MTV Launches on This Day in 1981 — What’s the First Music Video That Aired?

MTV, also known as Music Television, is arguably the shadow of its former self. Once, it was the only way to watch music videos for free. Now, it is a hub where reality shows reign supreme over music videos, per Digital Spy and Slide Bean.

However, as its name implies, it was the go-to channel back in the day, way before the Backstreet Boys' music videos were featured on the TV channel's programs.

Here's the story of the first few years of MTV's existence.

MTV And The Buggles

MTV was first launched as a cable TV channel on August 1, 1981, in certain parts of New Jersey, according to History. At the time, the TV channel's programming was made up of basic music videos introduced by video jockeys and provided by record companies for free.

Back then, music videos were miniature movies and performance clips built around the pop act and rock band singles, per Grunge. Although they have been going on since the 1970s, with MTV being the first and only cable TV channel to air them.

The reason for this free access was due to them not believing in the power of TV at a time when the radio was the number one media provider. However, that did not stop a few companies that were willing to give the new TV channel a shot.

The first music video MTV aired was The Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star," which was introduced to the world by one of MTV's creators, John Lack, with the words "Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll."

However, this was something that almost didn't happen. MTV program director Steve Casey said in the book "I Want My MTV" that nobody wanted to launch with "Video Killed the Radio Star" because everyone wanted to launch with a hit. However, Casey thought otherwise, saying that "Nobody's going to be watching. It's symbolic."

The Buggles' song was indeed symbolic. The band, which was British in origin, was a New Wave duo with a "futuristic sensibility," with the music video being a result of a dream of its bassist, Trevor Horn.

Horn mentioned that he had a "vision of the future" where record companies would have computers in the basement and manufacture artists. He then envisioned the band as an anonymous robot version of The Beatles, but with pairs of oversized glasses that made him look bug-eyed.

Making the music video was chaotic and expensive, with the filming costing $50,000 and taking a whole day to film. Interestingly, future Oscar-nominated composer Hans Zimmer appeared in the music video.

The chaotic part was due to two things: the band blowing up a television (which was later complained about by viewers as too violent) and a test tube falling over when it shouldn't have during filming.

What Happened Next?

Unfortunately, MTV hit a snag when it first aired. Just after Lack said his line, MTV experienced glitches and errors bad enough for them to delay the airing of "Video Killed the Radio Star" by showing a modified footage of the 1969 Moon Landing while playing its network theme music. It was then followed by a myriad of errors that would make the TV channel look amateurish.

However, the channel's leadership persevered. In the late '80s, MTV was already heralded as a cultural boundary and taste pusher with the airing of Madonna's hit single "Like a Prayer." It even aired documentaries, news, game shows, and public service campaigns about voting rights and safe sex.

It eventually became successful enough to air its first popular reality series "The Real World" in 1992.