MTV LAUNCH FIRST DAY SATURDAY 12:01 am AUGUST 1st , 1981 1st hour Part 1

[nitropistol]

LOL the first song on mtv was video killed the radio star!

[Gaberz0130]

Dear vsauce, Thank you

[nurev187]

MTV2 should just air those stupid reality shows and MTV1 should go back to basics.. this is practically ass-backwards. It's like CNN airing reality shows and CNN2 airing nothing but news LOL. pathetic

[scarab40]

Great first song

[MrCezzar]

Like for MTV 1981, unlike for Justin Bieber

[aquaew16]

1981-2002

RIP MTV

[krjourneyfan78]

What a concept. 24 hours of music videos and information about bands. Why did it deviate from that? If can remember correctly, everyone waiting for midnight on New Years Eve 1983 into 1984 for MTV to broadcast Michael Jackson's Thriller video....

[SG3089]

just got chills down my spine

[MooseyFate100]

How the mighty have fallen.

[dbcooper4437]

I saw that,was sitting in my living room lol,was the ripe age of 11 hehe i was hooked for about two weeks,then only every now and then watched it,i recall the Ozzy concert,Judas Priest and a few others they did.

[thepayne]

I was only 4 when Mtv launched and probably did not start watching it until I was about 10-12 but had to sneak watching it in because of my parents would not let me watch it.

[31operafan]

Wish I had a time machine! I wasn't even BORN yet when MTV started, but I heard so much about its beginnings from my parents! <:(

[theawesomedude956]

...Music TeleVision And They Have All Crappy Reality TV Shows Like Teen Mom, Jersey Whore, & I Just Want My Pants Back, ect ect ect On There. SMFH

[theawesomedude956]

I Want TRL Back!

[the44118]

MTV use to be all about what was cool now it's just kinda sad.......

[jordapen]

Why did MTV ever deviate from its original format? I want my MTV! These videos of the first hour are truly history in the making. How fitting and awesome to start with Video Killed The Radio Star. What killed MTV?

[GTAkaffee]

@jordapen The FUCKIN' reality shows!

The only reality shows I like and liked are Viva la Bam and Rob Dyrdeck's Fantasy Factory.

[electroscandal]

@GTAkaffee jersey shore and teen mom are amazing tho

[GTAkaffee]

@electroscandal Um, no. Not at all

[thaddeusray001]

34 people didn't have cable on August 1 1981.

[ToNzZx]

wow i dont want to see fat americans train :/ i dont want reality shows!

[allghilliedup1992]

How I wish I was an '80s kid.

[shofimu]

when MTV was about Rock&Roll

[ScorpioBornIn69]

34 Jersey Shore and Teen Mom fans watched this. 

[qwandiddy]

Real World, True Life definetly are to be Blame for is since they been around since the 90s

[tripjet999]

Never really needed to video. The music was enough, thanks. Never had money to waste on cable TV, either.

[iloveoreos15]

This is fucking awesome. Wish I lived in the 80's.

[lytrigian]

I WANT MY...

I WANT MY...

I WANT MY MTV!

You know. The one that was all about music.

[Wisconsin222]

MTV is still MTV today, M=music in the 1980's and 1990's, but today M=stands for Moron, so its new official name is Moron Television. Yeah personally like when the M stood for Musical Television though.

[mireSERBIA]

How badass is this :D

[SenSproductions]

hahahahahahah awsome the black screen when an mtv employee inserts a new video!!:)

[ShogaNinja]

Mark Goodman was stuck in the 70's lol. Ahh these were the days. Why didn't MTV just make a fucking RTV Reality TV station and keep MTV going? MTV2 isn't the same. That's why the music industry took a shit, not because of napster and piracy.

You got the CoolTV but that shit is so random it's hard for anyone to stick with it unless they are incredibly wasted. Fuck Bieber, Fuck Gaga, Fuck Rebecca Black- today's music just sucks ass.

[JasonNation72]

"Ladies and gentlemen, the beginning of the end."

[blackwagon18]

I was born 2 months after this.

[NineteenSeventyOne71]

MTV was awesome back in the early days!

[TheSweetone1977]

i want my old mtv back with no reality shows

[ScorpioBornIn69]

@TheSweetone1977 I have said this to many that if I win the lottery and the jackpot being $200+ million, I would buy MTV and seriously clean house, firing the management and staff and restoring it the way it was back then, airing just music videos, concerts, interviews with rock and pop stars and both classic and new Beavis and Butthead shows. As for those who watch these lame and loser reality shows, I'll just create another studio called RTV to air such dumb shows for today's generation.

[LucaviAD]

@ScorpioBornIn69

I would gladly buy you lotto tickets!!!

But I admit that "My So Called Life" was a sign of the times. I miss Aeon Flux, The Maxx, Beavis & Butthead, and even their showings of Ren & Stimpy.

[the44118]

@TheSweetone1977 actually MTV invented the reality show

[txtabby]

No, it was shown everywhere that had cable. A friend in California remembers the 'launch', watching it outside Riverside.

[huffy216]

now more than ever do I wish I grew up in the 80s

[kingrunnisfilms]

Do YOU remember when Mtv was about music?

Not crappy autoyuned garbage and reality shows?

[Rieksfier]

@kingrunnisfilms The target Mtv audience of today has probably never watched a single music video on Mtv because they weren't alive when they played music videos.

[ActionSports199]

this is cool

[DWarrior4]

Ha ha, this is great. Thanks MTV sucks now :-(

[BeardedDragon645]

81.

[lockoshamface]

MTV came about and was different to every thing , now its worse than most channels, congrats!!

[BurningSociety420]

Oh, Oh !!

[mexican96fly]

i liked it when mtv only showed music vids

[smartiepantzbabe69]

i cut school constantly to watch MTV

[mookuable]

mtv should chane its name they only play bullshit these times

[slayerprogram2104]

That first song reminds me of GTA vice city.

[kenskul]

Pat Benatar could kick Lady Gaga's and Justin Bieber's ass with one hand.

[aliger95]

30 year old footage and my internet still can't stream it -________-

[3DPeter]

trevor horn should bring out this song again and re-write the lyrics into "mtv killed the videostar."

[IHazSniper2]

good job mtv... -_-

[denjr99]

MTV was fun back then. Dog shit now!

[62636263c]

@denjr99 I have watched it since 1995. Is it still on TV. I thought for sure it was dead and buried by now. Last time I saw it, it sucked bad.

[NikkiBear71]

Bring The 80s Back God!

[sashrill]

i guess thats the good thing about launching a new station. no commercials

[bax323]

My God, this was over 30 years ago. Where does the time go? I feel so old.

[Perlinator67]

In 1981, most people had never heard of Madonna; her first album came out a year later, and I don't know when she did her first music video, but it was after 1981. Michael Jackson's famous "Thriller" video didn't exist until 2 or 3 years later.

In this early period of MTV, how many music videos existed??? I would guess that there were just a few and they had to be shown over and over again.

[WarHawk215]

Fuck mtv they are just another TV program that perfers profit then giving people what they want. Hope soon their channel and their crap shows die

[ScorpioBornIn69]

@WarHawk215 And that is also the case in Washington with our elected politicians who only think for themselves, not the citizens and what we want or need.

[anabotso161]

And then reality killed the video star....I was born too late.

[BlueEnvoy4413]

@anabotso161 Eventually, something else will kill the reality star!

[anabotso161]

@BlueEnvoy4413 I hope so...I can't stand them anymore!

[arvis97]

VSAUCE

[kinkyrebel]

oJ-QbTV2Nmw :(

[glasshorse018]

They should just call MTV TV now

[SuperInventer]

whats with a slow video download rates here? why is each video on youtube have different download speed..?

[Wutwut1n1]

"The newest component of your stereo system" The what of my who?

[Wutwut1n1]

Just look at the creativity in the videos and production of videos back then, not a lot of slow mo boob shots and jewelery flashing, which is satisfactory in moderation but really overcompensating in the 21st century

[Wutwut1n1]

90s MTV was god mode television

[takesmonkey2getsmart]

Yup, still better than 16 and pregnant.

[smokeydude3]

good bye MTV we had a great run

[9XxMatty1ManXx9]

First ever song on MTV XD

[AutoPsychotic]

I miss when channels like this used to be about the music. When they ROCKED.

[peedera0]

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Rock and Roll" Wow, the channel actually managed to lie within their first 10 seconds of broadcast:S

[SickOfTheWorldXD]

I blame the Real World. It wasn't real... but it was a whole new world. That and apparently music videos aren't that important anymore. Teenagers wanna see people being total asses for nothing. We wonder why kids are getting out of hand... just wait. Some kid's gonna OD and they'll blame some of the new MTV shows or something. Its coming.

[qwandiddy]

@SickOfTheWorldXD I think biggest losers like SNOOKI (Jersey Shore) / JENELLE EVANS (Teen Mom 2) should be blame also.

[qwandiddy]

@qwandiddy MTV reality wonders why there aren't any real Friends out in this world

[marianomcastro]

Internet Killed The Video Star

[savingkud]

jersey shore killed the music television

[MrPig1005]

So when does the Jersey Shore come into this equation?

[blazedprophet01]

WHAT HAPPENED TO "MUSIC" TELEVISION!!!! NOW WE HAVE JERSEY SHORE AND 16 AND PREGNANT!?!?! WHAT THE FUCK!

[matholimeu]

5:26 cool w'hip

[MrCanadianPride]

Pat Benatar whas an invitation by her style and sexappel to make love to her in the afternoon :)

[daniyellowjello]

Internet killed the video star...

[ysfnvji]

I MISS REAL MUSIC!

[SuppleGooch]

MTV made the greatest decision making this the first song. So emotional and im 15.

[LilDrummerBoy74]

Anyone notice they showed a space shuttle then the apollo missions?

[Paintballbeast09]

Would the founding fathers of MTV approve of what we've done to it?

[12Krisreed]

i almost cried when i saw this ,the time of music skinny jeans,leg warmers,cool hairstyles,great dressing.im 12 and i enjoy seeing this,you wonder what happened to mtv

[sandman4897]

@12Krisreed i feel you i hate the new mtv now

[mikebromas]

Ahh, the music videos of the 80's, so delightfully terribly and yet so delightfully awesome.

[TiddlyDeRp]

Back when the M stood for MUSIC

not melodrama.

[FallenGloryPS3]

I am ashamed to live in this "MTV Generation" with all of the crap TV Shows on.... Only good one was The Buried Life

[Laughwhitme23]

wheres Bieber?XD

[2legit2quit20]

now this is what MTV should be like. not a a bunch of sluts getting pregnant at 16. its called music television for a reason.

[TypicalUser7]

Jersey Shore fucked the channel up badly.

[HerbanLegend420]

@TypicalUser7 The Real World fucked the channel up badly.

[TypicalUser7]

@HerbanLegend420 Right? Now its all reality shows.

[OrbitalDropShockXD]

my teacher was there

[twarti16]

real MTV

[FamousCloud]

Why is this not on mobile !@@@@@!!!

[rikkmode]

i miss this MTV. MTV now is more like SHIET TV

[BJBlitzstein]

What happened to the female Rocker?

[N30M4N14]

Thumbs up if Digeldaver sent you

[MyLifeAsLouis]

I want this MTV to come back!

[MyMMC]

and now... mtv is all bout teen mom and other tv shows for braindamaged ppl...

[qwandiddy]

@MyMMC Yeah, MTV Nowadays is reason why I don't trust anyone in this world anymore

[faikcem1]

that first song was pretty good

[xXOr30Xx]

2012 and I'm still excited about this launch :D

[babyfister5000]

MTV has no idea whats about to hit them

[BrewingTube]

Wow, I always wondered what was the first song played on MTV....

[llThaHunterll]

That was Music Television...

[lalokills]

ima start a channel called RTV and eventually only play music videos......

[OhMyScot]

Internet killed the video star...

[555smo]

Ahh, back when the M stood for music, and not Mentally-challenged

[carlos39777]

vsauce mistake

[lildrummerboy4life]

@carlos39777 how so?



[supermariofan2009]

man i would off loved to see the first hour of mtv and now i can and i lik it

[KesyerStar]

First song they played was 'Video Killed the Radio Star'

WIN (What happened to MTV? :'(

[amoisse]

hot

[ivo9696]

gta vice city :D video killed the radio star

[AllDayIDreamAboutXXX]

8:56 HUGE LIEEEE!!!

[GrapesseparG]

How ironic that Video Killed the Radio Star is the first song ever to play from a channel that went from playing music to awful tv shows...

[PAClVlAN]

@GrapesseparG its alllllllll part of the plan, all part of the plan

[leoninja]

@GrapesseparG reality killed the video star

[IHazSniper2]

@GrapesseparG it was all apart of a government act :0... jk

[yaha1313131313]

amazing

[kreamedcorn]

So can you document the first time MTV started getting shitty!!! My kids can't believe they used to actually play music on MTV when I was a kid.

[ZynusGaming]

video KILLED THE RADIO STAR! BEST FUCKING SONG

[xijnnijx]

Internet killed the video star! xD

[TheJamMan69]

omg this is so chill fuck modern mtv

[cool2t]

"but it was cable that gave us the freedom of choice" LMAO HAHAHAHAHA

[MIKON8ERISBACK]

@cool2t Back then, word on the street was that more channels would actually just mean more of the same programming. They were right. I get over 350 cable channels, some of them in HD, and all I see is a bunch of crappy chick flick drama crap, movie or TV series, cable and satellite is just more of the same crap. The future lies with video on demand. People also need to start going back to physical storage mediums.

[timoz26]

@MIKON8ERISBACK Lest we forget those ever lovin' channels where they sell things; occasionally just one thing, on one channel. That seems to be most of the channels.

[KongKegso2]

best thing ever on youtube

[JVIazRamen]

9:27 , ow shit , stereo , 24/7 , shit just got real

[JVIazRamen]

First song , already liking this channel

[WattahellJJN]

like if u r here because of VSAUCE

[vdochev]

God bless whoever recorded this!!!

[M0rganKane]

I love when I get a question about the first video on MTV on quizes :)

[Igamer124]

@M0rganKane I always think I'm really cool for knowing it. But I'm just as lame as everyone else. lol

[fluorescentcentipede]

the dumbing down super weapon

[MarceloSperger]

VSAUCE

[whatcanisay65]

video killed the radio

internet killed tv

whats next

[cubesupreme]

thumbs up if vsauce sent you

[49Acehole]

@cubesupreme i dont know how to do that so i am going to hit the outher one

[pepebum]

VICE CITY !

[123dan120]

The Famous MTV Astronaut.. we've been waiting

[eatsleepbike]

16&Prego killed the MusicTV

[Leadman1989]

This was before I was born.

:p

[OrangeMonkeyProD]

Video Killed the radio star. What an appropriate first song.

[xXkraid360Xx]

9:31 my ass, now if your lucky you can hear a song on mtv

[beenox123]

mtv commecials were always awesome!

[TheKittywilson]

MUSIC television not FUCKED UP television! what does JERSEY SHORE and TEEN MOMS have to do with MUSIC!!!