Where To Watch
Do you remember who sang the first videos ever shown on MTV in 1981?
Hey, remember when they played music videos?! Forty years ago, it was a lot of classic rock and new-wave.
The Everett Collection
On August 1, 1981, MTV switched on its signal and changed television forever. Music, too, for that matter. Suddenly, what musicians looked like mattered just as much — if not more — than how they sounded.
On MTV's first day, the channel played 116 unique music videos, many of them repeated. (Yes, kids, that's all they did — show music videos!)
We gathered the first dozen. Frankly, they're pretty weird, surprisingly and in places obscure. For some of the really hard ones, we made up fake bands to give you a hand.
Can you match the music video to the artist?
-
"Video Killed the Radio Star"
-
"You Better Run"
-
"She Won't Dance With Me"
-
"You Better You Bet"
-
"Little Suzi's on the Up"
-
"We Don't Talk Anymore"
-
"Brass in Pocket"
-
"Time Heals"
-
"Take It on the Run"
-
"Rockin' the Paradise"
-
"When Things Go Wrong"
-
"History Never Repeats"
Do you remember who sang the first videos ever shown on MTV in 1981?
Your Result...
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Pellentesque nec ante ipsum. Mauris viverra, urna et porta sagittis, lorem diam dapibus diam, et lacinia libero quam id risus.
Willie Nelson - Horseshoe
$19.95
Elvis - The Stare
$19.95
Sun Record Co. - Logo
$19.95
Jimi Hendrix - Woodstock
$19.95
Yes - Yessongs
$21.95
Elvis - Long Live the King
$19.95
Elvis - Mugshot
$19.95
Yes - Logo
$21.95
CBGB - Logo (Gray)
$19.95
Jimi Hendrix - Kiss the Sky
$19.95
Yes - Logo
$21.95
ZZ Top - Tres Hombres
$19.95
Elvis - TCB
$19.95
Tom Petty - Heart and Banner
$19.95
Tom Petty - Circle
$19.95
Willie Nelson - Horseshoe
$19.95
Related
Nostalgia
101 Comments
8/12.
10/12
10/12.
Only 9 out of 12 and I thought I'd get 12 out of 12. Good selection of videos by someone who obviously experienced those years. Also, didn't know Tesla's "Little Suzi's on the Up" was a cover.....LOL
And Cliff Richard's. I know darn well he sang it. So, I should've gotten 10 out of 12. But for some reason, my choice was Rick James. IM CALLING SHENANIGANS.
Big Who fan. There's NO WAY I'd miss that one. But, it shows I picked Pink Floyd's and I know darn well, that's wrong. I would NOT nor did I choose any band other than the Who. (Not that 8 out of 10 was bad but, darn. That's just wrong.)
Well in fairness that song was released at the end of their run and not at the height of the Who's dominance.
Never heard of half of these songs, and I grew up in the 80s.
10/12 Absolutely loved MTV in the 80s. I had such a crush on Martha Quinn
No. 6.
For your information, Cliff Richard is STILL rocking at the age of 80.
For your information, Cliff Richard is STILL rocking at the age of 80.
12 out of 12. For someone who hasn't watched MTv in a long time, that score is not bad.
Eh, too easy.
I’m impressed I only got 4 right. Good job
Tnx. "It's just 80s." :)
8/12; not bad considering I grew up in a very rural area and we didn’t have cable tv. Cable tv still isn’t an option at my childhood home.
9/12 Blinded by Science
5 out of 12.
You got 11 out of 12
Impressive. Very impressive.
Why, thank you
Impressive. Very impressive.
Why, thank you
10/12. It's a shame what happened to MTV, and all of "music" television for that matter.
8/12
Missed 2. Have to admit, I never heard of a few of those bands/songs.
6/12. I just wasn't into '80s music.
8/12 I should have done better.....I missed 3...5...6...& 8......and who the hell is Ph.D. ?