VH1 Classic celebrates the 30th anniversary of sister channel MTV this weekend by re-playing many of the videos and VJs that helped launch the network. The big highlight comes midnight on Sunday, July 31st (technically August 1st), when the network replays the first hour of MTV programming from August 1st, 1981.
Here are the first day of videos 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
- “When Things Go Wrong” by Robin Lane and the Chartbusters
- “History Never Repeats” by Split Enz
- “Hold on Loosely” by 38 Special
- “Just Between You and Me” by April Wine
- “Sailing” by Rod Stewart
- “Iron Maiden” by Iron Maiden
- “Keep on Loving You (Live)” by REO Speedwagon
- “Bluer Than Blue” by Michael Johnson
- “Message of Love” by The Pretenders
- “Mr. Briefcase” by Lee Ritenour
- “Double Life” by The Cars
- “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins
- “Looking for Clues” by Robert Palmer (the video never plays due to technical difficulties.)
- “Too Late” by Shoes
- “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” by Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
- “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” by Rod Stewart
- “Surface Tension” by Rupert Hine
- “One Step Ahead” by Split Enz
- “Baker Street” by Gerry Rafferty
- “I’m Gonna Follow You” by Pat Benatar
- “Savannah Nights” by Tom Johnston
- “Lucille” by Rockestra
- “The Best of Times” by Styx
- “Vengeance” by Carly Simon
- “Wrathchild” by Iron Maiden
- “I Wanna Be a Lifeguard” by Blotto
- “Passion” by Rod Stewart
- “Oliver’s Army” by Elvis Costello
- “Don’t Let Him Go (Live)” by REO Speedwagon
- “Remote Control/Illegal” by The Silencers
- “Angel of the Morning” by Juice Newton
- “Little Sister” by Rockpile with Robert Plant
- “Hold On to the Night” by Bootcamp
- “Dreamin'” by Cliff Richard
- “Is It You” by Lee Ritenour
- “Tusk” by Fleetwood Mac
- “He Can’t Love You” by Michael Stanley Band
- “Tough Guys” by REO Speedwagon
- “Rapture” by Blondie
- “Don’t Let Go the Coat” by The Who
- “Ain’t Love a Bitch” by Rod Stewart
- “Talk of the Town” by The Pretenders
- “Can’t Happen Here” by Rainbow
- “Thank You for Being a Friend” by Andrew Gold
- “You Better You Bet” by The Who
- “Bring It All Home” by Gerry Rafferty
- “Sign of the Gypsy Queen” by April Wine
- “The Man with the Child in His Eyes” by Kate Bush
- “Message of Love” by The Pretenders
- “All Night Long” by Rainbow
- “Boys Keep Swinging” by David Bowie
- “Rat Race” by The Specials
- “Just Between You and Me” by April Wine
- “Once in a Lifetime” by Talking Heads
- “Victim” by Bootcamp
- “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)” by Rod Stewart
- “Cruel to Be Kind” by Nick Lowe
- “A Little in Love” by Cliff Richard
- “Take It on the Run” by REO Speedwagon
- “Wild-Eyed Southern Boys” by .38 Special
- “Wuthering Heights” by Kate Bush
- “Celebrate the Bullet” by The Selecter
- “More Than I Can Say” by Leo Sayer
- “A Message to You, Rudy” by The Specials
- “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins
- “Heart of Glass” by Blondie
- “Oh God, I Wish I Was Home Tonight” by Rod Stewart
- “Kid” by The Pretenders
- “Wrathchild” by Iron Maiden
- “Come What May” by Lani Hall and Herb Alpert
- “I Got You” by Split Enz
- “Sister Disco” by The Who
- “Fashion” by David Bowie
- “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” by Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
- “Love Stinks” by The J. Geils Band
- “Johnny & Mary” by Robert Palmer
- “Tomorrow Night” by Shoes
Here’s the first ten minutes of MTV from that summer day in 1981.
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Tintu says
MTV stopped being MTV a long time ago. One comedian likend it to calling a pizza place and ordering a pizza, only to have the guy working there tell you they only sell boat anchors. Maybe someday someone there will get a crazy idea to start up a channel that plays music videos 24 hours a day, stranger things have happened….
Paul says
That channel is called “You Tube.” 🙂
Jose says
Man I WISH they still played videos. Let me rephrase that, I wish they still played good ones.
Paul says
It’s the whole “TV Land” syndrome, where a channel starts out being one thing, and seems to end up being another thing.