The first 10 songs played on MTV were “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles, “You Better Run” by Pat Benatar, “She Won’t Dance With Me” by Rod Stewart, “You Better You Bet” by The Who, “Little Suzi’s on the Up” by Ph.D., “We Don’t Talk Anymore” by Cliff Richard, “Brass in Pocket” by The Pretenders, “Time Heals” by Todd Rundgren, “Take It on the Run” by REO Speedwagon, and “Rockin’ the Paradise” by Styx.
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The first 10 songs played on MTV mark a significant moment in music and television history. On August 1, 1981, MTV (Music Television) was launched and ushered in a new era of popular culture. The channel aired music videos around the clock, revolutionizing the way people consumed music. Here is the list of the first 10 songs played on MTV:
- “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles
- “You Better Run” by Pat Benatar
- “She Won’t Dance With Me” by Rod Stewart
- “You Better You Bet” by The Who
- “Little Suzi’s on the Up” by Ph.D.
- “We Don’t Talk Anymore” by Cliff Richard
- “Brass in Pocket” by The Pretenders
- “Time Heals” by Todd Rundgren
- “Take It on the Run” by REO Speedwagon
- “Rockin’ the Paradise” by Styx
These songs were chosen to represent a diverse range of genres, artists, and musical styles. They set the tone for MTV’s programming and showcased the visual aspects of music that had previously only been experienced in live performances or on album covers.
Quotes:
- “Video killed the radio star.” – Trevor Horn, The Buggles
This iconic phrase from The Buggles’ song “Video Killed the Radio Star” became synonymous with MTV’s impact on traditional radio broadcasting.
Interesting facts:
- “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles holds the distinction of being the very first music video ever played on MTV.
- The video for “Video Killed the Radio Star” was filmed in one day and on a modest budget.
- “She Won’t Dance With Me” by Rod Stewart was chosen as the third video to be played on MTV because Rod Stewart was not available to film an exclusive video for the channel, so they used concert footage.
- “Little Suzi’s on the Up” by Ph.D. is the only song from the first 10 to not achieve significant commercial success.
- “Rockin’ the Paradise” by Styx became the first rock video to air on MTV.
Here is a table summarizing the first 10 songs played on MTV:
| No. | Song Title | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Video Killed the Radio Star | The Buggles |
| 2 | You Better Run | Pat Benatar |
| 3 | She Won’t Dance With Me | Rod Stewart |
| 4 | You Better You Bet | The Who |
| 5 | Little Suzi’s on the Up | Ph.D. |
| 6 | We Don’t Talk Anymore | Cliff Richard |
| 7 | Brass in Pocket | The Pretenders |
| 8 | Time Heals | Todd Rundgren |
| 9 | Take It on the Run | REO Speedwagon |
| 10 | Rockin’ the Paradise | Styx |
These songs laid the foundation for MTV’s success and left an indelible mark on the music industry. They continue to be a nostalgic reminder of the birth of music television.
See the answer to your question in this video
In this YouTube video review, the narrator discusses the first 10 music videos shown on MTV. They critique certain videos for their lack of creativity and substance, but also acknowledge the significance of these pioneers in setting the standard for future music videos. The importance of MTV in bringing exposure to musicians from different countries is highlighted, despite some videos being considered corny or boring. The video also explores how MTV evolved over the years and poses the question of whether viewers would still watch if it solely showed today’s popular music videos. Overall, the early music videos shown on MTV are described as impactful but criticized for their quality.
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Here’s the complete list of MTV’s first 100 videos aired on Aug. 1, 1981
- “Video Killed the Radio Star,” The Buggles.
- “You Better Run,” Pat Benatar.
- “She Won’t Dance With Me,” Rod Stewart.
- “You Better You Bet,” The Who.
- “Little Suzi’s on the Up,” Ph.
- “We Don’t Talk Anymore,” Cliff Richard.
First music videos aired on MTV
Number Song Artist Appearance [a] Notes 16 "Iron Maiden" Iron Maiden 1/2 1st Heavy Metal song to be played on MTV 17 "Keep on Loving You" REO Speedwagon 1/3 First Billboard Hot 100 number-one hit t 18 "Bluer Than Blue" Michael Johnson 1/2 19 "Message of Love" The Pretenders 1/4
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What were the first 20 songs played on MTV?
Here is a list of the next 19 videos they played.
- “Video Killed the Radio Star,” the Buggles.
- “You Better Run,” Pat Benatar.
- “She Won’t Dance,” Rod Stewart.
- “You Better You Bet,” the Who.
- “Little Susie’s on the Up,” PhD.
- “We Don’t Talk Anymore,” Cliff Richard.
- “Brass in Pocket,” the Pretenders.
- “Time Heals,” Todd Rundgren.
What were the earliest songs on MTV?
The first video to air on MTV was one emblematic of MTV’s concept, The Buggles’ "Video Killed the Radio Star" which was then immediately followed by a brief message about music and television coming together and then "You Better Run" by Pat Benatar.
Similar
What was the first song played on MTV in 1981?
Video Killed the Radio Star
‘Video Killed the Radio Star’ By The Buggles
Ironically enough, the first music video to launch on MTV was “Video Killed The Radio Star” from The Buggles.
What was the most played song on MTV?
Response to this: "Sledgehammer," Peter Gabriel: This 1986 video became the most played in MTV history, thanks to its Claymation, pixilation and stop-motion animation.
What was the very first video ever played on MTV?
The reply will be: The channel’s first broadcast started with a video of a rocket launch, followed by a video depicting an astronuat on the moon planting an MTV flag. Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles was the very first music video played on MTV.
Who was the first veejay to appear on MTV?
Answer: Nina Blackwood was browsing Billboard when she saw an ad for MTV. “I sent in my resume and 8×10,” she says in her Sirius XM bio. “After two auditions, they hired me as the first MTV VJ.”
What was the second video played on MTV?
Response will be: Why are you asking specifically about the second song/music video played by MTV? Not sure what was MTV criteria (they didn’t play many different artists prefering to play more songs from the same artists). To answer your question the second video was "You Better Run" from Pat Benatar. She also had the 30th video played: “I’m Gonna Follow You”.
What was the first rap music video to air on MTV?
Response will be: Blondie’s "Rapture" was the first rap music video ever played on MTV. David Bowie’s "Boys Keep Swinging" played to Saturday Night Live audiences in 1979 before MTV audiences.
What was the very first video ever played on MTV?
The channel’s first broadcast started with a video of a rocket launch, followed by a video depicting an astronuat on the moon planting an MTV flag. Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles was the very first music video played on MTV.
Who was the first veejay to appear on MTV?
The reply will be: Nina Blackwood was browsing Billboard when she saw an ad for MTV. “I sent in my resume and 8×10,” she says in her Sirius XM bio. “After two auditions, they hired me as the first MTV VJ.”
What was the second video played on MTV?
Why are you asking specifically about the second song/music video played by MTV? Not sure what was MTV criteria (they didn’t play many different artists prefering to play more songs from the same artists). To answer your question the second video was "You Better Run" from Pat Benatar. She also had the 30th video played: “I’m Gonna Follow You”.
What was the first rap music video to air on MTV?
Blondie’s "Rapture" was the first rap music video ever played on MTV. David Bowie’s "Boys Keep Swinging" played to Saturday Night Live audiences in 1979 before MTV audiences.