The debut of MTV (Music Television) on August 1, 1981, marked a revolutionary moment in the entertainment industry. Launched as the first 24-hour music video cable channel, MTV promised to transform how audiences consumed music by combining it with a visual medium. The iconic opening sequence featured footage of a moon landing, with the American flag replaced by an MTV logo, signaling the bold, cutting-edge spirit of the channel. At 12:01 a.m., MTV aired its first-ever music video, “Video Killed
3:38
FacebookSoundWorks Collection
The debut of MTV (Music Television) on August 1, 1981, marked a revolutionary moment in the entertainment industry. Launched as the first 24-hour music video cable channel,
SoundWorks Collection. . The debut of MTV (Music Television) on August 1, 1981, marked a revolutionary moment in the entertainment industry. Launched as the first 24-hour music video cable channel, MTV promised to transform how audiences consumed music by combining it with a visual medium. The iconic opening sequence featured footage of a moon ...
210.8K views6 months ago
Related Products
MTV 80s Hits
MTV Watch
First MTV Awards
#MTV Music Videos
10 Iconic Music Videos That Aired On MTV
10 Iconic Music Videos That Aired On MTV
wibc.com7 months ago
MTV turns 40: Iconic music videos we watched on the network that brought music to TV
MTV turns 40: Iconic music videos we watched on the network that brought music to TV
USATODAYAug 1, 2021
Top videos
MTV 1st Broadcast August 1st 1981. You're Never Look at Music The Same Way Again. It was just after midnight in the early morning hours of August 1, 1981, that the fledgling Music Television network flickered to life. “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll” were the words that preceded on opening montage featuring a chunky guitar riff playing over the familiar image of an American astronaut planting an unfamiliar flag on the surface of the moon—a flag emblazoned with a big, block capital “M” and t
1:53
MTV 1st Broadcast August 1st 1981. You're Never Look at Music The Same Way Again. It was just after midnight in the early morning hours of August 1, 1981, that the fledgling Music Television network flickered to life. “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll” were the words that preceded on opening montage featuring a chunky guitar riff playing over the familiar image of an American astronaut planting an unfamiliar flag on the surface of the moon—a flag emblazoned with a big, block capital “M” and t
FacebookMike's Dead Formats
2K viewsAug 2, 2021
MTV - recorded broadcast (The first 12 minutes of its debut in 1981!)
12:08
MTV - recorded broadcast (The first 12 minutes of its debut in 1981!)
YouTubeTired Teddy Entertainment
227 viewsJan 14, 2024
Watch the First 2 Hours of MTV’s Inaugural Broadcast (August 1, 1981)
Watch the First 2 Hours of MTV’s Inaugural Broadcast (August 1, 1981)
openculture.com
Feb 2, 2025
MTV Awards Shows
MTV Video Music Awards Winners: Ariana Grande Takes Video Of Year; Lady Gaga Artist Of Year – Full List
MTV Video Music Awards Winners: Ariana Grande Takes Video Of Year; Lady Gaga Artist Of Year – Full List
deadline.com
6 months ago
MTV Video Music Awards 2025: Complete Winners Recap and Highlights – Archyde
MTV Video Music Awards 2025: Complete Winners Recap and Highlights – Archyde
archyde.com
6 months ago
MTV Movie & TV Awards on Reels
0:20
MTV Movie & TV Awards on Reels
FacebookMTV Movie & TV Awards
8.4K viewsNov 29, 2018
MTV 1st Broadcast August 1st 1981. You're Never Look at Music The Same Way Again. It was just after midnight in the early morning hours of August 1, 1981, that the fledgling Music Television network flickered to life. “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll” were the words that preceded on opening montage featuring a chunky guitar riff playing over the familiar image of an American astronaut planting an unfamiliar flag on the surface of the moon—a flag emblazoned with a big, block capital “M” and t
1:53
MTV 1st Broadcast August 1st 1981. You're Never Look at Music The S…
2K viewsAug 2, 2021
FacebookMike's Dead Formats
MTV - recorded broadcast (The first 12 minutes of its debut in 1981!)
12:08
MTV - recorded broadcast (The first 12 minutes of its debut in 1981!)
227 viewsJan 14, 2024
YouTubeTired Teddy Entertainment
Watch the First 2 Hours of MTV’s Inaugural Broadcast (August 1, 1981)
Watch the First 2 Hours of MTV’s Inaugural Broadcast (August 1, 19…
Feb 2, 2025
openculture.com
MTV First Four Hours Remastered - 12am Saturday August 1st, 1981
2:27:16
MTV First Four Hours Remastered - 12am Saturday August 1st, 1981
163.9K viewsDec 31, 2014
Internet ArchiveWindsinger
WATCH | This was the first music video played on MTV in 1981
3:21
WATCH | This was the first music video played on MTV in 1981
Aug 2, 2021
News24Nikita Coetzee
The Very First Two Hours Of MTV
2:19:28
The Very First Two Hours Of MTV
636 viewsFeb 12, 2024
Internet ArchiveBradyYT
History and Evolution of MTV
23:51
History and Evolution of MTV
414 views9 months ago
YouTubeSeeking History
2:41
MTV Original Broadcast - 12am Saturday August 1st, 1981 (HD 60f…
4.3K viewsAug 1, 2022
YouTubeThe 80s, a Decade of Music (Master Noise HD …
3:25
First day of MTV’s first videos #mtv #musictelevision #Rock
1.6K viewsApr 29, 2024
YouTubeRock and Roll Universe
MTV's First Broadcast 44 Years Ago Proved "Video Killed the Radio Star"
7 months ago
collider.com
1:00
MTV: The Channel That Changed Music Forever | Facts & Records
169 views7 months ago
YouTubePolifymind
1:57
First 10 Videos Played On MTV #mtv #musicvideos #80s #80smusic MT…
1.1M viewsApr 19, 2023
TikTokporkchop_pete
2:40
What Was The First Video On MTV? - The Musician Encyclopedia
18 views10 months ago
YouTubeThe Musician Encyclopedia
The first music video to be aired on MTV
Nov 7, 2022
faroutmagazine.co.uk
3:12
Time To Rewind "When MTV Changed the World"
90 views5 months ago
YouTubeTime To Rewind
0:32
What Was the FIRST Music Video Played on MTV?
55 viewsMar 11, 2025
YouTubeQuiz Corner Win
1:04
How MTV Changed Music Forever: Story Behind the First Music Vide…
38 views4 months ago
YouTubeMotivational_Lift
MTV’s First Day: 20 Videos and 5 VJs Who Changed Music
20 views7 months ago
wcsx.com
1:01
Happy birthday, MTV! 38 years ago today, Music Television officially l…
848.8K viewsAug 1, 2019
FacebookMTV News
8:05
The FIRST MTV videos, HOW MANY do you remember?
595 views5 months ago
YouTubeMusic Meanderings
1:12
First 10 MTV Videos: Aug 1, 1981
145.6K viewsMay 5, 2024
TikTokporkchop_pete
27:43
The Story Of MTV & Birth of The First Music Videos
382 viewsOct 9, 2019
YouTubeEverything 80s
0:54
When MTV Changed Music Forever (1981)
1.8K views7 months ago
YouTubeThis Day In History
Watch the First Two Hours of MTV Ever Broadcast
Aug 4, 2021
nerdist.com
What MTV Debuted During Their First Two Hours
Jun 16, 2022
didyouknowfacts.com
1:29
MTV Launch 1981: The Day Music Changed Forever | How Music Tel…
122 views4 months ago
DailymotionPAST BLAST
The First 100 Videos Played On MTV
100 viewsJul 30, 2021
wbur.org
MTV Turns 40! A Look Back on the Channel That Revolutionized Musi…
Jul 26, 2021
iheart.com
0:47
Today, MTV is a cultural institution. But people forget what a long sho…
478.2K viewsJun 25, 2020
FacebookiHeartRadio
See more videos
Static thumbnail place holder