were like singles off of Gorillaz’ Plastic Beach and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ I’m With You. By the time Gangnam Style came out, MTV disappeared in my country, or at least in my town’s cable plan, again.
16 Comments
MTV in the ’80s was like a mixtape for your eyeballs pure chaos, color, and culture. We were *living* the music.
feels like it was dead in like 2010 really.
Rule 6
Rule 6
The MTV many of us knew and loved growing up only lasted about 14-15 years. Early on the network started trying out original programing that didn’t revolve around music videos including Andy Warhol’s 15 Minutes, Remote Control, Mouth to Mouth, and a few others I can barely remember. By the mid 1990s, MTV was pivoting from primarily showing music videos to broadcasting reality programs and other shows.
The sad truth is that by the mid 1990s MTV could read the writing on the wall. Even before broadband internet was common and the creation of YouTube, MTV had to switch formats or it was going to die. MTV stopped being the MTV we knew a long time ago. At this point it’s been the MTV of today longer than it was the network of our childhood.
TRL was MTV’s last stand, the brand died when the segment faded from popularity. This would put MTV in the 27 club.
Does anyone know the name of the posse cut that Yo MTV Raps made? It had a black n white video, had everyone in it (Fab 5 Freddy) era. I remember it was maybe for the 25th anniversary of hip hop and the last line was ‘… and America’s catch phrase was ‘Yo’’.
Been searching for years, anyone remember this?
MTV has been dying for some time, so this isn’t really a surprise. It’s probably only a matter of time before the entire brand ceases to exist.Â
However, I must say…I’ll miss it when that day comes. The over the top VJs, random music videos, Headbangers Ball, obscure shows before it went full reality.Â
Sure, what we have now is somewhat similar; some algorithm throws songs at you and you decide which you like. But MTV was simple, brainless, accessible and entertaining in its heyday. It had a human touch. It wasn’t perfect in all aspects but it had its creative peaks in the 90s with music, animation, shows etc.Â
Everything feels so sterile now. Its curated by machines. There’s too many choices to try and entertain you and play music. We’re just drowning in a sea of content trying to find something we enjoy.Â
I miss the old days. Now get off my fucking lawn, kids.Â
MTV died in 1992 when they went from “Music Videos” to The “Real World” people watched MTV to avoid bring in the shitty real world and some dick came along and dumped shitty reality shows on TV.
it died a long time ago when it started caring about reality tv over music videos.
MTV died the minute Real World debuted.
If they made the channel like it was in the 90s they would get hundreds of millions of views. That concept is so easy yet no one does it. Go back to what works.
Napster was the death blow.
Great fucking times they were, for sure. And the small bit of non-music content such as Kurt loader’s news and the bits here and there of cartoons (Beavis and Butthead I miss you so much) we’re actually very nice augmentations to the mostly musical programming.
Welcome to being an old person. Sometimes memories suck because they were of good things that you miss more than you value having.
Not to mention 120 Minutes.
I always mention this any time MTV comes up, but back in the day, MTV in my country changed owners/distributors a bunch. During one era in like the late 2000s, they mostly aired concert footage. When Youtube was on the up and up for music videos, I kinda expected MTV to turn into like an HBO type channel but for concerts. Before Ridiculousness existed, along with the concert footage, it mostly aired reruns of Sweet 16, Teen Mom, and Wild Boyz. The last “new” music I ever discovered on the channel were like singles off of Gorillaz’ Plastic Beach and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ I’m With You. By the time Gangnam Style came out, MTV disappeared in my country, or at least in my town’s cable plan, again.